Restaurant Recommendation: Fia Opens its Doors in Santa Monica

Cheers to a new contender for the prettiest restaurant patio in Santa Monica: Fia. The 300-seat indoor-outdoor space features a multilevel patio, lush with ferns, native palms and flowers, vintage tables and chairs, and restored French doors. An outdoor bocce ball court tells you this a social destination not just a place to grab and go. The menu is inspired by Italy’s Amalfi Coast with “refined rustic dishes” from Chef Brendan Collins (formerly of acclaimed LA restaurants that include Birch, Waterloo & City and Melisse). There’s a fresh daily selection of raw bar and crudo items, hand-cut pastas like capellini with lobster Bolognese, seasonal local vegetables and grilled seafood and meat, including a seven-day beef shank served with pomegranate molasses. There are several options for private dining, both indoor and out, for up to 25 guests.