Sunnin Lebanese Cafe

I went here for the first time recently because my co-​workers wouldn’t stop talking about it and would go quite often so I just HAD to check it out. It’s technically Lebanese food as the name states but it can be categorized as Mediterranean cuisine due to geography. The food is not inexpensive comparable to similar restaurants around the area… but the ingredients are fresh, the quality great and it the taste is amazing! It’s worth it.
I had the Chicken Kebab Entrée and the chicken is juicy and tender and seasoned well. The pita bread is not like any other pita bread I’ve had before… it’s a bit lighter and fluffier than normal and and you could really taste the smokiness of the skillet or grill they used which I really enjoyed. The hummus was good! My co-​worker got the Chicken Shawarma entrée and I tried some of that chicken too and it was seasoned well as well! I also got an order of the Baklawa and these by far are the best I’ve ever had! It’s not the usual square cut pastry I’m used to… they’re rolled up which somehow makes such a diff! I’m all the balance of the layers of the pastry and the nuts/​honey mixture… this is balanced perfectly. One order came with 4 and I wanted to eat them all they were so good! I must get them every time I come here, no doubt about it.
I def want to come back and try the Chicken Shawarma sandwich/​wrap and the grape leaves and the falafel! I will have to update my review once I try those.
I also have to say the owner of the restaurant was the nicest woman ever. She’s very welcoming, pleasant, engaging and she seems to really care about her customers and her food. The restaurant has a very earthy/​woodsy atmosphere vibe to it (think IKEA but better). I really liked the atmosphere of the place. I’m definitely going to make this place my go to for when I want Mediterranean food for lunch.

Happened to stop in after looking all around 3^rd street to eat. Was headed back to car and saw this place. Food is good and reasonably priced. Got plenty of food with the veggie kebabs and soup. Brother had beef kabobs and hummus. It was all good.

I was looking forward for months to opening. I love mid Eastern food, and we only have Hummus Express and Zen Garden. This place is head and shoulders above — great flavor and healthy portions — who knew hummus and babaganoush could be such a surprise. Hopefully being 2 blocks off Promenade won’t hurt — worth the walk. Great value!!!

I’m visiting here from the Middle East, and I wanted my friends here to have a taste of some fresh food that we have back home. They’ve never had anything Middle Eastern or Mediterranean, and after some research, I decided to give this a go.
–Let me start by saying the Falafel were amazing. I’ve had a lot of falafel, from a lot of great places, but these absolutely amazing. My friends were eating one after the other.
–The beef kebab was so moist and full of flavor. A lot of places make dry or rubbery kebabs, but this place gets it just right.
–The babaganouch was really really good. A lot of places make babaganouch that tastes too «eggplanty» with some flavors overpowering the others. I don’t like babaganouch much, but I loved it here. The Hummus was good too.
–The chicken kebabs were really tender, something a lot of places actually can’t get. Their kebabs are more like Sheesh Tawook rather than traditional chicken kebabs made with ground chicken, but still really good, especially with their garlic sauce.
–I didn’t like the beef kofta much. It was too chewy and didn’t have a lot of flavor.
–I also didn’t like the grape leaves, but a lot of other people liked them, so I guess it’s just my palate. The leaves were too tangy, and the rice filling didn’t have any flavor at all.
–For dessert, we got Jibneh Helwa (sweet cheese). It tasted okay, I’d recommend you try it, but I wouldn’t get it again.
All in all, I’m definitely coming back to this place another time for the falafel and kebab.

New outpost of the Westwood restaurant.
We’ve taken out from there quite a bit in the last few months… always tasty. The chicken shawerma is better than the beef. The ground beef kebab was tasty as well.
Sides wise: like the tabouli salad, the babaganoush, the yogurts are our favorites.
Staff is friendly and helpful. Portions are good too. (The prices can be a little of putting, but the portions make up for that).

After seeing a 5 star rating in this area, I figured it was tourists. The chicken shawarma plate was good. The beef shawarma should be avoided at all cost. Half of the meat was indeed fat… It was frustrating, but if you stay away from any beef shawarma, you should be ok. I’m Arab and it’s tough to be done dirty like this… Whoever made the wrap clearly could see the large chunks of fat containing no meat.

Awesome place! Really nice people and great quick service. Delicious food. The chicken wrap was so good.

The meats are perfectly spiced and cooked. The hummus and babaganoush are also amazing. Really like their green hot sauce. A bit pricey.

I discovered that Sunnin Lebanese Café, whose original location on Westwood I have enjoyed many times, has a location in Santa Monica. I ate there for the first time Monday night (4÷25÷16) and was very happy with my experience.
I ordered my favorite chicken kebab meal, but this time I tried the garlic fries instead of the Fatoush salad. It was delicious.
The floor plan is spacious, with many tables and chairs ready for communal, small group and solo dining parties. The staff was very friendly and attentive. I definitely will be coming to this location from now on!
Notes:
— The bathroom is clean. I had a little trouble flushing the toilet; I had to pull the handle a couple of times between pauses, but it eventually worked.
— Be aware that parking in the general vicinity are have meters.

Wow! Really flavorful dishes! One of my new places to go for Mediterranean food! Love this place! The salmon kabob is moist. Garlic fries & fried cauliflower to die for! One of the best hummus I’ve ever had and the tabouleh is exquisite!

I have been going to Sunnin since its original location on Westwood Blvd, It has been my favorite Lebanese (Middle Eastern) place in Los Angeles.
Everything is always delicious, the portions are large, chicken is juicy and that green chili relish is magic!
Today, I went to the Santa Monica location for the first time and it did not disappoint.
My faves: Chicken kabob, Chicken shawarma wrap, Baba ganoush, Hummus, Fatoush salad and GREEN CHILI RELISH on everything! Amazing every time!

A decent Mediterranean restaurant finally opens in Santa Monica
Food: I got the chicken shawarma with hummus and salad. Chicken meat was tasty, moist and flavored. Hummus was great, not too oily. Good white sauce too
Price: 14.50 for plate with sides. Not that cheap but it’s Santa Monica
Location: clean, fast foody

Quite different from its Westwood location.
Modern clean ambiance with entire menu being gluten free except for pita bread. Many vegan options so it’s perfect for someone like me who loves to try everything!
We got grape leaves — which were delicious. Babaganoush was soooo tasty and probably best I’ve had in town.
Grilled vegetables were a bit of a downer and not worth ordering but their falafel on the other hand is! Gluten free and vegan means this place is going to be part of usual repertoire of restaurants.
Family owned business that knows how to change with the times and is very accommodating. That is why their business will thrive! highly recommend! go check it out!

This place is right across from Goodwill and right next to Philz Coffee on Santa Monica Blvd. Not far from 3^rd Street if you are willing to walk few blocks. It is a lovely, California modern space with lots of air, some industrial elements and white. Really nice. I loved the cute wooden tables and the hand mural on the wall. Service is fabulous. You order from the counter and then find a seat and they will bring the food to you. And the food is good. Their garlic sauce is VERY garlicy goodness. I had a chicken kebab wrap and my daughter had a plate which you can choose either 1 or 2 sides. All was delicious. I will have to go and try their beef kebab and baklava and other good stuff. Street parking and of course the city parking garages at 4^th Street only few blocks away.

Best shawarma
Place very cleaned & nice
Service is quick
The food is very delicious
Going back again for dinner

The Chicken Shawarma plate was so good. The chicken and two sides were like in mounds and it was super filling and super tasty. I really like how fresh the ingredients are. The tabouleh salad was my favorite. I just love fresh parsley with lots of lemon juice. The fries were seasoned, which was a nice touch. It gives it another flavor from the chicken and the salad. The chicken was cut up nice and it had lemon squeezed on top too. It had a bit of a puckering effect to it but in a good way. The citrus juice freshens up the chicken. The bread was delicious. Later they brought some kind of clear chicken soup with rice in it to try. That was a really nice surprise! I was so so stuffed. Love to come back and try more things again.

I have loved Sunnin since their very first tiny location on Westwood Blvd. And I have loved watching this family run restaurant expand to multiple locations without losing their friendly service and amazing food. So when I found out Sunnin was coming to Santa Monica, I was beyond excited.
All the food is fantastic. Whatever you typically like with Middle Eastern food, get that, you can’t go wrong. At this location you can build a plate: select your protein and add two or three sides. My favorite is the shish tauwok (chicken kabob) plate. I get three sides: sunnin salad, garlic fries, and hummus. The chicken is tender and well marinated and the salad is fresh and delicious. The hummus is one really good hummus and garlic fries are the most crave worthy and addicting fries I’ve ever had. They offer a huge variety of salads like fattoush (salad with pita chips!), greek, tabouli, and more. When I can say no to the fries (rare moments of intense willpower) I get two salad sides.
If you aren’t feeling the plate route, I highly recommend the chicken kabob or chicken shawarma wrap (tip: add hummus and garlic fries inside. OMG)
Prices are a bit high for a casual place, but the quality makes up for it.
Ambiance wise: I felt like they tried to appeal to the Santa Monica crowd with the bright open space and white and blue scheme. I’d probably only get takeout here while the Westwood Blvd location is nicer for dining in and going out to dinner with others.
Welcome to the neighborhood Sunnin! I know we will be seeing a lot of each other.

I’m a long time Sunnin fan. Been going to their Westwood location for many years and last time I was there they informed me about the new location so I decided to give it a try and here’s how it went. Went in for lunch with couple of friends and first thing I noticed a line of people waiting to order at the counter which is different from the Westwood location as it is more of a sit down place. Here you have to order at the counter and get a number. This new location has a different feel/​vibe to it. It’s modern looking and will definitely appeal to the Santa Monica crowd. We ordered a bunch of food to share and I have to say everything was delicious.
The falafel, shawarma, hummus, grape leaves, sunnin salad, and lentil soup all were fantastic. The garlic fries were a big hit with everyone on our table. What I love about the SM location is that you can build your own plate. You can order your plate with two or three sides. The menu offers lots of vegan/​vegetarian options as well as gluten free.
I will definitely be visiting this location more frequently for the awesome food and service. Leave some room for dessert. The rice pudding is to die for :)

I am so glad this place opened up right next to where I live. I will be spending a huge amount of money here I am sure. It’s not cheap, but given the quality and flavor I don’t mind the price.
I ordered a falafel plate with Greek salad and babaganouj. It came with pita bread and a white sauce that I think was garlic sauce but also tasted a bit like feta cheese. I got some green sauce from the jar and that was probably the highlight of the meal, it was tangy and spicy and absolutely delicious. The falafel was perfectly fried and non greasy. The salad was fresh and perfectly dressed. Babaganouj was smokey and creamy. Pita bread was not memorable, definitely on the thin side, and I wish it was more similar to the laffa bread at Hummus Express on the promenade (or at least freshly baked like at Bella Pita). Regardless, I highly recommend this place and I will be back. A lot.

Just opened. This place is opened by the same family that has Sunnin in Westwood, and also the bakery there, though I personally have never been to the other location.
I ordered the beef kebab with 2 sides (tabouleh and babaganoush), cost me $ 16 for the dish. The quality of the food is great, very tasty. Was pretty impressed by how tender the beef was. Overall, slightly on the pricier side compared to some other places around, but I think the food is better too. They also have a family style menu, which I think would be fun to try! The desserts are really great and from the family’s bakery. Makes me want to just go check out the bakery in Westwood to see what else they have.
Took around 15 minutes for the food. Service was good and everyone is super nice/​friendly. My only suggestion might be a bit more description on the menu. (Or any description on the menu). Overall, excited they opened and will come back.