Ivy at the Shore

Located on Ocean Drive in Santa Monica, directly across from the pier, this restaurant features Parisian and European-style decor and offers a variety of seafood along with classic American dishes. We ordered the swordfish, mussels in curry, and soft shell crab with Cajun seasoning. Each dish was cooked to perfection, with the seafood being tender and juicy. Oh, and the profiteroles with house-made gelatos were delicious as well. While the prices are on the higher end, this is to be expected given the location, exceptional service, and inviting ambiance.

This establishment has been in the area for over 40 years. The decor reminded me of places you'd see in Palm Beach. We ordered takeout today, the service at the bar was great, the food was outstanding! We couldn't recommend Ivy at the Shore highly enough. It's expensive, but the experience is awesome!

Ivy at the Shore has a charming East Coast vibe with lovely décor—think dollhouse charm meets beachside elegance. The staff were friendly and welcoming, and it’s a definite plus that the place is dog-friendly. However, the food didn’t quite live up to the atmosphere. The pasta was noticeably under-seasoned and lacking in sauce, and overall, the prices felt steep for what was served. It’s a nice spot if you’re going for the ambiance, but the food could use some improvement to match the vibe and cost.

What a gem! Ivy at the Shore has excellent handmade: Breads and Pastas. The spaghetti and meatball dish was so tender. Their burger/ w housemade brioche bun was delicious. The desserts and gellatos are all made in-house. And the view of the ocean is a big plus. I highly recommend Ivy at the Shore!

My husband and I walked in here thinking it was a cute little cafe spot. And it is not. Let’s start off with service. The wildest thing is being Latino and being served by all Latinos who give you a dirty look cause you’re not white. But maybe that’s cause all the white people who go dine there don’t care to get ripped off. We got seated and was only given a drinks menu. (Mind you I am 7 months pregnant!) why would I need alcohol?? Server came about 10 min later asked us for drinks I had to ask for non Alcoholic he gave me juice options. My pineapple juice was served in a white cup small portion and it was $16 are you kidding me not even a whole pineapple is worth $16. Then after our drinks nobody gave us a menu or checked in on us. Noticed right away white looking people were served better. How sad. By the time I got my menu it was very unorganized they have them in this heavy hard plastic and then a sheet of paper like a cheap brochure for brunch and Lunch. I had to ask the server what the food items came with because it has no explanation only what they came with or what they were. So all in all for two meals one juice one cocktail it was like $180..and I think they included tip so ridiculous please don’t come here even thought it’s aesthetically pleasing to look at the food is not good. Also why is it Mexican food mixed with Italian and random breakfast?? Nothing g sounded good tbh. I got the burger and my husband got the chicken plate. Oh and how nice of them to be so kind to give us one muffin each as an appetizer lol

We ordered takeout. Had we not been exhausted, we would have stayed and dined in because the restaurant was beautiful and had a great vibe. All the staff we interacted with were great. The food was a bit pricey, we paid nearly $70 for one entree and one side after tax and tip, but it was in line with the prices of other nice restaurants in the area. We'd definitely visit again if ever back in Santa Monica!

For a higher-rate restaurant, not many of the menu options caught my eye. I decided to try the calamari ($26), and it was very underwhelming—super squishy, lacking any crunch, and overall bland. The accompanying sauces didn’t do much to help either. With pastas reaching the $50 range, I opted for the 8oz filet mignon ($68), expecting a well-executed steak. Unfortunately, it was a major letdown. The filet was drowned in their house-made steak sauce, which made it taste more like a pot roast than a proper steak. Worst of all, I ordered it medium rare, but it came out past my requested finish. The restaurant itself is beautiful, but the street noise from cars driving by and honking really takes away from the ambiance, making it hard to enjoy the atmosphere. The staff was great—attentive and polite—but even they seemed aware of my disappointment and weren’t able to do much about it. I always like to give places a second chance, but Ivy is not somewhere I plan to return to. Given my experience, I’d hope the chain would reach out to make things right, to at least better the experience of future guests.

Delicious food combined with a beautifully decorated room to dine in. Design is giving French Caribbean Cafe. They even have Vegan tacos (off-menu item). Be sure to ask for hot sauce♥️ Bar menu features a lot of tropical fruits and flavors. The beach is across the street so it's a win win. Sorbets are delicious and the coconut one is to die for.

Ivy at the Shore is one of my top 25 restaurants that I've ever eaten in my entire life. It is so beautiful inside and the service is excellent. My favorite item is their perfectly grilled swordfish which is almost as good as The Ivy on Robertson. I have pictures somewhere in my archives which I will attach later. They have homemade chocolate chip cookies that are to die for but unfortunately not gluten-free. I found my iconic match book from the IBTS!! So excited

First word that comes to mind is otherworldly. Honestly looks like you've stepped into another country. Gorgeous decor. Beautifully aesthetic. Location: right across the street from the Santa Monica Pier. Parking is pretty impossible close by. You can valet but if you park 3 blocks away it'll cost you $4-11. We made reservations and were seated quickly. Not too busy for a Saturday or holiday weekend. We were immediately attended to. Waiters for amazing We ordered the chicken and sangrias. Food is definitely big enough to share. Prices are a little high but expected for the area. They do give complimentary scones which were amazing. Honestly would come back, great ambience, food and drinks

This was my first time eating here and it did not disappoint. The tuna tartare was unbelievable and so fresh. Of course, you can also never go wrong with caviar and the oysters were chef's kiss. We also ordered the hot seafood platter (not pictured because we devoured it so fast). I loved the decor in the inside of this restaurant. Truly one of a kind. The service was topnotch. The location of this restaurant is nice because you can walk to the Santa Monica pier which is just on the other side of the street. The only compliant I have is that the drinks we ordered - the ivy gimlet and the passionfruit margarita - were lacking in alcohol. But other than that, everything was great and I would definitely come back.

Beautiful restaurant directly across from the pier on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica! Very similar in ambience and menu as the original in Beverly Hills, the service is also impeccable. The food is absolutely delicious, my go to is the grilled vegetable salad with salmon. Portions are generous and the quality is great. The prices are a bit high, but consider considering the location and quality of the food it is well worth the splurge. Highly recommended if you are looking for a memorable meal in Santa Monica!

I came here for my nana's 92nd birthday dinner and was underwhelmed. I had heard such great things about the ivy and I didn't get to experience that. The decor is adorable and I loved the set up! I will start off by saying my drink was FANTASTIC! I got the black pearl and it was delicious. Also the crab cakes were some of the best I have had. I ordered the tuna tartar which was subpar at best. It lacked flavor and was overpowered by onion and avocado with very little tuna. Then I ordered the scallops which were good but the mashed potatoes were not great. For $58 I was left wanting more. I know we were a big party of 11 but the service was awful. They were also out of a lot of items and even out of cake and cookies so the only dessert was ice cream. I wish my experience was better but that's ok.

I love the Ivy for all the reasons people should love it. Not the fact that Gwyneth Paltrow or other trendy celebs dig it, but because it has been a tried and true mainstay in Santa Monica that never disappoints. Really? Where do they get the long-stem roses that have scent? The color of the restaurant and the integrity of the staff. The Ivy Gimlet says, "Wooooza! Yo! Maybe we nap after brunch?"

My husband and I walked in here thinking it was a cute little cafe spot. And it is not. Let's start off with service. The wildest thing is being Latino and being served by all Latinos who give you a dirty look cause you're not white. But maybe that's cause all the white people who go dine there don't care to get ripped off. We got seated and was only given a drinks menu. (Mind you I am 7 months pregnant!) why would I need alcohol?? Server came about 10 min later asked us for drinks I had to ask for non Alcoholic he gave me juice options. My pineapple juice was served in a white cup small portion and it was $16 are you kidding me not even a whole pineapple is worth $16. Then after our drinks nobody gave us a menu or checked in on us. Noticed right away white looking people were served better. How sad. By the time I got my menu it was very unorganized they have them in this heavy hard plastic and then a sheet of paper like a cheap brochure for brunch and Lunch. I had to ask the server what the food items came with because it has no explanation only what they came with or what they were. So all in all for two meals one juice one cocktail it was like $180..and I think they included tip so ridiculous please don't come here even thought it's aesthetically pleasing to look at the food is not good. Also why is it Mexican food mixed with Italian and random breakfast?? Nothing g sounded good tbh. I got the burger and my husband got the chicken plate. Oh and how nice of them to be so kind to give us one muffin each as an appetizer lol

Had lunch here on a beautiful weekday afternoon. While visiting the Santa Monica Pier, one must check out the highly talked about Ivy on the Shore. Fair warning, it's not for an inexpensive date. The food isn't the best you'll ever have but it's crafted with a lot of TLC. Service is above average for sure as all wait staff support one another in managing all tables. The space is thoughtfully decorated, and projects a very bright and warm welcome into the restaurant. Valet parking available because as y'all know -- the Santa Monica Pier can be an impossible strip to navigate through for parking.

A family favorite for years. This little German on Ocean Avenue offers top-notch food with even better service. You can't beat the atmosphere and the location is perfect for a day at the beach or walking around third Street.

Went here to celebrate my sisters birthday, we got amazing service and the location was wonderful. It was gorgeous inside of the restaurant and it truly made her 18th birthday special! The food was delicious and they gave us a special dessert to celebrate.

I had a great experience at the Ivy in Santa Monica. The restaurant was beautifully decorated. I loved the table we were sat at. The food was delicious! I recently had to contact them about their delicious cookies and surprisingly heard back from them within the hour. Very personable and friendly! I can't wait to come back!

My husband and I had one of our first dates here back in the fall of 2000 and to this day (Nov. 2024) it's still so special for so many reasons! The food, (the warm vegetable salad is my favorite and I've tried replicating it at home but never quite capture it as perfectly as they do it.), the ambience, (during lunch or brunch you can see the pink Boganvilla through the patio windows looking out onto Ocean Ave), the service, (many of the servers have worked here over 30 years and are always so happy, polite and kind), the decor is light and bright and it's a little less crowded then it's sister restaurant in Beverly Hills. Highly recommend!

Went to an amazing private event today at this wonderful place! It's been a favorite of mine for years. The food was amazing, huge portions! The waiters were super polite and professional. The location is unmatched! Seaside with snacks was just what the doctor ordered!

A classic LA restaurant- fabulous decor, amazing ambiance and delicious food! I've been here so many times, and loved each visit to The Ivy! I arrived with a large party for a special birthday lunch - we were seated immediately. Food- never fails, crab cakes were delicious, Caesar salad was a little over dressed, and the wonderful brown bread was served at the end after they brought out the food- 4 stars Ambiance- I love the roses in the vases- so gorgeous with the floral plates. The room had a beachy island vibe.. Service - the servers were very prompt and the food came out rather quickly, which is okay since my entire table ordered the grilled vegetable salad (need to order the combo with the shrimp and chicken!). This was a Very Expensive Lunch! they charge $5 per entree for splitting the entrees, and we brought cupcakes and they charged us $6 per person to put our cupcakes on a plate with a candle ($48!) and called it a cutting fee! which is excessive in my opinion!!! Valet - $17 with validation.

Forget about how amazing the food and the service is, but you also get the most unbelievable view of Santa Monica bay. Their menu has so many terrific items that it's hard to find just one thing to order. My wife and I shared the guacamole and a crab salad. Our friend ordered lobster tagliatelle. We tried an espresso martini, apple tartan and a sundae. James is an awesome waiter.

Service was not friendly. Food was mediocre. We paid for a $350 meal and asked for a Diet Coke in a to go cup after the bill was paid because my friend wasn't feeling well and they brought out a check for $8. It took a long time to get that 8oz Diet Coke. With that type of establishment you would think that they would honor it.

Seemed overrated but I genuinely thought this by the shore location would have been better than an original one! Carlos was my server for the very first time and he had elevated the audience and services to another level!!

The ambiance is great. The food is awful. I had branzino with shrimp and beans. They fried the shrimp and fish in so much oil. The oil tasted really bad. Couldn't eat the beans because it was too hard. It was not cooked enough. When I told the waiter, he said the beans are al dente. Didn't try to change or substitute with something else. The rest of our party didn't enjoy their food and couldn't eat it.

I have a wonderful experience at this restaurant with its awesome view of the Pacific Ocean. This is a great date restaurant as well gathering with friends. Juan and Jesus wear my waiters and I enjoyed their service. I never had to ask them for anything, they were ready to serve us. Our food was superb. I enjoyed my crab cakes with a burst of flavor. My main course salad was fresh with vegetables, shrimp and avocado. The vast variety of drinks gave us great options to our meals. This is a very beautiful restaurant with hardy bouquet of roses on each of the cloth tables. This restaurant has three beautiful dining areas, the front heated patio, main dining area and a heated lanai. There was music playing in the background that was wasn't loud. I enjoyed my experience here.

The salads were delicious but we were shocked by the prices. $45 per salad. They did make a yummy Mojito!

I slipped in just at 11 and they were gracious enough to serve me breakfast! OMGelicious Crab Cakes Benedict. It came so fast I wasn't able to fullly enjoy the cracked wheat (nom nom) roll. However, I'm fully enjoying it as well. The potatoes are cut, seasoned, and seasoned perfectly. Just the right crispness, too! The service is impeccable and the setting is a bit old- fashioned yet dreamy! One does not find fresh-cut flowers at a table, and the roses were an absolute delight for a Valentine's Day! Come for lunch! Reserve your dinner if you haven't already! If the breakfast is any indicator, I doubt you'll be disappointed!

I wish I could say that this place is overrated, but truly it is not. It's beautiful on the inside, the service is amazing, and the food and drinks are absolutely delicious. I asked my waiter what he would recommend I order for my lunch entree, and he suggested the shrimp tacos and I was not disappointed. My husband ordered the fried chicken and he said it was one of the best he's ever had. We love coming here for a cute and fun dining experience, and I recommend that you stop by and check it out as well.

Not the worst ever, but for $100 solo at lunch, no alcohol no apps, I shouldn't have any complaints...let alone dirty facilities. Service is 5/5 -- outstanding Food is 3/5 -- kitchen doesn't try but doesn't fail Ambiance is 2/5 -- basic cleaning people! Facilities are not well maintained, let alone updated. They coast on legacy, and don't bother to do the minimum such as maintain restrooms. If you are a tourist who must have an Instagram pic here, fine, but for any local avoid! I'm sure they will keep making money on reputation and location, but it's fundamentally not a good spot anymore. Go across the street to the lobster.

I recently had lunch with a friend at Ivy at the shore and loved the experience. The food, service, and ambience was amazing and I totally made my first time experience here unforgettable. I ordered from the daily special menu and got the Tagliatelle past dish and brussel sprouts. Additionally I ordered a passion fruit mocktail that looked beautiful and was delicious. Our server was very polite and helpful, and customized my order as I don't eat pork. The beautiful flowers and decor makes you forget that you are sitting right across the ocean on a busy street. It was absolutely amazing and I added this place to my favorites!

We had such a enjoyable experience. Food was delicious. People were pleasant and attentive. Restaurant was clean. $$$$ But the music. Holy smokes. Apparently, the owner actually sings on EVERY TRACK! Like bad karaoke. Don't wish to be mean. But man. Florence Foster Jenkins comes to mind.

Horrified by the $21 tab to valet park at this restaurant. The breakdown was explained as follows: $17 with restaurant validation (already exorbitant), $3 "tax" (18%???), $1 credit card fee (we have to pay your 'price of doing business' expenses???). Even if their valet parking is subcontracted out, the restaurant is ultimately responsible for this offensive parking fee. Service was excellent as usual but food was mid, even the French fries were very mediocre at best. Won't return. Between my lunch companion and myself we paid $42 to valet park. Hard no.

Amazing spot, with nice view of the Santa Monica Pier. The food is great, the service was excellent! Highly recommend this place.

The ambience and the service is really great. Our waiter was really kind and very accommodating. We were there for breakfast, and I would say that the food is definitely expensive for the type of quality it was. We ordered the lobster omelette and the French toast. I really enjoyed the scone biscuits that were free, I could tell that they were homemade. In regard to the omelette, it was really just a regular omelette with chunks of lobster in it. Overall, the food wasn't bad, I am aware that all of the restaurants in Santa Monica are really expensive due to tourism, but I actually would come back to this place again for the ambience and the kind of treatment from the staff. I bet it's really beautiful at night. So the only reason why I would give it three stars out of five is just the food but overall I would give four out of five for the ambience and service. I would say check out this place for yourself.

So much better than the one on Robertson cuz you get a view! Love the Caesar salad! It's a wonderful corn chowder too! Omg love the plates and decor.

It was easy to get a table for four at 6:30 pm only a day before. When we arrived, the restaurant was fairly empty - but by the time we left it was fairly full. There were a lot of tourists (which is obvious, given the location) and the spot is pretty cute -- visually interesting interior design that is also comfortable. The service was quick and attentive. The food was just okay. The tagliatelle with veal ragu bolognese was extremely watery. I was pretty surprised that this is one of their more well known dishes, because I definitely make it better at home following the NYT cooking recipe by Marcella Hazan. Overall, it's a place to come with tourists from out of town to show a good vibe and to enjoy the oceanfront. But don't come too hungry, because the food isn't great.

This beautiful restaurant is a landmark! Still here after at least 40 years! What a beautiful menu! I'm writing this as a vegan diner. I wanted to share that they were accommodating, and my party and I were able to enjoy the food, service, and atmosphere. Full menu. I had the vegetable salad and a cheese less pizza. Everything made fresh. The other diners in my party were so happy: best pasta ever and the salmon "came straight from the ocean"!

Great service, great food with prices to match. The Ivy isn't inexpensive but if you go knowing what to expect, you won't be disappointed.

I have been to the Beverly Hills location a few times and would say I prefer there over this Santa Monica location even though it's been open since 1985. In my opinion they have the best Red Velvet Cake I have ever had but it is overall the meal is overpriced for what you get. Also parking in this area is a lot trickier, your best option will be valet or one of the pay lots next-door for $15 for two hours. Our server was polite, although very busy tonight. This is a bit of a tourist trap in my opinion but still there are some good dishes. I started off with the Crab Cakes and they were pretty good although not great. I think they are overly expensive for $25 for three small cakes so I would not recommend ordering it. For my entrée I had the special for the evening: the Branzino & Shrimp. The Branzino was very tasty, although the shrimp was the tiny piece shrimp that you get in a regular shrimp salad. Wish it was prawns or something larger. The cannelloni beans on the side was a strange choice in my opinion, I would've much rather had a small salad, or even a type of rice. For dessert I got what I always get when I go to any Ivy location and it's the old-fashioned Red Velvet Cake. As mentioned, it's the best Red Velvet Cake I've ever had and would highly recommend it. I would honestly go there just for the cake. Overall, I know this is a famous LA restaurant that's been open since 1985, but I honestly would not recommend it over many other locations in town. It's not bad but it's definitely not great. Also, this is more of a casual place to go with friends or family. I would not suggest it as a business dinner or a date spot.

Come by here at-least once a month for lunch and i have tried a couple different dishes, lobster ravioli, fish n chips, enchiladas, indias burger, etc The place is nice, a little dated but its nice. The waiters are really cool, they never let your drinks get to the half way point and they are helpful and friendly. The food is consistent thats what i like about this place. My go to dish is the enchiladas, i always add an extra enchilada because i don't get full with the portion they offer, and tbh i would like them more if they made them with a green sauce instead of the red but thats just me being biased. The rice isn't to my liking but it's okay, it lacks flavor and the same goes for the beans i would appreciate them more if they were refried and tasted more traditional. Overall this place is consistent and a nice place to visit if you're in the area. Decent prices and amazing waiters.

The ambiance of Ivy is its best feature, as the meal was underwhelming, the crab cakes and steak did not make the grade, and the presentation of the bill to my date (she) was a shocker.

My Goddaughter treated me to a birthday lunch here today the food was amazing, service was great and the ambiance was beautiful.

The food is awesome here the service is so fast and the workers are so nice. The ambiance is the best I have ever been to and chill. I have been going here for years and will never stop going!

the food is very nice. We order the taco ， taste perfect. Near the Santa Monica pier, the atmosphere is cosy .

Huge let down! Saw this spot on instagram and was super pumped for the onion rings. The video I saw showed them served with multiple dipping sauces but these only came with ketchup.. maybe the other location has more sauces? Also ridiculously priced. I understand it's by the beach but lunch should not cost $300 for a salad, sandwich, onion rings and diet cokes. Service was also very fussy - like the wait staff acts like you're stupid if you ask for something specific. They also charged us $3.50 for a side of ketchup! Just not a great experience and food was not good either. Turkey tasted old.

We were recently in LA for the first time and had a laundry list of food spots we wanted to try. The Ivy was on our list and knocked our socks off in every way. Service was beyond exceptional, the outdoor patio area was so quaint and comfortable and fun, and everything we ordered was fabulous -- there was not a crumb left of any dish. To start, we ordered the "best" crab cakes ($22); three lump cakes came in the order on a beautiful painted plate with a creamy and delicious aioli. For entrees, we had the lobster ravioli ($42) and the fish and chips ($32). Both dishes were phenomenal! The sauce on the ravioli was creamy, like a mix of marinara and alfredo, and paired so well with the lobster stuffed pastas. Our server informed us that the pasta was made in-house and filled that day; you could taste the freshness. My husband's fish and chips plate was huge and the fish was of hefty portion. There was no skimping at all with this dish. It was accompanied with fries and onion rings, he was thrilled. Our server also brought out a complimentary dessert for my hubs' birthday -- their famous "red cake" with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a big sparkler. Such a nice touch to end our lunch. This was by far our best meal of our trip, we loved the Ivy. Total for appetizer and two entrees was $105 before tip. Well deserved.

Breakfast pizza was delicious. Choice of Chorizo and cheese was sublime. Tad pricey, but worth it

Inside is a beautiful place with views of the pacific. The room is painted pink with various pictures. Not sure why it's not rated higher but the food here was delicious. The rack of lamb was cooked to perfection. Their blood Orange Margarita was great. Staff was super friendly and helpful, even got a plastic straw for me on request. Highly recommend.

Had such a wonderful time at the Ivy! The food and service was amazing and the drinks were some of the best I've had in LA! Highly reccomend here. Especially if you're coming with a group or for a business dinner.

We had a great experience at the Ivy in Santa Monica. Service was great so was the food that we ordered a salmon pizza, breakfast pizza and the mozzarella egg white omelette. The ambiance was cozy outside and a beautiful ocean view.

Had Easter brunch here today and felt compelled to review. I have I've eaten at both of the restaurants for most of my life but the food today was some of the worst food I've ever eaten in Los Angeles and for $150 per person. It truly was awful. A few things were good like the guacamole, but the classic crabcakes were overcooked and looked like fried zucchini that have been left in the fryer for three hours. I had the burger, which was almost inedible. My friend had shrimp with black pepper sauce that was so chewy. She had one bite and pushed the plate away and my other friend had the filet mignon which was covered in some terrible sauce. As always, the staff is friendly and great, but wow, this place has gone so downhill what a shame. All three of us came in separate cars so then paying the $90 in Valet was the perfect finish to what can only be considered one of the worst meals I've had in my life in Los Angeles.

Ambiance was great. The problem was the cold seafood platter for 85 bucks. I got two small shrimp three small oysters very small a little pile of tuna tartare and about a finger of lobster. It was quite a rip off. we ordered a glass of pineapple juice and the pineapple juice was $14 $2 less than the pizza which we ordered which was really bad as far as Margarita pizzas. the busboy was whistling when he came up to our table which I thought was quite unhygienic . I don't recommend this restaurant for anyone unless you just want to sit there and drink water

This is my second time coming here! My first time we stopped here on a whim and it was great, I had the fish tacos! Let's start with the restaurant itself, ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! Everything is pink and floral, amazing location for a a girls brunch or a pink drink. The service is impressive as well, we were taken care of by everyone who came in contact with us. Drinks were served in a timely manner, and while you waited they had these delicious traditional scones with salted butter and home made jam. The menu is very large!! And price point is high but realistically standard when you consider the location. They do not offer bottomless drinks so keep that in mind for my brunch eaters, nor do they offer alternative meats like veggie or turkey sausage. 10/10 would completely recommend!

Excellent service Somewhat pricy Good food - nothing to write home (or a review) about

James is the best!!!! Ivy gimlet, salad and pecan dessert r my go to and his pleasant attitude always makes the meal more enjoyable