1Pico

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Where the Pacific Meets the Italian Table

Sitting directly on Santa Monica Beach at the address that gives it its name, 1Pico is the signature restaurant of Shutters on the Beach. The concept is precise: coastal Californian ingredients filtered through Southern Italian tradition — what Chef Vittorio calls Cucina Napoletana. The result is a dining room where handmade pasta and fire-grilled seafood feel completely at home alongside the kind of panoramic ocean view that rarely accompanies food this serious.

The Kitchen's Point of View

The menu is organized around the rhythms of an Italian trattoria, but the sourcing is unmistakably Californian. Antipasti open with local burrata paired with Prosciutto Pio Tosini, raw amberjack dressed with salsa verde and fennel fronds, and blue prawns with roasted tomato essence and 'nduja. The pasta section leans classical — squid-ink tagliolini with anchovy and tuna, linguine vongole, spaghetti with Maine lobster and Calabrian chili — while the secondi bring in hook-and-line Alaskan halibut, Nantucket Island scallops with parsnip cream, and a whole sea bream from Spain. Meat comes from named farms: Creekstone Farms Black Angus for the filet, Pitman Family Farms for the free-range half chicken. Nothing on the plate is incidental.

The Wine Program

The wine list earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2025, a recognition that reflects genuine depth across Italian and California appellations. On Sunday evenings, the restaurant runs a corkage-free policy alongside 50% off select bottles — a rare and generous gesture for a fine dining room of this caliber. Monthly wine dinners pair a four-course menu with visiting winemakers; the 2026 series already includes sessions with Williams Selyem, Quintessa, and Grgich Hills, among others.

Atmosphere and Occasions

The room handles both weekend brunch and dinner service, with outdoor seating that puts the Pacific directly in frame. Private gatherings — birthdays, corporate events, full buyouts — are accommodated with custom menus, wine guidance, and made-to-order cakes. The Californian-Italian identity of 1Pico makes it equally suited to a quiet dinner for two and a large celebration, without compromising on either.