The Albright Santa Monica Pier

Published on February 3, 2019

A mainstay on the Santa Monica Pier, The Albright offers visitors freshly caught seafood dishes, a casual dining atmosphere, and beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean and Santa Monica State Beach. Located on the south side of the Santa Monica Pier, the restaurant serves lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Guests can dine on oysters, crabs, and lobsters selected fresh from saltwater tanks and order drinks from a large craft beer and California wine selection. The menu also includes more casual Santa Monica Pier seafood classics such as fish and chips, New England clam chowder, and spicy seafood soup.

One of the most popular places to eat on the Santa Monica Pier, The Albright can accommodate large groups for birthday parties, weddings, and other private events. Guests planning parties can take advantage of The Albright Raw Bar experience, which offers a variety of freshly caught fish, oysters, crab, and other seafood delicacies. Thanks to a recent remodel, The Albright now offers a revamped patio, enabling guests to relax and enjoy the seaside view of the Santa Monica Pier and beach.

Established in 1977 as SM Pier Seafood Restaurant, the establishment changed hands in 2013 when Greg and Yunnie Kim Morena took over the family business from Yunnie’s parents. Having spent years as a fashion entrepreneur, Morena saw the restaurant as an opportunity to provide exceptional service for the millions of visitors who travel to Santa Monica Pier every year. Together with her husband, Morena gave the restaurant a new look, remodeling the interior design and creating a new logo. The restaurant also gained a new name—The Albright—inspired by the nautical Albright knot which ties together two lines or, in the restaurant’s case, two generations.

While Morena kept the restaurant’s original rustic atmosphere, she updated the menu to better appeal to Santa Monica Pier’s local and international visitors. This meant creating a new wine and craft beer program as well as an expanded children’s menu. Such choices have attracted more families, including celebrities such as Selma Blair and Rebecca Romijn, to take their kids to dine at The Albright. The menu’s biggest change, however, came in its new focus on environmental sustainability.

As leaders in the green movement, the Morenas ensure The Albright offers dishes with sustainably caught seafood and locally sourced and organic ingredients. Their efforts have made The Albright the first business on the Santa Monica Pier to achieve a Green Business Certification. The Albright also received the Sustainable Quality Award for Excellence in Stewardship of the Environment in 2016 and an SQA Grand Prize in 2017. The restaurant continues to inspire a green movement across the Santa Monica Pier, encouraging sustainable businesses.

The Albright Santa Monica Pier

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