Shutters on the Beach is a hotel at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and the pier, and its restaurant and terrace sit directly above the sand. The food is California coastal — seafood, salads, simply prepared fish — and the view of the beach and ocean is unobstructed. It is not the most inventive kitchen in Santa Monica, but it is the most directly placed on the water of any restaurant in the area.
The breakfast and brunch here are particularly good when the weather is right — eating with the ocean in front of you and the pier visible to one side is the kind of thing people remember from a trip. Reservations are advisable; walk-ins can usually find space at the bar.