The 10 Best Brunch Spots in Santa Monica Right Now

We’ve eaten a lot of eggs benedict this year. Like, a concerning amount. But someone had to do the work of finding the best brunch in Santa Monica, and we take our responsibilities seriously. Here are the ten spots that earned a permanent place in our weekend rotation — from oceanview rooftops to neighborhood cafes you’ll want to keep secret.

1. Huckleberry Bakery & Café

The gold standard. Zoe Nathan’s Wilshire Boulevard cafe has been the best brunch spot in Santa Monica since it opened, and nothing has changed. The green eggs and ham — scrambled with pesto, served with thick-cut bacon — is the dish that launched a thousand weekend waits. The pastry case alone is worth the trip. Get there before 9am on weekends or prepare to stand on the sidewalk making small talk with strangers. You’ll both be holding coffees. You’ll both be fine with it.

2. Elephante

The rooftop Italian spot on Second Street delivers the best combination of food and views in Santa Monica. The brunch menu leans Mediterranean — shakshuka, lemon ricotta pancakes, a crudo that has no business being this good at 11am. The real draw is the panoramic ocean view from four stories up. Every table feels like it was placed specifically for your Instagram story, and honestly, we’re not mad about it.

3. The Penthouse at Huntley Hotel

Eighteenth-floor brunch with a 180-degree view of the Pacific. The food is solid — lobster scramble, steak and eggs, a very correct eggs benedict — but let’s be honest, you’re here for the view. On a clear morning, you can see Catalina. Reservations essential, window seats go fast, and yes, the mimosas are overpriced. You’re paying for the altitude.

4. Farmshop at Brentwood Country Mart

Technically in Brentwood, but we’re claiming it. Jeff Cerciello’s market-driven cafe inside the Country Mart is the kind of place where the eggs come from a farm you could theoretically visit and the bread was baked that morning. The grain bowl with a soft egg and seasonal vegetables is our weekday order. The ricotta toast with local honey is our weekend order. The outdoor patio under the oak trees is non-negotiable either way.

“The best brunch in Santa Monica isn’t about the fanciest menu or the highest rooftop. It’s about the place you actually want to be at 10am on a Saturday, half-awake, with good coffee and nowhere to rush to.”

5. Milo & Olive

The little sister to Rustic Canyon and Huckleberry, and maybe the most underrated brunch spot on the Westside. The pizza oven runs during brunch — get the egg pizza with bacon and scallions. The cinnamon roll is the size of your head and worth every calorie. No reservations, communal seating, and a neighborhood energy that makes you feel like a local even if you drove from the Valley.

6. Baltaire

The Sunday-only steakhouse brunch on San Vicente is a production. There’s a DJ. There’s a Bloody Mary cart with more toppings than a salad bar. The prime rib hash is one of the best dishes served in Brentwood on any day of the week. It’s the power brunch — the place you take people when you want them to think you know what you’re doing in LA.

7. Gjusta

Venice’s industrial bakery-deli doesn’t do traditional brunch, but it does smoked fish platters, house-baked everything, and a lamb merguez scramble that will change your morning. Order at the counter, grab a seat in the sun-drenched courtyard, and pretend you don’t notice the line behind you. The challah French toast on weekends is the move.

8. Loulou

The rooftop restaurant above Santa Monica Place runs a Saturday and Sunday brunch buffet that’s genuinely impressive. Omelette station, fried chicken, fresh sushi, and a dessert spread that would embarrass most bakeries. The ocean breeze at that elevation is the best free air conditioning in Santa Monica.

9. Dialogue Café

The Montana Avenue sleeper pick. A small, bright, plant-filled cafe doing Australian-style brunch with a California twist. The avocado toast is the one all other avocado toasts should be measured against — thick sourdough, perfectly ripe avocado, chili flake, a poached egg that breaks on cue. The flat white is among the best on the Westside.

10. Socalo

Mexican-inspired brunch on the corner of Santa Monica and 26th. The chilaquiles are the correct choice. The horchata cold brew is the kind of drink that makes you reconsider your entire morning routine. The patio wraps around the building and catches morning sun on both sides. It’s the most fun brunch on this list, and fun is underrated at breakfast.