Dives, breweries, and pierside hangs—there’s more to Santa Monica's bar scene than you might think.
For a town best known for farmers markets and brunches in athleisure wear, Santa Monica’s nightlife scene is surprisingly robust—and we're not just talking about the pubs on Main Street where dudes staring in silence at Lakers games, or god forbid, The Bungalow. From throwback dives to chic rooftops and cocktail bars on the beach, there’s real drinking to be done in Santa Monica. And here are the best places to do it.
Unrated: This is a restaurant we want to re-visit before rating, or it’s a coffee shop, bar, or dessert shop. We only rate spots where you can eat a full meal.
THE SPOTS
This bottle shop-wine bar hybrid has great daily happy hour specials (including all-day happy hour on Sunday and Monday) with $10 glasses, charcuterie spreads with seasonal jams and fancy honey, and freshly shucked oysters for $3.50 a mollusk. And once the evening rolls around, Esters lights candles to give the space a romantic and on-the-quieter-side feel, in case you want to explore the extensive bottle list and split a seafood tower with a date.
Although technically a restaurant, The Georgian Room doubles as a historic piano lounge. So if you’re looking for a moody place with red leather booths to celebrate something big, book a reservation. That’s the only way you’ll get into this dark basement bar, hidden just off of Santa Monica’s packed Ocean Avenue strip. It’s the kind of place where you have to buzz a mysterious doorbell and put a privacy sticker over your phone camera before you’re seated. Start with one of the house martinis, and don’t leave until you hear the jazz singer crooning renditions of Britney Spears songs next to a vintage Steinway.
The profound lack of good rooftops in Santa Monica is one of society’s great mysteries. At least we have Calabra. Perched atop the Santa Monica Proper Hotel, this gigantic bar has an indoor lounge, poolside patio, and curved couches that you can rent out for more privacy. Come weekends, the music is loud and people are definitely dressed up, but if you want to sneak up on a weekday to watch the sunset and sip a gin and tonic, you’ll always be able to find a seat at the wrap-around bar.
Offhand Wine Bar
Offhand is a natural wine bar that looks like it could be a Chipotle from the outside. (Sorry, no moody, candlelit atmosphere here.) But if you want a casual spot that pours interesting wines, then this is your place. Not everything at Offhand is soulless and gray, though. They’re spinning vinyl, the friendly staff is eager to explain every bottle on their list, and locals stroll in wearing their comfiest hoodies to drink chilled reds and dry rieslings. It’s just-sophisticated-enough, making it perfect for a date or night out with friends that entails a lot of chit-chat.
Jakob Layman
It might not be fair to judge a book by its cover—but in the case of Big Dean’s, what you see is what you get. And that’s why we like it so much. Because even though this beachside sports bar is basically underneath the pier, it’s one of the few places where you’ll find actual Santa Monica locals hanging out this close to the tourists. Grab an excellent burger (an underrated LA classic) and a pitcher of beer, then head to their turf patio to watch whatever game is happening.
Jakob Layman
When it comes to Santa Monica bars, there’s a belief that it’s Chez Jay and everyone else—and it’s hard to argue otherwise. Opened in 1959, this nautical-themed landmark (literally) is a one-of-a-kind watering hole where you can get a dangerously stiff drink and a 10-oz. butter steak at the same time. There are peanut shells on the floor, a weird giant fish on the wall, and a jukebox playing The Stones. If you want one of the last remaining authentic Santa Monica experiences, head to this crazy shack by the water.
Alicia Cho
At this den of debauchery, the name of the game is karaoke. The Gaslite is one of the best bars in Santa Monica for cutting loose, plus there’s free popcorn and a dance floor that gets wild in a hurry. It's a great option when you prefer to skip the scene—or the long lines at a bar you don’t want to be at anyway—and go experience the dive bar of your dreams.
Santa Monica Brew Works is one of the only non-kombucha breweries in the neighborhood, so they could probably skate by on mediocrity if they wanted. But they don’t. Their taproom pours a long list of beers, like tangy witbiers, IPAs, and more experimental brews like a fruity guava-piña sour that tastes like something from a beach bar. The physical space is pretty brewery-standard, but what sets it apart is its built-in food options: Emmy Squared. The Brooklyn-based pizzeria has QR codes on the table so you can order a gooey pan pizza or double-stacked burger.
Does Father’s Office have one of LA's best burgers? You better believe it, and the bar’s not bad, either. Admittedly pretty cramped during peak hours, the original location on Montana is a small but nonetheless fantastic place to drink beer on a Saturday afternoon. The rotating craft beer list is solid, the non-burger small plates are tasty, and the ambiance is fun but relaxed, which is usually what we want from an evening in Santa Monica.
Daily Pint
The Daily Pint is a 20-something-year-old English pub/dive that might not look like much, but you’re not going to find a better craft beer list on the Westside (not to mention their 500 kinds of whiskey). Quirky, dimly lit, with old pool tables scattered about, this is the kind of place 50-year-old pirates go to get their Stone Imperial Russian Stout and reminisce about ports of call.
Chestnut Club
If you’re looking to get rowdy and make a few mistakes but drink well-made cocktails while you’re doing it, Chestnut Club is where you go. The craft cocktail bar is located in that strange, sleepy stretch of inland Santa Monica, but it still gets all-out mobbed on the weekends. So get there early or prepare to wait in line. Or just go during the week when things have calmed down considerably, and you can drink in peace.
The Misfit
The Misfit is another restaurant that often gets used as a bar, and even though it's located a little too close to the Third Street Promenade, we grin and bear it. The crowd is full of locals, the pitchers of white sangria come extra cold, and the food is solid, like the massive fried chicken sandwich with creamy fennel slaw and a quinoa-kale salad that’s great for sharing. Also, there are free cookies and a Happy Hour from noon to 7pm daily.
Ye Olde Kings Head
Santa Monica is strangely full of legitimate UK-themed pubs, and while everyone seems to have their favorite, we’ll never pass up the chance to sip a lager and eat a basket of fish and chips at King’s Head. Mere steps from the beach, it’s a staple that can certainly get a touch touristy, but the crowds add to the fun when there’s a Premier League match on the telly. Come and see what true sports passion looks like.