Best Modern European Restaurants in Santa Monica

This is a great place to get something different. Our go to is Steak or Sushi, occasionally Mexican or Italian, and it was getting a bit tired eating the same things. This place is completely different, yet very simple. My mom is from Germany, so Lustig brought back great memories from my childhood when mom used to cook for us or even better, when Oma used to cook for the holidays! My husband is a really picky eater, so he normally will pick one dish and get that every time he goes to a specific restaurant. This time he was saying he wanted to come back to try other dishes (particularly the Schnitzel). The cocktails are phenomenal as well. My husband got the Sachertorte Old Fashioned, he always tries the old fashioned at every bar we go to... he loved this one. If you read the description it sounds like the drink will overwhelmingly taste like Chocolate. In my opinion, it's kind of like wine where there are tasting notes and aromas that create the overall experience, but even if you're not a chocolate person, you will still like this! I had the non-alcoholic Seaberry Buck, but got it spiked with vodka... that is a flavor bomb, so tasty! Think Moscow Mule, but with a tropical refreshing twist. Kevin, the bartender, was really helpful in describing the cocktails and also helping us select what we would order for dinner. We started with the Hamachi Crudo (amazing), very light and refreshing. Then we did the Crispy Garden Salad. Again, this was so much better than can be described on a menu! Finally, we had the 12h Braised Beef Cheek with Herb Spätzle (egg noodles). Besides the savory fall flavors being a perfect comfort food dish, this is great choice if you need to take out or reheat for left overs! Mike our server was great and he steered us toward a wine that was perfect with our eclectic meal. The Chef came out to check on us as well, which was really nice to get hear some of his backstory. Overall we highly recommend this restaurant, it checks all the boxes!

This was, without a doubt, one of the top 5 dining experiences of my life; I told the waiter it was the USA's answer to Noma. Unbelievably creative, visually stunning, absolutely delicious food with exquisite service; it should be on everyone's bucket list.

Shirley Brasserie was a wonderful dining experience that paired the great atmosphere of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with great food. The Restaurant occupies a quiet part of the Lobby area and is large enough to find seating but intimate enough to feel separated from other diners. The menu is spartan but focused, as is the wine list. The appetizers we had were first-rate and handsomely presented. I would recommend the chicken liver mousse, as it was special and hadn't seen it elsewhere. I consider myself an expert on duck and generally prefer it roasted, as many restaurants don't really have the expertise to properly sear it. Not true here. The duck was properly spiced and glazed and seared just right. For this style of preparation, I've not had better. The Shirley Brasserie is not inexpensive, but considering the quality of the food and service (which was also outstanding), I would rate it as a good value. Something for a special occasion.

Once again superb experience! The menu is always super creative and delicious. The team members work together and have the nicest energy. They really are doing a wonderful job of providing a fine dining experience that is also hip enough for Venice.

The food is amazing but very pricey for how big the portion is. The restaurant is so tiny that you can’t accommodate large group inside. Parking garage is ample.