Best Anniversary Restaurants in Santa Monica 2026
Published · Updated
The anniversary pick in Santa Monica for 2026 is Mélisse, a two-Michelin-star counter, tasting menu $399. Editorial runners-up: Citrin, 1 Pico, Fia Steak, Muse.
Twenty-two dollars for a Thai main, three hundred ninety-nine for an eight-course tasting — that is the spread for an anniversary in Santa Monica, from a two-star counter on Wilshire to a beachfront table on the sand. Sixteen Santa Monica restaurants sit in our directory; six are worth a milestone, and here is what each one costs.
Six Santa Monica Tables for an Anniversary
Chef Josiah Citrin opened Mélisse on Wilshire Boulevard in 1999 and rebuilt it as a fourteen-seat counter holding two Michelin stars. The eight-course tasting menu is $399 a head, with chef-partner Ken Takayama running the pass and the tableside duck press still part of the theatre. It is the most expensive anniversary in Santa Monica and, for a once-a-year milestone, the one that earns the figure. Book weeks ahead; fourteen seats go fast.
Citrin shares the 1104 Wilshire building with Mélisse but runs an a la carte register: one Michelin star in 2023 and 2024 for Josiah Citrin's modern Californian cooking, with mains roughly $40 to $65. It is the way to get the Citrin kitchen for an anniversary without the $399 commitment next door. The room is more relaxed and the bar takes walk-ins; reserve the dining room for a Tuesday-to-Saturday dinner.
1 Pico sits directly on the sand at Shutters on the Beach, the one Santa Monica dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows framing the Pacific, and it is the reason proposals happen here. Handmade pasta and fire-grilled seafood run about $38 to $60, and the sunset does the rest. For an anniversary that wants the ocean rather than a tasting menu, book the early seating and a window table.
Fia Steak landed in the 2025 Michelin Guide for live-fire cooking on Wilshire Boulevard, where Creekstone Farms prime beef is presented raw on silver before it meets the wood grill. Mains run roughly $48 to $85, and the moody room is built for a celebratory anniversary rather than a quiet one. The dry-aged ribeye is the order. Reserve a booth and let the theatre of the cut carry the night.
Muse pairs an Art Deco room by designer Marc Ange with ambitious cooking — herb-crusted rack of lamb the signature — at roughly $34 to $56 a main. The cocktail program is as considered as the kitchen, which makes it a stylish anniversary for couples who care about the room as much as the plate. Book the back banquettes for the quieter half of the evening and start at the bar.
Holy Basil is the value anniversary and the most exciting Thai cooking in Santa Monica — sharpened flavours and bold plating at $22 to $38 a main, well under half a fine-dining bill. The kitchen treats Thai food as a discovery rather than a default, and an anniversary that wants flavour over white linen is well served here. Book ahead on weekends; the room is small and the word is out.
What an Anniversary Costs in Santa Monica
It runs the full distance: $399 a head for the eight-course tasting at Mélisse, $48 to $85 for mains at Fia Steak, $40 to $65 at Citrin, $38 to $60 at 1 Pico, down to $22 to $38 at Holy Basil. Fine-dining rooms add service, so confirm it when you book.
Mélisse has only fourteen seats and opens its book weeks ahead; reserve it first. Fia Steak and 1 Pico take tables one to two weeks out, and Citrin's bar holds walk-ins. Tell any of them it is an anniversary and most will mark the table.
Frequently Asked Questions
The editorial pick is Mélisse on Wilshire Boulevard, Josiah Citrin's two-Michelin-star, fourteen-seat counter, where the eight-course tasting menu is $399 a head. For an oceanfront milestone, 1 Pico on the sand at Shutters on the Beach is the romantic alternative, and Citrin next door offers the same kitchen a la carte for far less.
Plan on $399 a head for the tasting menu at Mélisse, $48 to $85 for mains at Fia Steak, and $40 to $65 at Citrin. The mid-range tables are 1 Pico at $38 to $60 and Muse at $34 to $56. Holy Basil is the value choice at $22 to $38 a main. Fine-dining rooms add service, so confirm it when you book.
1 Pico at Shutters on the Beach is the one Santa Monica dining room directly on the sand, with floor-to-ceiling windows framing the Pacific and mains around $38 to $60. It is where proposals happen for a reason. Book the early seating for the sunset and ask for a window table when you reserve.
For a once-a-year milestone, many diners find the $399 eight-course tasting at Mélisse justifies the spend: two Michelin stars, a fourteen-seat counter, chef-partner Ken Takayama at the pass and the tableside duck press. If you would rather share plates and talk freely, Citrin next door delivers the same kitchen a la carte for far less.