Name a more iconic duo than soft serve and the pier. Fortunately you can find both, plus rosé and lobster rolls and burgers and tortas at Seaside on the Pier.
Sliding into the Santa Monica Pier’s former Ristorante Al Mare space, and arriving right on time for prime beach weather—and a happy first day of summer to you all—Seaside recently launched along one of the area’s most scenic spots, with a three-story concept and two patios that sport prime views of the beach.
On the ground floor, find the Seaside Sandwich Co., where you can snag breakfast sandwiches, shrimp-salad rolls, deli sandwiches, and swirls of soft-serve injected with more than 40 options of “flavor bursts” (to be topped with Oreo crumbles, cheesecake, gummy bears, sprinkles, Reese’s Pieces—you name it), plus ample indoor seating. Head upstairs for the Seaside Grill, a full-service restaurant with a fairly straightforward American menu of burgers, fish and chips, salads, roast chicken, fried calamari, hummus, nachos and the like.
Courtesy Seaside on the Pier
What you’re really here for is the view: The grill’s outdoor deck offers first-come, first-served seating, where you can perch over the pier for prime people-watching. Up on the third floor find the Rooftop Lounge, which runs the same menu as the second-floor grill, in addition to a full bar and a patio with an unobstructed view of the pier, the rides and the sand.
At the very least, this place looks like a great spot to escape the madness and crowds of the boardwalk for a bit. Find us here with some soft-serve in hand:
Seaside on the Pier is now open on the Santa Monica Pier. The first-floor sandwich shop keeps hours of 11am to 9pm Sunday to Thursday and 11am to 10pm Friday and Saturday. Find the full-service restaurant and open from noon to 9pm, daily, and the rooftop bar and lounge open until 10pm, daily.