Dine LA Restaurant Week returns today Friday, August 14, giving Santa Monica diners two weeks to sample special prix-fixe menus at 45 restaurants around the city. For a full list of all the restaurants taking part in the event with menu and reservation information, click here.
The annual event runs through August 28, with participating restaurants offering lunch and dinner menus ranging from $25 to $65 and above. For diners willing to venture beyond their usual neighborhood favorites, it can be a good excuse to try some of Santa Monica’s more expensive restaurants—or simply get a multi-course meal for a predictable price.
Here are 15 Santa Monica Dine LA menus worth considering.
1. Mélisse — The splurge
Mélisse Restaurant
If you’ve ever wanted to experience one of Santa Monica’s most celebrated restaurants, Dine LA is an opportunity to do it. Chef Josiah Citrin’s Mélisse, which holds two Michelin stars, is offering its Dine LA dinner experience at the $65-and-above level.
This isn’t the bargain option on the list—the restaurant’s Dine LA experience is a serious fine-dining splurge—but it’s arguably the most notable opportunity for food-focused diners.
2. The Lobster — Dinner with a view
The Lobster
The Lobster combines one of Santa Monica’s most recognizable locations with a seafood-focused menu and views of the Santa Monica Pier. Dine LA is offering a $65-and-above dinner menu. Michelin specifically highlights the restaurant’s seafood and its perch overlooking the pier.
For visitors who want a quintessential Santa Monica meal, this may be one of the strongest choices.
3. Fia Restaurant — The upscale lunch
Fia is offering a $35 lunch and a $65-and-above dinner. The lunch makes it particularly appealing for diners who want an upscale experience without committing to a $65-plus dinner.
4. FIG — California cooking
FIG at the Fairmont Miramar is offering a $65-and-above dinner menu. The restaurant’s emphasis on seasonal California ingredients makes this a good choice for diners interested in a distinctly local style of cooking.
5. Chinois on Main — A Santa Monica institution
Chinois is one of Santa Monica’s culinary landmarks. Opened by Wolfgang Puck in 1983, the restaurant helped popularize the fusion of Chinese cooking, California ingredients and French technique—and more than four decades later, it remains on Main Street.
For Dine LA, Chinois is offering a $65-and-above dinner menu.
6. Lunetta — A neighborhood favorite
Lunetta’s Dine LA menu is $45 for lunch and $65 and above for dinner. It’s a longtime Santa Monica favorite and a good option for people who want something more relaxed than a formal fine-dining experience.
7. Bar Xuntos — Spanish on Main Street
Bar Xuntos offers $35 lunch and $65-and-above dinner menus. Its Spanish focus makes it one of the more distinctive choices among Santa Monica’s Dine LA participants.
8. UOVO — Handmade pasta
UOVO is offering a $45 lunch and $45 dinner. The restaurant specializes in handmade pasta, making this a relatively straightforward—and reasonably priced—way to get a Dine LA meal.
9. Cosetta — The $25 lunch
Cosetta’s $25 lunch is one of the cheapest Dine LA options in Santa Monica. The restaurant also offers a $55 dinner.
For anyone who wants to participate in Restaurant Week without spending much more than they would on a normal lunch, this is one of the best bets.
10. Il Forno — Another budget-friendly Italian option
Il Forno offers a $25 lunch and $45 dinner. Like Cosetta, it’s a good choice for diners who want the Dine LA experience without turning it into a major expense.
11. Luke’s Lobster — Seafood for less
Luke’s Lobster is offering a $25 lunch and $35 dinner, putting it among the least expensive Dine LA options in town.
For seafood fans, it’s an opportunity to get a Restaurant Week meal while staying well below the $50-per-person mark.
12. Izakaya Miyabi (no website, reserve through yelp) — Japanese at two price points
Izakaya Miyabi offers a $35 lunch and a $65-and-above dinner. The split makes lunch the obvious value play, while dinner provides a more substantial Japanese dining experience.
13. Solidarity — Something different
Solidarity’s $55 dinner is built around Polish cuisine, giving it a distinct advantage for diners looking for something other than the Italian, American and seafood-heavy options that dominate the Santa Monica list.
14. Ghisallo — Pizza night
Ghisallo is offering a $45 dinner. For diners who would rather have pizza than a formal multi-course meal, it’s an appealing way to participate in Dine LA while keeping things casual.
15. Water Grill — Seafood on Ocean Avenue
Water Grill’s Santa Monica location is offering a $65-and-above dinner. With its extensive seafood menu and Ocean Avenue location, it’s another strong option for turning Dine LA into a special-occasion meal.
The short version
Best splurge: Mélisse
Best view: The Lobster
Best upscale lunch: Fia
Best pasta: UOVO
Best inexpensive lunch: Cosetta or Il Forno
Best inexpensive dinner: Luke’s Lobster
Best unusual cuisine: Solidarity
Best pizza: Ghisallo
Best seafood splurge: Water Grill
Dine LA runs August 14–28, 2026, with more than 400 restaurants participating across Los Angeles County. Menus and prices are set by individual restaurants, so diners should check the restaurant’s Dine LA listing before making plans.
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