Savida
Restaurant · Santa Monica ·
Fresh seafood, crudos, ceviche, lobster roll sliders
Fresh seafood, crudos, ceviche, lobster roll sliders
"Savida is a little seafood spot on Montana in Santa Monica that has quite a few delicious small plates. While nearby Crudo E Nudo is a Westside destination, Savida is more of a locals-only type spot and a great choice for a fancy little lunch (or dinner) involving alarmingly fresh vegetables and tasty crudos, oysters, tostadas, and salads. The octopus tostada is your must-order—it bites back with preserved lemon and garlicky tzatziki—and we love that they have a $9 lobster roll slider that involves lemongrass and crispy shallots." - brant cox
"Savida is a little seafood spot on Montana in Santa Monica that has quite a few delicious dishes. While nearby Crudo E Nudo is more of a destination, Savida is still a great option for a fancy little lunch (or dinner) involving alarmingly fresh vegetables and tasty crudos, oysters, tostadas, and salads. The octopus tostada is your must-order—it bites back with preserved lemon and garlicky tzatziki. The shrimp salad is also nice and will give you something of a spring awakening with pops of frisee and asparagus. And we love that they have a $9 lobster roll slider that involves lemongrass and crispy shallots. Our only qualm with Savida is that they weirdly charge a whopping $6 for a can of Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray soda. They do, however, serve tap water in clear glasses adorned with citrus, cucumbers, and herbs—a lavish and appreciated touch." - Arden Shore
"At 1303 Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, I found a minimalist 34-seat restaurant done in wood tones and neutral grays where Israel-born chef Dan Smulovitz—who first opened Savida with just eight seats in Old Akko in 2013, later grew it to around 80 seats, and relocated to Los Angeles in 2021—now serves a compact menu of ultra-fresh tuna tacos, crudos, ceviche, and more. Sourcing fish locally whenever possible and blending Latin American and Japanese flavors, he offers dishes such as flounder ceviche with aji amarillo and red onion; hamachi slices topped with cilantro, mint, dill, and crispy shallots dressed with a blend of tomato, soy, and yuzu kosho; a vegetable-and-fruit gazpacho topped with balsamic whipped cream; and a tostada layering octopus, harissa, preserved lemon, kalamata olives, and tzatziki. There’s also a lobster roll slider dressed with crème fraîche, coconut cream, lemongrass, celery, and crispy shallots, a platter of raw oysters, shrimp over frisée with asparagus and truffle vinaigrette, and a tomato and nectarine salad with arugula and burrata. Seating options include light-wood high tops, an oyster bar with a view of the kitchen, a window counter facing the street, and patio seating on Montana; a liquor license is in the works, but for now beverages are limited to Topo Chico, blueberry soda, and celery soda. Smulovitz joked that because there’s no hood he wasn’t planning a raw seafood bar—“at least I don’t smell like fire and oil — my wife is happier”—and Savida is open for lunch Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., with dinner Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 6 to 9 p.m., with expanded hours expected soon." - Karen Palmer
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