Élephante
The scoop: A lively downtown rooftop for sunset drinks, a scene, and whipped eggplant.
- Price
- $$$
- Hours
- The restaurant group's site lists Mon–Thu 10 a.m.–midnight, Fri–Sat 9 a.m.–1 a.m., and Sun 9 a.m.–midnight. The official hours page only shows a partial 9 a.m.–midnight line, so check before you go. Dinner from 3 p.m.
- Best for
- Rooftop, Sunset, Cocktails, Date night, Reservations
- Address
- 1332 2nd St, Rooftop, Santa Monica, CA 90401
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The scoop
Élephante sits on the roof at 1332 2nd Street, above the Laemmle, with an open-air dining room and an ocean view from the Sunset Room. It's a coastal Italian menu, but reviewers are clear: you're here for the setting and the crowd as much as the food. Book on OpenTable; reservations open 31 days ahead.
What to get
The dish that carries the menu is the whipped eggplant with puccia, the puffed flatbread — Time Out and The Infatuation both send you there, and it's on the current official dinner menu. After that, reviewers point to the vodka-sauce canestri and the soppressata pizza, which are still on the list. Dinner is served from 3 p.m. Menus change, so check what's on.
When to go
It's an all-day rooftop into the late evening. Book for sunset if that's the point; even on weekday nights, reviewers say you shouldn't count on a walk-in. The official hours page is incomplete, so check before you go.
Who it's for
People who want a rooftop, a drink, and a bit of a scene — a date or a group. It's not a quiet dinner.
Kids: Children under 18 are allowed with an adult, but the bar is 21+. This is a better sunset-drinks or date stop than a meal with young kids.
Insider tips
- Ask for the Sunset Room if you want the ocean view; the Cactus Garden is quieter. Specific tables aren't guaranteed.
- It's open-air — dress in layers. The Sunset Room can be breezy.
- Valet is $20 (weekdays from 5 p.m., weekends from 11 a.m.). The structure across the street is free for the first 90 minutes.
- Cancellations inside 24 hours, and no-shows, are $25 a person. Corkage is $55 a bottle, max two; no outside liquor. A 0.5% carbon fee can be removed on request.
Skip it if…
You're going mainly for the food, or you want a quiet table. Reviewers treat the scene as the reason to come.