Fia is on Wilshire in Santa Monica, behind a gate you could easily walk past without knowing the restaurant is there — the garden interior feels deliberately removed from the street. I’ve been four times now: twice for dinner with my husband Brad, twice for a weekend lunch with our daughters, Madeline and Charlotte. Never had a bad meal.
What to Order at Fia
The Tuna Crudo is thinly sliced, topped with crisp radish and microgreens, and the acidity is well-judged — bright without overpowering the fish. Chef Brendan Collins clearly has a point of view at Fia.
Don’t skip the garlic bread — a warm, crusty toasted baguette that’s a good vessel for the sauces to come.
If you order one thing, at Fia, make it the Handmade Gnocchi with Black Truffles. These are light, pillowy potato gnocchi in a rich, creamy sauce, finished with a generous shaving of fresh black truffle — the aroma reaches the table before the plate does.
For a main, I had the Grilled Swordfish over Orzo — good char on the fish, bright citrus notes, orzo cooked precisely al dente and soaking up the pan juices.
Madeline and Charlotte get the same level of service as the adults. They ordered a simple pasta, and the kitchen served the tomato sauce on the side in a small copper pot without us asking — a genuinely useful move for picky eaters who want control over their own plate.
Don’t leave Fia without the Chocolate Sphere. It’s a dark chocolate sphere sitting in bright orange sauce, surrounded by chocolate crumble that mimics soil — when the warm sauce is poured over it tableside, the sphere melts away to reveal what’s hidden inside. It’s the kind of dessert that gets neighboring tables looking over.
Making It Cheaper
Fia is a partner restaurant on the inKind app, which sells dining credit at a discount — think $200 for $250 in credit. For a meal that easily includes truffles and a good bottle of wine, that adds up. I opened the app when the check came, paid through it, and saved roughly 20% on the bill. Worth checking your balance before you go — it makes ordering that second round of gnocchi feel a lot less indulgent.
Read More from Culinary Passages
If you enjoyed this, check out a few other posts along the same lines:
- Is the Fia Santa Monica Garden Brunch Worth $39?
- The Great Santa Monica Decline
- inKind App LA: Eat at the Best Restaurants for 30% Less
- A Great Michael Mina Heartbreak: The downfall of ORLA
- The Gehry-est Place on Earth: A Survival Guide to Edgemar
- Chelsea in Santa Monica: Our Go-To Family Dinner Spot
- Devour the Fig Restaurant Anomaly: The Definitive Return of Luxury
