13 Breezy Beachside Restaurants to Discover in Los Angeles This Summer
Settle into ocean views, salty breezes, and excellent food and drink
As the middle of summer descends on Los Angeles, beaches are going to be some of the most popular places to spend time with friends and family. LA’s coastline goes from the edge of Point Dume and Malibu to the north, all the way to Long Beach to the south. Along the way, iconic beaches such as Venice, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, and San Pedro host sandy shores. From the fresh line-caught seafood at Dudley Market to the excellent lobster rolls at Malibu’s Broad Street Oyster, here now are 13 breezy beachside restaurants to check out in Los Angeles this summer.
1. Neptune's Net
42505 CA-1
Malibu, CA 90265
This is the Malibu classic, tucked all the way up along the coast and perfect for weekend riders and beach-going families alike. Stop in for quick plates of fried fish, cold beers, tacos, and all the usual summer fare.
2. Broad Street Oyster Company
23359 CA-1 #3874A
Malibu, CA 90265
There’s no end to the weekend lines at Broad Street Oyster Company, a good sign of both the quality of the food being served and the business model itself. This pandemic-era pop-up turned Malibu fixture is perhaps LA’s best home for lobster rolls and so much more.
Broad Street Oyster Company Farley Elliott
3. Malibu Seafood
25653 CA-1
Malibu, CA 90265
The 48-year-old Malibu Seafood is a perfect road trip stop or simply a destination. Be prepared to wait during during peak times — though the line never lasts too long. Pros know to bring cold beer or a chilled bottle of white before figuring out what to order, whether the Dungeness crab meat and bay shrimp salad, clam chowder, steamed mussels, grilled seafood platters, divine fish taquitos, or the highly respectable fish and chips. Nab one of the wooden picnic tables perched above Highway 1 and bring an ice-packed cooler to purchase the catch of the day for home grilling at a later date.
4. Golden Bull Restaurant
170 W Channel Rd
Santa Monica, CA 90402
Not everything near the beach needs to include a water view. Case in point: the Golden Bull, an extra-dim steakhouse and cocktail hangout known to draw in wealthy locals, water-logged tourists, and fans of heavy plates of meat.
5. The Lobster
1602 Ocean Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90401
The views don’t get much better than at the Lobster, the staple Santa Monica hangout that serves (you guessed it) plenty of seafood. Steps from the famous Santa Monica Pier, this is the place to hang out, catch the ocean breeze, and eat very, very well.
6. Dudley Market
9 Dudley Ave
Venice, CA 90291
It’s rare that a wine bar and restaurant this good sits on such prime real estate, but that’s just the way it goes at Dudley Market. From afternoon oysters and an anchovy-heavy Caesar salad to sashimi, fish tacos, and a killer bar burger, this restaurant can do it all.
Dudley Market Wonho Frank Lee
7. Playa Provisions
119 Culver Blvd
Playa Del Rey, CA 90293
Want ice cream before a stop in the sand? Playa Provisions has you covered. Want an a.m. coffee and a stroll among the waves? They can do that too, along with takeaway fare, on-site dining, and all manner of beach-casual food made by Brooke Williamson and Nick Roberts, two of LA’s culinary stars.
8. Fishing With Dynamite
1148 Manhattan Ave
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Stop into chef David LeFevre’s popular Fishing With Dynamite for impeccable seafood prepared with Manhattan Beach flair. Start with a tremendous raw platter complete with Peruvian scallops, oysters on a half shell, and jumbo shrimp, before diving into warm squash rolls, crab cakes, and clam chowder. Open daily for lunch and dinner, and brunch on the weekends.
9. La Playita
37 14th St
Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
With everything from machaca and eggs for breakfast to hearty combo plates of chiles rellenos and enchiladas for lunch, this old-school Mexican restaurant is a never-fail option to get a good meal around Hermosa Beach.
10. Naja's Place
154 International Boardwalk
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Located at the Redondo Beach international boardwalk, Naja’s boasts a massive craft beer list and easy pub fare like burgers and tacos. Take a stroll along the beautiful boardwalk afterwards.
11. Redondo Beach Crab House
100 Fisherman's Wharf, Suite F
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
One of Redondo Beach’s beloved seafood destinations, this Korean-owned restaurant specializes in live Dungeness crab, lobster, spot prawns, and oysters, to go along with a bounty of fresh sashimi, hwaedupbap (a raw fish salad), and more. The crab boils are a popular menu pick.
12. Belmont Brewing Co
25 39th Pl
Long Beach, CA 90803
Long Beach is well into a brewery boom, with the greatest number of breweries per capita in all of Southern California. But let’s not forget the old-school favorite that’s been in business for decades. Open since 1990, Belmont Brewery produces Belgians, IPAs, and sours made on the premises with giant tanks while customers overlook the wide stretches of sand, ocean water, and a bike path. Try the shrimp enchiladas, Baja fish tacos, or surf and turf patters while taking everything in.
13. Crusty Crab
1146 Nagoya Way
San Pedro, CA 90731
This harbor-side restaurant at San Pedro’s Ports O’ Call Village feels more like an outdoor block party than a traditional dining room. The boisterous crowd downs pitchers of beer and sips frozen margaritas, while mariachi music blares throughout the alfresco space. On the menu are fish of all stripes, scallops small and large, prepared shrimp, colorful crabs, and seasonal lobster prepared a plethora of ways — grilled, steamed, sauteed, and deep-fried.
