Matilda's Bakery and Cafe opens at 7 a.m. on Airport Avenue, and it is done for the day by 3 p.m. The European-rooted bakery at 3200 Airport Ave. began soft openings in early October. Its counter sells breads, pastries, sandwiches, coffee and an unusually long list of butters, Wednesday through Sunday. The Santa Monica Mirror reported that the first opening weekend drew crowds, and the bakery followed it with a second soft opening from Oct. 2 to Oct. 4, serving 7 a.m. to noon.
The rest of this year's openings follow much the same schedule. Line up Santa Monica's 2026 newcomers by closing time and most of them are dark before the dinner hour. One of the city's best-known dinner rooms is closing this month, too.
Closing Times for the 2026 Newcomers
Here are the daytime spots that opened between late spring and early October, sorted from earliest to latest weekday close.
| Place | Address | Opened | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louma Bakery | 3223 Wilshire Blvd. | Sept. 1 | Tue–Sun, 7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. |
| Matilda's Bakery and Cafe | 3200 Airport Ave. | Early October soft openings | Wed–Sun, 7 a.m.–3 p.m. |
| Dragon Alley Coffee Shop | 312 Santa Monica Blvd. | Ribbon-cutting June 17 | Mon–Thu, 7 a.m.–4 p.m.; Fri–Sun, 7 a.m.–7 p.m. |
| Bower Surf Club | 2501 Colorado Ave. | Sept. 10 | Mon–Fri, 7:30 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sat–Sun, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. |
| DOL Coffee House | 1231 Wilshire Blvd. | Open by May 2026 | Hours not published in our sources |
Two of these are bakeries on the eastern half of the city. Louma, on Wilshire near the Bergamot end, officially opened Tuesday, Sept. 1 after a soft-open weekend. It sells pastries, breads and viennoiserie. Before the opening, the Mirror described its European pastries as having a Levantine influence.
A few blocks closer to the ocean, DOL Coffee House was open at 1231 Wilshire Blvd. by May, according to Councilmember Lana Negrete's newsletter. In April, the Santa Monica Daily Press described that corner building as vacant and noted that DOL already had a location in Gardena, where it serves Vietnamese coffee, boba and desserts. The city's tourism bureau lists egg coffee among the Santa Monica menu items. Dragon Alley brought espresso drinks, Japanese matcha and specialty coffee to the Promenade end of Santa Monica Boulevard. On Friday through Sunday it stays open until 7 p.m., the latest close of any café on this list.
Bower Planned to Serve Until 9 p.m. It Closes at 6
Bower Surf Club is the clearest case of the daytime pattern, because its planned hours are on record.
When BXP and restaurateur Dave Harper announced the concept in April, the Santa Monica Daily Press reported plans for a 6,500-square-foot restaurant at Colorado Center. It would serve salads and grain bowls by day, whole-grilled fish, pasta and roast chicken in the evening, and stay open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The name comes from Fairy Bower, a surf break at Manly Beach in Sydney, where Harper grew up.
The 200-seat room opened Sept. 10. According to the Westside Current, it runs from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. Its menu is built around morning, midday and happy-hour service. So far, nothing in Bower's reported schedule matches the evening service planned in April.
Bower's location may help explain the hours. Colorado Center has six buildings with 1.14 million square feet of office space, and BXP framed Bower as an amenity for an "experience-driven" workplace. Its 6 p.m. close fits an office campus. For a neighbor walking over from the Pico side, the practical upshot is a weekend breakfast spot and a happy-hour stop that's done before dinner.
Where the New Dinner Options Are
Only a few newcomers serve in the evening, and two of the three are in the downtown core:
- Gott's Roadside, 401 Wilshire Blvd. The Napa-born burger stand opened Oct. 1 at the corner of 4th and Wilshire. It's open daily, with a patio and a separate soft-serve counter, and the menu includes burgers, chicken, seafood, salads, shakes, beer and wine. Gott's announcement doesn't list exact hours.
- Kogen Omakase, 109 Santa Monica Blvd. Eater LA reported that it opened in mid-July. It serves a seasonal Japanese omakase built on local produce and fish from Toyosu, with two seatings, at 5:30 and 8 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.
- Bar Fortuna, 2917 Main St. Chef Brian Bornemann's pasta and cocktail bar was expected to open by the end of October, but the Los Angeles Daily News reported on Oct. 8 that he had not set a date. The planned menu centers on handmade pasta, market-driven plates, Italian-style cocktails and wine.
Kogen offers two fixed seatings a night, and Bar Fortuna isn't open yet. That leaves Gott's as the only new evening option in this group that takes walk-ins every night. The timing matters because one of the city's best-known dinner rooms is about to close.
Tar & Roses Serves Its Last Dinner on Oct. 24
Tar & Roses, the wood-fired restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard led by Chef Andrew Kirschner, will close permanently after dinner service on Saturday, Oct. 24, ending a 15-year run. The restaurant announced the closing on social media, and the Santa Monica Mirror reported on it Oct. 11. The Mirror wrote that commenters on the post recalled first dates and marriage proposals at the restaurant. It also quoted the farewell message:
"We hope that over these final two weeks we'll have the opportunity to see many familiar faces, welcome back old friends, share a few more meals, raise a glass together, and say thank you in person."
The Mirror's coverage doesn't give a reason for the closing or name a new tenant for the space. As of Monday, Oct. 12, the restaurant has 12 days of dinner service left.
Tar & Roses and Kogen Omakase are both on Santa Monica Boulevard. When Tar & Roses closes, Kogen's two nightly seatings will be the only evening service among this year's new openings on that street.
Early in the Week, Even Fewer Are Open
The days of the week matter about as much as the hours. Louma is closed Mondays, Matilda's is closed Mondays and Tuesdays, and Kogen doesn't seat on Mondays. Here's what that leaves early in the week:
- Monday: Dragon Alley from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Bower from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Gott's, which is open daily.
- Tuesday: Louma and Kogen join the Monday group. Matilda's stays closed.
- Wednesday through Sunday: Everything on the list is open, and Dragon Alley stays open until 7 p.m. from Friday through Sunday.
The Evening Plans This Month Are Events
Several dated evening events land in the next few weeks, which helps fill the gap the new restaurants leave after 6 p.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 15. The Pier's Locals' Night is a drive-in screening of Dogtown and Z-Boys. The program lists a vinyl set from Tony Alva, live music, a classic-car meet, salsa lessons and local vendors.
- Saturday, Oct. 17. The city is holding a community event to present the illustrative master plan for the future park at the airport and collect feedback, according to the Santa Monica Lookout. This is a planning presentation, not a park opening. Matilda's is on the same street.
- Saturday, Oct. 24. Tar & Roses serves its final dinner.
- Wednesday, Oct. 28. Santa Monica Place hosts a free Halloween Western Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m., with line-dancing lessons, costume activities and a $50 Tenshoppe gift card for the best costume.
- Oct. 31 to Nov. 1. The Pier's Día de los Muertos celebration has ofrendas on Oct. 31. On Nov. 1 the program includes a blessing, folklórico, mariachi, a procession and live music.
- November. Ice at Santa Monica says the rink will return in November 2026. It hasn't announced an opening date for this season, so the dates still posted from last year don't apply.
As things stand, a weekday morning in Santa Monica means a choice of two new bakeries, a Vietnamese coffee house and a surf café. On a weeknight, the new options are a burger stand at 4th and Wilshire, two omakase seatings a few blocks away, and a pasta bar on Main Street once Bar Fortuna sets its opening date.
At Team Stacy White, we track Santa Monica openings and closings by address, including which counters open at 7 a.m. and which dinner rooms are on their final nights. If you'd like help understanding how a block's daily rhythm fits your plans, we're always glad to talk it through. Let's Find Your Westside Home.
