Socalo

Socalo is a restaurant in Santa Monica, California, with private dining rooms, a main dining room and two outdoor patios. It hosts rehearsal dinners and other private events, and it is a good fit for a small wedding celebration or a welcome dinner.

Why it suits LGBTQ+ couples

The restaurant is LGBTQ+-owned. It suits couples who would rather gather their closest people around a long table than book a ballroom. The team says it can customize an event, so you can shape the evening around your guest list, your menu and the mood you want.

Because the setting is a working restaurant, the food and service are central to the experience, not an add-on.

Ceremonies

Socalo focuses on dining events, and its event page mentions rehearsal dinners rather than ceremonies. If you want to exchange vows here, ask whether a short ceremony is possible on a patio or in a private room before your meal. A brief exchange of vows followed by dinner is a common format for a micro wedding.

The shaded patio, with heat lamps and string lights, suits a cocktail hour before dinner.

Receptions and food

Groups of any size can be accommodated in a private room, on the patios or across the whole restaurant. The semi-private and private dining rooms suit sit-down dinners. Long communal tables run along the floor-to-ceiling windows in the main dining room, which gives a lively, shared feel.

Border Grill Catering, led by chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken, handles in-house catering. Menus can include appetizers, stations, buffets, sit-down dinners or family-style service. Ask about vegetarian, vegan and allergy needs, and request a tasting before you confirm.

Getting there and the area

Santa Monica sits on the Pacific coast, only minutes from the beach, and it has plenty of hotels for out-of-town guests. Los Angeles International Airport is the main arrival point. Allow extra time for traffic on weekend evenings, and ask about parking, valet options and nearby garages for your guests.

Good to know

• Private and semi-private rooms plus two outdoor patios
• An event request form is the way to start an inquiry
• Off-site catering has a separate inquiry process