My friend & I stumbled upon Chez Jay this past Easter, expecting to just laugh over a beer in a dive-y looking spot across the street from the pier area…and ended up enjoying ourselves and the place so much that we stayed for a full dinner. Delicious seafood, unfortunately overdone steak, and wonderful service from the bar were the impressions... More

The food is excellent, good service, great atmosphere. A Santa Monica tradition you must check out. Salted in the shell peanuts with a cold beer to start, great bread a fresh tray of veggies, a steak and seafood special each day with a great price. Check out the calamari appetizer. Very close to the pier on Ocean Avenue. More

There's rarely a better old school experience to be had in Santa Monica. Nestled between modern hotels and shopping plazas is this local institution. It's always crowded especially at the bar. Peanut shells crunch under foot and drinks pour all night. The food is just ok but that's not why you visit. It's a taste of old time Hollywood. If... More

The steaks are thin, tough and tasteless. My credit card was charged for more than the bill presented. The bread was tough and impossible to bite into. As far as the atmosphere all i can say is: It's a great dive bar with below average food. If you drink enough you probably wont care. P.S. They have valet parking! More

Chez Jay is quite an interesting concept ... a dive bar atmosphere with fine dining prices. Santa Monica is loaded with newer, upscale European style restaurants. It also has trendy places (the Ivy's second location) and dive bars (King's Head Pub). Chez Jay is one of the dive places that haven't changed with the times, which is the beauty of... More

This place is oddly painted on the outside. I almost didn't want to walk in. But so glad we did! The food and service were outstanding. The owner even came and sat down to talk to us. More

Food is great. Service a bit rough, but that's the style. More

We stopped by after visiting the Santa Monica beach, and were happy we did. It was full of people, but we managed to find a table without any pre-bookings. The service was excellent and prompt, no issues there at all. The food was delicious, especially the chicken my wife had. If we ever returned to this area, we would certainly... More

I'm from Nebraska--we know our steak. And this was GOOD steak. My daughter had the halibut, which was also perfectly done. Chez Jay doesn't pretend to be anything other than a hole in the wall--it's just right the way it is. Love that the jukebox went from Neil Diamond to Springsteen to Elton John without missing a beat. More