Wellness Guide To Santa Monica + Venice, California

I first made this guide in 2020 when I visited for a week in Santa Monica + fell in love… fast forward 3 years, + now we’ve been living in Santa Monica for over a year!

This is what I wrote in 2020 + it makes me smile: “The energy is wild + magnetic. I actually hard a time sleeping the first few nights (in Santa Monica) because I could feel the collective energy… sounds totally woo woo, but with the sheer amount of people in LA, I believe it. Once I felt more rooted + got to know the area, I slept better. Santa Monica is so playful! + the wellness/outdoor vibes are insane. While I was on this trip, I added “spend a year traveling the coast of CA” to my bucket list… but honestly, I would be happy with a year exploring every inch of LA. There’s so much to offer!”

I love living in Santa Monica for (quite 😉) a few reasons. Here’s my top 6:

• The ocean: Surfing, swimming, + just lounging in the sand is a way of life here. I’ve always loved the water + now we get to raise Noah .75 miles from the ocean! I will never take it for granted.
• The hiking: There’s SO much hiking close by. We go on a hike at least 1x/week + I love it!
• The flowers + trees: There’s so many unique flowers + trees here. Just stroll through any neighborhood in Santa Monica + Venice + you’ll see the most vibrant flowers + incredible plants/trees.
• The best nourishing eats: Not only does Santa Monica have *the* best farmers market ever, but there are so many incredible cafes that serve organic, local food. Whatever you’re dietary needs are, you’ll find it here.
• The wellness scene: LA is a wellness infuencer’s dream. I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of all the yoga + wellness + health offerings.
• The sunshine! Need I say more? ☺️

Coffee + Cafes:

• Primo Passo Coffee Co — this is my go-to coffee shop. Iced cortado in the summer, + extra hot cappuccino in the winter 😍
• Go Get ’Em Tiger — multiple locations. I really like the iced almond macadamia nut latte!
• La La Land — the most instagrammable matcha (also, so many different types of matcha drinks!)
• Great White — get the Shaken Iced Latte. Has my favorite burrito!
• Breadblok — a gluten free bakery that’s so expensive, but so good. I love their almond croissant + bread.
• Tartine — incredible pastries + sandwiches… great outdoor area, too!
• Gjusta — *MUST. Favorite cafe in LA with the coolest outdoor vibe.
• Blueys — multiple locations with locally sourced food + great coffee
• Alfalfa — burritos + salads. Their burritos are massive, but I really like them!
• Bodega — coffee in the morning + wine bar at night.
• Blue Bottle — I know it’s a chain, but I still love it. I think it’s one of the best!

Restaurants:

• Gjelena — *MUST. Favorite restaurant! Sister restaurants to the cafe Gjusta, which is also a MUST. All the veggies dishes + wood fired pizza is SO good. It’s a big restaurant, so if you make resos you should be fine — but, if you can’t get in, check out Gjelana Takeaway. It’s right next door + equally as good!
• NIGHT+MARKET — Love this trendy Thai restaurant. Everything is SO good (+ spicy!).
• Cafe Gratitude — this is a LA classic + there are a few locations! The smoothies, bowls, + veggie burgers!
• Little Prince — go here for happy hour [M-F] — their food selection for happy hour is great. Make sure to get the brussels sprouts.
• The Butcher’s Daughter — if you are vegan/vegetarian, you will love this entirely plant-based restaurant. The artichokes were my favorite thing on the menu. They also have a good coffee + juice counter where you can find grab + go items!
• Santa Monica Proper — super cute, trendy rooftop. It’s awesome for brunch or dinner + drinks… I love their menu! I would love to do a staycation at this hotel, too! They apparently have an amazing spa 🥰
• Cobi’s — cozy Southeast Asian restaurant. Make sure to get something from the raw bar + the Beef Rendang. It brought me back to Bali!
• The Rose — I think this spot is a little bit overrated (especially because it’s $$$), but adding it to the list because I know a lot of people love it. It is a very cute vibe inside!
• Cassia — French-Asian restaurant attached to wine bar.
• Dudley Market — go here before it opens for dinner to make sure you grab a spot! This place gets packed as it’s right by the beach. The menu changes daily!
• Rustic Canyon — it’s not in the cutest location, but it’s a great California style food restaurant.

Favorite restaurant in all of LA? Bavel. It’s in downtown LA, but it’s worth the drive if you can swing it!

Wellness:

#1] Studios To Try (so many!):

• Sweat Yoga — Vinyasa yoga in a super heated + very dimly lit class.
• Love Yoga — Katonah yoga. I love this studio!
• Shefayoga — Features many different styles of yoga in heated + non-heated classes
• Coreology — Reformer pilates
• CAMP — Yoga + HIIT classes
• Barry’s Bootcamp
• Soul Cycle
• Corepower

#2] Original Muscle Beach: Spend at least 30 minutes mesmerized by all the acrobats + gymnasts on the swings/bars.

#3] Run along the beach or bluffs: My go-to run is on the Santa Monica bluffs. I do it a couple times a week + it never gets old! There’s also a super long path on the beach that you’ll see people running, biking, rollerblading, + walking. The entire path is 22 miles!!

#4] Run the famous Santa Monica Stairs: The Santa Monica Stairs are an establishment… + you’ll always find people getting their sweat on here. It’s fun to do if you are in the neighborhood!

#5] Explore the Farmers Markets: Wednesday, Saturday + Sunday! All the fruit + veggies that you’ve ever desired.

#6] Spa day at Den Mother — *MUST! Treat yourself to a garden massage, try the hot/cold therapy, or get acupuncture! Book your appointment here!

If you’re looking for an “in home” appointment with an acupuncturist, chiropractor, or bodyworker — DM me at @elisabethsinnott + I’ll send you my recs!

#7] Get your hike on! The Santa Monica Mountains are incredible + there are so many amazing hikes! Our favorite hike is Temescal. I’ll need to do a separate blog for my top 10 fav hikes near LA. Stay tuned.

#8] Go surfing. There’s quite a few surf schools if you want lessons! Or rent a board + go to: Venice Breakwater, Sunset, or Topanga!

#9] Erewhon — *MUST! Saving the best for last! Erewhon is an organic grocery story + their hot bar is best in business. Go to the original location in Venice after you’ve shopped Abbott Kinney! Abbott Kinney is one of the trendiest streets ever. 🥰

I’ll be sure to update this list as I continue to explore Santa Monica + Venice! If you visit, come say hi!

Love,
Elisabeth