The 5 Best Seaside Restaurants on the Santa Monica Bay

Nicholos Poma B.S.
Santa Monica is a tourist hotspot in Southern California and even the locals find it an attractive place to live and do business. The Santa Monica Pier is a great place to have a good time. However, at night the homeless trouble becomes more apparent as they camp out by the pier. Nevertheless, when visiting Santa Monica, there is nothing more beautiful than enjoying a crimson sunset while dining in a great restaurant. This article will list the five best restaurants with the best beach views in Santa Monica, California.

Marix Tex Mex Playa
118 Entrada Dr.
Santa Monica, California
(310) 459-8596
Marix Tex Mex Playa is a restaurant whose cuisine is just as the name suggest. The restaurant offers several delicious entrees from the Southwest. This restaurant is located just steps away from the beach and is a welcome respite from a day in the sun to just sit back, enjoy the sunset, and reflect on the days events. The prices are very reasonable and the menu is extensive and offers even seafood items. The people are friendly and the atmosphere is very comfortable.

The Lobster
1602 Ocean Ave.
Santa Monica, California
(310) 458-9294
The Lobster is an absolutely beautiful restaurant in a beautiful location right on the beach. The Lobster offers open air dining as well as a terrace where you can really appreciate the beauty of a Southern California sunset. The menu consists of a vast array of seafood delicacies that are sure to please your palette. The menu as well as the price at The Lobster will vary according to season. However, overall, the prices are very reasonable for a seafood restaurant. The atmosphere is more in line with a cross between casual formal dress. It might be a good idea to make reservations if you plan on visiting this particular eatery.

Sushi Roku
1401 Ocean Ave.
Santa Monica, California
(310) 458-4771
Sushi Roku is an out of the ordinary Sushi restaurant where the Japanese traditional décor meets a laid back Starbucks type of atmosphere. Sushi Roku has a vast variety of Japanese food and it is delicious. From Japanese Yellowtail to Lobster this menu is sure to please those that appreciate fine traditional Japanese dining while relaxing in a jazz filled ambiance. However, like many other Sushi restaurants, it can get pretty pricey, but at Sushi Roku the prices are comparatively reasonable.

Ocean Avenue Seafood
1401 Ocean Ave.
Santa Monica, California
(310) 394-5669
Ocean Avenue Seafood is a full fledged seafood restaurant right on Ocean Avenue looking out over the Santa Monica Bay. If you love seafood, then this is the place to be. This restaurant serves everything from Swordfish, Oysters, to Salmon and Alaskan Black Cod. If you are not a big seafood fan, then not to worry, Ocean Avenue Seafood also offers steaks and other items. The food is delicious and the service is impeccable. This is a must visit when looking for seafood in the Santa Monica Bay area.

Il Fornaio Restaurant
1551 Ocean Ave.
Santa Monica, California
(310) 451-7800
Il Fornaio is an Italian restaurant and bakery. The restaurant is located right off of the beach on Ocean avenue and has a terrific view of Santa Monica Beach. The inside of the restaurant has a very cozy feel to it. Il Fornaio is the Italian restaurant of Italian restaurants in the Santa Monica Bay area. The food is awesome, authentic, and prepared by some of the best chefs in the region. The dining experience is very pleasant and the people are very nice and helpful. Prices can be a bit high but they are reasonable for the quality of food and the beautiful view of the ocean. It almost makes you feel like you are in Italy.

There you have it, the top five restaurants in the Santa Monica Bay area where you can watch the sunset over the beach while dining. I hope that these recommendations will be helpful to you when you come to Santa Monica, whether it is for business or vacation.

Published by Nicholos Poma B.S.

Nick Poma holds a Bachelor of Science and Information Technology degree. He has served in the United States armed forces as a 31U, Tactical Communications Specialist, from 1983 to 1989 and then again from 20...   View profile

5 Comments

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  • cathiesblogs 7/25/2008

    Great Review !!...I would really like to visit a couple of these restaurants one day !!!

  • Nick Poma 7/23/2008

    I believe that it is Sushi Roku that has the jazz and that it why I gave it the Starbucks comparison.

  • April Lorier 7/23/2008

    Nick, I have visited one of these restaurants, but can't remember which one. I do remember they had a jazz ensemble playing, though,.Do you know which one that could have been?

  • Jody Morse 7/22/2008

    Great review! = )

  • Momie Tullottes 7/22/2008

    Great review. These sound great. :-)

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