“ OUTSTANDING service, drinks, and food. Original flavor profiles tantalize the palette. Candle lit well for date night or solo dining. It's a Santa Monica must. ”

“ We've been coming to Rustic Canyon for the last 4 years, and it never disappoints! Food is excellent, I love their beets and berries, steak, and among new items, quesadillas. Their cocktails are always perfectly mixed. Our favorite server is Mara - she always remembers us and always compliments my daughter (who is now 3 years old), whether it's about my daughter's pretty dress or how she's grown in the last couple of months. Mara always is very personable and her service makes every meal so wonderful. Their new general manager Lorenzo is a great addition to the team. We will again be back!!! ”

“ One of my favorite meals to date in LA. Love the wine director here she was so sweet. The food is creative and the flavors are amazing. I am already looking forward to going back. Love the romantic but elevated vibe of the place. Really have nothing bad to say and the photos speak for themselves. ”

“ What a beautiful experience we had here! This is probably the freshest restaurants we've been to and we are some big foodies! The restaurants decor is warm and inviting. The staff are all amazing! They work really well together which made the flow of everything go smoothly. We were a party of four and I think that is the perfect size to come in to try multiple dishes and have all dishes equally shared from snack, salad's, main dish to dessert! We started with the lavender almonds. They were perfectly coated and the balance of sweetness to lavender couldn't have been more perfect. Then had the rolls with honey butter. The loaf was so good! Perfect outer crust and warm soft center the butter melted perfectly into the bread. Next was the salads. We had the fuyu persimmons and the beets and berries. Loved the vibrant flavor of beets and berries. Next was the broccoli. That was cooked perfectly and the cheese was a perfect combination. For our main dishes we had the pork chop, trout and birria. The pork chop with the cabbage was a beautiful combination I would have never thought to put together. It works so well with each other. It also came with a mustard sauce and I was a bit nervous because I'm not a fan of mustard! Let me tell you, that was such a light spice and flavor to the dish. I went in and scooped a spoonful of that mustard sauce to put over my bites! Then was the Petaluma roast chicken, perfectly crispy outer crust, juicy and flavorful on the inside. The salad was a hit too! Next the trout was perfectly crispy on top, perfectly flaky and tender inside. The sauce and sunchokes were a beautiful balance to the fish. Now for the birria, WOW!!! The flavors of the sauce, the perfectly slow cooked beef and the polenta; OMG sooo good! The flavors of that dish had to be my favorite! I feel as if I should have been writing my review while eating to get the exact feeling of flavors, spice and texture just right. Take a bite, close your eyes and let the flavors melt in your mouth together. It was an experience to have. Highly recommend this dish! We had to finish the night with dessert! We shared the coconut rice pudding, terry ranch pear cake, chocolate creameaux and Malibu honey ice cream. My personal favorite was the chocolate creameaux. The roasted marshmallow and hazelnut with chocolate sauce was, must I say it again; perfection! I've gotta say that the cake and ice cream came in very close! The sauce on the cake was very special tasting to me. The whey caramel tasted like butterscotch to me and I loved scooping that with creameaux. The ice cream texture and the straight forward taste of honey was such a treat! That was very special to taste. I think creating an ice cream to taste exactly what it's called can be difficult, but not for them! They made it happen and feel like it's a secret to not be shared. (Wink) Thank you for giving us such a beautiful dinner and experience that will forever have an imprint on my foodie soul. ”

“ Just moved & I live fairly close to this place & always passed by it. If this is you must ENTER! I wish I entered the first week I moved to Santa Monica! I love food & trying new tasting experiences. This delectable farm to table experience is amazing! From what I gathered from my conversation with our server Mara is how unique & personal the restaurant's relationship is with their farmers in ensuring top quality food. And I must say, it is top quality. The owner had developed an 18year long standing relationship with the quality of their food & it shows! Their menu changes frequently with new dishes to try & fall in love with Great experience, great services, & even better food! Now for the food: Cheese gnocchi 10/10: if you love cheese, you will fall in love with this dish! This creamy, delicious, soft, dish is for you! Pear dish 8.5/10: (blue cheese on the side) the pear & the radish (I think) was an amazing play on your tastes buds with delightful pieces of dates. Light dish Persimmon dish 9.5/10: thinly sliced persimmons sprinkled with black pepper salt & other spices made this dish taste almost like a Mexican candy! Light dish Beef tartar 8.5/10: the infused oil with sun dried tomatoes with the beef tartar, fried rosemary & chilies was amazing! Again the play on flavors is such an experience in itself. The tartar was light & flavorful with the oil. The slightly spicy chilies were the cherry on top! Birria dish 10/10: OMG. At a loss of words. This is hands down the best birria dish I have ever had. The chefs love for creating a flavorful dish & creativity is shown through THIS DISH. give me 10 more! Now for the drinks: Jay dogs nog 8.5/10: their egg nog is top tier! they ferment their whisky in the egg nog that gives it the rich & creamy flavor! (Strong tasting)! (Nonalcoholic drink) Goth sunshine 10/10: not sweet! Finally a bartender that understands how to make a mocktail that has deep notes of herbs & flavor! beautiful drink Around the bend 9/10: for someone who likes paper planes & penicillin type of cocktails, this is your drink! Scoop of honey comb ice cream 10/10: this uniquely, creamy, & soft ice cream is only made here! must try! This ice cream has been a part of their menu for 14 years!! it's that good I'm so excited to come here again. Mara was the kindest server!! Very knowledgeable about each dish. She was extremely attentive to our table & the bussers here are very kind in cleaning our dishes when we finished! Shoutout to Manny!! ”

“ Our dining experience at Rustic Canyon was truly exceptional, and the expertise of their sommelier, Jenna, made it unforgettable. Jenna's approach to pairing wines with our meal was not only thoughtful but elevated each dish in a way that showcased her deep knowledge and passion for her craft. We started with the Munak Ranch heirloom tomatoes, burrata, fresh herbs, and 'tellicherry' black pepper. The tomatoes were incredibly fresh, and the burrata was perfectly creamy, all brought to life with the aromatic herbs and black pepper. Jenna paired this with a crisp, light white wine that highlighted the brightness of the tomatoes while balancing the richness of the burrata. When the duck arrived, cooked to perfection with its crispy skin and tender meat, Jenna suggested a fuller-bodied red that complemented the dish beautifully. The wine brought out the savory depth of the duck while enhancing the subtle seasoning and texture. Her attentiveness throughout the evening was impeccable--checking in, explaining the nuances of the pairings, and sharing her passion for wine with a genuine enthusiasm that added to the entire experience. Thanks to Jenna's expertise and the incredible food, our evening at Rustic Canyon was one to remember. If you're looking for a sommelier who can truly enhance your dining experience, Jenna is the one to seek out! ”

“ This is a classic Californian farm to table restaurant. We dined here with friends some time ago and had a great meal. The price point is on the higher end and some dishes do feel a bit over priced compared to others. Over all, while I would recommend it to someone who is specifically looking for this type of restaurant in Santa Monica, I wouldn't say it's destination-worthy. ”

“ Overall: a fine dining experience to behold! Food: 5/5 Would definitely recommend: Translucent prawn and polenta. The best prawns I've had in a long time. Prawns were perfectly grilled with strong charred flavor and tasted extremely fresh. Polenta had bite and creamy texture. Duck and cherries. A classic combination. Duck fat was well rendered. Meat was moist and juicy. Cherry sauce paired well with dish. Triple chocolate cookie. Extremely well balanced in terms of chewy cookie texture and soft cream. Nailed the sweet to bitter combination as well. Service: 5/5 Our server came back frequently to check on us. Staff were courteous and helpful. Water refills were fast. Food arrived and was collected at the expected intervals. Ambiance: 4/5 Clean and upscale as expected for an establishment of this caliber. I didn't notice anything particularly unique or outstanding in the decor. Lighting and noise levels were appropriate and well controlled. ”

“ OMG THOSE COCKTAILS! Whoever is in charge of the drink menu deserves a raise! Came here with a friend and we did not hold back. Since they had a seasonal drink menu, we thought we'd try those since they will probably be replaced. They do such an amazing job with balancing their drinks. None of them were too sweet or overly strong I ordered the Stella Maris (guava rum drink) and the Bloodsport (japanese whisky drink) - and I don't know which one I love more. They were both amazing! The food was amazing too! They are known for the beets and berries salad so we ordered that. I was skeptical because i'm not a huge fan of berries in salads but it was delicious! WE also ordered the artichoke app and that with the dipping sauce was yummy! For our entree, we shared the duck and the trout. The duck was a solid dish, but the trout was the real star! It looked like a salmon and the sauce tasted like crack! As soon as you take a bite, it melts in your mouth! For dessert we had the mtamai strawberries and rhubarb which was a great way to end the meal. It wasn't overly heavy or sweet. Overall this was such a great meal. Even though it was such a busy night, our service was perfect! It can get a little loud in there but that's because they are doing so well! I will 100% be back! ”