 | |
| Restaurant information | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1923 |
| Head chef | Govind Armstrong |
| Street address | 1602 Ocean Ave. |
| City | Santa Monica |
| State | California |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 90401 |
| Website | thelobster |
The Lobster is a seafood restaurant located near the entrance to the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California. It has been at that location for more than one hundred years.
The Lobster first opened in 1923 as a 900-square-foot (84 m2) seafood shack and fish market, specializing in locally caught fresh fish. [1] [2] [3] In the 1950s, Mateo Castillo—a former dishwasher at the establishment—took ownership and transformed the business into a diner, expanding the menu to around sixty options and adding counter seating for about thirty. [1] [2]
The restaurant faced challenges in the early 1980s, leading to its closure in 1985. It sat vacant for more than a decade until a group of local investors revived and expanded it in 1995. [2] The Lobster reopened in 1999 in a two-story cantilevered structure with glass walls, offering 180+ degree views of the Pacific Ocean, Santa Monica Bay, the Malibu coastline, and Palisades Park. [4] [5]
The restaurant has hosted several celebrity chefs and won a Michelin Plate award under current chef Govind Armstrong. [6] [7] As per the name, the restaurant specializes in seafood and lobster dishes mixed with a variety of California cuisine. [8] [9] [10]
The restaurant's location at the opening of the Santa Monica Pier is one of its most notable features. The location has sweeping views of the pier, including the Ferris wheel at Pacific Park, and Santa Monica Beach. [11] [12] The location has been featured in several television and film productions, including Ocean's Eleven , where George Clooney and Brad Pitt meet for a drink while overlooking Palisades Park, [13] and Californication. [14] [15]
The location is also the symbolic western end of US Route 66, with the end of the route sign visible to diners from the restaurant. [2]