The Courtyard Kitchen

eriko p

Nice Happy Hour menu! Tueday- Sunday 4-6pm. 5pm starts the "bites" food. We arrived at 5pm. The restaurant was not crowded and we were able to choose any table. This is a dog friendly restaurant, as long as you are seated in the front patio section. My friend ate prior so she just opted for the Apersol Spritz. She truly enjoyed it! Sara, our waitress was patient and allowed up to chat and catch up. I ordered the Peach Bellini and Grilled Fish Tacos with the pineapple salsa. I have had these before and love them!!! By 6pm, the restaurant was packed. This made me smile! The ambience is lovely with the twinkle lights and candles. There are heaters all over, so no worries about feeling chilly when sitting outside. written 02/2024) What a wonderful evening and atmosphere! We arrived for Happy Hour! We love their peach bellinis! Service was spot on and the food delicious! Andre is a great server! The nutella crepes for dessert was a perfect ending for dinner! We will definitely return again! Thank you Courtyard Kitchen Santa Monica!

Marko Knezevic

Great variety of food options. Very attentive staff. Perfect for sitting outside on a beautiful day. Love what they’ve done with the space - very well thought out and creative. We had the crositni, turkey sandwich and crepes. Delicious and tasteful.

Jessica You

Delicious! My first impression walking in was “this place is so cute!” They decorate well and covered every space in a fashionable way. There are lots of menu options and I finally chose the Spanish Chorizo and it did not disappoint!! So tasty! My husband got the shakshuka and it was also really good! That was our first time trying Shakshuka too. Service was also very friendly! Parking was surprisingly good across the street (about $3 something for 3 hours) using the meter. It’s also on a very cute street with lots of shops to walk by and to take a nice stroll.

Alicia Rodriguez

"I’m what you call a regular at this place, and let me tell you, the recent menu changes are awesome. We came for dinner and sat in the bar in the back. I ordered the Octopus special and we shared basically everything else on the menu. Steak Carpaccio, Coppa Pizza, etc. The Crispy potatoes somehow stole my heart. Definitely walked out of their too full, but we couldn’t help ourselves. Can’t wait to try the rest of the menu!"

David Powers

Okay so I’ve walked by this place every time I’ve needed to stop on Montana to get my nails done and I finally took the leap and sat at the bar for their happy hour. I LOVE a $14 fancy cocktail especially on the west side, and for such quality food. 5 stars for sure!

Colton Davis

We had an amazing experience at The Courtyard Kitchen. Our server, Sara D., went above and beyond to make our visit truly special. She was so friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive, offering great recommendations and adding such a warm touch to our evening. We ordered the grilled peach burrata, bread with olive tapenade, fish tacos, and oxtail ragu — all of which were incredibly fresh, flavorful, and delicious. The attention to detail in every dish really stood out. And the drinks were fantastic! The Roma Spritz was particularly refreshing and paired perfectly with the meal. The ambiance was cozy and inviting, creating a lovely atmosphere for a great meal. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting the area. Stellar service, wonderful food, and great vibes — we’ll definitely be back!

Really nice and cozy place, great service. Unfortunately when we arrived, only pizza and drinks were available. The pizza was delicious and the cocktails were too. I would like to return here and try different dishes.

The restaurant mood and service were great. The quality of food was good, but not excellent. Unfortunately, one of the poached eggs was close to hard boiled egg, and size of burrito felt little small for the price.

Amazing interior and atmosphere. Very colorful, interesting, eye catching and vibrant. Very clean and with taste. Food we had was very colorful and beautifully presented but flavor wise was not that impressive. Cocktail Bloody Mary was very watery. Restaurant is located in Montana neighborhood which is very cute and vibrant area to walk and explore.

I came here as part of a dinner reservation through Table left. I met 5 really nice strangers who had similar interests. We each ordered and were given separate bills. I ordered the sausage pizza. It was good. The dough was nice but just a little thin and soggy for my taste. It's authentic Italian so I'm not a pizza expert. I just know it was good but not the best I've had. That's all I tried there. The others had salad with salmon, a peach thing, hummus, and it all looked good. I may go again to try other menu items. I enjoyed the experience dining with strangers.

Kate

Really nice and cozy place, great service. Unfortunately when we arrived, only pizza and drinks were available. The pizza was delicious and the cocktails were too. I would like to return here and try different dishes.

Yoshi Perez

The restaurant mood and service were great. The quality of food was good, but not excellent. Unfortunately, one of the poached eggs was close to hard boiled egg, and size of burrito felt little small for the price.

Gayane Gevorgyan

Amazing interior and atmosphere. Very colorful, interesting, eye catching and vibrant. Very clean and with taste. Food we had was very colorful and beautifully presented but flavor wise was not that impressive. Cocktail Bloody Mary was very watery. Restaurant is located in Montana neighborhood which is very cute and vibrant area to walk and explore.

Lea Reis

I came here as part of a dinner reservation through Table left. I met 5 really nice strangers who had similar interests. We each ordered and were given separate bills. I ordered the sausage pizza. It was good. The dough was nice but just a little thin and soggy for my taste. It's authentic Italian so I'm not a pizza expert. I just know it was good but not the best I've had. That's all I tried there. The others had salad with salmon, a peach thing, hummus, and it all looked good. I may go again to try other menu items. I enjoyed the experience dining with strangers.

I really love the vibes of The Courtyard Kitchen, although my food fell a bit short in taste. I ordered the gnocchi. Honestly, Olive Garden's is much better in my opinion. But, the restaurant is visually pleasing, and the waitress was very amiable. Perhaps their other dishes are better...

Everything was very good. Went for a Happy Hour which runs from 4-6. From 4-5 they only serve pizza at happy hour price then from 5-6 they're menu opens up. Atmosphere by the bar was excellent. Will definitely be going back.

Tony Jones

Everything was very good. Went for a Happy Hour which runs from 4-6. From 4-5 they only serve pizza at happy hour price then from 5-6 they're menu opens up. Atmosphere by the bar was excellent. Will definitely be going back.

We went here on Valentine’s night. The server was very kind and even replaced our pizza when the first one came out cold, which we appreciated. Unfortunately the pizza itself was disappointing. The crust was very flat and dense both times, almost no rise, and it didn’t taste fresh. The replacement was warmer but had the exact same texture. The salad dressing was very basic and nothing memorable. Also the pizza came out extremely fast — good for timing, but it honestly felt like it might have been pre-prepared (not certain, just the impression). What really didn’t make sense was the price vs quality. We paid $173 for two pizzas, a bottle of wine, one salad and three small appetizers, which felt quite high considering the food quality.

Hmmm, unfortunately, while the staff is friendly and the ambiance is nice, the food we received during brunch fell short. We ordered 3 items: - Truffle fries: Pretty good as expected but nothing to write a lot on, as this is a relatively simple and straightforward appetizer. Not bad, but not memorable, either. - Spanish chorizo hash: the best of the 3 with a good variety of components that work together. The Spanish Pork Chorizo was rightfully front and center and paired well with the herb potatoes. - Panuozzo: the most underwhelming dish that we ate. On paper it looked enticing, as this "Pizza Sandwich" had prosciutto, parmesan, tomato confit, aragula, and pesto sauce. Unfortunately the pesto sauce overwhelmed everything, and nothing else stood out. So rather than a symphony of taste, eating this dish became a flat and monotonous experience. I felt I was just going through the motions of eating it rather than enjoying it, and when I looked down, I still have a whole other half to finish. It's just too one note and somewhat bland. I may give this another shot to explore the actual dinner or lunch menu, but I'd have to really read the reviews to see what's actually good here.

The spot is nice, you can seat outside or on their inside patio. But, I was disappointed with the food especially my 2nd time coming here. The food wasn’t bad - it was okay. But, the proportion was ridiculous. I got the morning bowl that looked interesting, and that small bowl was almost empty. One of the ingredients of the plate is goat cheese and I could barely see anything… Not that I want them to fill in the plate with green salad, but even that felt pretty small. The service was fine - nothing more. Overall, an average spot, but that dish side really killed it for me.

The food here was good, but portion sizes were almost ridiculous for the price paid. For example, the avocado toast came with only one slice, which was also lacking salt and honestly flavor, no one should have to pay $13 for that. Other dishes were fine, like the shakshuka was well seasoned and I enjoyed it. However, service was very slow, not sure if that was due to being understaffed or not. Some things just needed a little improvement, however, the food tasted healthy and fresh.

Joe Gunawan

Hmmm, unfortunately, while the staff is friendly and the ambiance is nice, the food we received during brunch fell short. We ordered 3 items: - Truffle fries: Pretty good as expected but nothing to write a lot on, as this is a relatively simple and straightforward appetizer. Not bad, but not memorable, either. - Spanish chorizo hash: the best of the 3 with a good variety of components that work together. The Spanish Pork Chorizo was rightfully front and center and paired well with the herb potatoes. - Panuozzo: the most underwhelming dish that we ate. On paper it looked enticing, as this "Pizza Sandwich" had prosciutto, parmesan, tomato confit, aragula, and pesto sauce. Unfortunately the pesto sauce overwhelmed everything, and nothing else stood out. So rather than a symphony of taste, eating this dish became a flat and monotonous experience. I felt I was just going through the motions of eating it rather than enjoying it, and when I looked down, I still have a whole other half to finish. It's just too one note and somewhat bland. I may give this another shot to explore the actual dinner or lunch menu, but I'd have to really read the reviews to see what's actually good here.

Margaux

The spot is nice, you can seat outside or on their inside patio. But, I was disappointed with the food especially my 2nd time coming here. The food wasn’t bad - it was okay. But, the proportion was ridiculous. I got the morning bowl that looked interesting, and that small bowl was almost empty. One of the ingredients of the plate is goat cheese and I could barely see anything… Not that I want them to fill in the plate with green salad, but even that felt pretty small. The service was fine - nothing more. Overall, an average spot, but that dish side really killed it for me.

Vidhi Nangia

The food here was good, but portion sizes were almost ridiculous for the price paid. For example, the avocado toast came with only one slice, which was also lacking salt and honestly flavor, no one should have to pay $13 for that. Other dishes were fine, like the shakshuka was well seasoned and I enjoyed it. However, service was very slow, not sure if that was due to being understaffed or not. Some things just needed a little improvement, however, the food tasted healthy and fresh.

The food, services & atmosphere were good. However, I paid (w/tip) $50 for bread with olives on it, pesto chicken pasta & ice tea, & still left room to eat. The quality was good but lacking in quantity, especially at those prices. Just not enough food at that price.

Tehcumseh Tahhamtan

The food, services & atmosphere were good. However, I paid (w/tip) $50 for bread with olives on it, pesto chicken pasta & ice tea, & still left room to eat. The quality was good but lacking in quantity, especially at those prices. Just not enough food at that price.

I was in the mood so Itried the pizza. All I can tell you is, they are clueless and making a pizza Anyone that knows the process recognizes to crisp the bread With a layer of tomato sauce. Once that’s done, you add the cheese, pepperoni sausage or whatever else is your choice. Apparently, that doesn’t happen here. Nicest thing I could say is it tasted disgusting, doughy rubbery and Undercooked bread. I was so hungry I ate half of it. Took the rest out in a box and dropped it in the trashcan just north of 12th.

I visited this restaurant in the morning when there were many empty tables and only a handful of customers. Despite this, the hostess approached me and claimed a table was “reserved” (with no sign indicating this) and asked whether I was going to be quick. She was extremely unprofessional given how empty the restaurant was. I’ve been here before and returned mainly for convenience, but honestly, the food is mediocre and overpriced. The kitchen is not exceptional enough to justify the prices, and when you add poor service on top of that, the experience is disappointing. Staff training clearly needs improvement. Between the average food and the dismissive treatment, I do not recommend dining here.

Maryam

I visited this restaurant in the morning when there were many empty tables and only a handful of customers. Despite this, the hostess approached me and claimed a table was “reserved” (with no sign indicating this) and asked whether I was going to be quick. She was extremely unprofessional given how empty the restaurant was. I’ve been here before and returned mainly for convenience, but honestly, the food is mediocre and overpriced. The kitchen is not exceptional enough to justify the prices, and when you add poor service on top of that, the experience is disappointing. Staff training clearly needs improvement. Between the average food and the dismissive treatment, I do not recommend dining here.

Zabi F (ZF)

We’re Santa Monica locals and have been coming to this restaurant for years. We stopped by with our two kids for a last-minute early dinner during the Montana Walk and experienced the worst service we’ve ever had here. From the start, the staff was unwelcoming and made a big fuss about our e-bike. Despite explaining we had no lock and this was an impromptu stop, they insisted we leave it on the street—claiming it was safe, even after we shared that our bikes have been stolen multiple times, even from our own garage. The passing waitress and the manager, Aaron, both had an off-putting attitude that made us feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. When the manager, Aaron, approached our table, he did so without a calm or professional demeanor. We explained that our bike had already been placed discreetly to the side by the bathroom, behind the high chairs and clearly out of the way. We noted that if we were required to move it outside, we would have to leave. His response was dismissive—he told us to either place it behind the hostess stand or leave. His tone carried an air of entitlement, more reflective of someone benefiting from others relatives' hard work than a responsible manager. This interaction wasn’t about guest safety, which we fully respect—it was about poor communication and lack of professionalism. Ultimately, we chose to leave. Why spend time or money at an establishment where the service, especially from management, is unwelcoming? Very disappointing experience at a place we’ve supported for years. We wouldn’t recommend this restaurant unless ownership addresses these serious gaps in management and customer service.