Visiting from New Mexico, I can confidently say this was one of the best experiences I've had in…read moreLA. David was an absolute gem!!! he was warm, charming, and incredibly attentive. He remembered my name, asked all the right questions, and gave thoughtful recommendations that made the entire experience feel personalized. He has a way of making you feel like a regular, even on your first visit. Great hospitality like this is rare and made my visit truly worthwhile. Seriously the most charming bartender in LA.

We had dinner at Water Grill Santa Monica (Ocean Ave) on April 19, and overall it was an easy 5/5…read moreexperience. We started with the oyster sampler featuring selections from Hollywood, MD; Pope's Bay, VA; Buzzards Bay, MA; Chesapeake Bay, VA; and Wellfleet, MA. The oysters were exceptionally fresh and served with great accompaniments. We always order oysters when visiting seafood restaurants because freshness is so important to us, and Water Grill absolutely delivered. A must-order. The grilled Spanish octopus, served with fingerling potatoes, Niçoise olives, roasted tomato, pine nuts, and olive oil, was very good (3.5/5). We're fairly picky when it comes to octopus, and while we would have liked a bit more char, it was still among the better versions we've had. The New Zealand king salmon sushi with avocado, hazelnuts, papaya, and white soy-lime vinaigrette was fresh, clean, and delicious (5/5). While not particularly unique, it was executed perfectly. The crispy calamari with harissa aioli and cilantro-mint sweet chili sauce was also well done (4/5)--crispy, not oily, and very enjoyable. Calamari is another dish we frequently order, and this version met our standards, even if it wasn't especially memorable. The standout among the appetizers was the New Zealand pink bream ceviche with cilantro, red peppers, onions, lemon juice, and olive oil. The presentation was beautiful, and the flavors were incredibly fresh (5/5). We only added a touch of salt. This is another must-order dish. The Peruvian bay scallops with pistachio citrus pesto were somewhat underwhelming (3/5), and the Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts (3/5) didn't leave much of an impression either. The lobster itself was excellent (5/5)--sweet, fresh, and perfectly prepared. The accompanying coleslaw wasn't our favorite, but we'd happily order the lobster again and probably go for a larger portion next time. The absolute star of the evening was the Massachusetts black sea bass. It was easily one of the best dishes of the night and possibly one of the best fish dishes we've ever had at a restaurant (5/5). Tender, juicy, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. To top it all off, the restaurant surprised us with a complimentary birthday dessert featuring chocolate cake, vanilla cake, oatmeal cake, and ice cream. It was thoughtful, delicious, and a wonderful ending to the meal (5/5). Overall, Water Grill earns a well-deserved 5/5. The quality and freshness of the seafood were outstanding, the beachfront ambiance was beautiful, and the service was friendly and attentive throughout the evening. Definitely a must-try seafood destination in Los Angeles. Thank you to the entire team for such a memorable experience--we truly appreciated it.

One of my favorites. Menu changes often but I have loved everything I've tried. The seafood…read morechowder is bomb, the lobster trio, shrimp cocktail, steak dishes never disappoint. We love Lila! We have her as a server often!!

I've been wanting to try this place for ages, so I finally stopped in for lunch this week. I had my…read moredog with me, so we sat outside. It was perfectly pleasant, though be warned: foot traffic passes just a few feet away. I kicked things off with a martini, which was excellent--surprisingly generous by today's standards and a real deal at $12. For starters, I had the Caesar salad. Think tuxedo at a pool party: definitely overdressed. But it was delicious, and I'd order it again--just with light dressing. The fish sandwich was fine, nothing more. I couldn't help thinking McDonald's might edge them out on the Filet-O-Fish (though it's been decades, so who knows). It wasn't bad; I'd just try something different next time.

Great food, staff is super friendly! Don't sleep on the Cap't Loui sauce and the shrimp.read more

Its our first time eat here,Good Area,Clean,excellent service,Good Food,we like the garlic noodles…read moretotally delicious,Nice Area!

AMAZING. So efficient, very clean, love being able to see them prep food at the bar area…read more Pulpo a la brasas - low key a must, octopus is so tender. Didn't care much for the rice/beans but not bad. Comes with blue corn tortillas, but honestly the octopus and almond sauce (think b*tchin' sauce) were delicious. Great cherry tomato pico de gallo. Scallop aguachile - wowwww the scallops were so fresh, literally bursting is my mouth. They were sweet, tender, and perfectly paired with the tangy lime sauce. Taco de pulpo - ok so this is pretty much an assembled pulpo à la brasas, BUT I will say the full meal was more tender because it was an entire grilled piece of grilled vs one tentacle. If with a group, def recommend getting the entree to split vs individual tacos. Smoked kanoachi tostado - delicioussssss the smoked kanoachi (amberjack) was the perfect glue for the ceviche. Another banger. I was at capacity at this point, but the only change I'd make is swapping the taco de pulpo for the ahi tostado. So really, Holbox did everything right, and was so good it's gaslighting me into how I could have ordered more strategically. I arrived around 3:45pm on a Sunday, and the line wrapped around the corner. Bar seats are FCFS, so use that information wisely...and you may get seated immediately :P

Consistently good and I'm appalled at myself for not writing a review until now. I would personally…read morecome on the weekdays during in between meal times for the shortest wait. There is a private lot but fills up, and there's also adjacent street parking. I love sitting at the bar and seeing the plate being prepared. Also love the open freezers so you can see the fresh seafood hanging. Another standout was the homemade hot sauces! Each had a distinct flavor from sweet, smokey, and hot so it was really fun to try. The ceviches and the raw cold dishes were my favorite, especially the scallop aguachile! SO GOOD. Would order that 100 times.

What an incredible seafood restaurant!!! Their happy hour (4-6pm) is also so lit because it's $10…read morestrong ass martinis lol I was drunk with half a drink and had to order the trout dip ($26) to balance out my dizziness! The trout dip was sooooo amazing!!!!!! Staffs were super super friendly and welcoming! I was seated at the bar first as I was waiting for my friends but the staff started chatting with me about life and the menu. I really appreciated the friendliness here! Once all my friend arrived, we were seated outside and ordered a bunch of fish and oyster tacos ($8 each). They were both delicious. The shrimp toast was also super yummy. The seafood platter was a must!! So fresh and so delicious! Definitely will be back to try more food. The restaurant is quite small so I'd recommend making a resy if you can or be ready to sit at the bar first come first serve. The ambiance is cute and casual- would even be a great place to enjoy a solo meal!

Every dish we got was very yummy. Definitely one of my favorite restaurants we've had in LA…read more Ordered: - Chowdaaa - So yummy. Honestly my favorite chowder I've ever had. Saw them seasoning it with fish sauce. I wouldn't have guess to do that but it works very well. - Silican Crudo - I always love a crudo. Very Yummy - Scallop Tostada - The apple, yuzu, and scallop are paired so well with each other. - Hot Shoft Shell Crab Sando - Lobster Bisque Roll My favorite dishes we got were the chowdaaa, silican crudo, and scallop tostada. The restaurant is small, would recommend getting a reservation. The inside is basically one long bar with a few 2 seats tables along the long hallway/bar. They had a couple tables outside that could sit 4 people. We didn't have a reservation but got there about 20 minutes before opening on a Sunday on lunch. They ended up having probably 20 ish people in line by the time they opened. They had Cape Cod and Maine oysters the day we went. We decided not to get any since they were market price and we had other oysters in similar regions before so decided to focus on the other dishes.

Fish was outstanding. Delicious, flaky halibut and sumptuous Chilean Sea Bass, moist and flaky…read more Good side dishes. Really good tasting coleslaw. Service was excellent. Friendly staff. Accommodating to your request. The only thing that I didn't like was the Caesar dressing it tasted store bought not like the way real Caesar dressing should taste. Ambiance was nice and clean.

This still is our go-to source restaurant for fish…read more It's counter service with indoor and outdoor seating, very casual but full-service style spirit delivering your meal with self-service elements of helping yourself to beverages The prices, portions and quality are the best options for a full and fling meal for under $20 per adult and under $10 for kids meals... healthy food options, fresh food, customizable and cooked to order. The service is friendly and the process of ordering is self-intuitive and easy and the time process is quick knowing it is custom cooked to order for every customer that can be 10-15 mins or so and you can be in and out dining in quickly or take a meal "to-go" quicker. The steak is or was, mediocre. This is a seafood restaurant and specialty. If you come here, I'd say don't do the surf and turf (steak) but opt for more seafood. The shrimp grilled in the shell is lackluster because the shrimp often sticks into the shell and dry out, harder to eat and less delicious, in my opinion. All of the fishes that are grilled are great and the best options.

I have been wanting to try raw marinated crab for the longest time and this spot did not…read moredisappoint! The soy crab and spicy crab both have their strengths, I would recommend the spicy crab if you need the sauce to hide a little bit of the fishiness of the crab. For those who don't like raw crab, the crab soup had a deep crab flavor and tasted very comforting and homemade. Since it was our first time, the server was very helpful and gave us recommendations. One crab is definitely enough for two people, especially with all the delicious side dishes that it comes with. While they give you gloves and a bib, come prepared to make a mess and get into the shells! It's hard work, but it's definitely a great group experience and is perfect for chatting with friends. This was a great meal and you could definitely taste the quality of the crab!

Bookmarked this spot a while ago and finally was close enough to visit! It was best first meal…read morecoming from out of town. We forgot how difficult it can be to find parking in LA, but we managed to find one on the side of the road, just to find out... this restaurant has their own parking lot. Hehe. Went around 5pm and saw we were the first ones seated while a handful of people came and gone for to go orders. I immediately ordered the soy marinated crab and live uni. There is a combo order of both, but it includes the American marinated crab and an extra small live uni. With their recommendation, we opted for the Korean marinated crab and small uni to share with 2 adults and one kid. When the food came out, they gave us another live uni on the house and I was so happy because I didn't want to share mine! The food was so homey and delicious. The seafood pajeon was so loaded with all the seafood bits and the soy bean soup was the perfect palette cleanser. Service was great and they were so helpful to answer any questions we had. They gave us extra water for our little one and refilled our tea when it was a fourth full. They were so tentative and asked how we liked the food. We loved it. We also enjoyed the banchan!

Fish King is an excellent place to get some fresh and delicious seafood. I've only ever ordered…read morefrom their "galley", which I think is what they call their kitchen, but I know they also sell raw seafood as well, in addition to a few other things in their small market. One of my favorite things to get at Fish King is the plate with the swordfish skewers. This dish is honestly so unique, and I haven't found anything like it anywhere else. It's basically two shish-kebab style sticks of seasoned swordfish, peppers, and tomatoes, and it's served with a few sides in addition to fried veggies and shrimp. I also really enjoy their tacos. They also have very generous servings of poke (I personally don't get the poke from here because it's already mixed in with raw onions and I don't like raw onion). Prices are all very reasonable--the swordfish plate I mentioned earlier is around $15 and a pretty large amount of food. Fish King does get pretty busy especially around mealtimes so it's better to order in advance and pick up so that you don't have to wait around as long. I think if you order in person, you can expect a 20-30 min wait when it's busy. There's a small lot on the side of the market and sometimes you can find street parking too. There are some tables on both ends of the market so you can dine in, it's very casual.

Fish King has been in business it seems forever. We love the place. It has the best service. I…read morethink it is family owned and Joe is great. The entire staff is great. They know everything about their fish and even the things they sell that you want to use to make your fish. The place is always clean and fresh smelling. The prices are very fair. The wait for service is never long. They have the best salmon and white fish around. They clearly get fresh fish daily. We have never had a bad experience. They even have a place to eat and they make prepared food for you. It is wonderful. Parking is easy and the staff is the best so have fun and go there. You will not be disappointed.