The Upper West is the kind of neighborhood joint that makes you forget what city you are in. Immediately upon entering the establishment is a partitioned room off to the right playing classic movies that transports you into the golden age of Hollywood. The main room is adorned by art of a local artist that rotates monthly. Now to the food. My date and I, much to the delight of the staff ordered almost everything on the menu that has made Upper West a foodie's must-try. We began with the Spicy Ahi Tuna Crunchy Rice, (cold) Thai Peanut Noodles (sorry, I forgot to capture that one guys), Lamb & Fennel Sausage Flat Bread, and the Chargrilled Octopus (also forgot to capture, lol my apologies again). The small plates we ordered might as well been the whole meal, but we came to eat and nothing was going to slow us down. The larger plates we ordered were the Braised Prime Short Rib, Marinated Flat Iron Steak and the Seared Baja Striped Bass. The flavors of everything can only be described as a cornucopia of spiciness, richness and robust comfort food served in a kaleidoscope of a trip around the world. Asian fusion, Mediterranean, Italian, French, south of the border and American fare all rolled into one. My mouth is still watering and we will definitely be back for all the other supporting casts members that make up this expansive, but not over bearing menu. Speaking of which, a big shout out to Hector and his recommendations as well as welcomed table-side manner that had us splitting at the seams with laughter. Also a big shout out to Mark for cheering us on as we embarked on our gastronomical tour around the world in our Upper West chariot. Last but not least was the dessert! The bread pudding with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, strawberries and popcorn, YES popcorn was absurdly good as it sounds and a must-try! Thank you Upper West, Hector, Mark, the chefs and my concierge for a magical experience. read more

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I was able to try this unique west side restaurant during dine LA week. They had a pretty good offering for $39. For starters, we had the salmon crunchy rice, burrata and baby back ribs. The salmon crunchy rice was by far the best! I absolutely loved the crunchy rice. It was crispy and chewy at the same time, topped with a spicy salmon. For entrees, we got the flat iron steak which was to die for. So juicy and cooked to perfection. The sauce it came in was also unique. Only gripe was it did taste a little too salty. But the meat was well cooked. Dessert included a carrot cake ice cream sandwich and bread pudding. Both were awesome. Service was good but a bit too slow. Would have liked a bit more efficiency and speed in their food prep as well. Overall, a great dining experience! read more

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This is such a reliable restaurant. The food is delicious. Had the flatbread chopped salad and veggie curry. Plus a key lime tart for dessert. It was all fantastic. The owner and staff are very attentive . The bar is great too. read more

Poor service, food only fair, very noisy, We really did not have a waiter. I guess we did not have a large enough dinner order to merit being treated with respect. W will not be returning. read more

My favorite neighborhood place for food and drinks. The bartenders, especially Alfonso and Chris are amazing, attentive and so engaging, we love coming here! The food is delicious, and even though I come almost every week, the menu is so eclectic I can find something new and delicious every time. You won't be disappointed! read more

Love Love Love this place! Everything I've ever ordered there has been amazing but a special shout out for their Blue Cheese Chips! The owner and staff are always so welcoming! read more

Had dinner here for the first time and I was completely wowed. The flavors were practically jumping out of the dishes. This place is going to be one of my new favorites. read more

The coffee crusted pork loin dish is definitely the best pork loin dish I have ever eaten and one of the best dishes of my life. Outstanding flavor. Served with goat cheese mashed potatoes that rival Robichon mash. Jalapeño apple sauce sealed the deal. Stunning. read more

Great food. Amazing drinks. Cool spot. Makes you feel like you've left LA and you're in NY. The nicestttt waiters/staff. Will definitely come back Went here for the first time for dinner with friends and we had the best experience. Our server was funny, helpful, and recommended some of his favorite items - everything was delicious. We were so busy talking, we were the last ones to leave and they didn't rush us out or make us feel uncomfortable. Everyone made you feel right at home, definitely worth putting on your list read more

Amazing food and great ambiance. Staff were kind and respectful. They make sure you are well taken care of.

It was a really cute vibe and everyone there was so nice! The food was good I like the burrata and the salad. They have other things I want to come back and try. The burrata had a sauce under it that I didn't enjoy but when I moved it it was pretty good with the bread. I have the chicken salad as well and I usually don't like salad but I liked this. read more

Upper West - BURRATA - New American Near Me - Santa Monica, California

We went to the Upper West due to its proximity to parking and our ultimate destination as well. We arrived as the restaurant opened and snagged some great seats at the bar. Thereafter, the restaurant otherwise almost filled up quickly due largely to the presence of two big groups with concurrent events. The decor/ambiance is quite pleasing as a result of natural light and the beautiful large bar back. The staff with whom we dealt was excellent across the board, especially Chris at the bar. The food and drinks that we had were outstanding. We almost never go to the area in which the Upper West is located. However, we would very gladly return to this establishment, if we returned to the area. read more

I came with a larger party for dinner with colleagues, and the food was delicious. We essentially had the entire appetizer menu, but loved it! Must tries are BURRATA, SPICE AHI TUNA CRUNCHY RICE, THAI PEANUT NOODLES, and I had the chance to try the COFFEE CRUSTED KUROBUTA PORK TENDERLOIN. ENJOY! Street parking is SUPER convenient. read more

The service was wonderful, the food was delicious, and the environment was ~aesthetic~. What more could you ask for? I ordered the double meat cheeseburger and boy was it worth my buck! Incredible flavor and great portion size. We also ordered the curry & fried sweet potato for appetizers. Between the two - get the fried sweet potato for sure! It also doesn't hurt that they serve up our favorite wine - the Prisoner red blend. Yeah, we're basic. Glad we have a fantastic spot just around the corner. Will be back! read more

Upper West - SPICY VEGGIE CURRY - New American Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Pan Roasted Pittman Farms Chicken Price: $26 Rating: so yummy!!! Really loved their choices of drinks and shareable plates. Definitely get their Ahi Crunchy rice, which comes with avocado purée, sweet chili sauce, and topped with ahi tuna. I also recommend their Burrata plate, which comes with burrata cheese, olive oil, and dill. I liked their chicken dish, which comes with yogurt marinade, garbanzo bean, mango, and a side of pita. I wish they gave more pita for the amount of chicken they had, but overall, it was very flavorful. Come for their happy hour during the weekdays!!! $8 drinks until 7 PM! Great service!!! read more

Upper West - PAN ROASTED PITTMAN CHICKEN - New American Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Safe for sure: they wipe The tables and chairs right in front of you. We totally enjoyed our dining out experience. The short rib melts in your mouth. If you like avocados the grilled avocado was absolutely to die for. I don't even get me started on the chocolate mousse cake because it was perfection. Our server Alphonso was friendly and so wonderful when I let him know that I didn't like the glass of wine. He found a Pinot noir they liked and the rest is history. Please support local restaurants. They pretty much been out of business for 10 months and it is completely safe to go out. The dining out experience doesn't compare with takeouts even from the same restaurant because there's certain things that you cannot re-create in a takeout box. read more

Upper West - Chocolate mousse cake half eaten! - New American Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Great food and really nice vibe. Love it! Their burger is amazing!!! Also a really great place to have a small party (15-20 people) on their patio, with a cool atmosphere, movie projected on the wall, really nice place for reserving your next party! read more

I was out of town visiting from VA to CA and my friend found this spot on the app! Outside dining was still in effect due to Covid but we still had a great experience. I had the short ribs and chocolate cake! Everything was super delicious and the venue was nice and clean! They were playing the Grammys on the big screen which added a cool vibe in the restaurant! I would give them 10 stars if I could! read more

What a fabulous restaurant! Fred and staff went above and beyond for our daughter's engagement party. The venue had the perfect private room with romantic ambiance. Our party of 30 were pleasantly surprised by the speed of our food coming out and the delicious flavors presented. Everyone had a great time. read more

Upper West - Appetizers - New American Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I used to live in Ocean park & Cloverfield so I probably drove near this restaurant like a thousand times ( Upper West is located right in front of Trader Joe's). I've always seen many people dining here and going in and out of the restaurant, so I was excited to give them a try. I met a friend here for some food and drinks last night. We were sitting on the bar and Asi the bartender did everything to make sure we are happy with our drinks and food. He let me know that the Veggie burger is NOT Vegan because they make it with cheese and you can't take the cheese off ( the description doesn't mention that on their happy hour menu, so if you are Vegan, be aware). I had the Thai peanut noodles from their Vegan menu (check out the photo below), it was too spicy in my opinion but still good. My friend had The Bar Burger. Each one of us had two drinks and food, we ended up paying $68 (not including the tip) which is not bad at all! great price and great service. Will be back again. read more

Upper West - Their Vegan menu! - New American Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Went here w my partner for our anniversary. We had cocktails and their short ribs. Everything tasted like a Michelin star rated chef created it. The women's bathroom was cute and clean. Staff was friendly. We sat in the corner booth. There was a fly hovering around our table the whole service, I can't wait to go back to explore the rest of the menu. read more

If I could give this place 10 stars I would. First the service was unbelievable, amazing enthusiastic staff. And most important the food was out of this world. Their sweet potato dish is so unique and beyond delicious. Their chicken is a must ! Everything we tried here was hands down amazing. Can't wait to take my friends and family ! read more

Very cool vibe and very good food. Be aware there is not any food on the happy hour just discounted drinks. And the food is pricy even just to grab a salad , the appetizers/ shared plates are more meant for two people. That part was disappointing. From the reviews I read a lot of people talked about happy hour food, I guess that was from yesteryear Bring back happy hour food please read more

Love the local spot , the food and owners .. every dish I ordered was amazing , the owners always make sure we are satisfied. Will be back again and again read more

Organized a post-engagement celebration for my sister and her fiancé. Worked with Fred via e-mail and he deserves 5-stars for his service along. Was such a breeze to work with even on somewhat short notice and for 13+ people! Fred added in an extra touch for our dinner and printed our menus in color with pictures of the engaged couple at the top. Really was just a wonderful way to start off my first experience here. I arrived a bit earlier than the guests and was prepared to wait a bit as it was a busy Saturday night but NO , Fred and the team had everything set up and ready to go. The table was beautiful, with the menus looking amazing. Each of our guests loved their meal- each app, main and dessert was loved. My sister even commented she'd come back just for dessert alone. Even with a large table, all servers were great about taking drink orders and handling them in context of a large restaurant that was busy with a few big groups. ABSOLUTELY will recommend this place to any and all who will listen. Given what a great experience I had, I plan to use them for all future business meals and events we have. Cost was completely reasonable for level of service and food you get. read more

Upper West - New American Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Mark (Watson) was the best! All the guys were amazing and took good care of us. Food, drinks, vibes, people were amazing. read more

Upper West - SPICY AHI TUNA CRUNCHY RICE Shrimp Ceviche Ginger Cosmo - New American Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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This is a super cute spot! Parking isn't too bad but depending on the time . Street parking only costs money if u park from 9am-6pm. We had a 7 person reservation so that was so great they could accommodate for that. We were seated right away but the waiter took a while to get to us and they didn't have any bread which was a bummer. However, the food we all got was delicious! Definitely recommend the spicy ahi tuna ! And of course the fries are a must - their dipping sauce is FIRE ! Not a lot of great dessert options , but a great place for dinner. I do recommend trying it! read more

Upper West - SPICY AHI TUNA CRUNCHY RICE and FRENCH FRIES - New American Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Delicious and fabulous. Who knew!? Upper West is OPEN and has indoor dining! Upper West is beautiful and big! My biggest issue with restaurants on the west side is that I always feel claustrophobic. Not with Upper West. It has a large indoor dining space with clear separation of dining and bar area. The decor is awesome. It has cool old Hollywood movie stills and beautiful paintings. A very nice outdoor dining and easy parking on Pico. The menu is varied and has a lot of delicious options. I had the spicy tuna on rice cakes and the deep-fried sweet potato. Oh my God these were so freaking delicious. The sweet potato was so good I didn't even know what to do with myself. They also have nice wine and champagne. Get the Veuve! It was so refreshing to be at a fabulous restaurant again. They are very attentive we had multiple servers the manager/owner come out and the head Chef came to to check on us to make sure we loved our meal. They made us feel like superstars and we're so appreciative of our business. Please go and support these guys. The dessert the chef brought us was so fresh light and delicious. Key lime pie and a sorbet . I was so full but kept shoveling it into my mouth because I didn't want to waste a drop. There was a lavender whipped cream with blueberries. The vibe is really good! It's great for friends, a date, girlfriends or even a family. and not to be missed is this super cool read telephone booth with all these Hollywood photos from the 50s you can go in there and pretend to make a call. I did it was super fun. I can't wait to go back. Thanks for taking such great care of us! read more

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Food was AWSOME!! Loved everything about this place will definitely come back again! I highly recommend it to everyone!

My sister and brother in law live across the street and go there EVERY WEEK!! I love this place too. They are very friendly and have A GREAT FOOD SELECTION AND DRINKS AND AN ICONIC BAR! I recommend this great Restaurant to EVERYONE!!! My New Year's goal is to come back for dinner and drinks!!! read more

Nice ambiance. Curated dinner menu. Great bar. Couteous service. Convenient on the street parking. read more

There are a lot of wonderful items on the menu! Highly recommend the mac & cheese. I'm not sure why it's allowed to be made any different than how it's made here. Swoon! Exceptional service every time! Cocktails are nice :) read more

I attended a birthday party there last night with about 30 friends. We had a long table at the front the accommodated all of us. Only complaint was that we were right next to the open front windows and the street noise, along with other loud conversations in the restaurant, made it very hard for us to hear each other. I couldn't even hear the person directly across from me. The wait staff were wonderful and very attentive. An empty plate or drink was bussed away within 30 seconds. The meals were brought on and well presented. The hot foods, unfortunately, were served cool or cold and probably due in part to the cold draft from the huge open front windows to the drafty interior. But the food was very good. I had the flatiron steak and found it very tender, albeit it cold. The person next to me also had the same steak and complained it was too tough to eat and asked for another. One of our guests is a restaurant owner and was very turned off by the cold temperature of the food served. Said she found it very unacceptable and I agree. As I said it was very loud inside the restaurant. There is a large glass separating our dining area from the rest of the restaurant, but the noise was very apparent. Not saying energetic is a bad thing, but when people tried making short speeches at our event it was almost impossible to understand. The staff was very accommodating and overall this was a good experience. read more

Upper West - Dining room - New American Near Me - Santa Monica, California

My boyfriend was really excited to try Upper West for the 1st time and take us on a Saturday evening. We booked a 8:45 reservation. Upon arrival the ambiance is welcoming, multiple large parties enjoying dinner, a classic movie playing on a projector. Incredible wine list, delicious cocktails and wow the food. We ordered cocktails to start with the hopes of switching to wine with our entree. Appetizers were ordered when the pressure began to order entrees and then we were told it's last call for food, however the bar and desert would be available. We received our entrees alongside a to go bag. Surprised and annoyed by this gesture to hurry along. We were then told it was last call on drinks as well. No one wants the check dropped under an hour of sitting down. Luckily the food made up for the service but only to a point. We would like to return & support but we will definitely be making at 6pm reso in the future. read more

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Went here for a team dinner and it was so cute! I only got a few apps but they were delicious! The menu has something for everyone! read more

Upper West - BURRATA - New American Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Went here for Valentine's Day. Friendly service, nice experience overall. They didn't have a prix-fixe menu which was nice especially since a lot of other restaurants overcharge on holidays. Ordered a Lamb & Fennel Sausage Flatbread ($19) that would've been better with some more sausage but it was still decent. For entrees we had the Coffee Crusted Kurobata Pork Tenderloin ($37) and the Seared Baja Striped Bass ($36). The pork was surprisingly similar to a piece of steak, smooth and tender. The bass could've been cooked better since it was a bit dry and didn't have much flavor. The skin was tough to chew on. Overall, decent experience at a good price for a Valentine's Day dinner. read more

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I expected to go to Upper West and have a nice meal, just like I did the last time I was there many years ago. However I did not expect to rave about it!! All the food was delicious, but one dish in particular knocked it out of the park for me... The steak was incredibly soft, juicy, flavorful - to the point that I was confused at how something could be so delicious-ha! Top 3 best steak I have ever had for sure. It's a must if you go! We also had the cauliflower, burrata, and carrot cake cookie sandwich, all were great. Our waiter Richard was lovely and attentive, and we had the pleasure of having a nice relaxed chat with Fred the co-owner when he came by to see how everything was going. I really appreciate connecting like that. All around fantastic experience! read more

Upper West - Cauliflower dish- delicious! - New American Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Continue to LOVE Upper West. Before restaurant dining shut down again, we were frequently enjoying their outdoor dining area. Service is so friendly and quick. Food is consistently delicious. Now that takeout is the only option again, we have enjoyed picking up food to go and chowing down at home. The only ones not enjoying it? Our dogs, who have to watch us eat all the delicious items...! read more

Upper West - New American Near Me - Santa Monica, California

We had a small birthday dinner here. Thought it would just be some drinks and dinner--what we could get at any other restaurant in LA. But not only was the food incredible, but the *service* was the real star here. Which is saying something as the food was no slouch. Walking in, the whole staff was both warm and welcoming, and that continued throughout the night until we left hours later. The manager in particular went out of their way to call me multiple times, to welcome us by name when we arrived, to check in frequently (but not too much) all evening... just perfect service and a perfect dinner. read more

Wow! Just had an amazing experience tonight. Our server Rob was one of the best servers we have ever had. His recommendations were spot on and we loved all of our food. Great happy hour drink prices and exceptional drink options that taste phenomenal! We had the Honey Rye cocktail, cold peanut noodles, ceviche, and carpaccio. We loved the layers of flavor with each app. Rob made our night, attentive without hovering and very personable. We will be back for dinner soon. read more