Catch Restaurant is located on the Santa Monica Beach oceanfront walkway inside Hotel Casa Del Mar. Catch serves breakfast lunch and dinner. The fine dining menu options here are very affordable and healthy. The portions are moderate while still offering a satisfying meal. Dungeness crab cakes, beef carpaccio and grilled lamb sliders are available for under $12 each. The restaurant lets diners enjoy an entertaining atmosphere, an ocean view and a vibrant social atmosphere.
Ivy at the Shore is all the Hollywood rave for its fine dining food and celebrity guests. The style here is tropical and retro with wicker chairs and floral prints on the walls and tablecloths. The wait staff here is excellent and truly has taken a page from the best book in dining service. The food is famously delicious with menu items like cajun soft shell crab, prime rib, lobster enchiladas and oyster dinners. The portions are typically large and may be shared by two. Ivy at the Shore is filled everyday and there will more than likely be a wait if guests do not make reservations.
Founded by Japanese businessman "Rocky" Aoki in 1964, Benihana is known as the first chain of restaurants to bring Japanese cuisine to America. Two staples of that cuisine still stand firm: sushi, including sashimi, hand rolls and specialty rolls, and teppanyaki, the reason Benihana is so famous. Teppanyaki is a sort of culinary art form in which the chef cooks on a hibachi grill right in front of the customer, frying up your beef or chicken or seafood to order. A fun evening just blocks from the beach might include a glass of their signature "Benihana Punch," a large portion of USDA choice steak grilled in front of your eyes and possibly a couple pieces of shrimp tossed perfectly into your mouth by the chef across the table.
In 2008, Keith O'Brien and Steve Lieberman, two friends from New York City, decided to open a restaurant merging "West Coast beach atmosphere with New York atmosphere." The result is a cozy, two-story "Bar of the People" with comfortable couch-style benches and specialty beers at affordable prices. Drink and food specials abound almost every day of the week, and catch almost any major sporting event of two large flat screen TVs. Stop by for a Chimay or Boddington's, or maybe just some late night fish 'n chips, anytime before midnight.
The Tiato Market Garden Cafe is located on Colorado Ave next door to the Lion's Gate building in Santa Monica. Dining at Tiato is a unique experience. The outdoor garden seating is landscaped with a circular brick mosaic floor and round tables with red patio umbrellas. Entering the restaurant cutomers get the feeling that something exciting is going on. A nine-foot projection TV showing sporting events including the Lakers games dominates the room. A glass room divider creates a quiter section where diners can sit in dimly lit boothes for more privacy. The full bar is a large half circle and serves everything from from beer and wine to cocktails and champagne. The second section of Tiato is a salad bar and fresh market cafe. Customers can prepare their own salads and choose cuts of beef, chicken, fish, shrimp and more that will be prepaared in the kitchen and brought to your table in one of the dining areas. Tiato is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The extensive menu features everything from Omelettes and French Toast at breakfast to Tomato Bisque, Turkey Taco Salads and Dim Sum boxes at lunch. The dinner menu features Pho Beef or Chicken, Herb Roasted Jidori Chicken and Turmeric Poached Salmon and more. Visit the website for a full menu.
The Galley is Santa Monica's oldest restaurant. Around since 1934, it is considered a historic landmark as well as a classic neighborhood haunt. Owned and operated by Ron Schur and his wife Camille, this spot is known for its steak platters and seafood pasta dishes, such as Shrimp Diablo and Linguini with Clams. It even serves platters for two, which seems to make it a popular date night spot.
