Is Santa Monica’s Popular Restaurant Élephante Worth It? 🍽️✨

Just got back from Huangshan and continuing to fill in details for this US West Coast travel series. Feel free to check my profile for Huangshan & Hongcun travel tips—and admire the beauty of our great Huangshan! 🏞️ On our second night in LA, we visited the highly-rated spot Élephante. Almost all reviews are glowing, and its popularity is exactly why we wanted to try it. 📍 Location: Right near Santa Monica Beach at 1332 2nd St, Santa Monica, CA 90401 🅿️ Parking: There’s public parking across the street—super convenient. The area is also nice for a stroll. Reservations Book directly through their website or by phone. They have the Sunset Room (very popular) and the Cactus Garden Room. We booked same-day in the morning and only got the Cactus Garden Room—seats fill up fast! Vibe & Service The atmosphere and decor are lovely 👌, filled mostly with locals and completely packed. Servers are energetic, proactively explaining dishes and checking in on your experience. Food Review 🥙 Whipped Eggplant – A signature dish, but honestly…not sure why. Comes with hollow flatbread and a dip (eggplant purée + cheese + olive oil). Not visually appealing and not tasty—the bread wasn’t even as good as homemade. 🦐 Gulf Shrimp – Actually delicious! Fresh and tender. 🥗 Salad – Just okay, nothing special. 🍕 Pizza – Way too salty, couldn’t finish it. 🍹 Drinks – Pretty good! We had the ginger lemon drink. The meal came to $130 including tip. #USA #USWestCoastTravel #WesternRestaurant #RestaurantRecommendation #ItalianCuisine