Most Los Angeles restaurants don't open early enough to catch the first serve at the US Open. Most sports bars don't serve a proper English breakfast. Ye Olde King's Head in Santa Monica does both, and has been doing both since 1974, which makes it the obvious answer when you want to watch Grand Slam tennis over a plate of bangers, fried bread, and baked beans imported from England. The pub opens at 9am on weekends—late enough to miss the 8am Pacific starts, early enough to catch the second set with a pot of strong tea and a seat near the fireplace if you call ahead.
Karpo tracks live breakfast hours, match schedules, and pub seating availability at Ye Olde King's Head and every early-opening sports venue across Los Angeles during tournament season.
The tournament breakfast window
The US Open runs August 25 through September 7, 2026, with early rounds starting at 8am Pacific time—awkward for most restaurants but ideal for a British pub that already opens at 9am on weekends. Ye Olde King's Head at 116 Santa Monica Boulevard has been serving weekend breakfast since 1974, long before anyone thought to pair Grand Slam tennis with bangers and fried bread. The pub shows all major tennis tournaments on multiple screens throughout both bar areas, treating the US Open with the same reverence locals reserve for Premier League soccer.
The King Size English Breakfast—two eggs, two strips of bacon, one banger, English baked beans straight from UK cans, sautéed mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, and fried bread or toast—runs $19 and arrives on a single massive plate. The Queen Size drops the mushrooms and one piece of each protein for $17. Both come with no substitutions allowed, a house rule that keeps the kitchen moving when weekend crowds fill the dining room and outdoor patio. Vegetarians get two soy patties instead of meat, same price, same no-modifications policy.
Weekend mornings lean heavily American—tourists from the nearby beach hotels, families heading to or from the Third Street Promenade—but the breakfast crowd knows the drill. Order at your table, watch the screen above the main bar, refill your tea from the metal pot. The dining room holds about forty, the outdoor patio another twenty. If you want the fireplace corner booth during cooler September mornings, call ahead and request it specifically; otherwise you'll likely sit wherever the host points.
Two bars, different atmospheres
The main bar runs the length of the front room, backed by shelves of British spirits and a row of taps pouring Fuller's London Pride, Boddingtons, Guinness, and rotating guest ales. The Bulldog Bar sits in a smaller side room, more intimate, fewer tables, same screen access. During weekday matches—when the US Open schedule shifts to afternoon and evening Pacific time—the Bulldog Bar fills with regulars who prefer the quieter space away from the main dining flow. Weekend mornings the main bar area gets noisier, especially when breakfast service overlaps with the first matches.
Both bars open at the same time as the restaurant: 9am Saturday and Sunday, 10am Friday, 11am Monday through Thursday. If you're planning to catch an 8am East Coast start time, you'll miss the first set—but you'll also avoid the crush. Most tennis fans arrive around 9:30am on weekends, order breakfast, settle in for the second set. The pub stays open until 11pm Friday and Saturday, 10pm Sunday through Thursday, which covers every match through the evening session finals.
Happy hour runs 4–7pm weekdays (until 8pm Friday) with discounted pints and pub snacks like Scotch eggs and sausage rolls, but only in the pub and patio areas—not the dining room. If you're watching a late afternoon match during the tournament's second week, happy hour pricing makes the extended stay easier on the wallet. The kitchen serves the full menu straight through, no break between breakfast and lunch, so you can order fish and chips at 2pm or a curry at 4pm without waiting.
The no-frills British approach
Ye Olde King's Head doesn't apologize for its Britishness. The waitstaff speak with accents from various UK regions. The telly—always on, always tuned to something involving a ball or a racket—dominates sight lines from every table. Royal portraits hang in the tea room, which operates separately for afternoon tea service Monday through Saturday from 11:30am to 4pm. The gift shop sells Cadbury bars, PG Tips, Marmite, and Union Jack tea towels. This is not a theme restaurant; it's a transplant.
The breakfast plates reflect that directness. Fried bread means bread fried in the pan, not toast. English baked beans come from Heinz tins imported from the UK, sweeter and less smoky than American versions. The banger—a proper English breakfast sausage—tastes mild, herby, nothing like Italian or chorizo. Grilled tomatoes arrive as halved plum tomatoes cooked until soft. If you've never eaten a traditional full English, the combination reads strange on paper: beans next to eggs, fried bread soaking up tomato juice, sausage fat mingling with runny yolk. On the plate it works, especially at 9am with a pot of strong black tea and a tennis match reaching a tiebreak.
The restaurant enforces its no-substitutions rule without exception. You can't swap the banger for extra bacon, can't get hash browns instead of fried bread, can't request scrambled instead of sunny-side up. Order what's listed or order something else. Regulars appreciate the efficiency—the kitchen moves faster, tables turn quicker, and the food arrives hot. First-timers sometimes balk, but the menu warns you twice in capital letters.
Location and overflow options
Ye Olde King's Head sits on Santa Monica Boulevard between Ocean Avenue and Second Street, one block from the beach, two blocks from the south end of the Third Street Promenade. Street parking along Santa Monica Boulevard runs metered until 8pm; arrive before 9:30am on weekends and you'll usually find a spot within a block. The restaurant offers front-door parking for accessible access. If you're coming from elsewhere in LA, the Big Blue Bus Route 1 runs along Santa Monica Boulevard with a stop directly outside; the Expo Line terminates at Downtown Santa Monica station, a twelve-minute walk east.
When the dining room fills—common on weekend mornings during tournament weeks—the outdoor patio provides overflow seating with the same menu and the same screen access. Heaters keep the patio comfortable on cooler mornings. If both areas are full, the host will estimate a wait time; most guests grab a spot at the main bar, order a pint, and watch from a barstool until a table opens. The pub doesn't take reservations for breakfast or regular dining, only for afternoon tea service and private events in the separate tea room.
The surrounding block offers backup options if the King's Head is packed: Urth Caffé two blocks north on Main Street, The Galley across the street (California comfort food, opens at 8am weekends), and a handful of chain breakfast spots along the Promenade. But none of them will be showing live tennis on four screens while serving proper British baked beans.
Beyond breakfast hours
If you're staying in Santa Monica for multiple days of the tournament, the King's Head offers reasons to return beyond breakfast. Sunday karaoke starts at 9pm in the main pub area—a rowdy, cheerful scene that draws a mix of British expats and locals who've memorized every word of "Don't Stop Believin'." Wednesday trivia at 7:30pm in the Bulldog Bar skews quieter, with teams of regulars competing over pints of cask ale. Both events run year-round, unaffected by whatever sport happens to be on the screens.
Afternoon tea service—available Monday through Saturday from 11:30am to 4pm—includes finger sandwiches, scones with Devonshire cream and preserves, and a selection of pastries, plus tea or coffee for $35 per person. The Royal Tea adds a glass of champagne, mimosa, or Kir Royale for $40. The tea room operates separately from the pub, quieter and more formal, with floral teapots and tablecloths. If you're planning a group tea after a morning of tennis, call ahead; the restaurant offers private tea service for six or more, popular for baby showers and bridal parties.
The dinner menu expands beyond breakfast standards into fish and chips, shepherd's pie, bangers and mash, chicken tikka masala, and a handful of salads and vegetarian curries. Prices run $15–$25 for mains. The kitchen stays open until close every night, so you can order food during late evening matches without rushing. The pub side gets louder as the night progresses, especially on weekends, but the dining room maintains a slightly calmer atmosphere even when the bar is three-deep.
Practical notes
Ye Olde King's Head is located at 116 Santa Monica Boulevard in Santa Monica, one block from Ocean Avenue and the beach. Weekend hours are 9am–11pm Saturday, 9am–10pm Sunday; weekday hours are 11am–10pm Monday–Thursday, 10am–11pm Friday. Breakfast is served until 2pm daily with no substitutions. The King Size English Breakfast costs $19, Queen Size $17, vegetarian version $17. The restaurant does not take reservations for regular dining; afternoon tea reservations are required and available Monday–Saturday 11:30am–4pm. Street parking is metered; Big Blue Bus Route 1 stops outside. Phone (310) 451-1402. The pub shows all US Open matches on multiple screens throughout both bar areas. Happy hour runs 4–7pm weekdays (until 8pm Friday) in the pub and patio only. Please enjoy responsibly and arrange a safe ride if you're drinking.
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Ask Karpo which Santa Monica breakfast spots are showing US Open matches this weekend, where to find the quietest patio seating near the Promenade, or which British pubs in LA serve proper afternoon tea after the morning session ends. Karpo knows every live sports schedule, every kitchen's opening hour, and exactly when to arrive for a fireplace table.
