The 10 Best Outdoor Dining Spots in Santa Monica (2026)
We live here for the weather, so we might as well eat in it. Santa Monica’s outdoor dining scene has come a long way from the pandemic-era sidewalk tables — now we have proper rooftop terraces, garden courtyards with string lights, oceanview patios that make you forget you’re in a city, and sidewalk perches that turn a Tuesday dinner into an event. Here are the 10 best outdoor dining spots in Santa Monica right now, from the splurge-worthy rooftops to the hidden patios you didn’t know existed.
The Rooftops
1. Elephante. The fourth-floor Italian terrace is the undisputed king of outdoor dining in Santa Monica. The ocean stretches out below you, the sunset hits the terrace at exactly the right angle, and the pasta is excellent enough to justify the scene even without the view. Start with the half-price happy hour at 4pm, transition into dinner, and try not to Instagram your aperol spritz. Everyone else already has. The terrace fills fast — book at least a week ahead for weekend dinners.
2. The Penthouse at the Huntley. Eighteen floors up, the outdoor terrace at the Huntley has the most dramatic vantage point in Santa Monica. It’s more of a cocktail destination than a full dinner spot, but the small plates are solid and the view from Malibu to Palos Verdes is staggering after dark. Best for a date night nightcap or an early evening drink before dinner elsewhere. Clear nights only — the marine layer can swallow the view.
The Patios
3. Tar & Roses. The back patio at Tar & Roses is one of the best-kept secrets in Santa Monica. String lights, a wood-burning grill sending smoke through the air, and Andrew Kirschner’s seasonal menu that belongs on every best restaurants list. The patio seats are first-come at the bar, no reservation required, which means you can walk in on a Wednesday at 6pm and land one of the best outdoor seats on the Westside. The bone marrow tastes even better outside.
4. Forma. The sidewalk tables on Main Street are the sleeper hit of Santa Monica outdoor dining. Nothing fancy — just a few tables on the sidewalk with a view of the Main Street foot traffic — but the tableside cacio e pepe, a glass of Chianti, and the golden-hour light make it feel like a scene from a Roman trattoria. Affordable, unpretentious, and exactly what outdoor dining should be.
“The best outdoor table in Santa Monica isn’t the one with the biggest view. It’s the one where the light, the food, and the temperature all agree at the same time.”
5. Gjelina. The back patio on Abbot Kinney is one of the most coveted outdoor seats in all of LA. Lush greenery, communal tables, and the smell of the wood-fired oven drifting through the air. The vegetable dishes are transcendent, the pizzas are perfect, and the energy of the patio — lively but not chaotic — makes every meal feel like a celebration. No reservations for parties under six, so get your name in early. Check our complete Abbot Kinney guide for the full boulevard experience.
6. The Bungalow. The Fairmont’s beachfront bar is technically a bar, but the food menu is better than it needs to be, and the outdoor space — fire pits, daybeds, string lights, ocean breeze — is the most atmospheric outdoor setting in Santa Monica. Come for the tiki-inspired cocktails, stay for the fish tacos, and fight for a fire pit on weeknights when the crowd thins out. The best bar patio on the Westside.
The Hidden Gems
7. Esters Wine Shop & Bar. The back patio on Main Street is the most relaxed outdoor drinking and dining spot in Santa Monica. Buy a bottle of natural wine at retail, pay the corkage, and drink it on the sun-dappled patio with a cheese plate. No reservations, no pretension, just good wine in a beautiful setting. It’s the kind of place where you planned to stay for one glass and ended up staying for three.
8. Dogtown Coffee. The outdoor seating at Dogtown is the best casual patio in Ocean Park. Grab a cold brew, claim a table on the sidewalk, and watch Main Street wake up. Dogs everywhere (obviously), the morning light is perfect, and it’s two blocks from the beach. Not fine dining, but the best outdoor morning coffee experience in Santa Monica.
9. Cosetta. The California-Italian gem in Ocean Park has a small patio that feels like someone’s backyard dinner party. A handful of tables, warm lighting, and the smell of the wood-fired oven. The burrata with stone fruit is the opening move, followed by whatever pasta the kitchen is running that night. Intimate and unhurried — exactly the kind of outdoor dining we moved here for.
10. Caffe Luxxe (Montana Avenue). Not a restaurant, but the tiny sidewalk seating at the Montana Avenue original is some of the best people-watching real estate on the Westside. A cortado, a pastry, and the parade of Montana Avenue morning walkers. It’s outdoor dining in its simplest, most perfect form.
