The Resy Guide to Dining Along the Coast in Los Angeles

The longstanding Malibu favorite is as synonymous with star sightings and the glamorous local beach lifestyle as it is for taramosalata, lamb souvlaki, and belly-dancing shows. The icon is ideally situated for a chilled glass of retsina and a feta burger with tzatziki before (or after) a quick stroll across the street to explore the charming expanse of Malibu Lagoon and Surfrider Beach.

There may be other Malibu spots with direct beach access, but they don’t have Nicolas Fanucci at the helm. Having worked at bucket-list restaurants like The French Laundry, La Grenouille, and Le Cirque 2000, Fanucci gives the same exacting attention to simple lunch dishes like tuna burgers and blackened salmon tacos as he does striped bass with pistou and steak frites at dinner. Add a bottle of rosé, sit back, and listen to the rumbling surf from across the street.

Whether it’s golden fried fish ‘n’ chips, cups of chowder, lobsters or grilled mahi-mahi, a stop at this roadside stand across from the sand is a must for every beachgoer. Order in the little cafe, grab a picnic table on the hill, chow down, and watch the waves from your perch.

The subterranean footpath to Santa Monica’s most accessible beach (Will Rogers State Beach) is just a martini’s throw from its most storied chophouse. The Bull has been serving steaks and stiff drinks since 1936, and now buoyed by a lush outdoor patio for catching sea breezes with your Aperol spritzes. Perfect for brunching on rib-eye hash before a morning sun-worshipping session, pregaming a sunset stroll with lobster rolls, or chasing long walks on the beach with a New York strip.

When you want to take in the Santa Monica Pier without entering the tourist terror-dome yourself, there’s no better viewpoint than The Lobster. Perched over the PCH, with sweeping views of the coast and Pacific Park Ferris Wheel, the specialties at this landmark span the gamut from clam chowder, oysters, and Maine Lobster to chef Govind Armstrong’s inventive servings of wild Dungeness crab gumbo and king crab tagliatelle. The ideal hour for these pleasures undoubtedly arrives as the sun sinks and the Ferris Wheel begins its vibrant glow.

This oceanview staple highlights two of Southern California’s best assets — the beach and Mexican food. Here you’ll get loaded tacos (think: truffled lobster, pork belly with pineapple, or shrimp with pumpkin seed pesto), plus more flavors of margaritas than you could ever sample in one seating (though many have tried).

The slim, diner-style interior of this Santa Monica-style seafood shack is thick with charm, but with the Pacific horizon as a backdrop, you’ll probably still seek the sidewalk patio to breathe in the salty air and feel the sunshine on your face. The menu might have an East Coast accent, but you can’t go wrong with pristine oysters from both coasts, first-rate chowder, ceviche, or poke.

As buff bodies pump, strut, and twist themselves into human pretzels down on Muscle Beach, you’ll be perched above them, sitting around your own personal fire pit eating burgers, sipping rosé, and not feeling one bit guilty about it.  Other all-day dishes include everything from egg-white frittatas and avocado toast to crispy pork belly with black pepper cherry glaze.

It’s no lie that there’s a lot of mediocre beachy options along the Venice Boardwalk like funnel cakes, dollar slices, and the like. Which is why a smashburger from the folks behind American Beauty is so welcome. In addition to single or double burgers, there’s a mean fried chicken sandwich, a bracing shaved kale salad, shakes, and dipped cones. And like the original attached to its sister steakhouse, it’s delicious and affordable, only with a much better view. PS: Order ahead for pickup.

Maintaining a front row seat to the Venice Boardwalk for more than 40 years, it’s safe to say Fig Tree has seen a lot. But the popular breakfast nook looks better than ever thanks to a recent sprucing up, complete with a bougainvillea-accented patio and bright interior inspired by the family’s Latin American roots. In the morning, order plantain-and-coconut pancakes or chilaquiles with hot coffee, while witnessing whatever Boardwalk freakiness occurs. Over lunch or a sunset, get fried chicken mole or the squid ink seafood pappardelle with a locally made draft brew.

It’s hard to find better Venice views than you get atop the Hotel Erwin. The menu is refreshingly uncomplicated and perfect for the beach: guacamole, citrus sambal wings, rectangular slices from the Detroit-style pizzeria downstairs, and smashburgers. Frozen palomas and Oaxacan Old Fashioneds (barrel-aged in house) only improve sunny attitudes while taking in grand views of the Boardwalk where, sometimes, a little distance can truly make the heart grow fonder.

Venerated local and Top Chef superstar Brooke Williamson and husband Nick Roberts command this seaside culinary complex in Playa del Rey. With four distinct concepts under one roof, it’s like choose-your-own-adventure dining: King’s Café for casual daytime meals; Small Batch Ice Cream Bar for a sundae or a scoop; Dockside for evening crab rolls, shio koji-marinated chicken, and ample ocean views; and Grain for a nightcap of prized whiskey.

Although encased in glass, this two-sport beachside spot makes for great sunset vistas in Manhattan Beach and watching beautiful people stroll along the Strand walkway. Chef Craig Hopson’s market-driven menus feature things like pan-seared branzino with black truffle risotto; soft shell crab tempura; and wood-fired pizzas. Should the occasion deserve it, the Golden Osetra caviar service and seafood towers deliver on all counts.

Think of this gastropub as the curvaceous pint glass to the Strand House’s polished flute of Cristal. The popular, pier-adjacent spot thrums with locals crowding in for Navy Grog cocktails, oak-grilled artichokes, blackened King salmon sandwiches, and fresh shellfish on ice. The double-decker dining room is adrift in maritime bric-a-brac, but the best seats are out on the patio, peering down toward the Strand and sand.

The sprawling, crowded almost-70-year-old bazaar lives under the Redondo Pier, with endless tanks of live oysters, urchins, clams, crab, and other luscious bivalves set to be plucked and prepared on the spot. Head to the market to select any fish for the staff to clean, steam, grill, or fry to your preference. In between, you’ll find ready-made bites like smoked black cod and hot chowder. Sit at a picnic table with a beer and watch the barking sea lions jockey for a roost.

Situated along Portofino Marina in Redondo Beach, you’ll get unobstructed views of the water along with a packed menu of surf-and-turf specialties, plus post-beach drafts and cocktails. For groups up to 10, there’s a chef’s table experience that comes with harbor-side seats and personal attention from chef Hung Quan.

As the name suggests, your table sits right on the waterfront, with sailboats nodding in the Redondo Beach harbor. During the day, go for brunch-time Bellinis and Cobb salads; at night broad views from Palos Verdes to Malibu make a nice backdrop for oysters, charred steaks with truffle butter, and dragon fruit-sweetened pisco sours.

Dining here feels like a two-hour Italian holiday. It helps that you’re eating on an actual island, one of three posh, under-the-radar atolls in Long Beach’s Alamitos Bay. Michael’s dedication to handmade pastas and sauces, like spaghetti aragosta with Maine lobster and Calabrian chile, and specialties like duck carved tableside — not to mention a rooftop patio — keep the place buzzing.

Helene Henderson’s original Malibu Pier restaurant has blossomed along Southern California’s coast from Montecito to the O.C. It’s not just ocean views that keep it perpetually packed with beachgoers, but the salads and sandwiches made with seasonal ingredients that taste like they were just ripped straight from the soil. The Newport location, perched on the threshold of Lido Island, feels particularly chic, offering a stylish home goods store, coffee bar, and ice cream shop, along with the Greek salad huaraches, vegan coconut curry, and intimate harbor views.