Élephante Santa Monica

“Came for late lunch and it was a great meal, amicable staff and quick service. The entryway is a little funky to find the elevator but the view and ambiance is amazing once you get there. Parking garage across the street is really convenient. The menu selection is a bit limited but food was very delicious. The ricotta pancakes were moist and fantastic, meatballs were cooked well and great. The arugula pasta has a gritty taste but overall good. Overall great experience.”

“Absolutely exceptional. Élephante is one of those places where the room, the view, the energy, and the food all come together when you’re seated in the right spot. It has that Santa Monica rooftop magic, but what really surprised me was how strong the food was across the board. The little gem Caesar was beautiful, crisp, and perfectly dressed, with those parmigiano breadcrumbs adding the best texture. The wild mushroom pizza was earthy, creamy, and so satisfying, with cremini, maitake, and oyster mushrooms layered over lemon cream. The broccolini was another standout with creamy cashew pesto, crunchy shallots, and so much flavor. The most memorable surprise of the meal was honestly the grilled chicken breast with Calabrian chili sauce. Wow. So simple on paper, but incredibly flavorful, juicy, and perfectly executed. The tiramisu was the perfect finish. Also, major shoutout to Danny at the bar. The Last Word was incredible, super unique, and so well-balanced. He is truly talented. Élephante is definitely a vibe, but the food and cocktails make it more than just a pretty view. Follow along on IG: @ratedbymaryam”

“I came here to celebrate my 28th birthday with my partner on the weekend with a reservation (highly recommend.) No wait at all with a reservation. We were seated in the sunset room which overlooks the ocean, on top of that, the weather was perfect to enjoy the nice breeze of the ocean. There's also the cactus room, which is leaned towards guest who likes the more "Hawaiian vibes" and interior vibes compared to the sunset room which is more featured to guests who enjoy outdoor beach vibes with a breeze/view of the ocean. Service was decent, our server checked up on us numerous times throughout the meal and food came out in a timely manner as well. To start, we got green eggs to share off the brunch menu, although portions smaller than expected, the taste of the avocado with salmoriglio fits well with the eggs, not too fulfilling for a appetizer type dish. For our main dish, we got Fusilli Pesto & Artichoke Pizza to share. I must say that the Fusilli Pesto has to be one of my favorite dishes anywhere, top 3 pastas l've ever had. The combo of the Arugula, pistachio, parmigiano, pistachio breadcrumb is just PERFECT. Super flavorful and crunchy. As for the pizza, taste was good, the besciamella sauce certainly makes a difference with the artichoke and sausages. The only downside to the pizza was how easily the toppings fell off, other than that, super tasty. A surprise was made by my partner as our server brought us a complimentary dessert (Expresso Tiramisu) with a candle on top to celebrate my birthday. This was the perfect way to conclude the meal. Nonetheless, service was great, food was great, perfect for any type of outing. Will be coming back sometime in the future!”

“Élephante delivers exactly the kind of upscale Santa Monica dining experience you’d expect — trendy, energetic, stylish, and packed with people enjoying the scene. We went on Mother’s Day, so it was definitely crowded and pretty noisy, but the beautiful ocean view helped make up for it. Every dish we ordered was genuinely delicious, and the fig appetizer in particular was outstanding. Easily one of the highlights of the meal. You can tell a lot of care goes into the food here, and everything tasted fresh, flavorful, and well prepared. The service was also solid overall, with friendly and attentive staff despite how busy the restaurant was. The atmosphere is very “Santa Monica yuppie” — young, fashionable crowd, lots of tattoos, designer outfits, and plenty of cosmetic-enhanced glamour. Depending on your vibe, that’s either part of the fun or part of the spectacle. Either way, it definitely has a scene. Between the amazing food, the ocean view, and the lively ambiance, it was a great overall experience.”

“Élephante is the type of restaurant that is very "LA".. but it's actually good. The food was immaculate! The table got several appetizers, but my favorite would have to be the 'whipped eggplant'. For my drink, I got a 'lemon drop martini'. It had a sugar rim and the right amount of alcohol. For my main entree, I got the 'Vodka sauce pasta'. The pasta was a 10/10. The food was delicious. However, the service could improve. The server did give us a free appetizer because we waited over 30 minutes with a reservation. Also, we wanted to sit by the view, but we had to wait an extra hour. Lastly, this restaurant does not have AC. It gives Tulum vibes, but I do not recommend coming here on a hot day.”