Pontu, a new Peruvian restaurant from local chef Richie Lopez, is gearing up to bring coastal flavors to Santa Monica's Ocean Park neighborhood. The intimate, neighborhood-focused spot is set to open in the small storefront at 3117 Ocean Park Blvd, the former home of The OP Cafe. Lopez is planning both lunch and dinner service built around seasonal Peruvian cooking with California coastal touches. There is no opening date yet, while permits are still being finalized.
“It was a natural evolution of the years,” Lopez told What Now Los Angeles, explaining that he wants to “cook with the memory of Peru.” According to the outlet, Pontu is expected to lean into seasonal Peruvian cooking with California coastal elements, with seafood plates like ceviches and tiraditos at the core of the menu. Lopez said he plans a compact lunch and dinner program designed for sharing in an intimate setting.
Where Pontu Will Land
The space at 3117 Ocean Park Blvd is listed on commercial sites as an approximately 888-square-foot, second-generation restaurant location that previously housed The OP Cafe. Broker listings on CityFeet and other commercial pages confirm the address and highlight its proximity to nearby offices and steady foot traffic. For a compact Peruvian seafood concept, that corridor's mix of neighborhood regulars and daytime workers could translate into reliable local business.
Timeline And Community
Locals first spotted a “coming soon” notice on the storefront in January, and a neighborhood blog quickly picked up the tip, noting an undeveloped Instagram account attached to the Pontu name. As reported by Toddrickallen, the signage helped fuel early buzz even before any formal announcements. With permits still in progress, Lopez told What Now Los Angeles that he hopes Pontu becomes “something the community feels attached to.”
