Is Santa Monica part of the City of Los Angeles?

No. Santa Monica is a separate city, incorporated in 1886, with 93,076 residents in 2020. The City of Los Angeles surrounds it on every side except the ocean. The Metro E Line runs from downtown Los Angeles to Downtown Santa Monica station at Colorado Avenue and Fourth Street, near the pier.

What is the story of Dogtown Coffee on Main Street in Santa Monica?

Dogtown Coffee, at 2003 Main Street, has occupied the former home of Jeff Ho Surfboards and Zephyr Productions since 2012. The shop opened in 1971, and its Zephyr skate team made its name at the 1975 Del Mar Nationals. The city made the building a landmark after a 2007 plan to demolish it. Original surfboards hang from the café ceiling.

Which cafés on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica roast their own coffee?

Caffe Luxxe, opened on Montana Avenue in 2006 by Mark Wain and Gary Chau, sources and roasts its own coffee; its café is at 925 Montana. Goodboybob, which roasts in Torrance, has its original café at 2058 Broadway. Go Get Em Tiger is across the avenue from Caffe Luxxe, at No. 930.

Cafés in Santa Monica, Los Angeles: Hours and Map

Santa Monica is its own city, not a Los Angeles neighborhood. It incorporated in 1886, had 93,076 residents in 2020, and is bounded by the City of Los Angeles on every side except the ocean.¹ Its pier dates from 1909, and the Third Street Promenade, three pedestrian blocks between Wilshire Boulevard and Broadway, is its downtown shopping street.¹

The Metro E Line ends at Downtown Santa Monica station, at Colorado Avenue and Fourth Street, rebuilt for light rail in May 2016 and a short walk from the pier and the Promenade.² The cafés spread from there along Main Street to the south, Montana Avenue to the north, and the long east-west boulevards in between.

Local tip: Coming by train? The E Line ends at Colorado Avenue and Fourth Street; Espresso Cielo on Second Street is a short walk away and opens at 07:00, before the Promenade's shops.

At a glance

75Cafés listed

12With opening hours

06:00Earliest opening

23:00Latest closing

Opens earliest: One Cedar, from 06:00 (Mon–Fri 06:00–16:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–16:00).

Closes latest: iSno, until 23:00 (Mon–Thu 12:00–22:00 · Fri–Sat 12:00–23:00 · Sun 12:00–22:00).

Most listed streets: Ocean Park Blvd (8), Broadway (5), Santa Monica Blvd (5).

Most common features: outdoor seating (9%), wi-fi (8%), wheelchair access (5%).

Main Street and Dogtown Coffee

Main Street, at the city's south end toward Venice, is a mix of clothing shops, restaurants and specialty retail.¹ At Main and Bay, Jeff Ho, Skip Engblom and Craig Stecyk opened Jeff Ho Surfboards and Zephyr Productions in 1971, and their Zephyr team took a surf-style approach to skateboarding to the 1975 Del Mar Nationals. When the building was slated for condominiums in 2007, skaters fought for it and the city made it a landmark.³

Dogtown Coffee has occupied the building, 2003 Main Street, since 2012, with original Zephyr surfboards hanging from the ceiling.³ Farther south, Urth Caffé is at No. 2327, Blue Bottle at No. 2441, Go Get Em Tiger at No. 2637 and Gnarwhal Coffee at No. 3101, near the Venice line.

Montana Avenue

Montana Avenue, on the north side, is the city's boutique street.¹ Mark Wain and Gary Chau opened the first Caffe Luxxe here in 2006, planning an Italian-style café, and the company sources and roasts its own coffee.⁴ It is at 925 Montana, with Go Get Em Tiger across the avenue at No. 930.

Primo Passo Coffee at No. 702 has Wi-Fi and outdoor seating, and Buena Vida Tea Bar & Garden at No. 728 serves tea outdoors. La La Land Kind Cafe at No. 1426 opens daily at 06:30, and Sam's Bagels is at No. 1305.

Broadway, Pico and Wilshire: Wi-Fi and early openers

Goodboybob opened its first café, at 2058 Broadway, in 2017, and now roasts in Torrance.⁵ It serves daily 07:00–17:00 and has Wi-Fi. On Pico Boulevard, Amai Coffee at No. 1701 and Lo/Cal Coffee at No. 2214 both have Wi-Fi and open at 07:00 on weekdays; Lo/Cal also has a patio.

On Wilshire Boulevard, Cafe zella at No. 1531 opens weekdays 07:00–18:00 with Wi-Fi, Cafe Berlina is at No. 1620, and Bluestone Lane at No. 631 opens daily at 06:00. One Cedar at 2432 Lincoln Boulevard also opens at 06:00 on weekdays.

Around the pier and the Promenade

Close to the station and the pier, Espresso Cielo at 1431 Second Street serves daily 07:00–17:00, and Cafe Demitasse at 1149 Third Street has Wi-Fi. Ugo, at 1402 Third Street Promenade, has outdoor tables. On the beach path, Perry's Café & Rentals at 2600 Ocean Front Walk opens from 10:30 on weekdays and 09:30 on weekends.

Cafés in Santa Monica

At a glance

Amai Coffee

Cafe Berlina

Cafe zella

Elabrew Coffee

Espresso Cielo

goodboybob coffee

iSno

Lo/Cal Coffee

One Cedar

Paderia

Perry's Café & Rentals

10 Speed Coffee

7Even Seas Coffee Co.

Apt.1 Coffee

Back on the Beach Cafe

Bagel Nosh

Bardonna

Bulletproof Coffee

Cafe Bolivar

Cafe Demitasse

Cafe Lovi

Cafe Lucy

Cafe Ugo

Caffe Bella

Carousel Cafe

Ciboteca

Cora's Coffee Shoppe

Couplet Coffee

Crimson

DOG PPL

Dogtown Coffee

Dogtown Coffee - North

Estate Coffee

Gene's Cafe

Gnarwhal Coffee Co.

It's A Grind Coffee House

Coffee chains in Santa Monica

Starbucks

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Blue Bottle Coffee

Peet's Coffee

Groundwork Coffee Co.

Go Get Em Tiger

Bluestone Lane

Caffe Luxxe

Coffee Commissary

Intelligentsia Coffee

Tartine

Urth Caffé

Joe & The Juice

La La Land Kind Cafe

Qargo Coffee

Main Street and Dogtown Coffee

Montana Avenue

Broadway, Pico and Wilshire: Wi-Fi and early openers

Around the pier and the Promenade

Sources

More of Los Angeles

Venice

Culver City

West Hollywood

Beverly Hills

Fairfax & Melrose

Los Feliz

Hollywood

Koreatown

Downtown & Arts District

Silver Lake & Echo Park

Westwood & West LA

Santa Monica cafés: questions

Is Santa Monica part of the City of Los Angeles?

What is the story of Dogtown Coffee on Main Street in Santa Monica?

Which cafés on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica roast their own coffee?

Own a café in Santa Monica?