Had a staycation in Santa Monica and went to Capo. My wife and I have been there several times over the years and for some reason I haven't written a review. Until now... FOOD A++ ATMOSPHERE A+ SERVICE A+++++ Justin is a class act and other Managers and Maitre Des should take some pages out of his service book! Our waiter whose name I can't remember was also fantastic. All in all one of the best most memorable evenings we've had in a long time. Excellent food, atmosphere and service!! Thanks again, Doug Levy read more

Capo - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Let's start by saying you need reservations. A work colleague came into town on a business trip and ached for some Italian. Yelp rates this the best in the area so we dropped by. Parked Valet, which I didn't think anything of, until I walked through the curtains. Spot is small and crowded but ideal for your first date or anniversary dinner. The maître d' was able to squeeze us in despite our ignorance. The wait to see a waiter took very long though. We filled up on bread and water so by the time out food came we felt too full to finish it all. The food itself was okay. Very homelike. My colleague said it was reminiscent of the food from NY (little Italy) and was extremely satisfied. So long as he was satisfied, Capo kept up their end of the bargain by being the best in town. In summary, if you want to impress your date, this is the place to do it in. What I didn't like was the long wait due to not calling a reservation, and literally rubbing elbows with the table next to me. read more

Capo - Good food and some weird art. - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Love the ambiance, definitely an experience. Servers are very well mannered and educated

Rarely does a restaurant exist where everything is spot on! Capo is just that. You enter the restaurant through a large rustic wooden door, two sets of heavy black velvet curtains, and boom! surprised by a spectacular and magical dinning room. Low-key lighting with spots of colorfully original art and a very vibrant choice of music for an extra sexy touch. Immediately you know it's going to be a wonderful evening. Frank the manager and maître d', is the perfect representative for this place. He made us feel special and comfortable from the moment we walked in. He also made noticeable rounds, checking in often and offered his incredible knowledge of the menu. Our waiter and the entire staff was friendly, gracious, professional and super fun! The meal was so incredibly original and delicious! Contemporary Italian cuisine of the highest next level. You can tell that everything was creatively designed with so much love a care, right down to the incredible plates. Wow! What an exciting adventure! So good, so delicious, so interesting and fun!! Yes I highly recommend Capo!! read more

Small and intimate ambiance with interesting decor pieces. Great restaurant on Ocean Ave. The complimentary bread was amazing! The Caesar salad is a must have as is the risotto and corn ravioli with truffle. Pretty expensive so definitely for "occasion" dinner read more

Wow. Crab cake, rack of lamb, potatoes au gratin, and soufflé. Wow, Wow. The quality of the Excellent service was matched by the quality of the meal. read more

I came into Capo for a late night bite to eat. I sat at the bar alone. Two suited men walk in and I see the manager in an excited frenzy and he ushered them over to the bar. My hand bag was on the seat next to me and without asking, and in a blink of an eye, the manger picked up my hand bag to move it to the seat on the other side of me. I said to him "I can move my bag if you ask me". But he was so excited about pleasing theses men he wasn't listening. Then the men got up because their table was ready and the manager picked up my bag again with out asking, to put it back on the original seat. I grabbed my bag mid air and said "will you stop touching my bag please". He made a joke, something about not stealing my bag and hurried off after the important men. I watched him engage with other customers, but not with me. I did not look the part, I was in very casual clothing and alone, but the last time I checked my money worked the same as everyone else's in that restaurant! They waiter/bar man poured me a glass of water a quarter full and never topped it up, just let it sit empty after I drink it. I ordered a pasta dish and coffee. All I wanted was a quick bite to eat to end my day. Instead I was made to feel awkward and out of place, yet they charged me full price. Please do better Capo, this is not how you would expect to be treated so don't treat others this way. And never touch a woman's hand bad with out asking. It is rude. nothing to do with steeling, but everything to do with good manners. In my opinion I just put $70 down the drain. read more

I've personally never experienced the food or place here, but we have reservations for tonight, and both my kid , husband and sister got sick. We called to cancel the reservation 4 hours before the time we were set to go there and the manager of the restaurant was not only so rude about us needing to cancel, but also not being accommodating at all. When my sister explain that she wanted to be respectful to not get others sick he said she was trying to " strong arm" him. Definitely gave us a bad taste in our mouths and will not be trying this place. read more

I didn't want to like it. I didn't want to give it 5 stars. I wanted to hate it and to never want to come back. Why? One word: EXPENSIVE! Looking at the menu prices may give you a mini heart attack. We went for a special occasion, decided to throw caution to the wind, and just enjoy. And oh did we enjoy. Almost every single dish (and sip of wine) was absolutely spectacular and worth every pretty penny we were paying for it. The flavors are simple and yet they shine. It's how food should always taste. Here's what we had: APPS: Caesar salad: a MUST! It's grilled over the fire and that makes all the difference. SO good! Hamachi crudo: Light, flavorful, fresh, and again, SO GOOD! (Notice a trend?) Burrata bruschetta: Could've had more burrata and we didn't even care because it was that delicious. Comes with a perfectly poached egg on top and it's to die for. (I don't even like poached egg!!!! This place is seriously magic.) PASTA: Sweet corn ravioli: a MUST! One of the best sweet corn raviolis I've ever had. So flavorful and so light. It just melts in your mouth leaving behind the most delicious memory! Tomato basil gnocchi: the lightest gnocchi I've ever had. It just melts in your mouth (sorry to keep saying that, but it does!) and is so light and delicious, it's magical. ENTREE: Filet: skip unless you like char. It came very charred and they said it's supposed to be that way because it's cooked over the fire. Branzino: get! It's also just the slightest bit charred, but it doesn't deter from the the taste. So well cooked! Also comes with the most delicious sides, based on what was good at the Farmer's Market. I got potato, zucchini, and tomato. Never have I had such such flavorful and delicious veggies. DESSERT: Meyer lemon semi freddo: light and delicious, but just okay to me. I would've preferred to spend my money and calories on another pasta dish. SERVICE: It should be great and it is. When we seemed to not be so impressed with the filet they took it back and brought us the gnocchi, not charging us for either. Impressive! AMBIANCE: Cute and quirky with fun details all around. Very small and dimly lit making it perfect for an intimate dinner. For a place that should scream "romantic dinner" I think they could've done a better job with the ambiance. Overall, as much as I hate to say it, Capo is worth the high price tag. Go and enjoy a spectacular meal! read more

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They don't always pick up the phone so if you need to change or cancel your reservation make sure to do it in advance because they WILL charge you $25/person. Most restaurants don't enforce this rule if you call ahead. Very unclassy move on Capo's part. read more

This is a hidden treasure in Santa Monica!! My husband and I went for a great dinner without our children while on vacation.. we sat at the bar and as I was perusing the extensive wine list a nice man next to us offered to help me with a choice .Lil did I no he was the owner and had the sommelier retrieve a wonderful Ca cab that was the best wine we be ever had.This was our 2nd trip to Capo and unbelievably surpassed the 5star service/food experience of a year ago. read more

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i love the experience, the food not so much ‍, at least a great wine list . I will need to see it differently next time and try the grill , as the meat look really good. read more

A small house located right in front of Viceroy... That's the restaurant. A beautiful restaurant with classy and romantic ambience. It almost looked like a lake house or cottage. The size of the restaurant was not big, but the noise level wasn't too loud. Because I was able to hear you say, "I'm trying to impress you." Very sweet to bring me here to dine. People dining here were beautiful and nicely dressed. You were definitely one of them. I liked your tie. Every girl would love the atmosphere here. Our server was friendly and polite. He explained their specials for today. Very happy when I saw one of their specials, Branzino, was brought to me; and 16oz NY steak for the gent. The fish tasted amazing. It was simply grilled, but so flavorful. I could not tell the seasoning used besides rosemary. The side veggies were not neglected either. Those roasted side veggies were probably one of the best cooked veggies I've ever had. The steak looked like it's cooked to mid rare. Mmmm, nice aroma. You said it's a good steak. But I know your "good" is usually others' "great". Your smile was telling me that you were enjoying your food. The dessert was Candied Bread Pudding. At the first scoop, I was already in heaven. It had a very smooth texture like a crème brûlée, and almost made me forget that this was a bread pudding. Every girl would love the atmosphere here, and food. Very sweet to bring me here to dine. I'm impressed... for the time being. Very sweet. 5 stars. read more

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Amazing amazing! Simply delicious. Loved every bite. And so did my husband.. he's a picky eater as well! We've have recommended our dear friend to bring his date Andrew over here in friday.. I know they'll love it! read more

A hot spot for agency folks on shoots in LA, have always heard great things. This place truly impressed. Impeccable service, amazing wine list; beautiful fresh food. The outside was magical. Loved everything about my experience here. read more

Absolutely one of THE BEST restaurants I've dined at in LA. Parking can be a pain in this area, so just do the Valet ($8.50). It's an inconspicuous little place right on Ocean Blvd between the touristy strip near the Promenade and Main Street. After you walk in the door, there are two sets of black curtains before you reach the dining area...signs of a restaurant that only locals in the know know about. The entire restaurant only seats about 70 people. The decor is gorgeous. Romantic, charming, rustic, intimate. Wooden ceilings, open brick fireplace they actually use to cook meats. Porcelain and tile displays. Small close tables with roses and candles in the center. Awesome place for a date (although not a first date, unless you plan to split the bill...) Caveat: PRICY. If money is no object, this place gets 6 stars. However, if you're part of the 99%, this place is one you should save for special occasions. Appetizers on average will run you $20, and entrees $50. Desserts $20. The menu itself is small, but every item has some unique characteristic to it. I was just so impressed by the dishes I got. There was not one dish that I didn't like, although I still have favorites. Sorry I don't have the official names from the menu, but here we go! 0. Drinks: both mixed drinks and huge wine menu are top of the line 1. Calamari: Very interesting texture; pieces are cute very thin, so it's not rubbery 2. Meatballs: Probably the most generic dish of the night; these are good meatballs, but not out of this world; I would skip if you're limited on the number of items you want to order 3. Burrata salad: Delicious. Everything was so fresh! 4. Octopus: Two large tentacles; grilled so well you won't even know you're eating octopus; almost tastes like you're eating some good fish 5. Eggplant with figs: I love eggplant. It's fried and there are figs with some veggie sides; Don't ignore the veggies. They are amazing, especially the cauliflower and brussel sprouts 6. Jamon: Sliced off this huge pork leg on display in the room, the slices are so thin and creamy, they will literally melt in your mouth; fantastic! 7. Tomato bread: Fresh-tasting, but not something I would order if you're limited 8. New York steak: Very nicely done; juicy, tender, served with grilled veggies and mashes potatoes; again, the veggies almost stole the show from the meat 9. Seared duck: Wow. Wow. Wow. Tender, juicy, with a side of veggies and polenta, this dish is not to be missed here. Doesn't have that game-y taste. 10. Lobster risotto: Perfect texture and taste; this was a crowd pleaser 11. Branzino: Fish with the skin is magnificent. Please eat the skin. It's the best part of the fish! 12. Truffle sweet corn ravioli: FAVORITE DISH. You're going to have a non-sexual orgasm. I mean, I love sweet corn, so maybe I'm biases, but the sweet corn pops in your mouth when you bite down on the ravioli, after which you will taste the slices of truffle they have sprinkled on top. 13. Cookie plate: So many different assortments, you will be fighting your friends for these. I was busy taking Yelp photos, so I got last dibs. ...ugh, the things I do for this site. Anyways, I had a small chocolate truffle filled with very liquid caramel. 14. Souffle: Best souffle I've had; they put a giant scoop of ice cream on top at the last minute, which made it out of this world; the souffle comes out hot! 15. Cobbler: Tart berries and great cobbler 16. Pear pie: Love the texture of the thinly sliced pears; crispy fine pastry Again, you probably won't love this place if you're nickel and diming, but I suggest that if you do come here, order to your heart's desire. It'll be a memorable meal. read more

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Capo is a very special restaurant. It combines intimacy with fantastic, local, seasonal food and warm service. I have been coming here for years and my only complaint is that they aren't open on Sundays. I always find myself near the beach on Sundays and unfortunately they are only open Tuesday- Saturday. The menu doesn't go deep in terms of descriptions. Sometimes a dish will be described with one word, ie tomatoes. But you can bet these will be some of the best tomatoes you ever have. Their menu is always inspired by the best of the Farmer's Market. They are famous for their corn ravioli. They are delicate little raviolis filled with a corn puree and served in butter. They are excellent and melt in your mouth. For entrees, I always order the Santa Barbara spot prawns when they have them. They are done in the wood oven and come out so sweet and tender. They are served with a little side of white beans. Excellent summer entree. The atmosphere is so romantic and warm. The wood oven off the bar lights up the whole room. It is a tiny restaurant so reserve in advance. It is quite pricey! read more

Had a good birthday dinner. Wait staff was excellent. Early into meal spotted an elephant tusk on display. Inquired and was told by staff that it was in fact real. Really would love to go back again when that is taken down. Decor makes a statement. And I can't support an establishment that makes a statement like this. read more

Okay, compadres...here's the skinny. Capo is another establishment owned by Bruce Marder (see my House Cafe review below)...place has been around since 1998 and is, arguably, one of the best restaurants (and for sure my personal favorite) in Los Angeles. The location itself is small - almost looks like it was someone's home converted into a comfortable, intimate space capable of doing about 2 turns a night. The bar seats about 8 people - the dining room (best guess) seats about 40 people. Reservations are a requirement. I've done some business dinners here with groups up to 6 people - I really wouldn't suggest going larger than that. The restaurant has an incredible wine list (not as amazing as Peppone's in Brentwood - but it's deep), though the by-the-glass options are pretty limited. I've always had great experiences with the wait staff (including bartenders) - helpful/knowledgeable without being intrusive. In the northwest corner of the restaurant, you'll find an open, in-house wood burning grill. Don't worry though - you won't smell like BBQ by the end of the night. As for la comida, well, you really can't lose here. I've eaten virtually everything on the menu - always fresh and prepared perfectly. There are staple items on the menu and others that change seasonally. Noteworthy items include: -For entrees, the bone-in steak options (bone-in filet is always fantastic), seafood (I had fresh wild King Salmon last night - freshly grilled - delicious!) and homemade pastas are ALL winners -For appetizers, I suggest starting with a pasta sampler plate (menu choices constantly change but I'm a huge fan of rigatoni with truffle meat sauce as well as pesto gnocchi); in addition, the heirloom tomato salad with burrata, prosciutto dishes, wild Brasilian lobster tail....the list goes on and on and on... -For dessert, the donuts and chocolate souffle (both items must be ordered at the beginning of the meal) are off the chain. The apple tart is amazing as well. I could spend a lot more time breaking down food flavor profiles and combos, preparation techniques and the like. Rather than drone on, however, I will simply say that this food is worth the price, period. All the more if quality, consistency, freshness and flavor are your thing. Good eating to you! read more

The question when reviewing is evaluating the uniqueness of the experience and value to the quality and quantity, and then couple that with other factors like location, ease of access (parking as well), and other logistical / operational factors. The service is good here as is the food. Parking is easy in that there's a $10 valet as well as, with the right timing, street parking @ $2 per hour and/or after 6pm in certain areas walking distance away, it's actually FREE. I like the food, it tends to be a bit on the pricier side, but you're getting quality. This is where the line between * * * which is A-OK and to me a good rating separates a * * * * rating to me which defines a great rating and a * * * * * rating which is simply an awesome rating, which I categorize as the type of place, if I were not local but ever in town, I'd make it mandatory to come back to visit as much as possible, and if local, I'd always keep it top of mind to take out of town guests too in addition to patronizing myself frequently It's a good place to go to, without a doubt, and I've been here throughout the past years multiple times. I'd actually give it between * * * and * * * * at around a 3 1/2 rating, but will round up to * * * * because it is a quality restaurant in a convenient location and overall is hassle free of an experience with tasty food. I think the biggest knock might just be in the overall pricing and what that same money can get at other comparable restaurants. They're known for their wood fire roasting preparation, and the steaks are excellent. The chocolate souffle cake for desert is the best. The side dishes are small, good for one or two to share per plate. We tried the mashed potatoes as well as sauteed spinach with our steaks. This is about a $100-150 per person restaurant figuring an appetizer is $25, an entree is $50, plus a side dish for $15, and drink/desert is another $25, plus you add tax (9%) and tip (15-20%) which adds another $25+ to the bill, and that's without a decadent wine selection. They have a very robust wine list in a very nice bound book presentation to choose from. The decor is quirky cool, so pay attention to the artifacts, they border on artistic pop culture styling and are fun to observe. The ambiance is a bit dark, so it's low lighting. It is or can be considered somewhat romantic, not too noisy. It's a somewhat small venue, so you should make reservations, and if you get the early one at 6pm when they open, you are better off. I know the later reservations are subject to table availability and sometimes patrons stay longer than anticipated, so there's an uncontrollable wait, but to the credit of the management, they do give diners a polite friendly reminder to move along after their meal (of course allowing for digestion and conversation) so others can get a seat and eat, respectfully. read more

Incredible Italian food. Romantic atmosphere and courteous staff. The rigatoni bolognese with truffle is absolutely divine! They also have outdoor seating now as well. read more

Thought we were going to get amazing Italian. Pasta and as bland, hard to connect for reservations even though the place was basically empty

This restaurant can be hard to find if you haven't been here before or do not know what to look for. So a couple of clues to look for is the valet stand. It's the only one on the block. Also, it's right next to Cora' Cafe. Valet is $10 unless you are lucky enough to find street parking on Ocean Ave. The ambiance doesn't scream dressy to me. I don't think there is a dress code, but men were wearing long sleeves with slacks. Women were wearing dresses. Make sure you make a reservation because this place is small and you won't be able to sit at the bar without a reservation because the bar acts as tables for dining also. Just be aware that it was uncomfortable eating at the bar. This restaurant is on the small side and probably seats about 50-60 people from what I can see. I made my reservation for 8:30pm and the only spots available was at the bar. Good thing I made reservation because when I sat down, there was a line starting to form at the host stand. I hope that management reads this review regarding the music. I don't have a problem with the type of music that was playing, but it was way too loud. It was hard to carry a conversation with my wife while sitting at the bar. Maybe turn it down a bit. The interior reminded me of a mountain like inn/cabin. There's nothing about this place that screams elegant or high end. Very rustic feel. Their wine list is really thick and expensive. I think the cheapest glass of wine was like $20 with an avg. of $35 per glass. According to their website, there's a $50 corkage fee. I'm not a wine connoisseur but charing $50 for corkage is just down right gauging. Their lists of wine is very extensive but be ready to pay a premium for it. On to the food. We ordered the burrata with truffles bruschetta ($32) and foie gras ($32) to start. The main dish was corn ravioli ($34) and I'm guessing 14-16oz. NY steak ($70) and volcano cake ($17) for dessert. There was also a 6 course tasting menu that costs $120 per person and I believe there's a 2 person minimum. Even if both individuals are getting the tasting menu, they will not be receiving the same dishes. Each person is subjected to what the chef decides to serve. Going the tasting menu route is being adventurous as you do not know what you are getting. The burrata bruschetta was such a rip off. In fact, everything here is double the price you would probably pay elsewhere for the same type of food. I was very disappointed with pretty much everything only because of the food cost. The foot itself tasted good, but the price that you pay for it was so not worth it. The bruschetta was good, but there was only a small spoon full of burrata instead of a whole one that you would normally get. If you are craving for burrata, go for the burrata caprese instead as that one actually looked more appetizing and you do get more for less money ($23). Be aware that the burrata bruschetta has an egg on it that you break the yolk over it. So if you don't like runny yolk on your bruschetta, don't get this. There were slices of asparagus on the plate and truffle shavings also, but still not worth the $34 price tag. The foie gras was just a small sliver, although good, was still overpriced. I'm actually ok with the amount, or lack there of, they served as you may know, foie gras is very rich and you will not be able to eat too much of it. Although the toast that it's served on was soaked in olive oil which I did not enjoy as the foie gras was already rich. It didn't need the olive oil soaked toast. The corn ravioli was good and sweet with a lot of shaved truffles. The dish is also rich so the amount being served was enough. But if you are hungry, I wouldn't recommend ordering this if this is the only thing you are planning to eat. The NY steak was a nice thick cut that I watched being cooked in the corner fire pit. The only thing they put on it was salt and a rosemary infused olive oil. There was no peppercorn or mushroom sauce that accompanied it. My plate had baby roasted potatoes and an onion ring. I have to say that the steak had enough fat on it and was very juicy. Normally it's not easy to have a medium cooked steak that's this thick. It was very tasty, but again, I can't see how they can justify charging $70 for it. Before getting our volcano cake, we were given complimentary assortments of cookies and biscuits. It was pretty good. Just keep this in mind before ordering dessert since they already give you this complimentary dish. Although, the volcano cake was very good. It would have been better if they served it with ice cream instead of whipped cream. You can see there's a running theme here, OVERPRICED!!! If the ambiance and comfort level of the restaurant was up to par, maybe I would have felt better paying the exorbitant amount, but definitely not worth it. read more

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Awesome spot..... Didn't have reservations on a packed Saturday evening, but they welcomed & accommodated us as if we did. We sat by the Wood Fire Grill while a table was being set up for us and the food looked amazing that was being cooked by the chef. After being sat, service was excellent from start to finish by ALL staff, that is something that is very much appreciated in today's restaurant atmosphere. I would definitely recommend this spot if you are visiting or live here... Great experience. The food was amazing & waiter knew entire menu through and through..... 5 stars all around.. Miami Guy read more

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For the price, very underwhelming. To start, the place is very cute and rustic. Lots of character! We have been here twice and both times we felt like there were things that could have been better...and I feel that when a restaurant is as expensive as Capo I have every right to be discerning. We got veal, salmon, for entrees. Salmon was great but the veal was chewy. Appetizer we got the crab cake and it was slightly warm...almost cold when it arrived...not acceptable for a $40 crab cake sorry. We got a potato side, i cant recall the name but it was just sliced potatoes that were broiled in the oven. No seasoning or anything it was the most basic boring flavorless thing you can image. I was very close to asking for ketchup. The wine is great and the desserts were excellent. Basically, for a $700 meal I want to be blown away and I was not at all. read more

Beautiful, elegant and so chic! Very special place tucked away in Santa Monica. Special moments!!

The steak, veggies, and blueberry crumble were good. HOWEVER !!!!!! This is suppose to be fine dining ? We didn't even have a server. Different waiters would just come by randomly and ask the same exact thing the other server did. One guy came buy and said "drinks?"... ummm no, we just ordered. Then after we ordered food another guy came around and said "ready for food?" No communication between the staff. The only good "waiter" we had was the manager. This place is a complete joke for the price. We asked about cabernets and the waiter just brought one bottle and poured it... $38 glass. lol. He was also extremely rude to my girlfriend when she was inquiring about wines too. Oh and everything else on the menu is grossly overpriced. The octopus appetizer was close to $40 for 2 little pieces that were not impressive at all. Small pasta dishes are $40. DO NOT GO HERE. Go to Barrique. Better food, Half the price(still not cheap), and the service doesn't compare ! read more

Celebrating birthday. Back again, I enjoyed the rack of lamb and the calamari Al forno (5 stars). They were equally as good as in June. This time, I also had the tuna tartare with leek and the steak tartare with fried potatoes accompanied with two slices of toasted bread. Both very enjoyable (4 stars). The service was top notch! Our server was very knowledgeable about food preparation and the entire menu. Very impressive, since the menu is fairly large. 5 stars for excellent customer service. We even got to sample Capo's Corn stuffed ravioli. I will definitely order that next time. It was tender pasta with a creamy corn filling with black truffles (5 stars). The disappointment came from the chocolate soufflé. (2 stars). I really should have sent it back, but I didn't want to wait for something else.The presentation (Happy birthday) was too special to return the dish. The edges were burnt and not tasty at all! But certainly edible in the center with all the light cream. read more

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Excellent Italian restaurant - the best in LA. Frankie and his team were wonderful and provided excellent service throughout the night. The short rib was decadent with many depths of flavor, as were the meatballs! We tried 5 pastas as well, which were all excellent. Do yourself a favor and come here ASAP. read more

The food here is fantastic. In particular, the white corn ravioli with shaved black truffles is one of the most amazing dishes I have ever had. Ever. The only knocks are that it is really pricy. It is fantastic, but seems overpriced considering what others are offering. read more

Quirky Italian hotspot that didn't disappoint but failed to wow. Food was very good with big flavors however was priced very high. I had the risotto with crab however crab bites were few. My friends order ravioli dishes which were homemade but salty and over abundant truffle which overpowered the dishes. These would have made better sides but at $30 a dish ... husband had osso buco but it wasn't impressive read more

Looking for a romantic restaurant with excellent service and great food this is your place! Every dish was excellent. Highly recommend! Nice hidden gem in Santa Monica. Request to sit inside if available. read more

The bone in tenderloin is crazy good. Forget the cost. If you want the best one you can buy it here. Wine selection is fair Desert is awesome. Management cares that your meal was good. They actually chased me out side to make sure i was happy. other notes. 1. get a reservation 2. try the bar for your meal. 3. get the tenderloin 4. get desert. read more

I visited here twice. The food is good; however, not worth the price. Everything is excessively overpriced. Service was as expected. The decor is filled with strange trinkets from grandmas house and space is extremely tight. You will be sitting elbow to elbow with other diners and experience long wait times for food. Expect to spend a lot of time and money, leaving a bit unsatisfied. Worth a try it but nothing to come back to. Best of luck with reading and also understanding the menu. read more

5th or 6th time we have been to Capo and without question the food is as good as anywhere. Normally we would have a steak or branzino but we were here for our anniversary with our son and girlfriend and they recommended a variety of pastas. The pastas were all insanely great, including the sweet corn ravioli that is really incredible, the quattro formaggi, the rigatoni with truffle meat sauce, and several more. On top of that we really overshot it and ordered Osso Buco and Veal Scaloppini. I would still always give 5 stars because the food is fantastic and the staff normally incredibly on point and friendly. The reason I go 4 stars here is that although, the hostess was very friendly and courteous, our server was absolutely terrible. What is bizarre is we have had her as a server before and although I don't recall her as a standout in this case she was beyond bad. I say this as someone who ALWAYS way overtips the norm so it couldn't be that nor would she remember me anyway as it has been months since we last dined there. I didn't say anything as I didn't want to ruin the mood and what was a wonderful evening but my wife mentioned this morning how really bad she was and we had not even discussed this after the meal. She was completely unfriendly; disappeared for long stretches, I had to ask for bread 3 times, she took away the olive oil for some unknown reason and we had to request it back, and to top it off we had 3/4 of the Osso Buco left and most of the veal, asked that it be boxed and then sat waiting at our table for 15 minutes after paying our bill without her showing up with the bag. Finally, my wife went to the restroom and reminded her that we had a to go bag. I actually hate to write a review like this singling out one person who may have just had a bad day or something and in fact my wife just walked in and said: "I feel bad. Don't write that," and I almost deleted... But, I do feel that it is important that when you go to such an exemplary and expensive restaurant like Capo, an important part of what you pay for is the entire experience and quality service is key to that enjoyment. We went to Mastros Malibu the other night and had a fantastic staff taking care of us and it was a solid 5 Stars although I didn't bother rating it. Also, as someone who owned a restaurant in Santa Monica I would always want honest feedback from anyone who dined there and to be ignorant of negative interactions would just perpetuate the problem. I don't want to throw anyone under the bus but if management reads this they might just remind "everyone" that one employee blowing it, no matter the reason, reflects unfortunately on the entire restaurant and, no pun intended, leaves a bad taste... read more

GEM GEM GEM!!!! Hands down one of the best Italian restaurants I've ever been to! So homey, romantic, and classy with some really cool art and decorations all around. Their menu is all inspired by fresh, Farmer's Markets products, with everything from delicious pastas and meats, to desserts made fresh when you order (they recommend you order dessert with dinner so it's ready by the time you're done with dinner). The atmosphere is very intimate. We almost felt like we got to know our waiter. The whole place seats around 50 or so guests so it really feels like family. They do long tables for bigger parties or intimate dinner for two for a date night. We shared the whole meal and it was perfect!!! Ceasar salad White corn Ravioli with Black truffles Rigatoni with meat sauce Bone in Filet Mignon Potato Gillette Tiramisu Fruit Crostada I'm absolutely coming back here, I honestly can't wait to return! read more

Capo was on my list as a "fine dining" experience". We arrived for a 6:15 reservation and were promptly seated. My first observation was the openness of the floor plan and the eclectic yet well curated art. Our service was professional/consistent throughout the evening. Details count: as in an amazing bread basket full of homemade specialties. Their thin, crispy rosemary and olive oil bread was off the charts. The bread sticks and other breads were excellent as well. Onto the wine story. Their wine list is vast, pricey and impressive. We had pre-decided on a Puligny Monrachet. After making my selection, we noticed a delay. That wine was not available, so unto choice two. Again a delay and by now we wanted wine-period-lol. At this point I said to my husband "if they don't have my second selection, the proper thing to do is to offer us an equal or better wine for the same price". Capo delivered. We had a 2011 Chasagne Montrachet that was a bit higher, offered at same price and excellent. Appetizers: Farmer's salad 'Crudo' -different selection of raw salad, the fennel and beets along with the dressing made this a good choice if you don't want a heavy appetizer Grilled Octopus- tender, the sauce had a kick Entrees: Bucatini Lamb Ragu-homemade pasta was cooked perfectly and the Ragu was perfectly balanced White corn Ravioli, Black truffles-wow, simply amazing Dessert: Chocolate Soufflé - outstanding Capo was definitely the fine dining experience we were anticipating. read more

Capo - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

The evening started well with a perfectly made Negroni and fresh bread served high quality oil but devolved into one of the most disappointing meals I've ever had in Los Angeles. Living in Santa Monica I was curious about Capo (4 stars on Yelp and fine dining prices, it must be good!) and decided to give it a try last week. What a mistake. The amatriciana was awful; the pasta was overcooked by at least 3-4 minutes, the chunks of guanciale were too thick and the chef added so much pepper to the sauce that it completely overwhelmed its flavour. The concept of "salt enhances flavor, pepper changes flavor" should not be complicated, but I digress. Moving on, the gnocchi had an off putting texture while the ravioli with shaved truffle were not as bad as the rest, but were still unremarkable. We then moved to a 75$ dish of grilled Salmon which was cooked almost raw, over-seasoned and served with a tiny scoop of "Joël Robuchon mashed potatoes" (the only thing good on that plate and a good approximation of the pomme purée served at l'Atelier de JR). We ended with a raspberry tart. The raspberries were delicious and were best picked off from the soggy, overly sweet cream and pastry that they lay on top of. A fun thing about dessert is that we were told that it "must be ordered at the beginning of the meal because all desserts take a long time to prepare". When however due to an allergy we asked whether a dessert included walnuts or not the server said that he had to check as "they bring them in". I suppose that asking you to order dessert at the start of the meal is a smart way to upsell something many customers would not get after trying the dismal pastas and mains. Service was very friendly, but slow and inattentive at times. The total came to 326$ for 2 pastas, 1 salad, 1 salmon, 1 dessert, 1 bottle of sparkling water and 1 Negroni. Capo is where abundant disposable income and mediocre Italian food meet and form a perfect union. read more

Came here for a business dinner last week and was delighted to be treated out for a night at Capo! To start + complimentary croquette - very smooth and velvety, not greasy, or oily. +/- burrata - glad they offered it, but not as memorable as the Lobster - artichoke - disappointed to find the leaves skewered together rather than served whole + scallops - my FAVORITE of the plates we ordered. Very tender and sweet and served alongside cheesy barley. I would come back for a glass of wine and this small plate alone. - lamb meatballs - not as good as Rustic Canyon. It was very plain and needed a dash of herb, maybe Italian parsley? Entree - freshly made white corn ravioli with shaved black truffle. I was FLOORED. Though this dish was VERY rich (served with a butter based sauce), it was heavenly. Sweetness of the corn, tenderness of the pasta, and then the essence of the black truffle - INSANITY! Dessert - whatever you do, you must order a souffle. You will not be disappointed. Order whatever else you'd like, but you MUST order a souffle. Observations to note * valet is available * street parking is hard to find * desserts are to be ordered upfront (when order the apps & entree) * the space is small - very rustic in feeling * bathroom is very clean and through the kitchen * appetizers are very difficult to share because they are small * desserts are large enough to share * service is SPECTACULAR * wine list is longer than most books Coming back for more? For the apps & dessert (souffle!). I won't be able to afford another shaved black truffle dinner on my salary! read more

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Such a HUGE disappointment. I was a regular before the pandemic and always loved the spot. Tonight I had a friend visiting from out of town, and I told him I will take him to the best Italian in town. When I made a reservation on the open table, I saw many very poor reviews, but I chose to ignore them - thinking NA this can't be true - that place was so good whenever I go there, it can not go downhill THAT much... well. Downhill it did. I had the worst experience I ever had in a restaurant in my entire life. It started with me walking in and the manager named Frank scalding me for "double booking the place" , when in reality my friend called them at 5 pm and asked to merge my reservation and his into one for the night we were coming in and they promised to do it ( we both booked the table by mitake) . I told Frank I do not want any drama and just want to have dinner in peace and asked to be seated. In 1.45 h they brought us a check. My friend when to pay the parking meter and asked me to order more wine for us. When I asked for one more glass, our waiter Abraham told me we have to leave ( even though our bill was over $ 500 and we wanted just one more glass of very overpriced wine) , and if I do not leave at once, Abraham told me he will call Frank to get us out of the restaurant. Apparently, according to Abraham, we were supposed to finish our very overpriced dinner in 1.45 h and since we were there longer, we had to get out. I said I did not appreciate his rudeness, and he called Frank on me. This all happened while my male friend was away, and Abraham and Frank both bullied me and told me we had to leave and leave at once. it was the most hostile and rude restaurant experience I had in my entire life. Trust me food there is not worth being kicked out after leaving over $500 for dinner for 2). The owner of the place, Bruce Marder, should be very concerned with the way his people treat his customers. We will NEVER be back. Oh and the 20 % tip included into the bill, so Abraham the waiter could afford being an Asshole, capital A, since we had to tip him anyway for being a bully and a jerk. unreal. the worst. Go to the coast in casa del mar to be treated like a human. read more