As a long time Santa Monica resident, I have watched the city deteriorate since COVID with businesses leaving and the 3rd St promenade looking forlorn Main St, a traditional location for bars, boutiques, and clubs, has also taken a hit. Enter Edgemar, located in a 1928 former warehouse with original wood posts and trusses providing a spacious and airy feel, in the Edgemar complex designed by Santa Monica wunderkind Frank Gehry in 1984, formerly occupied by Röckenwagner and another restaurant. The vibe is relaxed, hip, and upbeat with a techno background and plenty of energy from the guests. Tables and seating border on luxurious with velvet benches and polished stone tabletops. The place is crawling with servers and busboys ensuring prompt and friendly service. The menu is creative with unusual takes on familiar sounding foods. The Stracciatella was made with honey and a bit of fire, served with their outstanding housemade flatbread. Although tasty, it was a bit sweet for a starter. We next had the eggplant served on nits skin with romescu, a raw vegetable mix, that was somewhat at odds with the smooth eggplant. Although the skin yielded a nice smoky flavor, give me a well made baba ganoush on homemade pita any day. The main was the shrimps in ruby curry. The four shrimp tasted fresh and were in the shell that separated cleanly, a plus. The curry had an undefinable flavor that was pleasant but the rice tasted old and was skimpy, requiring us to spring $4 for another portion, and leaving us longing for the fragrant basmati and similar rice varieties served in Indian, Thai and similar restaurants. When you visit, walk around the complex to savor the iconic work of world-class Santa Monica architect Frank Gehry , whose early work feature modest materials such as chain link and stucco, a far cry from his more recent stainless and titanium masterpieces. The outdoor scene with flickering heaters and candles backed by century old wood beams is rare indeed for this area, creating a magical setting for an outdoor meal. Stop by for a cocktail or a date and have fun. The food is clearly a work in progress and will likely improve. read more

See all

This place was so beautiful. Lovely warm , but modern interior with gorgeous wooden high ceilings and velvet seating. Service was attentive and friendly and my short rib was so delicious. This place is a gem! read more

This is a solid 3.5 stars for me; I will round up to 4 because FREE PARKING in Santa Monica!!! Beautiful space inside with some very entertaining people watching! Our server, Pamela, was great and helped me select some drinks throughout the evening. Speaking of that, the Mezcal Negroni, the Guava Mezcal Daisy, the Bird of Paradise, and the Saigon Special were all great. The food was very mixed but all relatively pricey. I would steer everyone way from the Duck Tacos ($24). Two sad tacos, with hardly any filling and very mediocre tortillas for $24; no thanks. The Shrimp Toast ($18) was interesting, the Chili Wontons ($18) were good, the Skewers ($26) were incredibly flavorful and fatty--almost too much--, and the Short Rib Rendang ($46) was fine. Like Jim G. says, the one at Cobi's is much better. In addition to the pricey menu items, they also tack on a 3% surcharge for using a credit card; that used to be the price of doing business, but I guess that price has been passed on to the consumer. If someone else is buying, I'd head back for the ambience and cocktails; until then, on to the next one. read more

Service and food was fantastic. Reasonably priced, the entire atmosphere was very relaxing. I will definitely return. read more

A great atmosphere, nice service and delicious food. The shrimp toast is my favorite. read more

See all

I've been for weekend lunch and dinner and LOVED both! Lunch: They have a triple cooked wedge potatoes with this INSANELY good curry dipping sauce. The breakfast burrito was great too and it came with a vibrant green sauce and an AMAZING smoky red sauce that I wanted to bathe in! Apparently they hired the sauce person from Felix and she seems worth it! The fish tacos were awesome as well and impressively portioned. ***** Dinner: They still have those bomb potatoes with the curry dipping sauce. The Shrimp Toast was crave worthy and we also loved the lobster fried rice. Excellent drinks too! The space: it's a gorgeous setting in a Frank Gehry-designed space! Fun vibes and even well lit. Fantastic addition to restaurant row on Main Street! read more

See all

stopped in at edgemar after the beach in santa monica! the cheeseburger and chicken sandwich were SOO GOOD!! also get the tres leches cake!!! it's delicious and being made in the back by someone who's been making it since they were 14! there's a dj and super cool vibe inside. can't wait to come back read more

See all

Had a great experience at Edgemar. This restaurant only opened 3 months ago but is already building quite a reputation. Our server, Wes, was amazing! He knew the menu inside and out and could describe what was in every dish. Food tasted great. My favorites were the chili wontons and the ruby curry, which is their take on butter chicken. Upscale atmosphere and good for groups. I would definitely come back! read more

See all

Hidden gem and yes it's hidden. Once you find it though I've not had a single thing that wasn't fantastic on this menu. The atmosphere, service and mainly the food is amazing. It's not bad on the wallet either. Give it a try! read more

Edgemar is the newest addition to Main Street- I was dining in "Week 9". Ordered shrimp toast, lamb mezze platter (delicious); bread service, dragon tongue beans. Favorite was the shrimp toast and lamb. Service - he was very attentive! Ambiance - excellent- tables not too close, venue was spacious, beautiful atmosphere. Looking forward to returning to try other entrees! read more

See all

This is the perfect balance of fun and flavor you can expect from this restaurant. We had a terrific time enjoying food and drinks after a long work week. The staff is very friendly and helped us figure out exactly what we were in the mood for. The layout is nice and spacious. No matter where you sit, you have a great view of the room, bar, and ambiance. All of the dishes are masterfully prepared and will leave you craving more. read more

The first time we came here about nine months ago, it was spectacular. Every dish felt well curated, interesting, and delicious. We were so excited to return, especially to try some of the dishes we had missed. They had some sort of "special" rolls either inspired by or in partnership with Nobu. It was such an incredibly disappointing experience. On at least four different occasions, the waitstaff delivered incorrect orders to different tables. We waited on the yellowtail crudo, and had to ask twice for them to remember to bring it out. I saw what happened, the server came out, went to a different table, and when they stated they didn't order it, they just returned to the kitchen. When it finally came out, we had already completed our meal and were ready to go. The sad part was, it was the best dish of the night. The "Nobu" sushi rolls were extraordinarily confusing as I've had better from the local supermarket. The wontons had a nice flavor but were way too oily, and the noodles were okay, it felt almost lazy. Something just felt a miss. I'm not sure if management has changed, or the chef. But this is not how I remembered it and unfortunately probably won't be returning. Perhaps that could have been redeemed had the server (whom mentioned his name three times for us to remember because there is some competition happening) didn't even comp the crudo, which is a standard practice when errors are made. Listen, I am sure restaurants are insanely hard to run and I can't imagine how much effort goes into making things perfect. So I don't want to hate on them, I just felt utterly bummed because I so badly wanted it to be a place that we could count on. So many great restaurants are leaving Santa Monica. I gave it three stars because the bartenders were delightful, as was the host. I think everyone always deserves an opportunity for redemption, and I'm hoping they find their way back. read more

We went to Edgemar on a Sunday, and we had the most incredible meal. The yellowtail sashimi is one of the best I've ever had. The skirt steak was seasoned to perfection. However, our server, whose name was Justin made a several inappropriate and propositioning comments to us, which made us uncomfortable. It was frankly a little creepy and we could have done without that. Other than that it was great! read more

Ticks every box! Great vibe, excellent service, cool clientele, interesting and crave-able menu, followed by excellently executed food. Can't remember the last time that I was a fan of every dish I tried at a restaurant. No notes! Immediately got on phone to recommended to my foodie friends and already made plans to go back - that's what an impression it left. Just love when you happen upon a restaurant experience that leaves you beyond satisfied, from start to finish, and eager to return. read more

Edgemar - Lychee fizz goes down way too quick! - Seafood Near Me - Santa Monica, California

The food, the drinks, the vibes - Edgemar knocked it out of the park. The restaurant is somewhat hidden in the back of a Frank Gehry building, which gives it a hidden oasis vibe with a beautiful courtyard in front. Every dish has a unique Asian inspired twist on it, and the cocktail menu is on point. There were definitely lots of trendy people there but they've kept it from becoming too pretentious and overpriced. Service and staff were on point, and the music was a good volume level where you could actually hear each other talk. I'm definitely going back and want to try their brunch. Highly recommend! read more

Edgemar - Mezcal cocktail; shrimp toast; hamachi; wontons; beet poke; green beans; fish n chips; donut - Seafood Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Took a walk through the old neighborhood and dropped by this spot--mezcal soda hit just right, and the vibes were absolutely on point. read more

Edgemar - Seafood Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I wasn't a fan of the 2 cocktails I tried. Then we wanted to share 3 plates and 2 of them were sold out. So we ended up with just a sashimi which was excellent! Ambience was good. read more

Service: Excellent Ambiance: Gorgeous looking women. Really cool space. Food: Tries too hard to be interesting. Weird. Over salted. It's a one time experience. Festive but the food is not good. Inventive...but not good to eat. It seems to be a trend in many hip new restaurants, that there is no simple food on the menu. Every dish is so creative, inventive. Whatever happened to real food. It's a festive place. The food reminds me of the story "The Emperor's New Clothes". You'll feel pressured to say it's the coolest food in the world, or else you're not hip. Everyone was nice there and it's fun looking at the babes. Mostly women customers. Update on my review. I realize that we got so many appetizers that we never got around to any of the main courses. That was primarily due to my reading other reviews that raved about things which I had to try. But since we did not get to any of the entrees, maybe there was normal food that I missed. A cheeseburger would have to be real food. Somehow, I think they would over fancy that up also. Bottom line: If a man takes a first date to Edgemar, she's going to think you're the coolest guy in town, and want to see him again. It's so festive. And since the food is weird, she won't over-eat, thus saving you money, and keeping her thin. And isn't that what life is all about? read more

Had an amazing experience, beautiful atmosphere and great food. We sat at the bar and enjoyed the conversation with the bartender, wonderful cocktails and Japanese beer. Overall an amazing experience and food read more

See all

Edgemar has an array of fresh dishes on their menu. They change their menu every 3 weeks because a lot of their ingredients are seasonal from local farmer's markets. I loved everything I ate. My friends and I ordered a lot of dishes and ate family style. The ambience is perfect. The interior if the restaurant is stunning, stylish, and very hip. There was a nice crowd on a Friday night. I would definitely come back. A good restaurant to impress a date or to have a good hang with friends. read more

See all

My two foodie friends and I were finally able to try Edgemar. It's fun dining with them as they are willing to eat anything. We started off with a Ceasar salad, a huge mound of salad with anchovies and we had no problem finishing. Next came the shrimp toast, which we all loved. The dish was put into a round mold and topped with black sesame seeds. Next came the duck tacos which reminded us of eating moo shu pork even though the duck was served in a taco shell with hoisin sauce. The crab noodles had some spicy kick to it. We next shared the lamb dish, which was our least favorite. The lamb lacked flavor and needed a sauce because the lamb was dry although it was tender. The best thing about this dish was the warm, soft pita bread that came with it. For dessert we ordered the tres leches cake, which was delicious, moist and not overly sweet. The restaurant had a cool vibe and the service was outstanding from the person greeting us to the very efficient and attentive wait staff. read more

It just tastes bad. You're paying over $32 for the tiniest portion (5 shrimp in the garlic shrimp dish) poorly seasoned dish. The hamachi tastes like thawed seafood I got at Ralph's drenched in soy sauce. The short rib tastes like it was cooked in movie theatre butter and each bite is like you rinsed your mouth with wine. The ambience and plating is cloaking it as fine dining but the food itself is slop on a plate. You will leave hungry. Our waiter also completely stopped servicing us at the end. We waited over half an hour for someone to come by to collect our check then ended up having to flag someone down to get our check so we could leave. read more

Went there with 3 buddies after the Genesis Open, late afternoon. It was slow because of the time, but amazing food and service. Blown away and will definitely be going back. read more

We loved EVERYTHING we had! Delicious cocktails, food with flavor explosions, and waiters that really know the menu and provide real down to earth service. I will definitely be returning, LOVE the ambiance, allll the vibes! You cant go wrong with the cheeseburger, the fish sandwich, or the fried chicken sandwich. read more

See all

Fantastic brunch and Edgemar. I have eaten at Edgemar twice in the last two months, once for dinner and today for brunch. Both meals were excellent. For brunch I had the Loco Moco (burger patty with mushroom gravy served with a fried egg over sushi rice) and it was excellent. My wife had the harvest bowl with an egg and also thought the food was great. We were there with a party of 10 and everyone thoroughly their brunch. We also all had desert and my wife and I split a tres leches and intend the blueberry cheese cake. Both were very good, but the cheese cake was one of the best I have had (very light and not firm like a NY cheese cake). Others had a chocolate pot de cream and raved about it. The restaurant was not very busy either time and I will definitely head back. read more

The food, service, and just general vibe in this place is phenomenal. Not only does this place have one of the best burgers I've ever had, but the staff makes you feel like family. (The rest of the food is very elegant, I'm just a big burger fan.) 10/10 would recommend. read more

We went tonight for dinner. It's a new restaurant and the enthusiastic staff and beautiful decor make for a great experience. The food was actually the weakest point (being newer, hopefully this will improve as they find their groove) but we would still return. Free parking in the attached lot or garage below is a plus. Food: Very good We ordered 5 dishes for two people which left us ever full by the end with no room for dessert. The stracciatella with chili oil dip was great to start off the meal. Favorite dish was the shrimp toast which was delicious paired with the saltiness of the ikura it was topped with. We felt the lobster fried rice and uni spaghetti could both have used a little more flavor - both dishes were perfectly fine but we found them lacking in seasoning and salt. With the price of the lobster fried rice, we just expected more. The golden potatoes were just fine, we felt the waiter oversold them. Overall, a solid meal but no true stand out dishes. Service: Excellent No complaints here. Attentive and friendly without being overbearing. Ambiance: Excellent It's undeniably a gorgeous restaurant with a great vibe. I'd stop in for a drink at the bar even if not having dinner. read more

See all

ambiance service food - simply terrible poke bowl - fish smelled funny - no flavor at all / short ribs... so tough and dry it was hard to chew ! read more

Everything about Edgemar was amazing ! The restaurant looks beautiful. Love the cozy vibe. Spacious with high ceilings. They even have a Whiskey tasting room which was so chic. The food was sooo delicious !!! We ordered so many things. We loved the lobster rice and the lamb. Everything was tasty. Service was impeccable. From the moment we entered the restaurant, a gentleman greeted us and walked us to our table. The lovely manager came to introduce herself and welcome us. And our waitress was so helpful with the menu. Would highly recommend it !!! read more

Edgemar - Seafood Near Me - Santa Monica, California

What a magical find! This place is delicious, the service was delightful (and, in keeping with our LA expectations, all were impossibly gorgeous) and, even with a huge party taking up half the space, a surprisingly zen atmosphere. We will definitely be back the next time we are in town. Also, Sunday nights are the best deal in town. read more

Food was amazing, service was great and the ambience is on point. We'll definitely be back!

The service, particularly Bob's, made the initial experience at Edgemar wonderful. Bob took the time to provide info re Edgemar and followed up with a detailed description of the dishes. What made it special was Bob's sense of humor, which certainly matched ours. Thanks, Bob, for making the experience great and funny!!! The host was also very accommodating. The food, however, did not leave an impression. The menu is eclectic. 5 stars for service and ambiance, 3 stars for the food. read more

Y'all ever been charged $3 for wanting a twist in your martini after you've already been upcharged for a martini? Other than that, the place is beautiful, the service is very accommodating, and the food was delicious. read more

Edgemar - Check - Seafood Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I recently celebrated my birthday here and I couldn't have chosen a better place to host it. Edgemar is an absolutely gorgeous venue, and more importantly, their cuisine is incredible! We ordered a wide variety of dishes but some of our favorites were the shrimp toast, duck tacos, and the insane tomahawk steak. Dessert-wise, their tres leches cake with salted caramel was DIVINE. Their craft cocktails and wine selections satisfied a variety of palates (it was about a dozen of us in my party), and the servers were so on top of things that we felt very taken care of. All of my friends were blown away and are looking forward to returning, as am I. Thank you to everyone at Edgemar for making my birthday so special! read more

See all

I never write reviews like this... As people who are very critical of food (my bff is a chef) we are constantly trying new places expecting the worst and mostly getting half ass food and service (with some highlight dishes/experiences). Edgemar is not that. I first want to speak on the food because it was so beyond our expectations. First, the drinks came out, we got the Happy Place and a skinny marg, both balanced and good. Then the bread service, the bread was fluffy and charred and while the miso butter was quite unique it was a great paring and added to the dish. Next was the wontons--as someone who does not like shrimp or pork, they were irresistible, perfectly cooked, a bit spicy, incredible flavor. Then the yellowtail sashimi. Great cut of fish, nothing beyond our expectations of the great LA fish we experience on a regular basis but very good cut, high quality, and delicious sauce. We order a crudo dish almost everywhere we go so it was a must for us but other things with more attention are more worth your dollar. Then the snap peas and chili mushroom noodles. Everything had been pretty rich and heavy so far, so we were hoping for something crisp and refreshing with the salad. The snap peas were still very good, but would have balanced the menu more as a cold crisp salad. The chili mushroom noodles were impeccable, but be warned they are very very rich and butter heavy. Still probably one of our favorite dishes and as someone who doesn't like mushrooms it was so so good. Last dish was the skirt steak which we asked for medium rare--it came out almost blue and used a pho butter that dominated the entire dish. I think it was a high quality piece of meat but it was just very underdone, could barely eat it. Ambience was great, loved the warm lighting, the booth we were in was a little crammed but still comfortable. Our waiter IAN was very sweet, knowledgable, and checked in as much as possible, though I think the wait staff may be spread a bit thin--as for reviews complaining of poor service. just to cover it all--bathrooms were not the most comfortable. just needs to be updated and a bit crammed. the placement of hand dryer made it look like pee was all next to / on toilet seat. Also wish menu explained how mains are prepped. Overall 5 star because how incredible the food was and we never feel this way. read more

See all

Blown away. Extremely impressed with the fried quail. I've been eating quail since a young kid and I can honestly say this was the best quail I have ever had (sorry mom and dad). Battered and deep fried, with a touch of honey, the flavors are amazing and the quail is very tender. We told Courtney (our amazing waitress with a great recommendation) this dish needs to be a main stay. There is no other restaurant in LA in that serves quail in this fashion. Definitely tops the quail at Bavel and Osteria Mozza. The drinks were amazing, especially the Imperial Gold. The espresso martini had a nice twist to it- had condensed milk on the The duck tacos were also very good, along with the hamachi, prawns and tuna tartar. The second entree was the lamb shoulder. Cooked very tender and toppings were very complimentary. The restaurant has been open for about 2 months and the menu changes based on what's in season. Will be back and hopefully we will see the fried quail on the menu again. read more

See all

Had an amazing time with my boyfriend and his family over the weekend. Gabby (spelling, sorry) our server, was such an absolute joy and she was always so patient and kind with us. She was more than willing to help us with any questions we had and really helped work around our dietary restrictions (someone in our party had a dairy allergy). All the staff that we interacted with went above and beyond and were so kind with us. The drinks and food were amazing, though I wish I took more photos! I highly recommend the crab cake benedict, it was delicious! They also had a very tasty guava drink, I would highly recommend it! :) I cannot wait to come back again. Thank you again Gabby and team for making us feel so welcome! read more

Edgemar is a compelling choice for a stylish birthday gathering. It balances architectural flair, global creativity, and a vibrant bar scene. Situated at the iconic Frank Gehry designed shopping center on Main Street in Santa Monica, its setting elevates the experience, and the courtyard sitting is suitable for group gatherings and events. Walking into Edgemar feels like stepping into an industrial warehouse repurposed with elegance. The space features a soaring bow-truss ceiling and generous natural light, reinterpreting its historic structure (once a power station) with clean lines, warm woods, and artful touches. The staff is accordingly cool, friendly, attentive, and accommodating. Edgemar's menu is ambitiously global, drawing influences from London, Southeast Asia, and beyond. Shareables, creative small plates, and bold flavours dominate. Everything we tried was amazing, including the cocktails that were well executed. Dominic was amazing as he helped me plan a bday party for a large group and made everything run easy and smooth. We had a great time and left inspired to plan a next gathering there soon. Thank you very much!! read more

See all

Amazing lunch, and fantastic service by Justin!!! The whole restaurant was very well decorated and very beautiful!! I would really recommend coming here and would happily come here again!! The standout dishes are the shrimp toast and the mushrooms. read more

The service was EXCELLENT, but the food was some of the worst I've ever had in LA. We ordered the flatbread, yellowfish crudo, fried chicken, fish and chips, and prawns. Honestly nothing was good. The flatbread was okay, but the yellowfish was VERY fishy and underwhelming. The fried chicken was very underseasoned. The prawns may have been the worst dish I've had in a while. The sauce was just a sweet tomato marinara with no curry. They forgot to give us any rice. Overall, I'd recommend not coming here for the food. read more