Since opening in 2019, the newest member of the Rustic Canyon restaurant family has become one of the most interesting eateries on the Westside. Named for the chef’s daughter and grandmother, Birdie G’s serves market-driven New American food with Eastern European flourishes out of a large, industrial space at art gallery hotspot Bergamot Station. A matzo ball soup using carrot miso adds an umami twist on a Jewish classic, while their must-order lamb “a la Saless,” inspired by Raffi’s Place in Glendale, comes to the table on a thin bed of impossibly crispy rice flavored with dill and other Persian spices. For dessert, Birdie G’s strawberry rose petal pie overhauls the oft-ridiculed mid-century American Jello dessert by incorporating hibiscus and rose, flavors more suitable to a 21st-century dining palate.
For those who don’t live on the Westside, making the trek to Santa Monica for lunch or dinner can be daunting. Will there be traffic? Probably. Will it be hard to find parking? Unless you’re in one of the public lots around Third Street Promenade, probably. But will the food be worth it? Yep. From destination-worthy sushi to every price point and type of Italian food under the sun, this small, tourist-friendly beachside city is full of amazing restaurants worth the drive across town.
More recently, the city's Main Street has become a hotbed of culinary talent, where destination-worthy eats and older neighborhood favorites like Chinois and Pasjoli cater to visitors and locals across all ages. Although by no means exhaustive, check out the 25 Santa Monica restaurants we think you shouldn’t miss—then get back to your L.A. dining grind.