Where to Eat Seafood Near the Beach in L.A. and Beyond

At Crudo e Nudo, the chef Brian Bornemann and his partner Leena Culhane (who just opened nearby stunner Isla as well) serve up fresh, flavorful, and seasonal preparations of seafood, and plenty of natural wines. There are oysters and crudo (like rockfish with mandarin oil, urfa bieber, and house-made bottarga and halibut with shiro dashi, sesame, and green onion), larger plates like caviar nachos and whole fried lobster, and a handful of vegetarian salads. Best of all, it’s only a few blocks away from the beach, in Ocean Park.

Mere steps away from Venice Beach, super-charming neighborhood favorite Dudley Market is owned by fishermen and longtime Venice residents who wanted a place where they could eat fresh oysters and drink wine. So they built it themselves. You’re here for oysters (natch), sashimi, crudo, fish tacos, and excellent people-watching.

Dear Jane’s sits on a pier in Marina Del Rey, with windows that look out onto boats of all shapes and sizes. Start with a cocktail, either at your table or in the dedicated bar room—perhaps the sea-colored, tequila-based Jetson Blue—and then enjoy elevated takes on typical maritime fare. Tuna tartare is prepared tableside, while the lobster roll can be topped with caviar. During brunch, there’s shrimp and grits and crab cakes Benedict, too.

In the mood for lobster? Consider Santa Monica’s The Lobster, which has operated at the foot of the city’s famous pier for 100 years. The atmosphere here is upscale—think white tablecloths—and the food is relatively classic, veering on fancy. There are raw seafood platters, crispy calamari and prawns with garlic anchovy aioli and sweet chile sauce, and steamed and grilled lobster with accoutrements. If you’re craving a lobster roll, come during lunch hours.

Broad Street Oyster Co. now has locations in the Grand Central Market and up in Santa Barbara, but the original is in Malibu, inside the Malibu Country Mart. Cheffy takes on seafood staples are what you’re here for (there is no shortage of uni or caviar). Chow down on stone crab claws with dijonaise, your choice of warm or chilled lobster rolls, sea urchin spaghetti, or caviar service with potato chips, crème fraîche, and other fixins.

No reservations. Find more info here.

Playa del Rey’s Playa Provisions is a restaurant built out of beachy wood, from Top Chef’s Brooke Williamson and her husband, Nick Roberts. Raw bar offerings are aplenty, plus there’s clam chowder with salt cod, crispy octopus, swordfish a la plancha, market-price Alaskan king crab legs, and more. A full cocktail menu, weekend brunch, and an attached ice cream shop add to the appeal.

For a casual meal of shrimp salad, clam chowder, steamed mussels, and grilled or deep-fried fish with a front-row view of the Pacific Ocean, hit Malibu Seafood. Picnic table seating is the vibe at this PCH-adjacent café, which is open every day for lunch and dinner, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. “The reason we don’t serve breakfast is we’re out catching lunch,” boasts their website, but it’s still wise to go early—by mid-afternoon, the wait can be brutal.

No reservations. Find more info here.

A stone’s throw away from Venice Beach, The Pier House is bright and airy, decked out in shades of gray and wicker furniture, and bills itself as a beach bar and tapas restaurant. Menu highlights include Peruvian scallops on the half shell, baked green mussels with teriyaki and spicy mayo, and pan-seared branzino with lemon butter and spinach. To drink, there are signature margaritas, espresso martinis, and beers on draft.

Neptune’s Net, a charmingly divey roadside destination, has been serving Malibu and Ventura locals and visitors off the Pacific Coast Highway since 1965 (it’s long been a favorite of Harley riders cruising down the coast). One key thing to note: the restaurant has two sides, the “restaurant side,” which serves fried food and bottled drinks, and the “seafood side,” where fresh seafood is offered alongside beers on draft. Given the purpose of this list, you’re here for the latter. Grilled fish plates, crab cakes, peel n’ eat shrimp, and seafood baskets are some of what’s on offer.

No reservations. Find more info here.

Fishbar is a low-key Manhattan Beach mainstay for seafood, specializing in comforting staples like steamed clams in garlic broth, fish and chips, lobster mac and cheese, and crispy fish sandwiches, in addition to mesquite-grilled salmon, scallops, and the like. Come for brunch or for dinner, or to watch the game on one of the many TVs lining the walls.

HC Seafood is a no-frills seafood shack situated on Oxnard’s beachside docks, famous for its grilled spot prawns. But that’s not all you can get here. They do deep fried fish, oysters, calamari, and scallop plates, grilled fish ranging from seabass to mahi, clam chowder, and specials, such as Maine lobster, all for rustic wharfside eating.

No reservations. Find more info here.

Even further north from Oxnard, just off the coast in Ventura, is Jolly Oyster, a wonderful shellfish farm with attached picnic table dining in San Bonaventura State Park that’s open to the public on weekends for oysters (they specialize in Kumamotos) served raw, grilled, or fried, plus other delicacies like uni tostadas and steamed manila clams. They also have a beer and wine shack. As far as seafood goes, this is as fresh as it gets.

No reservations. Find more info here.

Trends come and go, as do restaurants along Santa Monica’s busy Main Street corridor, but for generations, The Galley has remained virtually untouched. Go for the year-round Christmas lights and nautical decor, strong drinks, and a bowl full of thick clam chowder and a shrimp cocktail. Happy hour is a hoot, and there are plenty of steaks and salads for landlubbers, too.