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    The Curious Palate

    4.2 (893 reviews)
    Closed • 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order The Curious Palate Takeout or Delivery

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    THE CURIOUS PALATE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Matt W.

    Wanted to rate this place 5 stars so badly. Food was excellent, our server was excellent. But there was a small mistake in our order (we ordered fish tacos and they brought out fish & chips), which was not an issue at all, but the owner was the one bringing out the dishes to us and, when I told him one of the items was wrong, he was dismissive and passive aggressive. I've been thinking about it all day, since it was so unnecessary and off-putting. He went around chatting up every other table but kept glaring in our direction for the remainder of the meal. Really felt like I was getting blamed for the order hiccup. Baffling and disappointing. We were having such a great time until that point. I figured he'd come by and maybe even apologize for his disposition, but only grumpy face. Again, the food was so good: cheese steak sandwich, peach & burrata salad, fish tacos, fries, and the kids pasta - and the Normandie & Western beer was ice cold and refreshing. And our server was super helpful and kind (and brought out the correct order quickly). But given the bad vibe (from only that person, everyone else was fantastic) we won't be returning, sadly.

    Spicy Seafood Red Coconut Curry
    Amit G.

    We had dinner here and happily had time to chat with Eliot Rubin the owner and chef and his son Alex. I can tell you they serve farm to table, an amazing variety of creative dishes all made with in house prepared ingredients that just look and taste delicious. The portions are generous and the atmosphere familial and accommodating. Don't think twice about coming here.

    Steak frites
    A G.

    The steak frites was possibly the best meal I've had in a few decades. Omg it was so good! The blackberry lemonade was amazing too! Service was friendly and the prices weren't outrageous.

    Amazing service and stablishman
    Lyla H.

    This place is absolutely PHENOMENAL GHE SERVICE WAS SO WONDERFUL Katelyn was so sweet and she suggested options in the menu ! I will be back their burgers are so delicious I'm gonna think about them all week

    Extensive tap beer selection
    Guillaume C.

    We had lunch there years ago and had some good memories of it so after a walk in Santa Monica we stopped there for lunch again. They have a great selection of beer on tap and the lunch menu is extensive. We shared a florentine sandwich and a farmer market BLT. Both were excellent. They also offer as an alternative to fries a Kale Caesar salad which is great. It says 'spicy' but it really isn't. Service was great - attentive but not over the top. Overall a great choice if you are near the Santa Monica Promenade. We will be back.

    House Fries, Housemade Ketchup, Chimichurri Aioli, Ranch

    Food here is great!! Everything tasted so fresh and flavorful. Absolutely loved the house made sauces and fresh fries. Chimichurri aioli, tangy ranch, house made ketchup all were fantastic. Squash blossom tacos were a little messy to eat, but perfectly cooked and so flavorful. Would love to eat here again sometime.

    Spicy Thai Chicken Satay Sandwich
    Marie B.

    Chicken Satay sandwich was good, I loved the fresh multigrain bread. Sadly the drunken noodles have oyster sauce (shellfish allergy) but the waitress was super friendly and made sure I got something I could eat. The blackberry spritzer had kind of a weird sweet taste for me. The restaurant is at the top of a mall which I didn't realize

    Chicken Spicy Thai Chicken Satay Skewers with great home made sauce.

    We were early and sat inside at the booth. 5 different things to eat and we ate from each others plate to taste the different flavors. Too bad it's our last night in Santa Monica. It's a hidden gem on the 3rd floor. Nice service. Different meals and ingredients bought at farmers market. So supporting the locals. If you sleep near the pier just go there!!!

    Mediterranean dinner salad
    Darien M.

    Had a nice dinner at this eclectic restaurant which takes reservations, located on the third floor of the Santa Monica Place mall. Free parking for two hours. It was a good place for us because we had a young child with us. I enjoyed my fresh pea soup topped with bacon and a swizzle of chili oil. My companions enjoyed their dinners, including a Philadelphia cheesesteak and fries, a steak dinner with a spicy sauce, a dinner salad with lots of Mediterranean ingredients, and a hamburger freshly ground with a salad. I think the hamburger is the thing to get here so next time I will have to have that. It was really quite large and looked really delicious. The menu has a lot of spicy items on it, noted with the little red pepper next to them, often times with added harissa, which is great for people who enjoy food with heat. Me, not so much. So I had to work harder to find a dish that I wanted. All produce is bought from the Santa Monica farmers market, and was very high-quality. Service was excellent. They have lots of great beers on tap and are known for that, too.

    Pasta
    Adrian M.

    Had lunch here on Sunday late morning. Nice server and good food, very filling. The pasta however was undercooked and some of it hard.

    Onion rings 10/10
    Marie S.

    Small hidden gem on the 3rd floor of Santa Monica Place. Specializes in farm to table food. Nice variety and great service. Fat asparagus salad is my favorite but today it's Judy a quick snack of onion rings while waiting for a friend to finish a class at Gourmandise School next door. Indoor and outdoor seating, comfortable vibe, great staff

    Denise V.

    Stopped here for a quick lunch, and was pleasantly surprised. Ordered the Chinese Chicken Salad ... it was good and just enough spice! Located on the top level of the Santa Monica Place shopping center with lots of tables inside and on their patio. Also a nice bar area if you are eating solo or want to grab a glass of wine/beer. Service was top notch!

    Antonia F.

    Went here for lunch after a morning walk at the pier and I can't say enough good things. It's tucked way in the back on the top floor near the Children's Museum and it's very unassuming. Our waitress Lincoln (sp?) was so friendly and helpful from the moment we arrived and provided all around great service. On top of this, the food was great! Everything was so fresh and flavorful. It was hard for us to choose items bc the menu is so extensive and I hope to return to try some other dishes I was eyeing. The menu is creative, with items from many different cuisines and you can taste that ingredients are from local farms and many items are made in house. I highly recommend this place.

    Kale salad

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    Page 1 of 23

    The Curious Palate Reviews in Other Languages

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    The Curious Palate - newamerican - Updated September 2026

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