Santa Monica is a city shaped by artisans: bakers who arrive at sunrise to laminate pastry, farmers unloading crates still carrying traces of the morning soil, baristas who know exactly how long to steep a cup before handing it across the counter. You can taste that way of thinking everywhere.
\n\n\n\nBeyond the pier and the postcard views, some of the city’s best meals are the ones a little more tucked away. That’s the Santa Monica we love sharing at The Ambrose Hotel. It’s the scene just beyond our front door, where eating well is one of the best ways to get to know the neighborhood.
\n\n\n\nCoffee, Croissants & California Mornings
\n\n\n\nEvery local has their favorite breakfast table. Ours happens to be right here. With our Bed & Breakfast package, you’ll enjoy a daily $40 breakfast credit for two, served in the comfort of your room or in our lobby lounge. Once you’re ready, step outside to the coffee bars, bakeries, and cafés that make this corner of Santa Monica such a rewarding place to wander.
\n\n\n\nAt Goodboybob, coffee is treated less like fuel, more like a creative project. The beans are sourced and roasted with care, the pastries are made in-house, and the menu has a playful streak. If you’re feeling adventurous, try a volcanic matcha with vanilla bean cream and a dark sprinkle of volcanic salt. For a taste of comfort, a brown butter latte is sure to be warm and toasty on a crisp morning.
\n\n\n\nFor a more European-leaning menu, stop at Uppers Cafe & Bakeshop. There, the pastries are made fresh each day using family recipes, and the signature honey cake carries a thread of the owner’s Lithuanian heritage. Order a slice with coffee and take it outside to their patio.
\n\n\n\nA few blocks away, Café Lovi infuses French technique into their crêpes, while just across the street Tartine makes a convincing case for choosing breakfast with your eyes first. The raspberry rose geranium Danish is almost too beautiful to bite into. Almost.
\n\n\n\nLunch With a Sense of Place
\n\n\n\nBy midday, head to Huckleberry Bakery & Café, where the day’s harvest shapes much of what’s on the menu. Long inspired by the nearby Santa Monica Farmers Market, the kitchen builds generous salads, grain bowls, and sandwiches around produce at its seasonal peak.
\n\n\n\nFor something a little more whimsical, Lokl Haus serves Turkish specialties in an eclectic, gallery-like space. Flaky borek, charcoal-kissed kebabs, and strong Turkish coffee make for a meal that feels worlds away, yet perfectly at home in a city that has long embraced global influences.
\n\n\n\nIf you find yourself by the water, dip into crudo e nudo, a tiny seafood spot that lets the Pacific do most of the talking. The menu changes with the day’s catch, celebrating sustainable seafood by capturing its raw essence. A reminder of the bounty found right off our shores.
\n\n\n\nDinner With a Story
\n\n\n\nSanta Monica does dinner especially well when the cooking has a point of view.
\n\n\n\nAt Forma, that’s cheese. Fresh pasta is finished inside enormous wheels of formaggio, gathering richness with each theatrical turn. Order a few small plates, choose something from the cheese list, and let the art of dalla forma transport you straight to an old Italian ristorante.
\n\n\n\nAt Solidarity, the story is family. The restaurant serves Polish cooking with a modern California sensibility, using locally sourced ingredients and offering plant-based interpretations alongside traditional dishes. Come for handmade pierogi, hot borscht, or a sample platter of kielbasa, crispy placki, and bright mizeria. Opt for the garden, where tables beneath an old feijoa tree make dinner feel a little like being welcomed into someone’s backyard.
\n\n\n\nThen there is Le Great Outdoor, a restaurant built around an open fire and the simple belief that food tastes better under open sky. It’s California cooking stripped to its elements: earth, fire, thoughtfully sourced produce, and an atmosphere that’s warm in every sense of the word.
\n\n\n\nOne Last Glass
\n\n\n\nThere’s no need to end the night the moment dinner is over.
\n\n\n\nIf the evening calls for something from the vine, Offhand Wine Bar keeps things easy with natural vintages and small plates to nibble on.
\n\n\n\nMeanwhile, over at The Chestnut Club, there are no televisions competing for attention—just low light, brick walls, leather booths, and bartenders who know their classics. Start with something familiar, then let them steer you toward a pour you might not have chosen yourself.
\n\n\n\nThe Flavors of the Neighborhood
\n\n\n\nThe best meals in Santa Monica have something in common. They begin with people who care deeply about making something well. That’s the beauty of dining here. It’s about discovering the people and places that give the neighborhood its character, one bite at a time.
\n\n\n\nWhen you’re ready for a taste, The Ambrose is here to welcome you. Book your stay and discover a city worth savoring.
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