Crudo e Nudo

Verdict: A Santa Monica seafood counter that earns its OAD ranking — and stays open until 10 PM every night of the week

Without published pricing, it's hard to anchor an exact spend at Crudo e Nudo, but the format signals a mid-range casual seafood spot rather than a splurge destination. What you're paying for is a focused, technique-led approach to raw and simply prepared seafood from chef Brian Bornemann — and a kitchen that keeps running until 10 PM seven days a week, which matters more in Santa Monica than it might elsewhere. If you're after a late dinner on Main Street after a beach walk or an evening on the Westside, this is one of the few seafood-forward options that doesn't force you to eat at 6:30 PM or go without.

Why Crudo e Nudo Is Worth Booking

The OAD (Opinionated About Dining) ranking is the clearest signal here. Crudo e Nudo placed #97 in the 2023 Casual North America list , a serious showing that put it among the continent's most respected informal dining rooms. It dropped to #467 in 2024 and climbed back to #427 in 2025, which tells you two things: the competition in this tier is dense, and this venue has been consistently present in the ranking for three consecutive years. That kind of track record from OAD, one of the more rigorous dining guides operating today, is a meaningful credential for a casual seafood spot in Los Angeles. Google reviewers back it up with a 4.4 across 289 reviews , not a small sample for a focused independent restaurant.

The cuisine type is listed as seafood, and the name itself is instructive: crudo (Italian for raw) and nudo (naked, unadorned) signals a kitchen philosophy built on minimal intervention. Think clean preparations where the quality of the fish does the work. The aromatic register at this kind of counter leans on brine, citrus, and fresh herb , the scent of a well-sourced seafood kitchen rather than a fryer. If that sounds like your register, this is a strong booking. If you want something heavier or more land-based, look elsewhere on the Los Angeles restaurants guide.

Special Occasions at Crudo e Nudo

Crudo e Nudo is not a white-tablecloth occasion restaurant in the way that Le Bernardin in New York City or The French Laundry in Napa would be, but it punches above its casual format for dates and low-key celebrations. The OAD recognition gives it credibility you can share with a guest: this isn't just a neighbourhood fish place, it's a nationally ranked one. For a birthday dinner or a first date where you want to feel informed rather than show-offy, that balance works well. It's a better call than somewhere louder and more generic , like Catch LA , if the occasion calls for actual food quality over scene.

The 10 PM close is also useful for occasion dining: you're not being rushed out at 9 PM on a Saturday. Book a table at 8 PM or 8:30 PM and you have room to breathe. For reference, comparable focused seafood counters like Found Oyster and EMC Seafood & Raw Bar operate on different formats and price points , worth checking both if Crudo e Nudo's availability doesn't work for your date.

Late-Night Seafood on the Westside

The 10 PM close seven days a week is genuinely useful in the Los Angeles dining context. Many of the city's better casual restaurants dial back service by 9 PM or earlier. Crudo e Nudo's consistent hours mean it functions as a reliable late-dinner option on the Westside without the noise and scale of a venue like The Lobster. It's a more composed, food-focused room for when you want a proper meal past 9 PM rather than a bar snack. Little Fish Melrose Hill is worth knowing as a Eastside alternative if you're not on the Westside, but for Santa Monica specifically, Crudo e Nudo fills a gap in this category.

For broader Westside planning, see the Los Angeles bars guide, Los Angeles hotels guide, and Los Angeles experiences guide to build out the evening or the stay.

Crudo e Nudo vs. The Seafood Category in Los Angeles

For context on how Crudo e Nudo sits in the broader seafood and casual fine-dining tier in Los Angeles, see the comparison section below. The short version: it's the right call if technique and sourcing matter to you more than scene, and you want a kitchen that takes the product seriously without the ceremony of a tasting menu. Venues like Gambero Rosso in Marina di Gioiosa Ionica and Alici on the Amalfi Coast show what the crudo format can reach at the absolute leading end , Crudo e Nudo is operating in that same philosophical tradition at a more accessible register. Among US comparisons in the casual-serious tier, think of what Lazy Bear in San Francisco or Smyth in Chicago do for their respective formats: committed to the craft, earning national recognition without requiring a tasting-menu budget.

More in Los Angeles

See our guides to Los Angeles restaurants, hotels, bars, wineries, and experiences for the full picture. Also worth reading: Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg and Emeril's in New Orleans if you're planning further afield.