1. The Huntley Hotel
8.2
1111 2nd St (at California Ave), Santa Monica, CA
Hotel · Wilshire-Montana · 71 tips and reviews
Devran Mustafoglu: glass of vino, rock shrimp tempura, tacos, & sliders are the best happy hour things to order!
Colleen H: Rooftop bar on weekdays. Go for the magic hour. Nice rooms. Thin walls. Delicious views.
ashley roeber: Ask for floors 14 and above for the best view. Yogurt with granola and berries is fantastic for breakfast.
4. La Vecchia Cucina
7.9
2654 Main St, Santa Monica, CA
Italian Restaurant · Ocean Park · 30 tips and reviews
P.J. Palmer: Go to La Vecchia; hang at the bar for happy hour (5-7pm M-F) and order any of their $5 pizza's and a $5 vino. Best happy hour in the city, but pretty popular, get their early to grab a seat :)
Ashley Carter: Wow. The service, the atmosphere, the FOOD. Delicious fresh bread and a creamy, lemony lobster ravioli. This place is special.
Isaac N: Excellent spot for a date or dinner w/the family. Reservations are a must for parties >4. Staff is consistently attentive & the food is always fabulous! ...remember, you get what you pay for ;-)
Ricky Sherrill: Good service, great food, & an excellent wine list. They have a nice selection of Barolo's
LA Weekly: L.A.¹s ultimate special-occasion Italian restaurant! A bells-and-whistles place where you reserve a table weeks in advance. Still, the food is great! Try it at PLATE LA Weekly's Food Event 3/3/13! Read more.
Los Angeles Times: Jonathan Gold says: I will never forget my first taste of Quintarelli Amarone here, which is as close as I had gotten to a sweet, musky taste of heaven. Read more.
6. Manchego
8.4
2518 Main St, Santa Monica, CA
Tapas Restaurant · Ocean Park · 35 tips and reviews
Meg Farmer: BYOB tapas. Do the bacon wrapped dates for sure. Super intimate, great date spot.
Jasmeet Gill: Amazing food, BYOB. Get anything that combines meat and cheese. No corkage fee!! Oh the meatballs are amazing
Bollare: A cozy restaurant with the best Spanish tapas in LA. Perfect for a romantic date or a relaxing dinner with friends. BYOB and no reservations, so show up early if you’re with a large group. —Sophie
7. Rustic Canyon
8.0
1119 Wilshire Blvd (at 11th Ct.), Santa Monica, CA
Wine Bar · Wilshire-Montana · 86 tips and reviews
James Citron: Best wine by the glass - get the Gargiulo Sangiovese. Great winemaker, goes with much of the menu and a fair price!
Meg L.: Niman Ranch Burger. Dish out the extra $3 (used to be $2, le sigh) for the fried egg. You're already going big by eating an $18 burger so why not get the works? Enjoy.
Eater: Moderately priced super seasonal eats straight from SM farmers markets served in a pleasant, tasteful space. Seasonal desserts come from neighbor bakery Huckleberry. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.
8. Blue Plate Taco
8.3
1515 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA
Mexican Restaurant · Downtown Santa Monica · 137 tips and reviews
Natalia Papakyriazis: Really tasty food, they will modify the dishes and they have soyrizo chorizo (vegan, organic, and delicious). The tostada was very good, as were the guacamole and watermelon agua fresca.
Dress for the Date: All tacos on the menu are also offered Flaco Taco style in lettuce cups.
Dress for the Date: The Vegetarian Flaco Tacos are so amazingly good! All tacos can be ordered a la carte to mix and match. Tapas style.