Calabra
Wilshire/Montana Neighborhood Coalition, Santa Monica
Restaurant in Santa Monica, United States
Book with PearlThe Read
Dress
Smart Casual
Why go
Calabra is a strong Santa Monica choice when the plan is rooftop drinks, a celebration-friendly hotel setting, easy scheduling. Choose it for dates, birthdays, or relaxed business drinks; choose Cassia, Colapasta, Bangkok West Thai, or Fritto Misto instead when the food brief matters more than the rooftop setting.
About Calabra
Calabra in Santa Monica has a simple verified planning profile: it is open daily from 12–10 PM and lists a smart casual dress code. Use it when the schedule and setting matter, avoid building the plan around unverified specifics such as a particular cuisine, signature dish, chef, price point, or drinks program.
Because the confirmed details are limited, the safest recommendation is practical rather than menu-driven. Calabra can fit a Santa Monica plan that needs all-week availability and a polished dress expectation, but guests should check the venue's official channels before relying on specific menu items, seating formats, booking difficulty, or service details.
Book for confirmed availability first, specifics second
Treat this as a flexible Santa Monica booking rather than a destination defined by one verified dish or format. The available venue details do not support a specific chef, cuisine, dish, cocktail, price, or service-style recommendation, so the safer call is to use Calabra when the priority is timing and general atmosphere rather than a highly specific order. If the group wants to compare other dining options, consider Cassia or Colapasta as part of the same planning conversation.
The key confirmed scheduling detail is that Calabra is open 12–10 PM every day. That makes it useful for plans that need a consistent daily window, though guests should still verify current availability and reservation details directly with the venue. For broader Santa Monica planning, use Our full Santa Monica restaurants guide, Our full Santa Monica hotels guide, Our full Santa Monica bars guide, Our full Santa Monica wineries guide, Our full Santa Monica experiences guide.
Use it when the group values ease over a narrow food brief
The tradeoff is that the verified profile is thin. The confirmed facts here are daily hours and smart casual dress, but they do not confirm a cuisine, a signature order, a price range, or a special dining format. Calabra makes the most sense when the shared requirement is a Santa Monica option with a clear daily schedule and a polished but not formal dress expectation.
If Calabra is not the right match, compare it with other named options such as Bangkok West Thai, Cassia, Colapasta, or Fritto Misto, or look more generally at other Santa Monica dining rooms. Keep the decision grounded in what is confirmed for each venue rather than assuming a specific menu, price, service style, or occasion fit without checking current details.
Located inside
HotelSanta Monica Proper HotelFull hotel guidePlanning details
- Location
- Proper Hotel (Rooftop, 700 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401
- Reservations
- Book on OpenTable
- Website
- properhotel.com/santa-monica/restaurants-bars/calabra
- Phone
- +1 424 390 0737
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Calabra occupies a restrained, hotel-rooftop register: thoughtful rather than flashy. The Proper Hotel’s material-forward design blurs the line between interior and open sky, and the ocean-facing orientation bathes the terrace in soft late-afternoon light. Service operates at a measured scale, so the room feels intimate and relaxed instead of buzzy or high-volume. Arriving as daylight softens rewards the fullest expression of the place—the light, the view and a composed table service that privileges a complete meal over rapid turnarounds.
Best For
This is a destination for sunset-driven evenings and kitchen-forward meals. The rooftop setting and emphasis on a deliberate dining public make Calabra well suited to dinner and late-day gatherings, while the presence of a Proper Breakfast Sandwich in the menu mix points to reliable morning and brunch options. Guests seeking a refined yet unpretentious meal with ocean views—couples, small groups and visitors staying at the hotel—will find the balance between scenery and serious cooking particularly appealing.
Ordering Tips
The menu rewards sharing and a full-course approach: mezze bowls such as burrata with hummus are natural starters to pass around before moving into more substantial plates. Because the kitchen is a central part of the experience here, plan on ordering from the kitchen rather than treating the visit as a drinks-first rooftop stop. Time your reservation to land before sunset to catch the softer coastal light and the changing Santa Monica vista; for mornings or late mornings, the Proper Breakfast Sandwich signals solid breakfast and brunch offerings.
Planning details
Location
Proper Hotel (Rooftop, 700 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401 · Directions
Also consider
Where to go if Calabra is not the fit
For a food-first dinner, cross-shop Cassia for Vietnamese or Colapasta for Italian at $$. For a more casual cuisine-specific backup, look at Bangkok West Thai or Fritto Misto.
Restaurant context
How Calabra Compares in Santa Monica
Calabra is the better pick when the occasion needs a rooftop setting and easier planning more than a cuisine-specific meal. Cassia is the stronger choice for a Vietnamese dining brief, while Colapasta is clearer for Italian at a $$ price signal.
For value and directness, Bangkok West Thai and Fritto Misto make more sense when the group has already agreed on Thai or Italian. Calabra earns the booking when ambience, hotel polish, drinks are doing more of the work than the menu.
Booking difficulty is the practical separator. Calabra is marked easy, so it is useful for lower-friction celebrations and last-minute-ish plans compared with restaurants that require more commitment around cuisine, seating style, or price expectations.
Explore Santa Monica
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full Calabra guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare Calabra
| Venue | Location | Cuisine | Price | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calabra | Santa Monica | ; | ; | No published awards |
| Cassia | Los Angeles | Vietnamese | ; | 2026 Black Pearl 1 Diamond2025 Black Diamond 1 Diamond |
| Cassia | Santa Monica | ; | ; | 2026 Black Pearl 1 Diamond2025 Black Diamond 1 Diamond |
| Colapasta | Los Angeles | Italian | $$ | 2026 Bib Gourmand2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand2024 Michelin Bib Gourmand |
| Bangkok West Thai | Santa Monica | ; | ; | No published awards |
| Fritto Misto | Santa Monica | ; | ; | No published awards |
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How Calabra Santa Monica compares with similar nearby venues.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I wear to Calabra?
Calabra lists a smart casual dress code. Neat, polished casual clothing is the safest choice for a visit in Santa Monica.
Is Calabra good for solo dining?
Calabra may work for a solo visit if the 12–10 PM daily schedule fits your plans. The verified details do not confirm seating style, bar seating, or any solo-specific setup, so check directly if that matters.
Is Calabra good for a special occasion?
It can be considered for a Santa Monica occasion if the daily 12–10 PM hours and smart casual dress code fit the plan. Specific occasion details such as private dining, group capacity, menus, or booking difficulty are not verified here.
Is lunch or dinner better at Calabra?
Calabra is open 12–10 PM every day, so both midday and evening timing may be possible. The verified details do not confirm separate lunch or dinner menus, so choose based on schedule and check the current service details with the venue.
What are alternatives to Calabra?
Other options to compare include Cassia, Colapasta, Bangkok West Thai, Fritto Misto. Choose Calabra when its confirmed daily hours and smart casual dress code fit your plan, compare current menus and availability directly before booking.
