Forma
Forma brings Mediterranean table culture to Los Angeles through a sharing-led format suited to groups, families, and grazing meals rather than formal tasting-menu pacing. Its Opinionated About Dining casual recognition in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 places it within the city’s serious-but-relaxed dining tier, where the measure is consistency, generosity, and how well the table eats together.
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- Address
- 1610 Montana Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90403
- Phone
- (424) 231-2868
- Website
- formarestaurant.com
- Directions
- Get directions

Forma is a Los Angeles restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine. With daily hours that begin at 11 am and continue into the evening, it can fit a range of meal times without needing to be described as a formal or tasting-menu destination. The verified essentials are direct: Mediterranean cooking, chef/owner Piero Topputo, smart casual dress, and a Los Angeles setting.
That makes the frame a practical one. A reliable way to place it is by cuisine, city, hours, and the kind of broadly polished but approachable expectation implied by a smart casual dress code.
Mediterranean dining in Los Angeles
For Forma, the verified cuisine gives diners the key expectation: Mediterranean food in Los Angeles, guided by chef/owner Piero Topputo. The available facts do not establish a specific menu format, signature dish, or service style, so the clearest description stays focused on cuisine and basic planning details.
The comparison set clarifies the broader dining context without needing to overstate specifics. Baco Mercat and Tasting Kitchen are other Los Angeles restaurants readers may consider when thinking about casual, social meals in the city. Forma’s verified identity is simpler: a Mediterranean restaurant in Los Angeles with daily service.
That distinction helps visitors choosing across Los Angeles. The city rewards specificity, but the confirmed information for Forma does not support a detailed claim about a particular neighborhood, room style, signature dishes, drinks program, or menu format. What can be said is that it serves Mediterranean cuisine and is open every day, with evening hours extending later on Wednesday through Saturday than on the other days.
Chef Piero Topputo is the verified chef/owner. Beyond that, expectations should remain grounded: Forma is not verified here as a tasting-menu restaurant, counter restaurant, seafood specialist, wine destination, or any other narrower format. The safest editorial frame is Mediterranean dining in Los Angeles with smart casual dress and a schedule that covers midday through dinner hours.
Los Angeles gives the meal its pace
Location changes how a restaurant functions, but the verified location detail for Forma is simply Los Angeles. That means the page should not rely on a more specific neighborhood, landmark, street, or postal address. Diners should plan it as a Los Angeles restaurant and check current logistics directly before going.
The broader Los Angeles map includes many different dining identities by cuisine, format, and occasion. Against that variety, Forma’s confirmed role is direct: Mediterranean cuisine in Los Angeles. It is best considered when diners want that cuisine category and a smart casual setting rather than when they need a documented tasting menu, specific bar program, or destination-style format.
That makes it relevant for travelers planning meals around the city. Los Angeles is not a city where every good dinner is automatically nearby, so diners should think practically about timing, travel, and the day’s hours. Forma opens at 11 am daily and closes at 8:45 pm on Monday, Tuesday, and Sunday; 9 pm on Wednesday and Thursday; and 9:45 pm on Friday and Saturday.
The style should be described cautiously. They do not verify a specific seating arrangement, menu structure, price point, takeout program, delivery service, allergy accommodation, or beverage focus. For readers, that means Forma is a grounded Los Angeles Mediterranean option rather than a restaurant whose appeal should be built on unconfirmed details.
How to place Forma within a wider casual dining itinerary
Forma belongs in an itinerary when Mediterranean cuisine in Los Angeles is the goal. Its daily hours make it easier to consider across different days of the week, and the smart casual dress code suggests a polished but not overly formal expectation.
For comparison within the same city, Baco Mercat and Tasting Kitchen can be useful reference points for readers looking at Los Angeles dining more broadly.
Within Mediterranean dining, Forma should be judged by how well it fits the occasion a diner is planning. The confirmed information does not establish a signature dish, prix fixe format, tasting menu, wine list, counter experience, or family-specific service model. It does establish the cuisine and basic planning details, which are often particularly important facts for deciding whether a restaurant belongs in a given evening.
The verdict is practical. Forma is a Los Angeles choice for diners seeking Mediterranean cuisine in a smart casual setting. Use the verified hours when planning, avoid assuming unconfirmed services or specialties, and treat the restaurant as a direct Mediterranean option led by chef/owner Piero Topputo.
Cost and Credentials
Comparable venues by cuisine and price in the same metro.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| FormaThis venue — the venue you are viewing | Mediterranean | {"import"{"source""opinionatedaboutdining-restaurants-2026""year"2026},"matching"{"confidence""high""decision""matched""explanation""identity_anchor:site_plus_locality""manual_decision""""match_score""1.0""match_status""match""matched_location_id""087ad922-4498-435d-8ba5-83f54d2c1528"},"source_images"{"award_image_url""https://ekipnwmumltmvbiywvma.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/award%20sources/OAD_white.png""hero_image""https://opinionatedeus.blob.core.windows.net/chef-images/15663-82-102.jpg""list_image_url""https://opinionatedeus.blob.core.windows.net/list-images/252fa639-ddeb-4bec-8537-6c1f25fc9539.png""og_image""https://opinionatedeus.blob.core.windows.net/chef-images/15663-82-102.jpg""thumbnail_image""https://opinionatedeus.blob.core.windows.net/chef-images/15663-82-102.jpg""venue_image_not_used_for_award"true},"source_list"{"address""1610 Montana Ave, Santa Monica, California, United States""award_tier""Recommended""award_type""Casual""chef""Piero Topputo""city""Santa Monica""country""United States""cuisine""Mediterranean""date_released""2026-05-19""list_id"135,"list_key""north-america-casual-recommended""list_name""2026 OAD Casual in North America Recommended""list_url""https://www.oadguides.com/lists/north-america/casual/2026""oad_restaurant_id"52179,"phone""424-231-2868""rank"null,"record_key""oad:list:135:year:2026:restaurant:52179:rank:522""source""Opinionated About Dining""source_display_order"522,"source_record_id""b7a705cf-b84c-4ce3-b5ff-cddda340718c""source_system_slug""opinionated-about-dining""source_url""https://www.oadguides.com/restaurant/forma""state""California""venue_name""Forma""website""https://formarestaurant.com"}}; Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #404 (2025); Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #421 (2024); Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Recommended (2023) | This venue |
| R+D Kitchen | Not listed | New American | Not listed |
| Sam's Bagels | Not listed | Jewish Deli | Not listed |
| Tasting Kitchen | Not listed | Mediterranean | Not listed |
| Baco Mercat | Not listed | Mediterranean | Not listed |
Recognition history
Dated appearances from independent guides and award organizations, with the underlying list record or original source where available.
Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Recommended
Opinionated About Dining
Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #404
Opinionated About Dining
Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #421
Opinionated About Dining
Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Recommended
Opinionated About Dining
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- Extensive Wine List
Current opening hours
- Monday
- 11 AM–8:45 PM
- Tuesday
- 11 AM–8:45 PM
- Wednesday
- 11 AM–8:45 PM
- Thursday
- 11 AM–8:45 PM
- Friday
- 11 AM–9:30 PM
- Saturday
- 11 AM–9:30 PM
- Sunday
- 11 AM–8:45 PM
Hours can change for holidays and private events. Last verified .
Modern, casual yet inviting atmosphere with contemporary Italian decor, bustling and upbeat energy.
















