From beginning to end, this place was everything I expected and more. The service was great, and…read moreour host gave us some fantastic wine suggestions that paired perfectly with the food. The place itself was decorated amazingly! ​I've always said that the first thing that eats are the eyes, my eyes are what guide me to wonderful places. If it looks delicious, it must be delicious, and Companion does not fail. ​The Little Caesar: Hands down the best Caesar salad I have ever had in my whole life. The cheese, the texture, the dressing, and the crunch of those croutons, it was beyond delightful and excellent in every way. ​Radiatore All'Arrabbiata: The pasta was cooked perfectly, and that sauce was just beyond delicious. It wasn't too spicy; it was just right. ​Vodka Chicken Cutlet: Just... wow. The chicken was so good, and the vodka sauce was the perfect finish. ​Cannoli: We had to get dessert, and it was so good. Not too sweet, and such a great way to pair off the end of the meal. ​If you're looking for a spot that actually delivers on how good it looks, this is the one.

We just went for the first time. The place is cute. The food is ok. But something at the end really…read morerattled me. They treated me like a lawbreaker! They play vinyl records. The albums are all stacked throughout the restaurant. After we paid the bill (I left a 22% tip), I heard a song from my childhood. I saw the album cover on the shelf, so I went over to read the liner notes. I picked up the cover, looked at it for 20 seconds, then put it back. A moment later, the waiter returned and barked at me! He said the manager was upset with me, and I must NEVER touch the records again! What the hell? I'm not a child with gummy fingers. I'm 60 years old, and I know how to hold a piece of cardboard in a plastic sleeve. Getting yelled at was very strange. It suddenly made things awkward, and our group quickly ran out. Ugh. What a sour finish! We won't be returning. Judging from many other reviews, this place has a real attitude problem. Good riddance!

When I first arrived in Santa Monica from New York in 1993, I always opted to eat at a natural…read morefoods café just next-door to Fritto Misto, and I unfortunately never gave them a chance. Last week, I was in the mood for "Italian", and I remembered Fritto Misto, and I looked at their menu. They had meals that sounded delicious, and I was delighted that they served whole wheat and gluten-free pasta options. I wound up having a fantastic meal there, and I ate there again this week. Everything is so fresh, flavorful, and delicious! The environment is very warm and friendly, and the staff is very accommodating and helpful. I didn't feel like I had to choose between health and flavor when I was there; I got both! Bravo, Fritto Misto! A big thank you to Robert, the owner, and the two waiters/servers who helped me; Kevin and Carlos. Though I don't drink, a big thank you to the bartenders who were very friendly and helpful when I walked in.

Ambiance: - Located in santa monica, so parking is a bit…read moredifficult - Lots of seating inside and on the patio - employees friendly and helpful Food: - Artichoke & Mascarpone Stuffed Gnocchi: crowd favorite, good chew in the gnocchi - Black and White Spaghettini with bolognese: standard bolognese sauce, and good texture of the black and white noodles

First time coming to Felix, and I went for a girls' night on a Saturday night. We had a 7 pm…read morereservation, and we were seated within 5 min. Food: focaccia (sfincione) 10/10 Cocktail: 10/10 Pasta: 10/10 Such a beautiful Italian California cuisine.

Honestly pretty overpriced for what you get. highlights: -…read morelove the focaccia it's fluffy and has a great texture - diavola pizza was yummy, neapolitan style and very chewy crust with i enjoy - semi fredo chocolate dessert pretty good, tasted like a reese's pieces dessert bar. however i didn't love either of the pastas we got, the lemon one was okay but the cacio de peppe was very tough and none of the flavors stood out to me. service was nice and the place is pretty, they weirdly only have 2 bathrooms which is pretty limited for how big the place is. be prepared to spend at least 50 per person (probably more) as the portion sizes are really small. valet parking is $16 or you can circle the neighborhood to find street parking. i think the price really makes it overall 3 star for me unfortunately

ALL ROADS is an amazing Roman pizzeria specializing in pinsa and great wines…read more Located in Brentwood with a small private parking lot next to restaurant as well as some street parking. Great ambiance and exceptional staff. First time having pinsa and it was fantastic. Definitely a must try overall and definitely recommend coming here for it. We had the classic pepperoni pinsa which was airy yet crisp with wonderful spicy flavor due to the Calabrian chile and pepperoni. Other great dishes we tried were the polpette and the romini salad. Great starters and these two along with one pinsa were a great size for the two of us. Wine list is expansive with fantastic options. Excited to go back!

Came with a buddy for dinner and ordered a farro salad and a romagnola pizza. The farro salad was…read moredelish: dressed well, good mixture of farro and veges which meant good mixture of textures, acidic and felt super fresh which was great to start off the meal and for the summer heat. The romagnola pizza was decent. Maybe I'm not as huge of a fan of Roman pizza as I thought but felt the crust was a bit too tough and thick, the prosciutto was fine but would just slip off the pizza and it felt like it didn't have a spark of pizzazz that I was hoping for making it just one consistent salty flavor. Overall good was hit and miss, the service was decent, coming over to refill water carafes and checking in. Pretty decent meal and maybe we missed out without the pastas so overall it was ok.

Holy crap this place is incredible, and when I say incredible I mean LIFE CHANGING. I still think…read moreabout this place after it's been weeks. You want a really nice date spot with some Michelin level foods? This is the place. THE TARTARE: Do NOT skip this appetizer. This item will set the tone for your experience. I dont know how they seasoned this but it is probably the best tartar I have ever eaten. Every bite was perfectly savory, tender, and juicy. Oh my god if I could go back just for this I would. Absolutely incredible. Every dish here has to be a food buster, I was seriously mind blown at the quality of the food and the affordability of it. I love this place and if I ever see it again in my travels im going right away. PLAN YOUR DATE NIGHT. This place has achieved baller status.

After encountering far too many whole roasted cauliflowers that require awkward cutting at the…read moretable, I appreciated that Gjelina's wood-roasted cauliflower ($19) arrived already broken into bite-sized pieces. The flames caramelize the edges beautifully, giving the florets a smoky char while layers of garlic, chili, and vinegar keep the dish vibrant and addictive. If vegetables always tasted this good, convincing people to eat them would be far easier. The grilled squid ($22) also gets that char. The seafood is cooked perfectly so it stays tender while still getting a slight smokiness from the grill. Topped with a vibrant tapenade, beans, celery, red onion, and other vegetables, every bite feels fresh and lively. Still, the pizzas are hard to resist. The squash blossom pizza ($28) immediately caught my attention thanks to two personal favourites: delicate zucchini blossoms and burrata. The thin, blistered Neapolitan crust comes generously topped with baby zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and confit garlic, creating something creamy, fresh, and deeply satisfying all at once. Thankfully, the pizza was large enough to share because otherwise I may not have left any for my friend. Extra salt, dried oregano, and chili flakes arrive on the side for anyone wanting even more flavour. Honestly, I wish my trip had been longer just so I could return to try more of the menu. The gruyère and caramelized onion pizza and an anchovy-topped version all sounded interesting. Even on a Monday, Gjelina was packed through lunch service, with the back patio fully reserved. If you don't have a booking, it's worth arriving early or simply embracing the Venice lifestyle by heading to the beach first before returning for a later lunch. Some restaurants become famous because they're trendy. Gjelina feels different. It's the kind of place people keep returning to because the food genuinely delivers, even years after the hype began.

Such a special spot! Love the classic speakers, you got a DJ spinning scrumpcious beats, and the…read morekitchen is firing up some great plates...And the drinks....SLAM! Did I get all those descriptors mixed up? Music slams, kitchen is scrump....OH, this is creative writing, not grammarly. So, yes...tables are SCARSE! so you might stand and eat if you want, but here, the folks dance drink and drift. Super cool staff, and very nice atmos. Had the Aguachile pie, the Margherita, Salad pie, Clams, Tiramisu.....Let me take a moment folks....Tiramisu is not done right in MOST places, even claiming Italian. This dessert is one from Veneto, it is done with egg mostly yolk, espresso coffee, marcarpone cheese, and MARSALA WINE,...no sweet liquors or any other BS..its not supposed to be some sweet bomb dessert! Once you have it done right, and its fresh, you will see. This place out of so many I have tried actually does it right! Major points.We had a few other things linke Del Rancho, House of Learned Docs, and some Draft IPA. All solid, and some just great.

Not No Bar keeps it simple with wood fired pizzas and cocktails. There is extremely limited open…read moreseating and it the whole place gets packed on the weekends with standing room only. It's sort of like, with not much room to sit, and not much room to stand, they didn't decide which one they wanted it to be. The ambiance is cool with a vinyl DJ and the pizza oven out in the open. There's some outdoor seating and it's kid and pet friendly until the later evening hours. The cocktail menu leans tiki, and I had the "I Believe In Science" made with gin, Thai basil, watermelon and soda water. It really didn't taste like much. Their pizza menu changes from time to time. We had the clam pizza which was almost personal pizza size and cost a cool $27. At that price, I would expect to be blown away. Overall, the whole experience was underwhelming.

Met Her At A Bar is Santa Monica Main street at its absolute best…read more My husband and I have lived here for 10+ years and this is our new favorite restaurant in Santa Monica! Great ambiance, delicious food, and great service. It somehow manages to marry the polished, fun vibe of a trendy LA restaurant with the warm, nostalgic comfort of childhood. The design of the restaurant is gorgeous. The food is 10/10. The cappuccino is very strong. It's warm and welcoming. Thai omelette, waffles, pastas and salmon are all bomb.com. Our toddler is partial to the fresh squeezed orange juice and french fries. We've been here 8 times in the last 3 weeks and look forward to many more excellent meals here!

LOVE LOVE LOVE the staff. We have been waiting for Met Her for months. Chicken and waffles, poached…read moreeggs, salads- chefs kiss!

We went there to watch a game, and the first thing we were told was, "We're full," which honestly…read moremade it feel like they wanted us to leave. If you're promoting your restaurant as a place to watch games, you should expect people to stand when tables are full, especially since there seemed to be plenty of room to do so. The blond waiter could definitely use some customer service training. At times, he came across as rude and unwelcoming. I ordered three empanadas. The dough was excellent, and the filling had great flavor. They're also generously sized. My friends ordered the milanesa sandwiches, which were huge as well. The choripán, however, was served on focaccia bread instead of traditional Argentinian bread, which was a bit disappointing. Even though the service left a bad first impression, the food was good, and since it's a new place, I'm willing to give it another chance.

Was happy to see a restaurant back in this location again and was excited to try it out during…read moretheir soft opening week. While they are still working out some kinks, I really enjoyed my meal here. The space: still a bit empty in terms of art and decor, but it's a clean restaurant with an open kitchen, small bar (no alcohol yet) and plenty of seating. The food: We went with the calamari, grilled sweetbreads and a chicken milanese sandwich. All were fresh, tasty and very reasonably priced for a sit down restaurant. The milanese sandwich with fries is huge and plenty for two people. The service: this is a family run joint and it shows. Everyone introduced themselves to us, we felt very taken care of and they made some great food recommendations. Drinks: no alcohol right now but it's BYOB, which I may even prefer. They even brought us a bucket of ice to keep our beers cold. Overall, very nice first experience. They mentioned live music on certain nights in the future and Argentinian BBQ on the outdoor grill every Sunday. Definitely will check this spot out again!