Axe-throwing, smash burgers just steps from the ocean and a spectacular remodel from an Icelandic architect — these are just a few of the highlights that can be found in some of the South Bay’s newest eateries.

More than 50 restaurants have debuted in the region since 2021, despite the industry’s significant economic and pandemic-related challenges.

Several well-designed, chef-driven eateries have already made an impact, like M.B. Post, chef David LeFevre’s upscale Manhattan Beach gastropub inside an old post office; its next-door neighbor, Fishing With Dynamite, the tiny East Coast-inspired seafood house also run by LeFevre; and the Spanish-influenced Gabi James, a hip dinner and weekend brunch go-to in Redondo Beach’s trendy Riviera Village led by Mozza alum Chris Feldmeier.