The best bars in Santa Monica

If you’re at all familiar with the relaxed ambience and polished drinks at Everson Royce Bar in the Arts District, it’s easy to understand why Vamos Vamos first whipped Santa Monica into a frenzy. Now, anyone in the general vicinity of Main Street has ready access to the same level of high-quality food and cocktails that has long made E.R.B. one of the city’s best bars, albeit with a Southwestern, family-friendly twist. Though only open until 10pm (and 9pm on Sundays), the excellent margaritas and nachos make Vamos Vamos  one of the best places in Santa Monica to grab a drink after work. For those coming from farther away, a reservation system makes a primetime weekend visit even more appealing. 

Part wine shop, part wine bar, Esters is a place where you can take your time with a glass of your favorite vino (or discover something new) while contemplating what bottle to pick up for your next dinner party. Inside, you’ll find comfortable bar seating, where your bartender will gently guide you through an impressive wine list featuring sparkling, white, red and dessert options. Outdoors, a small patio area lets you sip while people-watching. A seasonal small plates menu rounds out a trip to Esters, including plates of burrata, grilled cheese and some seriously good lavender almonds—as well as a customizable cheese and charcuterie board.

With its high, tinned ceilings, vintage tiled floors and columns, and ambient globe lighting, you could almost mistake the Misfit’s interior for 20th-century Paris. While an obvious shoo-in for date night, it’s also the perfect spot for classy day drinking, with one of the best happy hours in town. From opening to 6pm daily, most of the bar’s specialty cocktails are half price, so you can easily lose yourself in a Saturday (or Sunday) stupor if you’re otherwise engaged throughout the week. Don’t forget to snag one of their complimentary house-made chocolate chip and French sea salt cookies that come with the bill.

This newer Westside wine bar serves natural wine with a side of vinyl music on the weekends and relaxed neighborhood vibes. A little less buttoned up than Esters and more youthful than Wally's, Offhand also offers craft beers, natural sakes and wine cocktails alongside the usual list of pet-net bottles and selection by the glass. Snack on bites like marinated olives, charcuterie boards and a killer grilled cheese sandwich with your glass of wine or two.

Taking over the old Onyx space, the Coco Club offers the same sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean that made the former occupant one of the best rooftop bars in town. A new island-inspired cocktail menu by Dushan Zaric (best known for cofounding NYC’s Employees Only) adds intrigue with drinks like the passionfruit-tinged Coco Killer and a lychee-infused gin creation known as the White Lotus. A complete design overhaul has given the indoor-outdoor space a completely new, tropical-leaning look and feel, including artisan-crafted rattan stools lining the balcony railings and a fire pit in the string-lit outdoor lounge. Stop by during sunset to watch the Pier’s iconic Ferris wheel light up—just be sure to mind the crowds for Santa Monica’s only walk-in rooftop bar game in town.

Inside an elegant, wallpapered parlor, choose from a row of vintage bar stools or settle into the maroon upholstered banquette as you sip expertly crafted takes on classic cocktails, like the coffee negroni made with gin, coffee liqueur, sweet vermouth and Cynar. Ideal for small groups, the kitchen also serves cheese boards, small plates and burgers, while backgammon boards provide a bit of postprandial diversion.

Exposed brick, sexy lighting and plenty of studded leather sofas: This is the Chestnut Club, from the same crew behind Black Market Liquor Bar and Scopa Italian Roots. When it comes to cocktails, a favorite is the Boulevardier, made with bourbon, campari and sweet vermouth. It’s boozy as hell, but balanced to a T. Grab a spot near the large window facing 14th Street for some fresh air and solid people-watching.

Fans of chardonnay and merlot alike flock to this wine bar, where vino is the star no matter your grape preference. Choose from a hefty list of light, medium and full-bodied reds and whites to clink glasses on a casual first date, or order pizza and apps along with your wine for a longer night out. Stop by on Wine Wednesdays, where select bottles are just $25. They also offer a happy hour 3 to 6pm Monday to Thursday and 7pm to close on Sunday with $8 glasses of wine and $9 starters.

After extensive renovations (including a newly added exterior mural of King Charles), this beloved British dive is back with its impressive collection of over 500 whiskeys, plus billiards, darts and other games for extra added fun. The ever-changing line-up of craft brews on tap have made the Daily Pint a go-to among serious beer lovers in Santa Monica, but the cozy neighborhood atmosphere and countless regulars has kept this place around for over three decades—and counting.

This carefully curated gastropub is a beer lover’s heaven, featuring roughly 30 craft beers to enjoy alongside American pub fare—burgers, fried and beer-braised mussels, anyone? You’re stumbling distance—two blocks, to be exact—from the beach, so you can always sober up with a long walk on the sand.

If you’re in the mood to drink and sing some tunes, the Gaslite in Santa Monica is the place for you. This ultra-divey, old-school karaoke bar with a small dancefloor is one of the best places to watch Westside locals let loose and get weird. Open from 4pm to 2am daily, anything goes at the Gaslite, and sometimes, that’s exactly what you need when you go to a bar.