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    Crimson Photos

    CRIMSON ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Crimson

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    Menu back
    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.

    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!

    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!

    $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.

    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.

    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.

    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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    8 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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    Page 1 of 10

    Crimson Reviews in Other Languages

    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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    3.2 mi
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    Vegan friendly
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    This place definitely earns the ratings it has gotten…read more We ordered the Seoul Bowl, Po Boy Sandwich, Sunset Smoothie and a side of Grilled Organic Tempeh. Everything was fresh, good portions and most importantly actually flavorful. The Seoul Bowl was the healthier option and still had plenty of flavor. The Po Boy sandwich was my fav.. not exactly "health food" but not overly heavy either. Just the right balance. I had never tried pea protein shrimp before so I was a little skeptical but it was surprisingly delicious and worked really well in the sandwich. We both like our food spicy and they were great about customizing it for us. They added jalapeños to my sandwich and gave us spicy mayo on the side which pretty much made the meal perfect for our taste. The grilled organic tempeh was the only thing I personally found a little bland but my wife really liked it so probably more of a preference thing than an issue with the dish. The Sunset Smoothie was thick, tasted great and was a very good portion. Yes, prices are definitely on the higher side but unlike some other places in the area where you pay premium prices and leave wondering why, here the portions and especially the quality made it worth it. We would definitely come back.

    Been wanting to check out Variable Cafe for so long! Was extra excited to see the Yelp Top places…read moreto eat trophy at their counter :) Out of everything I tried, the coconut shrimp was supreme. Second fave was the drunk cauliflower. And then the tikka masala. The Tikka was still good but maybe not exactly what I was expecting - very veggie heavy plate. They have so many more items on their menu I'd love to try. Oh and the teas come in a really cute beaker setup, and they can make to your desired sweetness. It's a cute little spot, space is clean, and they have a bathroom for customers. There's a small parking lot in the shopping center where you can park for free too, yay!

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    Crimson - mediterranean - Updated October 2026

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