LA Puglia

4.4

271 Reviews

$31 to $50

Italian

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2 people

15 Mar 2025

19:00

Booked 8 times today

Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

Neighbourhood gem
Great for fine wines
Good for special occasions

LA Puglia celebrates the beauty of the Puglia region - in the Southern Italy - through its culinary tradition with a contemporary sensibility and aims to transport its guests right there through an authentic food & wine experience.
Calling it “an ode to the authenticity of our regional cuisines”, the prestigious Gambero Rosso International awarded LA Puglia in Santa Monica as Restaurant of the Year from among its 2023 list of Top Italian Restaurants in the world. The official press release describes feeling transported to a small town between Bari and Lecce where flavors without filters and authentic, precise cooking deliver a genuine Apulian experience.
Our menu features specialties such as fresh orecchiette with brasciole, black linguine with seafood, puree of fava beans with sautéed dandelion greens, the unique Apulian focaccia, and Pasticciotto, the decadent cream-filled pastry eaten for breakfast in the province of Lecce.

Dining areas

Additional information

Location
1621 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403
Phone number
(424) 229-5902
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Italian
Hours of Operation
Mon 17:00–21:00 Breakfast Tue–Sun 10:00–11:30 Brunch Tue–Fri 10:00–12:00 Sat, Sun 10:00–14:00 Lunch Tue–Sun 12:00–15:30 Dinner Tue–Thu, Sun 15:30–21:00 Fri, Sat 15:30–21:45
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Valet
Payment Options
AMEX, Cash not accepted, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Valentina Bianco

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Experiences

Jazz Tuesday
Multiple dates available
Don't miss the very best of Los Angeles Music served up with Authentic Southern Italian Food on Tuesdays from 7 to 9pm. No cover charge. Min $50 F&B.
Bread and Focaccia - Making Cooking Class
US$95.00 per person
13 Apr 2025 only
Join us for a hands-on bread and focaccia-making class with Chef Valentina Bianco on April 13th at 3 PM! Discover the art of sourdough bread as we guide you through the process—starting with just water, flour, and salt—through natural fermentation and baking. What to bring: Your own apron and a passion for baking! Spots are limited, so be sure to reserve yours now by following the link. We can’t wait to bake together! Hope to see you there! 😊 Cooking Class is $95 per person

Private dining

Offers

Happy Hour!
Multiple dates available
Sun - 14:00 - 15:45, 15:45 - 16:45,Tue - Sat - 14:00 - 15:45, 15:45 - 16:45
It's Happy Hour at LA Puglia from 2 PM to 5 PM! Join us and immerse yourself in the flavors of Southern Italian cuisine. Indulge in our pizzas, pastas, and appetizers, along with expertly crafted cocktails and fine wines that will transport you straight to the heart of Puglia. We can't wait to welcome you!
Lunch Tasting Menu
Multiple dates available
Sun - 11:45 - 15:45,Tue - Sat - 11:45 - 15:45
Enjoy a curated selection of our most popular lunch items for just $28! Available Tuesday through Sunday, 11:30am to 3:30pm. Create your personalized tasting menu by choosing one item from each section and immerse yourself in the unique flavors of Apulia.

What 271 people are saying

LA Puglia reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4

4.4 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.4Service
4.5Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Westside
Great for fine wines

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

LA Puglia offers a "fantastic" dining experience with "authentic Italian cuisine" and a lively atmosphere. Highlights include "delicious food," "great music," and "friendly staff." The restaurant is praised for its "chic environment" and "amazing service." Frequent jazz nights enhance the experience, though noise levels can be high. Reservations are recommended.

271 Reviews

M
Miranda
Unspecified1 review
1.0
Dined on 25 February 2025
1. Overall 1
2. Food 2
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
The service was so bad, they don’t have valet parking and the food not impress
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B
Ben
Los Angeles1 review
5.0
Dined on 17 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic! Food was delicious. Perfect balance of elegant but warm and hip and comfortable. Celebrated a birthday and they made it special. Will be one of my faves.
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A
Anastasios VIP
San Diego2 reviews
1.0
Dined on 15 February 2025
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
Terrible service. Overpriced. Tip already included w no way to push back on excessive wait
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K
Krystan
Los Angeles2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 15 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Beautiful atmosphere! Loved the jazz and the food was delicious
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J
Jason VIP
Los Angeles1 review
4.0
Dined on 15 February 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Food was great, especially the pasta and fish soup. But they needed more service help. They seemed overwhelmed and that made the food very slow to come out.
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OT
OpenTable Diner VIP
Los Angeles7 reviews
5.0
Dined on 8 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We are getting to be regulars at this wonderful restaurant. The servers are, to a person, knowledgeable, personable and helpful. Atmosphere slightly buzzy but not too much. And THE FOOD!!!!!! You can go, but please don’t tell anyone else😉
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M
Mary
Los Angeles10 reviews
5.0
Dined on 4 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food , service and ambiance always outstanding. La Puglia is a treasure.
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M
Michael
Chicago19 reviews
5.0
Dined on 31 January 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Wonderful meal. Excellent food, top shelf service.
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H
Hillary
Los Angeles4 reviews
4.0
Dined on 29 January 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 2
The lighting was too bright and uncozy for my taste and the live music was very loud - but the food was tasty and the servers were the loveliest! We loved our bottle of Italian wine as well.
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d
dimitri
New York City2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 5 January 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I enjoyed our evening. The food and service made me feel at home.
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FAQs

LA Puglia does offer delivery in partnership with Uber Eats.

LA Puglia is rated 4.4 stars by 271 OpenTable diners.

LA Puglia does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.