Water Grill - Santa Monica (CA)

5 /5 Philip Chen: Water Grill is the right place in Santa Monica. We made reservation at 5pm on 12/27 so we can have family gathering. The sunset view was remarkable. The raw Oysters were fresh and delicious. We also ordered a whole grilled fish and Wagyu filet mignon. The fish were very good. It was deboned and charcoal grilled. However. the steak was overly cooked. We told our server and he brought manager come to our table. Manager Kevin immediately apologized to us about kitchen’s mistakes. He exchanged another order with fresh side dish and even bought us additional wine to go with the food. It made us feel very warm and special. We thank Keven for his effort of turning the crisis into opportunities. At the end, everyone enjoyed their meal and it was truly a memorable dinning experience for our family at Water Grill.

5 /5 Sifuentes Junior (JR_85): Water Grill made everything so easy from the start — booking a reservation was simple, and once we arrived, the service was exceptional. Our server was incredibly friendly and welcoming. She offered great suggestions since I don’t come here often, and every recommendation was spot on. We ordered the clams, veggie roll, octopus, and clam chowder — all delicious. My boyfriend and I were celebrating our anniversary, and the staff went above and beyond to make it special. Multiple team members acknowledged our celebration, and they even surprised us with a dessert. It was such a thoughtful touch. The experience couldn’t have been more perfect. We left feeling genuinely taken care of, and we’ll definitely be back.

3 /5 David S: Summary: Pretty disappointed given the praise Water Grill has received online. Food quality and flavours are good, but on the blander side. Don’t expect strong or interesting notes. Highlights: The free bread at the start. Very crispy bite in, and fluffy warm dough. Set the expectations pretty high for the rest of the meal. Good: The sea bass was nice, soft, and buttery. And that pretty much sums it up, just imagine a buttery fish and you that’s the flavour you get. Not worth its price point. The octopus leg appetiser. Nice few bites of food, but again, no particular flavour. It’s a grilled octopus. Mexican Shrimp was nice and refreshing. Disappointing: $100+ for a steak. Wasn’t even ‘melt in your mouth’. I would avoid, stick with the seafood. Good place to go to enjoy the sun if weather is good.

4 /5 Christopher Barulich: Came here for a nice lunch while my mom was visiting town. The location and views are excellent, but the outside seating wasn’t great. I sat near the bushes on the sidewalk and it was full of flies. The table was leaning with sun in my eyes. It was not pleasant, especially for a $400 lunch for four people. For some reason, they couldn’t move us inside after we ordered the food so we settled for the back of the patio, which was better. The server was great. The food was pretty good. I didn’t take a photo of the clams, but that was outstanding with the garlic sauce. Everything else was 4/5 nothing special. The halibut was ok but the sauce to it was delicious. My sisters filet was nuked on the outside and tough, not good. I would actually go back for the clams and that sauce with the bread and I don’t even like clams that much. Also, the bread was fresh and phenomenal so I should’ve probably tried the lobster roll anyways sit inside and order the right thing it’s a beautiful restaurant, I need to give it another try.

5 /5 Alexander Freedman: We were immediately greeted by kind waitstaff outside, and quickly seated! The restaurant encompassed a chic, rustic, and modern vibe overlooking the ocean. Sit by the windows for a nice pleasant ocean breeze! Waitstaff were extremely kind and accommodating, making the experience extremely enjoyable! Every meal comes with complimentary bread, which was warm and soft to the touch. It was a bit too salty for my liking, but was otherwise delicious! I ordered the lobster roll, which had the perfect texture and taste. The food was delicious, the portions were just the right size, and I really enjoyed my meal! Ill definitely be returning in the future!