Great place , we went on Valentine's Day and they curated a beautiful experience. They brought in…read moresome great local vendors and artisans - mezcal tasting, scents, and custom poems made in the garden. Wines and cocktails are on point. Most importantly the atmosphere is so thoughtful and well done. Good music on good speakers at the right volume with warm sound where you can feel it but still hear each other talk. Mezze platter and cheese boards looked like a work of art of when they came out. We were there 4-6pm and there was golden natural lighting throughout the space. It's one of those places you can really settle into and disappear into the experience. I plan to be a regular.

The rooftop is such a vibe! It's called Force of Nature and it was a cute wine bar with some…read morecocktails you could also order. I went with the sparkling white wine and it was delicious. You need a reservation to get up here, but we got off the waitlist so you could always press your luck! There's a really nice community vibe going on. Some folks brought a deck of card to play, while others sat together at the larger communal table outside. The woman pouring our drinks was so nice, and all of the wines & spirits are produced by women. Highly recommend checking this out!

Love the atmosphere! Our server Allie was so amazing and kind and gave such great recommendations…read more The spicy baby and cheese pizza was phenomenal. I could tell everyone worked laboriously to make it such a great space!!! I will be back to celebrate Wino Wednesday! Trust!! Posthaste!

Ran in quickly to grab a coffee and pastry. Parking isn't easy to find. After driving around,…read moreluckily, found a metered spot a couple of blocks away. I like to try a business's speciality menu items when I try a new spot to me. I ordered the iced churro latte. It was okay but the shots of espresso in it were faint. The overall flavor of the churro latte was sweet milk with cinnamon. I should have gone with my first choice of a pastry and ordered one of the croissants, but changed my mind at the last second and ordered a scone. I love scones but this one was lacking flavor. I would order differently the next time. Staff was subdued but kind. The majority of customers were working on their laptops and/or having meetings. There was a fun playlist in the background which gave the place a vibe. I imagine it's a happenin' and fun spot to enjoy a glass of wine with friends at five o' clock.

Long time visitor, first time reviewing. I love Dudley Market. It's such a perfect spot in Venice,…read moreslightly hidden off the boardwalk. The restaurant is always consistent, always packed. They don't take reservations, so be prepared to wait. There's a few bars nearby if you're waiting. Once you're able to sit down, you'll find a cute wine bar with amazing food that doesn't disappoint. Don't skip the fries. They're some of the best things I've eaten. I dream about those fries. The Peruvian scallops are dreamy. Very light, very refreshing. The same can be said about the cucumber salad. The standout of the evening was by far the burger. I've been to Dudley Market a handful of times, and I'd yet to try it. I'm so glad that I did. It was probably one of the best burgers I've ever had before. I highly recommend ordering this. Overall, Dudley Market is a fantastic restaurant in Venice Beach and I hope it stays our neighborhood spot for a long time.

So supposedly they don't take reservations during peak dinner period but we met someone that had a…read morereservation so if you do walk up like we did before prepared to wait. We waited about an hour. The food was delicious though. Almost every item we got was a hit, but the sweet potato dish was a hit and the burger was as advertised. Would recommend going again but maybe not with the wait. The restaurant is tucked away from the boardwalk but it's pretty lively inside and maybe during the warmer months they spill out into the street.

'm always searching for a restaurant that truly has it all: beautiful design, exceptional service,…read moreand memorable food. This place delivers on every level. The Mediterranean-inspired interior is stunning and effortlessly transports you to a seaside retreat. We chose to sit outside and ordered a selection of classics: hummus, tzatziki, seared halloumi, tomato salad, lobster orzo, branzino, and Wagyu skewers. Everything was fresh, vibrant, and packed with flavor, but the standout dishes were undoubtedly the lobster orzo and the branzino--both were absolutely crave-worthy and worth returning for. The wine list is equally impressive, with the added bonus that nearly every bottle is available by the glass, making it easy to explore and pair different wines throughout the meal. The staff was attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely welcoming. After lingering over two bottles of wine and a glass of champagne, we reluctantly made our way home, feeling as though we had spent the evening at a charming Mediterranean escape right in the heart of Venice.

We were having an absolutely incredible night here--the atmosphere on Abbot Kinney is great, and…read morethe overall experience was fantastic until the bill arrived. Without any warning or clear disclosure on the menu, a 4.7% service charge was tacked onto our final check. Under California law (SB 1524), restaurants are required to clearly and conspicuously disclose these types of fees before you order. Sneaking it in at the very end feels completely deceptive and instantly put a damper on what should have been a great memory. I'd love to come back for the food, but I won't support businesses that rely on sneaky billing traps. Check your receipts closely before you pay!

Attempted to go today for happy hour (5-8 pm) however once we arrived they stated they didn't open…read moreuntil 10pm

Pretty cool spot to have a yummy drink. Good menu looks pretty solid. I had the pleasure of being…read morerecommended a Piña Peño ‍ it was delicious! The atmosphere is beautiful, little fire pit and low lit area outside was nice. Can't wait to go back and enjoy downstairs. Staff was nice and I can't thank my server enough for telling me about happy hour!

Anniversary choice? Yes!…read more The online pics didn't do justice to how intimate and special it can feel. If you choose to sit inside, it is really intimate/romantic. Small space with others close by but they manage to make it feel intimate somehow. Anywho - we didn't chose that option! We sat outside in the covid created sidewalk space. It wasn't as intimate but we love it outside and with the heater on, I was perfectly comfy! Didn't take pics. There are already tons, and I would've be able to get a better shot. But let me tell you what we had and LOVED all of it: - Deviled eggs - favored with olive. Very tasty. - Papas - the hot sauce and aoili made this delicious! - A creamy goat cheese, fig and honey tostado - short rib on small piece of polenta. Fantastic! - Mac and cheese. Divine! I'll be thinking about this for a loooong time! The machego cheese takes it to next level. The pasta - not like any macaroni I've ever seen, was delightful to eat. - Octopus. This was our "wild side" order, because hubby has been disappointed by octopus in the past because it's been cooked until tough. But we took a chance, closing out our meal on this dish, and man we were so glad we did! It's chargrilled, has a bit of smokiness to it, sitting in a lot of drawn butter. It's like a scallop but with more chew to it. It was delicious! The only not so big disappointment was that the reservation site asks if it's a special occasion. So I selected anniversary. But apparently, the staff don't read that I go because no mention was made of our anniversary. I wouldn't have cared except that they asked in advance, so I thought there would be some acknowledgment or maybe a dessert. Wrong! lol! Still, very memorable meal with friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful servers who went out of their way to find a working heater for my table.

The food here was so mediocre. Everything was just okay…read more Mac and cheese: noodles were overcooked and the cheese was a bit too gooey and soupy. The flavor was good though. Shrimp: good but not very flavorful. The shrimp didn't absorb the flavor and juices at all. Patas bravas: crispy but there was something off about the sauce. Lamb burger: best thing we had on the menu Short rib: good texture and decent flavor Overall nothing blew me away. I was a bit disappointed given the price. It's hard to get Spanish food right.

Happy hour from 5-7! Paid metered parking in the area ends at 6pm…read more Sardine plate was good, but could use more bread/crackers to go with it. Skin contact wine was also nice. Outdoor and indoor seating, but both are pretty limited. There are outlets at the bar seating -- some people had laptops setup and were working.

Such a nice small little wine bar in Santa Monica. It's such a convenient location for me and I…read morenever struggle to find street parking. I love going here during the happy hour (5-7 I believe) and trying their natural wines. I always try a chilled red or an orange wine. Workers here are super friendly and you can just order at the bar. Menu isn't super large and there are some bites you can order, but I'm just here for the natty wine. There's indoor and outdoor seating, so it's really nice sitting outside when it's warm. Definitely recommend this spot for a chill hang out!

Absolutely cuckoo about Coucou!…read more Stopped by this hidden gem, upscale vintage diner for their famous Happy Hour (5-6 PM everyday), and it was absolutely a blast! You can get any 3 items on their happy hour menu for $33, including an impressive selection of their cocktail and appetizer menu. Our waitress recommended the zucchini beignets, which were so unique and reminded me of a zucchini-based falafel. From the happy hour menu, we also got the oysters, which were so FRESH and delicately sweet, and the shrimp cocktail, which came with 4 jumbo grilled shrimp and a unique aioli. We also opted for their iconic soft serve, which consists of a simple, milk-based ice cream, and chocolate, nuts, and blackberry sauce that you pour over, and this was easily one of the BEST desserts I've had lately! Highly recommend stopping by if you're in the Santa Monica area, and checking out their amazing happy hour specials!

My partner and I were so excited to try Coucou over the weekend for a date night! We went around 6…read morewith a reservation and were seated outside directly in the sun. No big deal - they can't control the sunlight and I should've brought sunglasses. Service was average. We did get served a "wrong" drink - gin twist instead of the dirty gin martini like we ordered. No big deal again. We shared the fried olives, brussel sprouts and steak frites all of which were pretty underwhelming. The olives are heavily battered, the brussel sprouts are nothing special and the steak frites...not great. What we really came for was the sundae which was not available as their ice cream machine was down. Very disappointing. Maybe we caught them on a bad night but very hard to justify going back after spending close to $200 on a very mediocre experience. I'd say skip this place unless you're going for a happy hour or dessert!

My friend and I had a lovely Italian dining experience here. We noticed during our meal that quite…read morea few diners appeared to be regulars, which is always a good sign. The restaurant is on the more upscale/old school side with white tablecloths and professional, attentive waiters. They also have an open kitchen where you can see the chefs hard at work. We split a pizza and a pasta and when paired with their wonderful complimentary bread to start, we ended up with a bit of leftovers. For the pizza, we ordered the Stracciatella Pizza off of their specials menu and it was so good. The bottom was nice and crispy and there was the perfect ratio of toppings to crust to sauce. Our other dish was the Penne Al Salmone, penne pasta tossed with diced ora king salmon, scallions, green beans, radicchio and diced tomatoes in a cream sauce. Again, each element of the dish perfectly complimented the other and we really enjoyed all of the flavors.

We chose La Vecchia Cucina for an early Saturday dinner based on recommendations. I found a…read moreparking space easily in the Santa Monica car park behind the restaurant. With a reservation, our table for four was ready when we arrived. The food was very good, as was the service. This is a classic bar restaurant layout with the bar extending about two-thirds of the side wall. The kitchen is open to the dining room.

My sister-in-law, Alexa M, took me here to VBW for a glass of wine before our dinner reservation on…read morea Sunday evening and it was great! We sat outside and enjoyed our wine and conversation while people watching, which was quite entertaining. Simone was our server and was helpful with some of our questions and supported our decision to go for a 1/2 bottle of Sancerre, which was delicious. We didn't order any food during this visit, but I would absolutely return to try some of the food (and more of the wine) menu in the future!

I highly recommend the spot for a cute date night!!! the ambience is so adorable and romantic, with…read morecandlelight tables everywhere and a.comrelaxing vibe. I went for our first time a few weeks ago and absolutely adored it! The setting is so intimate, and the staff was so nice and attentive. I got a flight and it was the perfect way to end the evening.