The Galley

We have been dining at The Galley for more than 2 decades. We absolutely love this place. The food is yummy, the staff is wonderful… usually. The ambiance is inviting and it’s a perfect place for locals and out of towners.
Do NOT miss the Clams!!!
We were in there last night and for the very first time in more than 2 decades, we felt as if our waitress couldn’t care less about us. We’ve never had her wait on us before… perhaps she was having a bad day… if so, then she should have stayed home!
We won’t let her one horrible attitude stop us from eating at The Galley, but we will certainly be sure to avoid her. I wish I could remember her name. If I find the receipt with her name on it, I will update this review. And yes, we did give her the usual 20 + percent tip.
Everyone else, including the busboys are wonderful!

I had a great dinner here last weekend:)
The bread was really good! i dont usually eat bread as i try to eat my calories elsewhere lol but i had 3 pieces and it was delicious!
I enjoyed the seafood diablo i believe it was called. This was great! i read reviews and got it extra spicy and it was superb:) the amount of seafood in it was amazing!
My husband got the steak and we shared meals too! The steak was perfectly cooked (rare!!) Have i had better, yeah of course. However, it is 33 $ filet with mashed potatoes as well as a veggie! if anyone ever visits steakhouses, you will know that is a STEAL!!! it is a great price as most steakhouses are 40 $ just for the piece of meat! sides are an extra 10 $+ each. So for that, i think it was a great price! I have had better steaks, but again, I dont want to compare that with a 55 $ steak!
My dirty martini was AMAZING! it was really good:)
In all, i would be back! I defintely want to come back for the happy hour as well, as i hear that is pretty amazing with great prices.
WIth all the local restaurants in venice/​sm closing it is nice to have a staple around and hopefully it can stay!

My experience there was very good. The salad dressing was excellent, the calamari steak was great. The atmosphere was fantastic, the service was good. I will go back.

The most annoying and insulting incident I have ever experienced in a restaurant.
Worse service ever. If a dish didn’t come out as expected and you ask to send it back it doesn’t matter if the item is $ 1 or $ 20. Not taking it back because allegedly it is an expensive item ($ 24) is absurd. Also, when you want to send something back it does not mean that you do not intend the bill so making that comment was redundant, insulting and unprofessional.
Never coming back. Surprised how you are still in business.
By the way the rest of the dishes were average minus but those two comments set the tone for the entire dinner.

Incredible, old school haunt serving the greatest clam chowder around! It seems as if this is one of the oldest restaurants in Santa Monica. The food and service are solid and consistent. There are smaller rooms, great to reserve for intimate celebrations. They have a wonderful outdoor patio, which also serves as a nice beer garden on a warm day.

Lovely patio in back! Don’t let the exterior fool you. Friendly service all around. Great happy hour prices, average food but it’s inexpensive so if you keep expectations moderated you can’t go wrong.

Although the ambience has tons of character and the entire wait staff is extremely friendly, I don’t really see the appeal of The Galley.
I was super disappointed with my first and only experience at this place. I should have known there was a reason I had never been there after living nearby for 22 years…
I was dying for a nice craft beer in the Friday night that I stumbled upon The Galley. To my disappointment, I was forced to choose between a Guinness (in a can!) and a Bud Light. Hopefully the meal would make up for it, I thought…
After scanning their surf and turf menu (all items $ 25 and above) I decided to go for the spinach and mushroom ravioli in spicy tomato cream sauce.
The limp and flavorless ravioli was yet another disappointment. Even the sauce lacked the so-​call «spice» it mentioned in the description.
My boyfriend ordered a pricy filet mignon-​which he had to douse with A1-​and a side of spinach and broccoli that had no trace of seasoning and tasted previously frozen.
Not sure why their reviews are as good as they are…

We have been coming here for over 10 years
Is the best Lobster and steak
The staff are friendly and the restaurant is very festive inside

One of my favorite bars in Santa Monica! Fun festive décor, incredibly friendly staff, great happy hour! Always a treat to meet friends here after a long day or a relaxing Sunday dinner with my wife. I hope it never changes!

I have been going to The Galley for 27 years, and it is consistently good!!!
The only thing better than the great food is the unbelievably great service.
The only thing that has changed about it in the 27 years is the size of it.
Such a fine example of good management — BRAVO

Came here last night and it was good!
We sat outdoors and it’s cutely decorated with all the little lights. I ordered the Seafood Diablo extra spicy and was happy that it was actually spicy, but the sauce was a little too watery for my liking. Flavors were still good, though, and I was happy that the fish wasn’t overcooked as is the case with some soupy fish dishes.
The garlic cheese bread– SO MUCH YES. I could eat those for days. Must order this.
Our waitress was super sweet and professional.
Would definitely come back to order some meats!

Meh. I’ve experinced better and/​or A-​OK.
The Galley has a kitschy boat theme going on. It smelled like critters inside, but I’m not knocking down stars for the critter stink, au contra-​air, I love the musky critter aroma, and for that, the Galley gets a golden star.
The party I was with ordered coctails and they seemed to like them. Good for them, the trouble is I firmly believe the party I was with has terrible taste in drinks.
Anyway, I guess the secret is out: I didn’t have any faith in the drink making abilities of the mermaids behind the bar, so I stuck to bottle beers because they has no draft beers. I’m too old for shitty drinks.
We had to keep reminding the server to bring stuff we ordered, and it bothered the people I was with, but it didn’t bother me because none of my stuff was not delayed.
They peeps I was with ordered a bunch of clams, clam broth, bread, and butter. I didn’t try the clams but you bet your sweet cheeks I reached over for the unstoppable neverending bread basket. I really liked the bread, so one golden star for bread. That means the Galley has two stars with me, but who’s couting? That’s right, I am!
Next, they had a restroom the size of a coat closet. It was moderately clean and supplied but the toilet had that low-​pressure bs going on — how does anyone flush a square of toilet paper, let alone a pecan log? Minus one star for low-​pressure toilet but they get a star for having a moderately clean restroom, so three golden stars earned.
I don’t hate this place but I certainly wouldn’t go out of my way to return.

The atmosphere at the Galley is one of the main reasons I like to drink here. Puffer fish lanterns and nautical décor set the mood, along with good 60’s & 70’s rock tunes playing on the jukebox. The severs are good at what they do and are genuinely friendly. Not to mention, the bartenders are awesome! They know how to make a stiff drink… youch! Also, there’s a pretty cool patio area out in back where you can get some fresh ocean air while you sip your drink.
The food, oh the food! Sunday is the best day ever! The Galley has happy hour all daylong on Sundays. I usually get the beef sliders, and they are so juicy and flavorful, you can’t go wrong. So stop on by and make it your neighborhood bar too. You’ll love it, I promise.

This was great! A total throwback to a bygone era… looks like a place that my parents would have taken me to in the 70’s! The Galley has been in operation since 1934, which is quite old by LA standards.
We came for Happy Hour (5 — 8 every day, and I think all night on Sundays) and it is the best deal in town! Well drinks are $ 5 and there are a ton of food options that cost between $ 5 and $ 8. At those prices, we were expecting very small portions, but we each found that we received a full meal. My husband and I had 4 drinks, fish & chips, pasta marinara and garlic bread, and the whole thing was $ 40, including tip!
Service was very friendly. There are a few vegetarian and even vegan options on the Happy Hour menu. The fancy cocktails (some tropical drinks and some spins off of classic cocktails) are a very reasonable $ 10. And all of this in a super fun and retro atmosphere! We will definitely be back!!!

The ultimate dive bar. Actually, I don’t even want to call it a dive. It’s a really nice dive. There’s sawdust on the floor, regular customers everywhere, sailor’s memorabilia stuck to the wall, old bottles stacked up behind the bar, and «okay» food. But the atmosphere is just so fun. With millions of colorful xmas lights strung up from every corner and rafter of the bar, the place sparkles with personality. I was surprised the first time I stepped foot in The Galley — it’s a wonderful little Santa Monica gem.

This was a Valentine’S Day, we made a reservation 1 week in advance, but we still had to wait for 35 minutes in the bar before we got a table. The bar girl did not return a change from the last order. We will leave tip any way, even more, but why do you decide for a customer? The food… hmmm… I read some reviews on Unilocal regarding Galley’s crab cakes and that people may kill for them. I’m very surprised, I do not know what people ate before. This is a strange mix of vegetables (carrots, etc.) with some seafood meat (?). I’m not sure what is this, but there is definitely no smell or taste of crab meat. My husband ordered chicken (big pieces) with pasta and tomato souse, very strange combination, but eatable. We were hungry anyway. Cocktails are ok.

This is the dive bar in Santa Monica you were looking for. I came by here after a few margaritas at another spot to meet up with some folks. Upon walking in and sitting at the bar I instantly had a few random single serving friends, some of which told me more than once how this bar was the oldest in the area. The bartenders were friendly and keep the drinks flowing.
The atmosphere is almost anti-​LA, and I’d bring up this place in any conversation about Los Angeles where people try to say the usual stereotypes and generalizations.
Next time I’m in Santa Monica looking for a spot to kick a few back and catch up with friends this spot is definitely a contender.

If you want go to a restaurant with a fun décor, lively atmosphere and AMAZING FOOD, this is your place. The owner, Ron, and the rest of the staff are great. Make a reservation, it gets busy, but you can also eat at the bar. Splurge and get the 1 lb Lobster tail, its the best.
Thanx Ron

I actually really like The Galley. It’s like a tacky Hooters when you walk in, but we had our meal outside on the patio and it was very nice. Our waitress was so nice and helpful, and all the food was fantastic.
Dinner:
Calamari– can’t go wrong.
Clams– 4 lbs on the menu, but we shared a smaller order of 2 lbs. I definitely think we could have handled 4 lbs
Rib eye– delish with a side of garlic mashed potatoes
Seafood diablo– I didn’t actually get this. Just writing it down so I remember to get it next time because it sounded good lol
I definitely plan on coming back. It was a great dinner!

Boyfriend took me here for a romantic date and it was spot on. Super cute decoration, I love all the Christmas lights.
Very easy parking situation (which is a huge blessing in Santa Monica) as the public parking is right behind the restaurant.
Service was OK, — docking a star because they give you very small water glasses — when I asked for a pitcher of water (I drink a LOT of water), they said they would bring larger glasses, which never appeared. I also had trouble getting my drink refilled.
Got the rib eye — get the Gorgonzola topping, not peppercorn. I tried both and the Gorgonzola was way better. Great veggie side options.