We love Elephante. I've been coming here for years and years. Sometimes I do wish they had a phone number to call, feels very LA to not be able to speak to someone regarding running behind or inquiring about reservations same day. I wish they would tone down the posh LA attitude but I will admit the staff is absolutely LOVELY and the food is to die for. If the restaurant itself were a bit more human-centric I'd give 5 stars! read more

Loved this beautiful restaurant in Santa Monica! It starts when you walk in to a beautiful indoor/ outdoor patio with ocean views - perfect spot to enjoy the weather and the stunning sunset. We were here for a work dinner so it was a prefixed menu that absolutely hit the spot with excellent service all night! We began with the steaming hot flatbread which is delicious and was served alongside whipped eggplant - that I thought I would love but I was not a fan of the texture! We also had the freshest crudités, and salad alongside the arancini which is a dish I normally don't like but these were small, light and delicious! We then enjoyed the pasta with vodka sauce and branzino - both so so good but the star for me was actually the broccolini which had a selfies char taste with a cashew pesto and crispy shallots! Everything was delicious and made better by the ocean views! Loved it read more

Élephante - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Went for my birthday and although very loud I did love the vibe and ocean view. They honored my last minute reservation ocean view so thank you! The hosts in front were all very sweet but the table service was very poor and we all commented separately that our server had such an attitude from the start. Thankfully his shift was ending and we got a new server and nice but not very attentive. We started with the bread and eggplant dip because that's a must. So yummy! My Aperol spritz was refreshing. Slushie mango drink was just ok. We ordered the pesto pasta and so good! The mushroom and pepperoni pizzas also really good. Others shared the spicy vodka pasta and liked it. Top fav was that pesto pasta and the creaminess of it was again just so good. We were here for my birthday celebration which they knew and I thought it was odd the server didn't ask us if we wanted dessert and no special birthday dessert. Maybe it's so busy they just want to move people out quickly. I definitely will be back to try brunch and give the service another try. read more

Visited for brunch last Friday and I was impressed with the space which had healthy plants everywhere, the service which was quick and attentive, and was particularly infatuated with the food and drinks which was spectacular. Everything we had to eat including the octopus salad, the breakfast sandwich, the eggs Benedict, the steak and eggs and avocado toast was flavorful and well cooked. The banana bread in particular was a table favorite. We had people with different preferences who all tried each dish and were impressed with the attention to detail and quality. The most impressive thing, in my opinion as someone who lives for a dirty vodka martini, was the blue cheese stuffed martini. I'm still debating calling the restaurant for the recipe, extra kudos to the bartender. All in all, a wonderful experience, view, and meal. Will visit (and hope for the same bartender) next time I'm in the area. read more

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My friend and I made a reservation early on a weekday evening. While it was bright and sunny, we loved the view we got of the beach sitting outside. We tried their prosciutto and melon, vodka sauce pasta, and wild mushroom pizza. The prosciutto and melon was a refreshing start, and the salty prosciutto paired well with the sweet honeydew and canteloupe. The vodka sauce pasta was creamy, rich, and comforting without feeling too heavy. My personal favorite was the wild mushroom pizza, which had a crisp crust, was not too oily, and had plenty of earthy mushroom flavor. Delicious meal and was a great place to share food with a friend! read more

Élephante - Wild Mushroom Pizza (left), Vodka Pasta (right) - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Celebrated my birthday here and definitely enjoyed my time at Élephante! I loved the rooftop dining concept and the gorgeous views of Santa Monica Beach. Such a beautiful setting for a birthday dinner. The Whipped Eggplant was absolutely worth the hype. It was super creamy, and the pita was served hot and fresh straight from the pizza oven. The Tuna Tartare was also delicious and seasoned really well. It did take quite a while to come out, though. I just wish there was more carta di musica to pair with the tartare because we ran out pretty early on. I ordered the famous Vodka Pasta, and it did not disappoint. The noodles were perfectly al dente and the dish was super flavorful. My partner ordered the Diver Scallops, which were light and tasty, and paired really well with the citrus butter. My only concern would be the service time. I understand dinner is a busy and peak dining time, but we waited over 25 minutes just for the tartare to come out, and it took even longer for our entrées. Despite that, we still had a great time and enjoyed the food and atmosphere. read more

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All food was excellent. Nice views from the outdoor seating Breakfast pizza was really tasty and the branzino was decent Great ambiance and fast service read more

Élephante - Branzino - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Whipped stracchino cheese was off the chain-- that honey with the fig in the middle was crazy. Little salt flakes on the fresh bread was nice touch Asked waiter if he thought Cacio e Pepe or vodka and he FIRMLY said vodka-- it was pretty damn good Got to try to kale pesto as well... absolutely bussin kind of wish I got that instead it was crazy Arugula and pear salad was mid. Wasn't bad but other stuff was way better Views were epic. Ambience was elite. Rly wanted to give this place 4.5 stars but I couldn't. Just didn't feel like a true 5. Don't get me wrong it was fire and our waiter was awesome but 5 is crazy read more

Élephante - Spicy Calabrian Vodka Pasta - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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The food is good I got the pasta thing. It is actually really good. Drinks are great too. Don't need a reservation if you're going to the bar. Which is a steal to know. read more

Élephante - Pasta - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Elephante is a great spot in Santa Monica for drinks with a view. We sat along the railing and had a beautiful view of the beach. The whipped feta dip was one of our favorite things we ordered and a must-try if you're sharing appetizers. Such a fun spot for a sunset drink or a casual night out. read more

Élephante - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Wow! What an experience elephante was! I was walking around with the friend where we decided that we were long overdue for some yummy cocktails, and a bite to eat. We walked into the house and they told us that there's no open tables, but the bar is open seating. We got lucky enough to be able to grab a seat at the bar where you can also experience the entire food menu with cocktails, so it worked out perfectly. We landed on the whipped eggplant, Earl Grey, martini, a Paloma and a few pasta to share. The whipped eggplant is something that's definitely a must when you go to elephantE! This was a perfectly whipped smooth, tasty dip with freshly warmed pita, it's the perfect app. I landed on the spicy vodka pasta. My friend landed on the pesto. Both were absolutely cooked to perfection with great spices, great flavor and portions that were perfect for sharing. I cannot wait to be able to land a table over overlooking the ocean to enjoy elephante again read more

Élephante - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I love it so much. Pasta was BOMB. View is incredible. Drinks are great. Service on top. read more

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The food was delectable!! 10 out of 10! I made a reservation at 5:45pm for my husband and I for his birthday. I noted on the reservation that we were celebrating a birthday and the staff confirmed this when we arrived. The gifted him a dessert with a candle. We started with the recommended whipped eggplant with focaccia. It was incredible and I don't often eat eggplant. For dinner we had the vodka sauce pasta and bolognese, these were also awesome! The only downside was that despite noting we were celebrating a birthday, we did not get a table near the view. In fact, I saw multiple tables get moved closer when requested. I would have thought a place if this caliber would have done the same for us. Parking: paid lot and street parking. read more

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I didn't know this restaurant was here with such a great view! Glad we went. The restaurant is a vibe, staff is great and professional. Food was good and just a great location to meet up , enjoy the views and food. You can park right across from it for a fee. read more

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I really do love Elephante. The menu is fantastic and the venue is beautiful. I chose it for my birthday dinner, and we were so lucky to get a reservation just one day before in the Sunset Room for 7pm. We ordered a lot, and everything was wonderful. My absolute favorite is the whipped eggplant dip. It's an absolute must order, and I love it so much that I order one to go every single time I visit. Since we don't live nearby, I hadn't been back in quite a while, so I was excited to celebrate my birthday here. We were seated on time and while it was a little loud at first, it was manageable. We got to enjoy the sunset, which was gorgeous. Within about an hour, everything changed... Once the sun went down, the restaurant became unbelievably dark. I'm all for mood lighting, but this was the kind of darkness where the lights are dimmed so low that you genuinely start questioning whether your eyes are playing tricks on you. It wasn't quite pitch black, but it was so dark that it became difficult to even see the people at the bar. The lighting wasn't even the worst part. The noise level became absolutely unbearable. For some reason, as the sun went down, the volume in the room just kept increasing. It got to the point where I had to literally yell just to have a conversation with the friend sitting next to me. The four of us couldn't have a conversation together. We could only lean over and shout to the person beside us. After a while, I was exhausted from yelling. When it came time to order dessert instead of a birthday cake, I couldn't even do it. I absolutely love their passion fruit pavlova and had been looking forward to it, but between the overwhelming noise and how incredibly dark it was, I honestly felt like I was losing my mind. I kept asking myself if I could make it through dessert, and eventually I realized I couldn't. Everyone at the table was clearly suffering too, and I didn't want them to stay just because it was my birthday. So we skipped dessert, the whipped eggplant dipped togo, asked for the check as quickly as possible, and got out of there. I'll be back because the food is genuinely great, but only for an earlier reservation. read more

Élephante - Truffle pasta - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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The vodka pasta was probably my favorite thing of the night. The pasta was tasty and was cooked just right. Had plenty of flavor and was creamy. Can't ever go wrong with the eggplant dip and the artichoke pizza was good too. This place has a nice ambiance and the employees are very kind. Getting reservations here is relatively easy and plenty of parking in nearby structures or the street. read more

Élephante - Eggplant Dip - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Elephante offers an incredible atmosphere with its perfect jungle-themed ambiance that sets the scene for a fantastic evening. We started with the dirty martini, which was made to absolute perfection. The food is just as impressive as the drinks. We tried the whipped eggplant, the meatballs, and the shrimp, and every single one of them was a ten out of ten. We also shared the Bianco pizza and the pasta, which were both amazing, and the broccoli was equally delicious. The service was perfect, with a team that was attentive and ensured everything ran smoothly. I highly recommend this place as it does not disappoint. read more

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Came here again recently. This time during the day so the pictures aren't so dark! LOL! read more

Élephante - Big Eye Tuna Tartare and Whipped Eggplant - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

We had a 4pm Sat reservation and were glad to beat the crowd. Entire staff was hospitable and friendly from the greeters at the door, server and when we left. Best view is on the left side of the room. The left side has a better view than the right where I sat by the railing last time. Our servers were efficient. We had the whipped eggplant dip, suppresata pizza, vodka sauce pasta and gemelli pasta: squid ink pasta with prawns. Everything was delicious. We shared a complimentary generous piece of tiramisu topped with a lit candle for my bday which was very kind of the restaurant. The view of the Santa Monica Bay, sailboats and palm trees was beautiful on this sunny day. Avoid the outside rail tables which are small and the sun bears down (hot). I paid with InKind dollars. Beautiful setting and ambiance, great service and pricey - you're paying for the view. A drawback for me is that it gets noisy. Go early to avoid the crowd, reduced noise level and have more staff availability. Reduced fee parking in the lot across the street or street parking if you're lucky. read more

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My husband and I celebrated our anniversary at Élephante, and as always, the food was amazing! The calamari is honestly the best in this whole world -- I said what I said . We also had the whipped eggplant, branzino, and soppressata pizza, and everything was SO good. You really can't go wrong with anything on their menu. We've been here before and the food is consistently delicious every single time. They were also so sweet to bring out a dessert for our anniversary -- their house-made passion fruit ice cream. It was such a nice surprise and SO delicious! The perfect way to end our anniversary dinner. Such a great spot for a special occasion, date night, or just an excuse to have really good food. Definitely one of our favorites! read more

Élephante - Branzino - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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The food was pretty good, and I really liked the ambiance. However, the service was a bit disappointing. There were several empty tables, but even after waiting for about two hours, I never received a text or any kind of notification. It seems like my number may not have been properly added to the waitlist, so I ended up eating at the bar instead. The bartender also seemed more focused on chatting and hanging out with friends who were visiting than attending to customers. Overall, I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the food wasn't bad, but the service could definitely use some improvement. read more

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This place was a real showstopper! It was very crowded on a Friday night but I understand why, the views and the whole vibe of the restaurant was chic and classy. We really enjoyed our meals: a vegan pizza and cacio e Pepe. Simple but very tasty and we enjoyed our drinks as well. Great place for a date night or drinks with friends! read more

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If you're looking for gorgeous views and delicious food, I highly recommend coming to Elephante. The servers are very helpful and attentive, and the food and cocktails are very enjoyable. I personally love the Gemelli Scampi, which includes squid ink pasta with chopped shrimp, chilli, and tomatoes. It's very flavorful, but not too heavy like most pastas tend to be. Their signature vodka pasta is tasty as well, but I still prefer the balanced flavor of the Gemelli Scampi since I don't typically enjoy creamy pastas as much. I'm also not a huge fan of the pizza here, as I find it to be far too oily for me. For cocktails, I recommend Bird of a Feather, but bear in mind that the alcohol content is quite low and it might not do anything for you. On the weekends, this restaurant is extremely difficult to book unless you make a reservation several weeks ahead. read more

Celebrated my birthday here a couple of years ago, I was able to get a table for 13 of us with a pre fixed lunch menu for $45 pp I believe. I had to call in advance and book this reservation via email with a no show fee of the full per head amount. All of the food was absolutely amazing! Tapas style. The ambiance was top notch, with beach views, and a boho vibe, it doesn't get any better. We had a dedicated server, who was very attentive and made sure we had everything we needed to enjoy our meal! read more

Élephante - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

With a stellar view of the Pacific Ocean and the famous Santa Monica Pier from this rooftop restaurant, Élephante did not disappoint! It was recommended by friends and well worth the effort. Several parking garages are nearby with affordable rates. In a boisterous dining room, the open-air eatery enjoys sea breezes with a menu filled with brunch foods and Italian dishes. Despite a reservation, we were seated at the bar temporarily, but they quickly moved us to a proper table within 10 minutes. And we lucked out with the most charming waitress!! For starters, please get the calamari!! I've never had it fried in tapioca and rice flour, which was a bonus for our gluten-free table mate. It's so light and airy but rivals any other calamari I've ever eaten. I've consumed who knows how many tons of squid in my lifetime, and I'd probably rank this the second best calamari I've ever eaten! Leave it to the Angelenos to make healthy food that tastes amazing! Torn between the cacio e pepe and vodka sauce pasta, our server unflinchingly recommended the vodka pasta for which Élephante is kind of famous. And yes, it's an incredible dish! High-quality calamarata pasta meets expertly crafted vodka sauce with a sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano. And the pavlova dessert is spectacular, a heap of meringue topped with a white chocolate mousse and tres leches ice cream. The server pours a passion fruit glaze over the dessert when it arrives at the table. Wow, the textures and flavors!! This restaurant is a magnificent experience all around. read more

Élephante - Calamari Fritti - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Really flashy, trendy spot in Santa Monica with a great view of the ocean (depending on where you're sitting). Making reservations was pretty simple and luckily Santa Monica has parking structures everywhere so parking was pretty easy (lot literally across the street). Service and staff were friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. It's a bit loud for my taste but we were still able to hold conversations fine. We ordered the following: - Whipped Eggplant: not a fan of eggplants but this was delicious. I see why this is a signature item. - Calamari Fritti - Meatballs: it was a bit sweet? Kids enjoyed it. - Vodka Sauce Pasta - Ragu Bianco - Prosciutto Scramble - Polenta & Mushrooms - 10 oz Prime Skirt Steak Everything was cooked well, delicious and was enough food for 7 of us (including 2 kids). I saw some items I think I would want to try so I will defintiely be back. We came for brunch and for the price, quality and location...I would definitely recommend. read more

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Great place but only if you are seated with the view of the sunset. Pastas are amazing and highly recommend ordering. Veggies were also delicious, honestly all good here is amazing. Esperesso martinis were also pretty good. A must visit place. read more

I was in Santa Monica and decided to give Élephante a try. I really love good Italian food and I wasn't disappointed. Parking was a bit of a challenge, today as traffic was terrible.. I managed to find a parking garage very nearby. I dined alone and was greeted upon arrival. I opted for a relatively small lunch and had the linguini with clams. It was excellent. Perfect seasoning and a very healthy portion. Tasted great and looked great. Not too heavy but still very filling. This was really a short visit for me since I was dining alone. Service was very good and made me feel like an honored guest. I'll definitely return next time I'm in Santa Monica. It's a vibrant location, well attended and comfortable. That plus the excellent food won me over. read more

Was in the area and had never been to Elephante, for some reason, so finally decided to stop in for brunch and check it out. Very cute restaurant with great ambiance and views of the beach. Sat against the railing overlooking the ocean, so the vibes were right. Restaurant was just but things moved along quickly enough. First we put in our drink orders. The Elephante cocktail is delightful. We tried one with rum and one with mezcal. Mezcal was the definitive winner here and I would recommend that. For food, we tried a variety of items. Presentation for each dish was great, since we eat with our eyes first. The steak and eggs was good, stay was cooked well, nice and tender, but the dish wasn't anything you're going to necessarily remember. The Tagliatelle Tartufo was ok as well, a good amount of truffle on the dish, though I feel truffle can be an overpowering flavor and really dominate a dish. If I were to go back, I wouldn't get this pasta dish again, probably try something like the cacio e pepe or the vodka sauce pasta. The breakfast pizza was good, plenty of seasoning and cheese on it. The best item, in our opinions, was probably the ricotta pancakes with the caramelized bananas, at least the top layer. A little pancakes, a little banana with some pistachio and syrup made for a great bite. Overall, cute restaurant with great vibes. Food was decent but not necessarily memorable. The Elephante with mezcal was a must though. Go for the vibes and drinks and maybe grab a breakfast pizza and ricotta pancakes. read more

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So delicious! Tried this for the first time over the weekend for brunch. Would highly recommend sitting on the patio for the gorg beach view! Food was amazingg I love that it was a little different than anything you could normally get at a brunch spot. Servers were super on it and really sweet. Great spot for vibes & good food! read more

Élephante - Benedict, Breakfast Pizza - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Pretty cool happening spot! Food and drinks were absolutely delicious! I do enjoy that lovely breeze in the middle of summer. Customer service was ok- but I get it, it was extremely busy. So imagine how overwhelming it just be for the workers? Totally understandable. read more

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Went for brunch w my friends while visiting LA! The restaurant is absolutely beautiful with outdoor seating looking out to the ocean. I ordered the bluefin tartare and tried some of the whipped eggplant. The tartare was extemely mid tier and lacked salt. The whipped eggplant also lacked salt in my opinion, and it didn't have that wonderful smokey flavor that eggplant can take on as a dip. For a main (we went for brunch), I tried the breakfast sandwich which came on an English muffin. Again, not enough salt for me haha. I also didn't like the hash brown it included as it was a bit mushy, especially given the sandwich also had avocado. Overall the atmosphere is lovely for brunch and the service was prompt and friendly, but the food is extremely average. read more

Élephante - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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To keep it 100, Élephante is a beautiful restaurant with incredible service, the staff was kind every step of the way and they made my friends birthday so special. The food is okay. The tuna tar tar tasted generic and the sauces carried, you couldn't really taste the fish. The calamari was incredible, but also tasted like 5 other calamari's I've had, it wasn't bad, but it didn't bring that south of Italy that the restaurant aspired to produce. The two pizzas we got were the burrata and the wild mushroom pizza The burrata was rich and the tomato's were fresh, and the wild mushroom was amazing. I wish I only got that, maybe I should've tried more of the menu, I was really pleased with my dinner But it's not as special as it seems read more

Élephante - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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The biggest downside was the service.. Bussers and/or server assistants were way more attentive and kind than our own server. Waters were brought right away but it took about 15 mins to get greeted by a server and even then, it wasn't a "hello". Instead it was a "did we have enough time with the menu"... I ordered every recommended item I had seen on social media and all lived up to the expectation. Prices aren't outrageous for this quality of food in my opinion. Hopefully the next visit has better service to make it a 5 star experience! read more

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Honestly, I am usually unimpressed by LA dining options. For the most part it's wayyy overpriced relative to the quality. Not the case at Élephante. I highly recommend this spot for a few reasons: 1. Excellent service. We arrived about 45 min early for our reservation hoping to snag a table a bit before. While we couldn't be sat immediately, the sent us to the bar where we enjoyed some yummy cocktails. Not even 10 minutes later, the waitress came to sit us at a lovely table right by the water without being outside -- score! 2. The food is so freaking good. Let's start with the whipped eggplant which totally blew my mind. I'm now thoroughly convinced I might actually like eggplant as long as it's prepared like this. Definitely a fave. Every dish was delicious, though, including the hot honey pizza and the pear salad. 3. The views! So beautiful! Such a gorgeous place to watch the sunset in Santa Monica. Highly highly recommend! read more

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I'll start by saying the food is good! I wouldn't say it's the best food of all time, but the starters definitely stand out. Great calamari and the eggplant dip and bread is really solid. The pastas were good with generous portions, though nothing outside of the ordinary. Unfortunately, the service was severely lacking. From the moment we got there we were treated rudely by the hosts who's main energy towards us was disinterest. We got placed in the worst possible table, by the entrance, despite having a reservation and being on time. The dining experience isn't great when you're shoved in the back. Our server also essentially forgot about us. We were a party of three young women. It seems like we got judged as a party who would not be spending enough to be worth the time. We waited for about 45 mins for the check and eventually had to flag someone down. I also wrote in my reservation that this was for a special occasion (celebrating my friend's promotion), and we were never even offered the dessert menu. Overall, the food was not worth being treated like we weren't worth the time of day. I'm disappointed because I've been looking forward to coming to this restaurant for a long time. I really came in with the expectation that this would be a great dining experience and it, very sadly, fell short. read more

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This is a super busy spot! Upon arriving (with a reservation of course) we approached the entrance where you check in and were directed to take the elevator to where the restaurant was. Once we were on the restaurant floor we checked in again with the front desk, we waited a little less than ten minutes until we were seated. Once sat our server was very attentive and gave some good recommendations. The food was very filling and I wish I had been able to stomach more because the rigatoni was delicious! The only downside was the volume, it was very loud so i would recommend for large crowds not necessarily a romantic night out. read more

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Vibes immaculate. It was giving bohemian chic. I sat outside in the sunset room (it was pretty noisy, but you're there to enjoy the food & ambiance, right?!). If you're there to socialize, speaking loud is a must. My top dishes were the whipped eggplant & the spicy vodka sauce pasta. Whipped eggplant is exactly how it sounds, so creamy and pairs nicely with the pita bread. I am still dreaming about this combo!! Book the reservation...just do it!! read more

Élephante - Fried Calamari (left) and whipped eggplant (right) - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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This was my first time at Elephante and the experience exceeded my expectations! Our server, Connor, was super friendly and helpful! It was his first few weeks on the job but he was super knowledgeable about the menu and customer preferences, and as someone who asks a lot of questions to make my menu decisions, I really appreciated his candidness on personal and customer favorites. I had the banana bread and prosciutto scramble, both were fantastic! Highly recommend "The Elephanté" cocktail with vodka. Atmosphere is high-energy and the view is incredible. If you don't like Saturday brunch vibes, this might not be your place, but the food and service are worth it! read more

Élephante - Prosciutto Scramble, Eggs Benedict, The Elephanté Cocktail - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Elephante was a wonderful choice for hosting a baby shower brunch! The food was delicious, the atmosphere was beautiful, and overall we had a great experience. Everything came together nicely, and we were able to decorate our table with florals and themed baby shower items, which made the celebration feel really special. The only thing I wish we had known ahead of time was that balloons weren't allowed. We had brought a couple balloons specifically for the occasion, so having that information in advance would have been really helpful and would have saved us from having to adjust our plans at the last minute. Aside from that, everything went smoothly, and we truly enjoyed celebrating such a special event at Elephante. The food, setting, and overall experience made for a lovely brunch, and I'd definitely consider coming back for another celebration! read more

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