Mercado

There's plenty to love about this high-end Mexican restaurant in downtown Santa Monica. You can drink plenty of tequila–straight, chased with sangrita, or in margaritas–and there's drinking-friendly snacks like a version of queso fundido that skews toward salsa con queso and truly Mexican-style ceviche that's served with a stack of saltines. The al pastor tacos are well-worth ordering too.