Santa Monica • Brentwood • Sawtelle

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New restaurants, hidden parks, local rituals, and the spots worth getting off the couch for — all within a few miles of home.

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Inviting outdoor restaurant patio with chairs, tables, and string lights in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Dining

The West LA Spring Dining Guide: 7 Tables We're Fighting Over Right Now

From a Brentwood courtyard doing Japanese-Argentine fusion to a Mar Vista wine bar that feels like a secret, these are the tables we can’t stop…

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Baseball at Dodger Stadium on Opening Day Outdoors

Opening Day: The Dodgers Are Back and the Padres Are Already Planning for Next Year

Everything went exactly as expected for the greatest franchise in the history of professional sports.

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Vibrant Thai green curry with fresh herbs and coconut milk Dining

Holy Basil Santa Monica: The Westside Finally Gets Real Thai Street Food

The acclaimed Thai street food kitchen opens on Santa Monica Blvd — seafood-forward, uncompromising, and already one of the best new restaurants on the Westside.

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Intimate wine bar with warm lighting and string lights Nightlife

Force of Nature: Venice’s Most Interesting New Bar Is Hiding Above Abbot Kinney

A women-owned wine bar in a century-old Victorian home, with a rooftop pulley that delivers pizza from next door. The best new bar on the Westside.

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Rich tonkotsu ramen with chashu pork and soft-boiled egg at Tsujita LA on Sawtelle Dining

Sawtelle Blvd: West LA’s Japanese Food Street You’ve Been Sleeping On

Tsujita’s tsukemen, Menya Tigre’s velvety broth, Marugame Udon’s $10 lunch — your complete guide to Little Osaka in West LA.

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Golden sunset over the Pacific Ocean viewed from a clifftop park with palm trees Outdoors

Palisades Park at Sunset: The Free Show That Beats Any Bar

26 acres of blufftop parkland along Ocean Avenue, the 1889 Camera Obscura, a rose garden, and nightly sunsets over Santa Monica Bay that still stop people mid-sentence.

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Charming outdoor courtyard restaurant with string lights and casual seating Hidden Gems

Brentwood Country Mart: Brunch, Boutiques, and Sunday Ritual

Farmshop’s California brunch, Reddi Chick rotisserie, an artisanal Sunday farmers market, and the low-key courtyard energy that Brentwood does better than anyone.

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Bright colorful vegetables and fruit at an outdoor farmer's market Dining

Santa Monica Farmer’s Market: Why Wednesday Wins

75 farmers, the best chefs in LA all shopping before you, and stone fruit so ripe it doesn’t survive the drive home. Arizona Ave & 2nd St, 8am–1pm, rain or shine.

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Modern urban park with lush greenery and city skyline in the background Outdoors

Tongva Park: Santa Monica’s Most Underrated Six Acres

Free concerts at the Gathering Hill amphitheater, 170+ plant species, a splash pad for kids, and ocean panoramas from Observation Hill — one block from the Pier.

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Bright contemporary art gallery interior with white walls and natural lighting Arts

The Hammer Museum: World-Class Art, Always Free

UCLA’s Hammer Museum on Wilshire is one of LA’s best contemporary art spaces. Free admission every day, a legendary bookstore, free film screenings, and an open-air courtyard restaurant.

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Cyclist on a paved bike path alongside a creek on a sunny Los Angeles day Outdoors

Ballona Creek Bike Path: West LA’s Secret 7-Mile Escape

A flat, car-free Class I path from Culver City through West LA, past Sawtelle, all the way to the beach at Marina del Rey. The best way to spend a Sunday morning without leaving the Westside.

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Elegant plated fine dining dish with precise garnish and sauces Dining

SELINE: Santa Monica’s New Michelin-Worthy Tasting Menu

Chef Dave Beran’s 15-to-18-course menu on Main Street just landed on the 2025 Michelin Guide. Southern California ingredients, no predictable plays. Book weeks ahead.

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Wood-fired Neapolitan pizza with a puffy char-blistered crust fresh from the oven Dining

Cosetta Is the California-Italian Spot Ocean Park Needed

Chef Zach Pollack’s Ocean Park newcomer does puffy-crusted pizzas, small plates, house-baked bread, and a sprawling alfresco patio that makes every dinner feel like summer.

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Rooftop bar at dusk with city lights and a warm glowing atmosphere Nightlife

The Best Bars in Santa Monica Right Now

From the craft cocktails at Elephante on Ocean Ave to the no-frills dive energy of Chez Jay — the definitive Westsider bar guide for 2025.

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Delicate steamed soup dumplings xiaolongbao arranged in a bamboo steamer Dining

Din Tai Fung Opens at Santa Monica Place — With Ocean Views

The iconic Taiwan-born XLB empire finally has a Santa Monica outpost, and it comes with a patio overlooking the ocean. Worth the wait and the (inevitable) line.

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Empty sandy beach with calm blue water and clear California skies Beaches

The Locals’ Guide to Santa Monica Beach (Beyond the Pier)

Where to park, which lifeguard zones are least crowded, the best volleyball nets, where to watch the Santa Monica sunset with zero tourists. All the things only residents know.

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Craft cocktails glowing on a dimly lit upscale bar Nightlife

S Bar by Katsuya: Brentwood’s Best Kept Nightlife Secret

Craft cocktails, Katsuya’s famous spicy crispy rice on happy hour, DJs Thursday through Saturday, and a bar staff that makes you feel like a regular from night one.

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Perfectly seared wagyu steak resting on a wooden board Dining

Matu Kai: Brentwood’s New Wagyu Destination

100% grass-fed New Zealand wagyu, a five-course tasting menu at $87, and a wood-fire grill on San Vicente. The best new option for red meat lovers on the Westside.

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Elegantly plated Persian dishes on a white tablecloth Dining

Perse: A Modern Persian Dining Experience in Brentwood

The most refined Persian restaurant on the Westside — saffron lamb chops, short rib ghormeh sabzi, a glass wine cellar, and a room that looks like Paris.

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Single big red chili pepper on white background Dining

A Man of Consistency: The San Diego Resident Who Has Eaten at Chili’s Six Times This Week

Riley eats at Chili’s six times a week. He has a booth, a server named Trevor, and more peace of mind than anyone on our staff. We drove down to interview him and came back changed.

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Lush green par-3 golf course on a sunny California morning Hidden Gems

Heroes Golf Course: West LA’s Best Kept Golf Secret

A 9-hole par-3 on the VA campus near UCLA — $12 to play, free for veterans, almost never crowded, and one of the most peaceful spots in West LA.

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