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CRIMSON ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Classy
Good for groups
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - Crimson

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Jessica H.

The food, flavor and portions are good. There is a lot of the menu to chose from for food and drinks. I would say the prices are a little higher than I would like. But overall it's a good place.

White chicken kabob and kale salad and dolmens.
Vanessa P.

Ridiculously delicious tender mouth watering white chicken kabob and kale salad!!! Highly recommend this restaurant! It's clean, staff are friendly and the cook must be an Arabic Chef. This is beyond delicious.

Massive chicken kebab (dark meat) plate with shirazi salad and garlic sauce! So juicy and tender
Jonathan H.

The food at Crimson is so good, fresh, and healthy. I would eat here everyday if I could. Very solid Mediterranean option if you're in the Santa Monica area. Plenty of indoor seating and the restaurant is clean and full of sunshine. The staff are really friendly and helpful with menu recommendations. I have had the grilled plates here, which are excellent and very filling. If you are looking to get a good amount of protein for the day or hit your macros, this will do it. The meat is grilled to order so it takes a bit more time to cook, but it is so worth the wait. The chicken thigh kebab is so juicy and the garlic sauce (toum) is to die for. My recommendations for the side are the broccoli salad (I know, very random for a Mediterranean restaurant but trust it is so good) and the babaghanoush. You can't go wrong with any of their side salads though and they don't skimp on the leafy greens! They also have free cucumber water if you dine in.

Ground Siloin Kabab - Fake Meat
Makoto C.

Crimson is in my opinion the equivalent of airport-food court Mediterranean food. Nothing feels like it was made with care or passion. It for the most part resembles the actual Mediterranean food without going above in any area (except their fries are good). Their pita bread taste like it was taken out of a Ralphs pita-value pak. And their ground sirloin ka-bab is just awful (although it looks super good in photos). It isn't real meat. When it only costs $2.50 to add a whole 2 extra kababs to your plate you know it isn't real meat. I wish they would up the prices and make the food real.

Persian coffee (iced)
Ruby P.

I really liked this Mediterranean place! It's a medium-sized clean restaurant that is within walking distance from SGI-USA World Peace Ikeda Auditorium in Santa Monica. I was there on a Saturday for lunch and there were only a few people. I ordered Persian coffee (iced) and lamb loin chops (from the grill) with 2 sides (babaganoush (grilled mashed eggplant) and sweet potato fries) and pita bread. I substituted rice for mixed green salad. The food were presented nicely and they also tasted very good. I especially loved the lamb chops! Juicy and nicely grilled. It was my first time to try the Persian coffee and I didn't really like it. It had a weird flavor that tasted like chemicals or medications. And the coffee was kinda thin/watery too. I went to a concert after having lunch here and I was glad I remained full throughout the concert. If I had the chance to come here again, I would want to try more plates from the grill!

Chicken Kabob.
GlobeTrotter L.

In A Nutshell: -Crimson is a super good Mediterranean restaurant that offers huge portions for a fair price. -I love ordering the Chicken Shish Kabob w/ 2 sides for $22. -The service is always proactive w/ plenty of smiles. Overall, the food tastes very good here & it's quick perfect for lunch!

$21 filet
Bradley K.

First time trying this spot. Full of regrets :( 2 stars because the staff was really nice and apologetic or it would be 1 star. Ordered the filet kabob and just fyi, it's the smallest portion of meat you've ever seen. Order 2 meals @ $21.00 each if you're hungry!! The meal comes with just a couple small cuts of meat, two small corners of pita and a 5 gallon bucket of rice. I would recommend checking out some of the other similar spots to eat Mediterranean in the area that offer normal sized portions. $42 later, I now have 6 small pieces of meat, 4 pita corners And 10 gallons of rice!

Holly B.

Food was disgusting. I ordered the sirloin kabob and it smells and tastes like dog food. The tabbouleh salad was old and wilted and looked like it's been out for a while. The kabob was so bad I had to spit in into my napkin. For $50+ for two plates that's insane.

Outside
Roselia G.

Seriously good Mediterranean restaurant! It's all street meter parking, but we were lucky enough to get a spot right outside the door. I love the interior, and that wall sign right by the register too. It's kinda funny and sad at the same time, but it's the perfect table to sit at right under that neon sign if you're breaking up with someone. You'll get it when you walk in:P Amazing meats, really good sides, and great service. I am one of those that really only eats dark meat, so I was pleasantly surprised that they offer both options! I had to try the filet mignon wrap first, and it was so good! I'm gonna have to come back for the dark meat chicken kabobs, cuz I have never seen that offered anywhere else! I'll also have to get more of the sweet potato fries. They were probably the best I've had! Oh and the Persian Latte was so good! I had never had it before, but it's part coffee and part tea. You gotta try it if you never have.

Chopped Salad with Salmon
Jaenell C.

The food here is good. The salmon is perfectly cooked and well seasoned. The salad is tasty and the dressing is a nice compliment. The portions are decent as well. The service is very hit or miss. If you're dining in it becomes pretty apparent the restaurant favors to go orders. Almost every time we've eaten here it's practically empty. Still if you don't mind a quieter spot with consistent food I'd check it out.

Mark L.

Definitely worth the walk from 3rd Street Promenade--this place has some of the best Mediterranean food in the area. Every dish my family ordered was delicious and satisfying. The prices were fair, and the ambiance was lovely and inviting. Overall, it's incredible Mediterranean cuisine that shouldn't be missed by anyone.

Chicken Gyro (White Meat)
Jia Y.

Pretty good pretty good! The chicken kabob plate was definitely pretty good and very filling!

Salmon kabob, Filet Kabob, Chicken kabob
Maylee W.

Ordered thru Grubhub/ chicken kabob, filet kabob and salmon kabob - delicious! The filet was very tender and juicy. My order was delivered very quickly. I would definitely order from Crimson again.

Salted caramel (right) and tan and black or something like that.... both good!

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9 months ago

This is my favorite Mediterranean food spot! Love the salmon plate and all the sides they offer are fire!

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Ask the Community - Crimson

Does this place serve halal meat?

Yes, the do serve halal meat and use organic ingredients as much as possible.

Do you order at the counter or is there a waiter?

Hi Sam, we are a counter service restaurant, however for parties of six or more we are happy to provide table service.

View All 4 Questions

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Goodboybob Coffee Roasters - 'Nilla Latte $7.00

Goodboybob Coffee Roasters

4.1(450 reviews)
1.2 mi
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EVER SEE A "SANDWICH BOARD" SENDING YOU TO HEAVEN??? When…read morethey said Goodboybob they should'a said GREAT! This placed is tucked away for the cognoscenti only betrayed by a sidewalk announcement "telling you where to go!" But not THAT PLACE! This place has got some amazing coffee, great burritos, resymade sandwiches and overnight oats and VINO, Kombucha and any beverage you can want. Their baristas are "sur catégorie" and the food is so good you might dream about it. THIS IS THE ONLY RESTAURANT I ALWAYS TIP 20% or MORE! THIS PLACE IS MADE BY MINDFUL TEAM AND THEY ARE AWESOME!

Unfortunately, TikTok let me down once again. Came on a Thursday around lunchtime and there was…read morealready a line. The coffee shop is tucked inside a complex but no parking for coffee shop, only street parking, I had to drive around multiple times. I got the BBL, the summer special guava yuzu matcha, and a Gold Coast burrito. The BBL was good, but honestly not "wow, life-changing" like I was expecting. When I first got the matcha, the color didn't look quite right to me, and unfortunately it tasted pretty watered down. I mostly tasted guava and could barely taste the yuzu. The burrito was also pretty small for $16 and was a little too salty for my taste. I did like that they cook it right in front of you, though! Overall, this place would be a pass for me. Maybe I just caught them on an off day, but I wouldn't recommend it.

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Goodboybob Coffee Roasters - Guava lava matcha

Guava lava matcha

Goodboybob Coffee Roasters - Guava matcha

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Kavahana - Strawberry Matcha and Kona Coffee with Blue Spirulina Coconut Cream Top + O.G. Kava Nectar in a Coconut Shell

Kavahana

4.7(274 reviews)
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•$$$
Romantic vibe
Pet friendly

kavahana: won a giveaway a long time ago and finally got to try it. they actually recently opened a…read morelocation in hollywood but we were by santa monica this day so went to the og location. first time trying kava nectar and it was such a unique experience. we got the mango lassi w 2 shots of the kava nector and mango matcha w 2 shots as well. the kava nectar doesnt rlly effect the taste of the drink but u can def feel it. my tongue got alittle tingling after a few sips and i felt the relaxing affect a few mins in. felt like being tipsy without any of the bad alcoholic effects. but my friend didnt rlly feel it so everyones tolerance is different‍ also fun fact: kava nectar has a reverse tolerance effect so the next time you drink it the less you need to frel the same effect. overall p cool experience! highly recommend trying kava nectar atleast once!

Kavahana is a coffee/tea shop on Pico blvd/4th street in Santa Monica. It's an Island inspire…read morelounge serving up kava nectar drinks for smiles, relaxation & socializing, inspired by the Pacific Islands and Hawaii. I like their bar setup atmosphere with plenty of natural light. I came mid afternoon to try some of their refreshing cold coffee drinks. I got a Cold Brew. And it was refreshing and thirst quencher especially on a very warm day. Some drinks are overly priced. Interior decor was very aesthetic, spacious and imbues an Hawaiian vibe. Their male staff was attentive and professional. Street parking only. Overall, it was an interesting coffee shop that I have been to; I had a good experience and cold coffee drink.

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Kavahana - Coconut cups with coconut water

Coconut cups with coconut water

Kavahana - Strawberry matcha, mango lassi nectar, paradise nectar, o.g. kava nectar, soupless island ramen, bread pudding, and li hing olives

Strawberry matcha, mango lassi nectar, paradise nectar, o.g. kava nectar, soupless island ramen, bread pudding, and li hing olives

Kavahana - The Santa Monica Songwriter's Open Mic every Tuesday in the Kavahana Santa Monica patio

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Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee - Pina colada

Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee

4.5(2.9k reviews)
0.4 mi
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One of my favorite go-to spots for donuts in LA! I particularly enjoy their cake donuts which…read moreconsistently have good flavor and textures. I got my free birthday donut here (sign-up and add your birthday in the app) and I got the Celebration Cake donut. The donut was sweet with a crispy glazed exterior and a soft and fluffy interior. It was also still slightly warm which I liked since it gave me the impression that this was freshly made. It did get a bit too sweet for me towards finishing the donut, so eating half at a time is honestly good enough. This is more of a grab-n-go type of spot, but I think they have some outdoor seating in front of the store. There's also parking which Sidecar can validate. I would highly recommend this chain and it's one of my spots I take visitors to. Also, if you download the app you can get a free drink and donut for your first time :)

Sidecar is supposed to be very special donuts and they do have a unique selection of donuts, but…read moreit not for me. I found their donuts to be stale and no fancy type is going to correct that. The place is super cute and very clean. The staff is fine, nothing to write home about. They really don't see too interested in the customers. But they are okay. Parking is pretty easy. What they do make well is coffee. I love dark black coffee and they have that and more and it is very good. Their prices are high-- I think too high. They do have a decent selection on hand. I would go there for coffee, but I won't bother with their donuts anymore. I really hope they work on making sure all donuts are fresh. Their cornbread is good. I have a friend who wanted to try them so we went back and I still found them stale tasting, but great coffee.

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Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee - Seasonal flavor

Seasonal flavor

Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee - Inside

Inside

Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee - Inside

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Inside

Primo Passo Coffee - Peach and Apricot Galette

Primo Passo Coffee

3.8(504 reviews)
0.9 mi
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EDIT TODAY:…read more Management reached out to me the same day to reassure me they're putting a table back there, it's just going to be resized to better fit the new layout. This is the kind of awesome customer-first efforts that makes me such a fan of Primo Passo. I moved my review back up to 5 stars. Thank you so much, guys!! -- I've loved coming to Primo Passo for a long time. I actually drive from Culver City there because of the vibe, staff, coffee, and ability to chill, work, whatever. Even with no WiFi I've never complained because I just hotspot if I need to. But today I stopped by and one of their seating areas- namely the long table and seats near the front- was just totally gone. Replaced with more shelves of things to sell. The seating they've already had has been nice but limited. But now they've made if even harder to get a spot there. I mean, they could have put in the shelves and replaced the long table with a fairly large square table with seats (trust me, I scoped out the space for it) but so far nothing. Just shelves with more products and a big stand around space. With fewer and fewer 'third places' making people feel welcome, I'm disappointed in the less seating at Primo Passo meaning either I get even luckier grabbing a place to sit or I'm just SOL. The people and coffee are still lovely, but I won't be stopping by as often anymore. I was willing to do the drive before, but now I'll need to be in the area and not needing to bank on a place to sit and work or chill. I suppose the Starbucks across the street will do, but there are tons of those everywhere.

We stopped by to get afternoon coffee around 12:30, and it was pretty busy with only a few seats…read moreopen. There's a lot of seating and space though, so it's a good spot to either hang out or even work (no loud blaring music!). We got the cinnamon cardamom flavor in both a flat white and latte. It was a delicious homemade syrup that I would recommend trying! Then my friend got a Guatemalan pourover that was good as well. Sidenote - the bathroom is well maintained and clean for those of you it matters to.

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Primo Passo Coffee
Primo Passo Coffee - Cappuccino, coffee cake

Cappuccino, coffee cake

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Condiments section.

Crimson - mediterranean - Updated October 2026

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