margola

Further to earlier post...Will be going (we think) to Santa Monica on Sunday, Any suggestions for a fun spot to have lunch? Mid price range?

millie2112

we ate at a pizza place on Third street Promenade. We sat right out front so it was fun people watching. Sorry , cannot remember the name, but from memory there were quite a few places that did not look too bad. And once you have finished eating you can always go shopping

emd3

Coast is the cafe at Shutters On the Beach hotel. It is right on the beach, you can look our from your table and see the beach walkway in front of you (great people watching) and beyond that is the sand and ocean. Very bright and airy, good food, and a nice place for a Sunday brunch/lunch. I like it a lot. I sat next to Pierce Brosnan once for lunch there, that was pretty fun.

Personally, I would not go to the Promenade for lunch on a Sunday. The beach is nicer. The Promenade is a big party place on Saturday night and they kind of clean it up on Sunday morning, and it will not be good people watching then. It is kind of a tourist trap area IMO. It used to have more flavor and charm but now it is like a big outdoor shopping mall w/Old Navy, a lot of other chain stores, etc.

Surfergirl

If you're thinking Santa Monica vs. Venice boardwalk (where there's a couple of interesting and fun spots to sit outside and eat lunch), something that is often overlooked is lunch on the Santa Monica Pier. All the restaurants are in the link below:

http://www.santamonicapier.org/pier-...ry/restaurants

I'm not a fan of the chain Bubba Gump, but I really like Rusty's Surf Ranch, which is located next to the historic Carousel (seen in the Sting and other movies). It's more of a bar feel, but the food is pretty darned good, and if the "kids" like to play pool, they have pool tables.

Another place to consider would be Ye Olde King's Head on Santa Monica between Ocean & 2nd.

Finally, Santa Monica Place (a Westfield mall) just reopened and they have a number of great little non-mall style restaurants with outdoor seating/heating, some with decent views of the Pier. A rustic pizza place that has good pizza, a mexican place, and so forth -- these are all proper upscale restaurants, reasonably priced with a good vibe.

margola

Thanks, everyone, for all your suggestions!

Jean

I'd go to the Border Grill on 4th Street.

http://www.bordergrill.com/bg_sm/bg_smwel.htm