Best Seafood Restaurants In Santa Monica
Flush with beautiful beaches and nearly perfect weather, Santa Monica is also home to some of the best restaurants with tasty seafood dishes. Santa Monica boasts a number of restaurants that have fresh treasures from the sea, including lobster rolls, seafood towers, traditional fish dishes and more.
The Albright
258 Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 394-9683
www.thealbright.com
The Albright, a local family-owned restaurant located on the Santa Monica Pier, is known for their Lobster Roll which is made with fresh lobster chunks, light mayo chives, fresh celery and served New England Style on a toasted roll as well as their Spicy Seafood Soup. The local favorite here is seasoned and filled with clams, mussels, cod, langoustine, squid, shrimp and jasmine rice it is a hearty and delicious option for any seafood lover. The restaurant also offers a lot of other great seafood options like their New England clam chowder, calamari, oysters, lobster, dungeness crab, and much more.
FIG
101 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 319-3111
www.figsantamonica.com
Long recognized as a seasonal, ingredient-driven bistro, FIG now creates new wood-fired dishes made with locally-sourced ingredients from hand-selected farmers and purveyors in California. Located inside Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, Chef Yousef Ghalaini provides guests with bold Mediterranean flavors throughout the menu, from sharable plates like the new signature charred Bread Balloon to larger dishes. Some of their seafood offerings include the Wood Smoked Manilla Clams, Charred Octopus and the Citrus and Chili Marinated Whole Fish, which changes nightly depending on what's freshly available that day, served with charred sweet peppers and tahini.
Knuckle & Claw
2715 Main Street,
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 399-9939
www.knuckleandclaw.com
Knuckle & Claw in Santa Monica and in Silverlake is co-owned by Nikki Booth and Chloe Dahl, the granddaughter of Roald Dahl, the beloved children's book writer who would have turned 100 this September. A go-to spot for New England style lobster rolls, as well as other great seafood, this hot spot features a menu including selections from the Oyster Bar and Chowdah. Knuckle & Claw serves fresh lobster as well that is flown in overnight from Maine and uses just the tender knuckle and claw meat.
Herringbone
1755 Ocean Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 971-4460
www.herringboneeats.com
Set within a beautiful space on Ocean Avenue overlooking the majestic Pacific Ocean, Herringbone features "fish meats field" coastal cuisine with an emphasis on line-caught seafood and high-quality meats. The design of the restaurant exudes Southern California beach living with live trees, lush greenery, fish net draping and maritime inspired artwork and fixtures. The menu uses market-driven ingredients and features a curated wine selection with specials like the mussels tikka masala, whole fish ceviche and buffalo ranch octopus with black eyed peas, celery, carrots and herbs.
Blue Plate Oysterette
1355 Ocean Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 576-3474
www.blueplatewest3rd.com
Although Blue Plate Oysterette opened a West Hollywood location, their Santa Monica locale is hotter than ever. Situated near the Santa Monica Pier and on the popular Ocean Ave, the restaurant is a neighborhood staple where Santa Monica meets New England serving fresh seafood. On their outdoor patio overlooking the Pacific Ocean, guests can enjoy lobster rolls, oysters, New England steamers, fresh fish dishes, as well as a great beer, wine and cocktail list. One of their more popular dishes is the Oysters Rockefeller which is baked with spinach, béchamel and parmesan.
The Lobster
1602 Ocean Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 458-9294
www.thelobster.com
Santa Monica's most beloved landmark restaurant The Lobster, whose original restaurant opened in 1923, has a newly remodeled and luxurious interior offering sweeping panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and the iconic pier. Restaurant visitors come here for one reason: their delicious lobster options. The menu is classic American seafood featuring whole live Maine, and surrounding areas, lobsters. Make sure to try their popular Spicy Yellowfin Tuna Tartare Toast with Windrose Farms smoked chili, pickled shallots and aioli.
Water Grill
1401 Ocean Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 394-5669
www.watergrill.com
Also situated on the scenic Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, Water Grill takes inspiration from the ocean by serving a wide range of high quality seafood dishes with menu selections changing daily. Serving the freshest and often first-of-season catches, Water Grill's signature is its Ice Shellfish Towers, which include an array of oysters, scallops, shrimp, lobster and clams for sharing. Other menu favorites include Raw Crudos, the New England Lobster Roll and Wild Ross Sea Chilean Sea Bass.
The Galley
2442 Main St.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 452-1934
www.thegalleyrestaurant.net
Dubbed Santa Monica's oldest restaurant, The Galley was established in 1934, and remains a California landmark. Decorated with porthole windows on its exterior and nautical-theme design throughout, its menu is comprised of a large selection of seafood as well as steak, chicken and pasta. They serve guests a seafood special every night, shrimp cocktail and fish tacos on their happy hour menu, as well as the favorites like the Seafood Diablo, fresh fish, clams, and jumbo shrimp, sautéed in a spicy tomato cream sauce and served over pasta, that can be prepared to your level of spiciness.
Santa Monica Yacht Club
620 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 587-3330
www.eatsmyc.com
Santa Monica Yacht Club (SMYC) is chef Andrew Kirschner's modern and globally-inspired seafood concept that is undeniably rooted on the West Coast. The menu's shareable plates include lobster and burrata toast with lemon, tarragon and chili flake, a whole fried snapper with soba noodles and a sardine crostini with avocado and pickled onions. SMYC also features a market-driven craft cocktail program along with a progressive wine list.
Enterprise Fish Co. Santa Monica
174 Kinney St.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 392-8366
www.enterprisefishco.com
The Famous Enterprise Fish Company Santa Monica location opened in 1979 and since then it has brought in fresh whole fish daily, which is broken down and prepared over their mesquite charcoal. The art of charcoal broiling fish, either filleted or skewered and cooked slowly over mesquite charcoal is the style of cooking they've served since opening featuring fresh fish and local products. Along with other top quality fish, and a fresh catch of the day their two most popular dishes include their Mixed Seafood Grill and the 2-lb Maine lobster which is severed with two sides.
Sushi Roku
1401 Ocean Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 458-4771
www.innovativedining.com
Sushi Roku is Santa Monica's premier sushi destination on Ocean Ave., with traditional and unique creations from Executive Sushi Chef Hiroshi Shima. Beloved for nearly two decades, the most popular dishes include Hanabi, spicy tuna over crispy rice and the Yellowtail Diced Chilies which is served sashimi style and topped with olive oil, garlic ponzu, and diced chilies.
Cassia
1314 7th St.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 393-6699
www.cassiala.com
Cassia celebrates Chef Bryant Ng's Chinese-Singaporean influence with French-inspired plates that weave in Southeast Asian flavor profiles. They only use sustainable seafood, and feature a variety of options from seafood towers to Vietnamese Sunbathing Prawns, but two of Chef Ng's most popular dishes include the Whole Grilled Sea Bass and the Black Cod with anchovy broth, Chinese romaine, lychee relish, and herb salad.
