Around Manchego
3 stops, all within a short walk
← Best cozy restaurants in Los AngelesDate night guide · Los Angeles
A cozy night in Santa Monica
Small rooms, low light, and a nightcap nearby.
4 spots · Jump to the list
Small rooms, low light, tables close enough to lean in. These are dinner spots where the room is the point — somewhere you can hear each other and nobody is hurrying you out. Small rooms fill fast, so book ahead for a weekend.
This guide ranks 4 cozy restaurants in Santa Monica. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
Make a night of it
Routes around the top spots on the list, with the best-rated places nearby for the rest of the evening.
Around Chez Jay
2 stops, all within a short walk
Around Xuntos
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.9 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
7:00 PMNightcap
Cozy restaurants in Santa Monica
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Good to know
- What's the best cozy restaurant in Santa Monica for a date?
- Our top pick is Manchego, rated 4.8 out of 5. Layla's and Chez Jay round out the top 3.
- Are there affordable cozy restaurants in Santa Monica?
- Yes — Layla's, Chez Jay and Xuntos are all $$ or under.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a cozy night: dinner, then nightcap, then something sweet. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.