I didn't quite realize that the concept of this restaurant has apparently changed a lot over the years, because last night's experience was very much a high-end steakhouse, which seems very different than the seasonal tasting menus that used to define the place. I was a bit taken aback when entering, if I'm being honest, because they had the world cup projected onto a wall by the entryway, which definitely gave more TGIFridays than Michelin Star Restaurant, but I get it, World Cup is a moment, people are into it, so slack shall be cut. Still, as first impressions go, it definitely threw us off a bit, for a second. Everything was really classic steakhouse, from the white linen tablecloths to the darker lighting, the rather "standard" seeming menu, very conventional, classic, American. That said, everything was elevated. EVERYTHING. The bread basket, who cares, right? Except it was exceptional. The saltiness and the rosemary on the butter was fantastic. I said to my friends, I could sit here and eat this all night. Every course was just on-point. 3/4 of us were blown away. 1/4 of us had a slight issue, the garlic cloves on his steak were somehow not as well cooked as ours; mine were perfectly cooked and mashed down with a light press of the fork onto the top of my ribeye; his were too firm and as such, had to be slid off to the side; they were almost raw, hard, and too intense to really be incorporable. We were too full for dessert, which is a bummer, because I suspect they'd be excellent, as were the cocktails, the salad course, the bread, the appetizer mac and cheese, even the grilled mushrooms were someone perfectly prepared. This 5/5 review was sort of a 4.9/5.0 because of my friend' undercooked garlic cloves, but honestly, everything else was flawless, just FLAWLESS. Would definitely return. read more

One of my favorite steakhouses in Los Angeles. Restaurant is located on Santa Monica. We made a last minute reservation and they were able to accommodate. The restaurant ambiance was the dark dim kind which is difficult to see but the food was exceptional. Our server was nice as well. Ordered steak, potato sides, and vegetables. Would come back. read more

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I'm a bit torn on this one. I would give 3.5 stars based on just the food and 5 stars for the service. I like to focus on the positive. so here we go.... Restaurant is dimly lit, intimate, very cool vibe. Servers and bartenders were all great. Super friendly and helpful with the menu. Good spot for a date night. Although it is a small restaurant so you end up sitting pretty close to your neighbors. We had the Parker rolls, those were my favorite thing we tried. So warm and flavorful. I could eat the whole loaf by myself lol Mushroom risotto was good. And the porterhouse steak was ok. Maybe my expectations were high considering it's a Michelin star rated restaurant, but I just wasn't impressed. And the "5% kitchen appreciation fee?" I've never seen that before so that was an unexpected and not so pleasant surprise. Overall a solid dinner date night, would I go back? Probably not. read more

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I recently returned to Kali after a few years to try their totally redesigned menu and restaurant. Starting with the restaurant itself. The new style and ambiance is great--dark Hollywood steakhouse feels. However, the service and food have honestly slipped a little more. Regarding service, the waitress we had was borderline rude. She would walk away from the table before we even finished sentences and often make us feel like she was in a rush. Drinks were a highlight on the redesigned menu. While no pairings or tasting menu, the drink menu was thoughtful and prominently featured a stellar martini section. The food was okay, with some amazing standouts. The steaks were a bit oil forward and under seasoned but perfectly cooked. I was put off they didn't have one filet on the menu. The sides were generally disappointing, most offensively of which was the scalloped potatoes that were gummy and greasy. The Parker rolls and the Caesar salad we had were good. But the standout honestly is still the ice cream dessert. Pricing is high end steakhouse pricing so expect $150pp. All in I say just go for a martini and ice cream. Ambiance: 4/5 Service: 3/5 Drink: 4.5/5 Food: 3/5 Value: 3.5/5 Consistency: 3/5 read more

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On my way to a private event, I stopped by to see if i could grab a quick bite. Lucky me, Michelin starred Kali has a bar menu with selections that seemed relatively quick to repair Opted to try their burger, as I've eaten at Amboy recently and plan to try the burger at Camphor in the near future. I was on the verge of ordering the shoestring fries, when I noticed they had poutine fries on their regular menu. Hard to resist poutine As expected, food came out relatively quickly, especially for a Michelin starred place, and the burger set a high standard. You could tell immediately from the first bite that the beef had been dry aged and was high quality. I also liked the poutine fries but I hope they offer multiple gravy options in the future, as this version may have been slightly too peppery for my taste, while still good. Service was helpful and attentive. Ambiance seemed unpretentious, with a nice soundtrack playing overhead Overall, my curiosity was piqued and I might return in the future to try their more standard steak options. Having just eaten at Gwen two months ago, Kali might prove to be a worthy comparison read more

Kali Steak - Poutine fries - Steakhouses Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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We made a reservation for early valentine's dinner and arrived 30 minutes late due to traffic, so it was really nice of them to still seat us. The service was friendly as well. The food was fine but there was no flavor that particularly stood out and lacked flavor cohesion as a whole. Unfortunately, the quality did not shine considering there was barely any flavor. I understand that we were late but we were rushed towards the end. The host took our food to pack it up but many components of my meal were missing when we arrived home, such as the sauce that we paid extra for. read more

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Looks like Kali ditched their tasting menu and converted into a classic Hollywood steakhouse in mid-2025 (someone correct me if wrong). We were looking for a place to have a nice dinner in the area after picking up a car key and settled on Kali. Overall it was a fine experience without, unfortunately, any real highlights or lowlights. Most things looked better than it tasted. My favorites were the Parker House Rolls--slightly sweet, a little chewy, and mega pillowy--and the shrimp cocktail. I can't remember the last time I had shrimp cocktail that wasn't Costco's so the perfectly cooked, flavorful jumbo shrimp was refreshing lol. I don't know what was on top (sea grass?) but I liked it cause it tasted mildly of the ocean. - Mac: creamy without much cheese flavor. - Pea tendrils: dunno what I expected, it was stir fried - Kali steakhouse fries: kind of insane and not what we expected because it was literally fried quarters of a giant russet potato - Potato A La Loaded: good, soft (not fluffy) on the inside and crispy on the outside and I imagine the skin should be eaten. Definitely not good if you expect it to be a cloudy soft twice baked potato like this other guy in the restaurant who complained it was overcooked and "inedible" - Pork chop: didn't look like 16oz at all, and wasn't a big fan because both flavor and texture tasted cured (personal preference) - Ribeye: probably 16oz, was fine, very thin though - Meringue gelato: basically whipped cream gelato with cured egg yolk shaved on top. The parts with egg was delicious but the egg to gelato ratio is so off. Pictures make it look like a small quenelle of gelato when it's the size of a navel orange and once the egg is gone, it's eating straight vanilla ice cream. They did not shave the yolk tableside so I couldn't ask for more. My husband loved his martinis. Grasshopper unfortunately came with a hair, probably just floated in on top of the foam. We did order quite a bit to try a few different things but in the end, this was still an almost $450 meal and for that price, there are a LOT of better options in LA. FYI, they add a 5% "Kitchen Appreciation" charge to each bill. On the menu in like 4pt font, it says it goes directly to the restaurant and you can have it removed which I didn't see. Supposedly it's used to provide fair pay and benefits to their full-time team. People say to just raise prices on the menu but given their $95 16oz ribeye and $85 12oz NY (no dry-aging or any special sourcing/treatment written on the menu), not sure how much higher they can reasonably go. read more

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My buddy flew into town on a Sunday and wanted to grab dinner on Monday. I was able to use OpenTable and book a restaurant after work Monday. When we got there the valet was easy to find but they also had street parking but looked difficult to find a spot. We shared a crab roll salad (I believe that's what it was) but totally thought it was going to be a larger salad. We also shared a 32 oz steak. We got two sauces that you have to pay for. I didn't think they were worth it as the steak was flavorful itself but nothing that stood out. The service was attentive. The restaurant is pretty dark inside but had a chill vibe. It was good but nothing to bring me back again. read more

Kali Steak - Steakhouses Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Kali has revamped into a steakhouse and somehow kept its Michelin star despite having a very unimpressive ribeye, so tendony that you could get better easily at the supermarket with your eyes closed and randomly picking. The shrimp cocktail was almost overfrozen and not worth the overhead price for a tasteless appetizer, while the raw beef appetizer was bland and unmemorable. Most of the dishes were a hard pass, so I either ordered incorrectly or Kali's previous tasting menu (which also was not the most impressive) has taken a far nosedive. Service, however, was still extremely excellent and the head chef and I were making polite and awkward nods as we jockeyed with each other for a viewing angle of the college football game projecting onto the wall. Kali's vibe clearly has tranformed into casual steakhouse bar, and it's fine for a normal night out, but I question the Michelin star. Dessert is Michelin worthy though hehe, and I loved the extra salted egg yolk that was added for mine (ty!) read more

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I honestly hate writing bad reviews especially when the staff was really nice. I really really wanted to love this place because I've heard of such good things about Kali 1.0. I came in reading a lot of these recent negative reviews about Kali 2.0, but I still wanted to give them a try. I've been to almost all the high end steakhouses in Orange County and quite a few in LA too and this is definitely at the bottom of the list. I booked a reservation in the dining room, which has a nice, dark ambiance, but switched to the bar because I am on a side quest to find the best burger and they only served the burgers at the bar (which is totally understandable). The burger bun was too thick and bready, which isn't a total negative, just different and not what I prefer, but the burger meat was a bit try. The flavors were a little unique and different (on a positive note), but overall it is a pass. We also ordered the striploin, the mushroom risotto, the scalloped potatoes, and the creamed spinach. The scalloped potatoes was the best out of the bunch, the creamed spinach came out lukewarm, and the steak was overcooked. I did have a problem during the ordering process too. There are 6 kinds of potatoes on the menu and I asked the waitress which one she would get and she said the shoestring fries because of the steak I got (steak and frites combo), only to come back 15 minutes later saying that my previous waitress from the dining room mentioned to her that she had written me down to order a steak but she didn't see it on my order, so she wanted to confirm if I wanted a steak because she didn't put it in the for me. There weren't that many tables at the time and we full on had a conversation about shoestring fries and you even mentioned that I ordered a steak, so I'm not sure how that was missed. This part is totally fine because I forget things all the time too and she took care of it immediately, but it was what happened afterwards that I wasn't too happy about. Because the steak was put in late, the steak sides came out about 15-20 minutes earlier than the steak, in which I had to ask if I could get it heated up again because these were ordered to be eaten hot with the steak. She immediately took care of it with a great attitude and said she should have realized that before it came out but the whole situation just seemed very messy and not what is expected at a Michelin starred restaurant. I ended the night with their famous meringue gelato and while it was lighter and creamier than a regular vanilla ice cream, it wasn't anything out of this world. Just a lighter version of a Costco vanilla ice cream if I'm being completely honest. read more

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Maybe I should not have ordered from delivery company! I saw steak tartar on the menu and it's one of my favorite dishes when I'm craving beef, however what I got were at small strips of sirloin which had been marinated and seasoned in a spicy method, not traditional for steak tartar. I don't eat spicy for various reasons, and I didn't understand why it was not a good ground sirloin rather than this presentation. I was misled and ended up tossing it. The online menu, btw, give zero description of the items. Also ordered a "loaded" baked potato. What I received was a small to medium sized potato , dried out and with dabs of ingredients and zero moisture. Go figure. read more

I thought I had written a review for this place but I realized I didn't so this is an old review. Husband & I came here for dinner back in 2023 to celebrate his birthday. Ambiance wasn't fancy but modern & intimate. Service was excellent from beginning to end. We had ordered from a tasting menu & Everything was outstanding. Each dish was aesthetically pleasing to the eye, bold in flavor, & very delicious. The meat was cooked beautifully, tender & juicy. The fish was flakey & not dry. As for drinks, we ordered red wine to pair with our meal. It's been a few years since we've been here but I'd like to revisit in the future. read more

Kali Steak - Steakhouses Near Me - Los Angeles, California

So much to love about the new Kali steakhouse and interior make over - the bar stands on it's own! In fact, it is my favorite part of the new atmosphere. We ate in the dining room and had a great evening. The only reason I am not giving five stars is that I prefer a thick steak, and the chocolate dessert had way too much coco powder. The drinks, appetizers, and sides were fantastic, and our server was professional and accommodating with a welcoming personality. I will definitely be back and have high hopes for another good experience. Maybe even a five star experience. Will keep you posted! read more

Went back less than a week later bringing friends. The whole team is great. Food is delicious, owners are hands on, hard workers, very knowledgable, always a pleasure to interact with. read more

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First night of Kali 2.0 on Friday, July 18. Gone is the tasting menu and a la carte menu. Hello to a steakhouse-style menu with classic appetizers and sides you'd find at a higher end steakhouse. There are options for those who are not beef eaters, including vegetarian options. New drink and wine menus as well. The food is delicious, and Chef Kevin Meehan and his crew are always consistent with making a great risotto, whether with Arborio rice or with wheat-berries. The ribeye steak is cooked and seasoned well. There is an option to add a sauce or two on the side for $6 each. While they don't have the traditional baked potato as a side, they have a variation of it which is par-baking it, smash it, deep fry it, and finishing it up in the salamander to melt the cheddar cheese on before topping it with crispy bacon pieces, sour cream and chives(?). It's an interesting take on the fully-loaded baked potato. Finished dinner with their Key Lime Pie, which was good but found the crust a tad thick. Service is attentive and friendly. Love the ambiance. The main dining room is now separated from the restaurant to provide a more private dining experience. Like with any restaurant, there were some minor issues associated with an opening/reopening night. Valet parking is off Lucerne (to the west of the restaurant) or street parking. Note, you cannot park on Melrose until 7pm on weeknights. read more

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After watching the Artemis 2 space shuttle return safely to earth, my friends and I were looking for a place for a cute Friday night dinner. Luckily, we were able to grab a reservation at Kali. There is a valet that serves a few restaurants on the block which is around $12. I was able to find a street parking spot less than half a block away. There is plenty of street parking on Melrose (free after 7 PM) and the surrounding streets. The hostess greeted us so warmly. One friend was having a drink at the bar when I arrived a few minutes early for our reservation- which never happens I am always late. They sat us immediately as our table was ready. The tables are very small. I'm not sure if it was the size or the round shape but it was very cramped especially if you are sharing food. And we ordered a lot of food! The drink menu - cocktails and mocktails was very limited, but you can order off menu. My friend ordered a Paloma (not on menu) , espresso martini, and I don't drink so I had a Kali spritz . It's a non alcoholic aperol spritz and it was delicious. Next time I would just ask for it to be served in a wine glass. Paper straws only so drink fast! We ordered so much food, but the Ceasar salad deserves an honorable mention . The anchovy added the right amount of salt and flavor to the salad. The little gem salad was interesting. The dressing was very light and enjoyable. This is a must try if you like poppy. The bread service was nice and the butter was so soft it literally fell off the knife and the salt on top was the perfect amount. The skillet it comes on is very hot and it was a bit challenging passing it around with the shape of the tiny table. Additionally, we had the risotto and this was 10/10. My friend and I split the salmon and the sauce that came with it I could literally drink straight from the container. The skin was perfectly crispy and the salmon meat soft and juicy. The carrots. The carrots. I repeat -the carrots. Get the honey carrots- vegetables prepared in a spectacular way and so colorful. My friends both enjoyed their steaks and said the black truffle sauce paired perfectly. I tried the truffle sauce with the carrots and a definite yum. I skipped the asparagus because I had enough greens with the salad but my friends rated it 7/10 . The scalloped potatoes 9/10- full of flavor and tlc . The desert menu had a good amount of options, but the key lime pie called to me. I'm Floridian so my standard for key lime pie is high. This was one of the best key lime pies that I've had outside of the keys . Sweet but not too sweet with the perfect amount of meringue. And the key lime flavor was mastered. 10/10 must have. I would go back and just have the Kali Spritz and key lime pie. The servers all share tables so you never have to wait for service and it can come from anyone . But in our case it was always a smiling face. They add a 5% kitchen fee to the entire bill. Not sure if anyone ever mentioned it. Our bill was pricey but it is a nicer restaurant. Kali is not an every day spot or every once in a while spot . This is a special occasion place and the quality of the food reflects it read more

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Dinner date 12/14/25. Unassuming restaurant. Sorta empty during prime dinner time, though it was indeed a Sunday. Dark, old timer vibe aka my vibe. We shared the wedge salad. It was huge. It was, in fact, a whole half of a lettuce head. Not a wedge. The avocado tasted a bit funky. Bone in rib-eye for the main, with the smoked mushroom and poutine fries as sides. Man, the rib-eye was amazing. The mushroom was beyond expectation. Drinks were strong. The meringue gelato was the perfect ending to a good meal. Service definitely has some room for improvement. Why is there a mandatory 5% kitchen appreciation fee? Very affordable for a one star Michelin establishment. read more

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Walking into this dim lit restaurant was very welcoming. We arrived a bit early due to the rain and we live 45 minutes away. They kindly accommodated seating us early which was wonderful. We found this beautiful restaurant online and wanted to check it out. The service from arrival, ordering and departing was lovely. We ordered bottled still water and Dirty Martini for beverages. The martini was excellent! One of the best I've ever had. Our appetizer selections were Rolls & Wedge salad. Rolls came with a creamy butter and the wedge salad was so good. For dinner we had one of the Specials for the evening which was a 31 oz. Ribeye with Kali Steak Sauce & Perdue Sauce. The steak came with 3 variations of garlic which were so delicious we didn't even need the sauces but we of course used them anyways because they were also very yummy. The sauces were very flavorful and enhanced the juicy steak flavors even more. For sides we had the Kali Potatoes & Smoked mushrooms. I can't say enough great things about the smoked mushrooms. These with the garlic and steak were mouth watering delicious! Highly recommend the smoked mushrooms with steak! For dessert we ordered the Egg yolk gelato (recommended by the gentleman sitting next to us) & Crème Brûlée. I'm so happy our table neighbor insisted on the Egg Yolk Gelato because it was so much better than I expected. It was such a creamy vanilla flavor with candied yolk sprinkled on top. I would highly recommend that! The crème brûlée was also one of the best I've ever had. The toasted sugar crème was a little extra toasty and added such a great touch to the flavor. Overall I would highly recommend this place! It definitely met the expectations of a Michelin rated restaurant in terms of service, food and overall experience. read more

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The ambiance of this restaurant is definitely of a Michelin star level. I dined here with my boyfriend for dinner and the booth area was quite dim and fancy looking. We decided to come even though I did a big disservice to myself and the restaurant - I was sick at the time. Albeit, I had a very pleasant time here. Service was exceptional - super attentive staff who would wipe away every single morsel of food that escaped onto the table. We ordered a few mains and appetizers - my boyfriend loved their steak. It was super juicy and tender. I got their mushroom risotto and mushroom Wellington. We also got a side of Mac n cheese to share. At first bite, I thought the food was okay, realizing I probably couldn't taste it as much due to the cold. After a sip of coke, I took another bite of food and suddenly all the flavors were enhanced and I could finally taste it in all its glory!! I don't know how, but the coke temporarily fixed my sick taste buds. I'd continuously take sips of coke to make sure I could fully taste the delicious food. After figuring out that tiny trick, I started enjoying the food a lot more. The ice cream was an interesting take, a bit more salty than I'd like but still good. I would consider coming back if I wanted to treat myself out, since they are on the pricier side. Overall a very good restaurant to try. read more

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Wow is this place overrated. Such a bummer. The service was lovely, the gelato was insanely good, and the interior vibes are good. Where it falls apart, the food. The ribeye was 16oz of fatty beef. The creamed spinach was less creamy, more green (matter of preference, here), puréed potatoes were average. The absolute gem, the gelato. So, so good! That said, I won't be going back. :( read more

Kali Steak - Ribeye - Steakhouses Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Food is exquisite The atmosphere is casual and warm The owners are really friendly and do a great job both in the kitchen and with service read more

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The food was phenomenal. I live in LA and eat out a lot and this was the best meal I've had this year. Their ribeye steak was incredible and definitely recommend the sauces that go along with them, especially the Horseradish Cream and Kali Sauce. The beef tartare was perfect. I still dream about the house made rice cracker that comes with this dish. It was my husband's birthday and they made it such a special night for us. Service was exceptional. Desserts were phenomenal. Worth every penny. Can't wait to go back! Also love the vibe change between the dining room and the bathroom. Loved Kali and we look forward to our next time there. read more

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The old Kali restaurant menu was so much better than the current menu. First off, we waited 15 mins with a reservation so the time management is off. We knew the restaurant changed and the more recent reviews were not stellar so we had lower expectation going into the restaurant already. I was just relieved to see that the original Cali meringue gelato is still on the menu and that's really what i came for. As for the food, the Parker house rolls were drier than before. I'm not sure if this is a quality control issue but definitely not the same moist rolls I had two years ago. The mushroom risotto and scallop cake were good. The scallop cake was probably the highlight of our meal. The drinks were still really good. I'm glad that didn't change. My bf got the ribeye. I warned him that the steaks have bad reviews but he wanted to see it for himself. The steak he ordered was the 16 oz, but looked more like 12 oz. The ribeye was good but def not worth $95. The most disappointing was my Cali meringue gelato. Not frozen enough and was semi-melted by the time we dug into it. Just not how I remembered it. Tasted more like whip cream than ice cream. I miss the old restaurant. The cigar tartar is gone. The attention to detail on each dish is lost. We had such a great experience two years ago. Just so sad... def not Michelin quality anymore. read more

We are long-time Kali fans and neighbors, so we were happy to be in attendance on the first night of Kali 2.0. The restaurant had been closed since January for an extensive renovation, and it reopened on July 18 with a totally different concept. Instead of the fancy tasting menu restaurant that earned and maintained a Michelin star, it is now being billed as a Hollywood steakhouse. I loved the old Kali, so I can't say this was an improvement, but I was overall pretty pleased with our dinner. There were a few things I thought could be better, many of which I expect to work themselves out over the first weeks of service. Most notably, I found the space and atmosphere somewhat lacking. Kali just didn't have the same budget as, say, The Benjamin, and it wasn't quite achieving that dark classic steakhouse vibe. Old Kali was bright and cheerful, not lavishly designed but with white walls and windows that let in a lot of light. I felt like New Kali was fighting those positive attributes, with dark furniture, dark carpeting, dark walls and dark window covers, all of which were still bathed in enough early evening L.A. sunlight to make them look drab. I hope the walls have at least been decorated since our visit. Service was a little bumpy, but not in a way that bothered me on what was essentially an opening night. Everyone seemed very friendly and eager to do a good job. We ordered a bottle of wine that couldn't be located, but the replacement recommended by the sommelier was both great and significantly cheaper. The one weird thing was that no one seemed to know what the "Kali steak sauce" was off the top of their heads, but I'm sure they've figured it out by now. The food was excellent, with one minor miss: the Parker House rolls were kind of dense and bland, though they did come with some nice rosemary butter and sea salt. The other starter we got was the jumbo shrimp, and this was just right. Three plump, juicy shrimp served on ice with cocktail sauce and a wedge of lemon. We got Mama Leone's rigatoni and the 16 oz. ribeye for our entrees, and I wouldn't have minded having these coursed out separately, as this was a lot of food to get through while it was all still warm. The rigatoni was tasty and comforting, with marinara sauce, ricotta cheese, and fried basil. Not quite a landmark pasta, but we certainly enjoyed it. The steak, on the other hand, was outstanding. Tender and juicy with a handsome crust, served with roasted garlic and lemon, rosemary, flaky salt, and a dab of a strong, flavorful sauce that tasted like black garlic and other good things. We did also spring for the Kali steak sauce, which was a great, vinegary sauce in the A1 genre. We ordered two sides, the skinny fries and the Brentwood corn, and both were fantastic. I was relieved to see Kali's iconic meringue gelato on the dessert menu. They didn't shave the cured egg yolk this time, but I hope they retain that bit of theater, even if it is a bit Kali 1.0. The gelato was as light and lovely as ever, finished with that sweet and salty sprinkle of yellow yolk. We also got the key lime pie, which was classic and satisfying. This wasn't a perfect dinner, but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and hope Kali sticks around for many more years to come. We plan to be back soon and look forward to our next delicious steak. read more

You TRULY cannot go wrong with anything at Kali. In fact, I often leave surprised after trying any new dish because they're so good. The Pea Tendrils are to die for and I crave them all the time -- so be warned. The cocktails are fantastic, wines and wine recs are always perfect, too. So glad they're still doing their infamous ice cream. And most of all, so glad the service is still amazing! (Oh and the new decor is so much vibier!) read more

Kali Steak - Pea tendrils - Steakhouses Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Absolutely delicious. Killer martini, service and vibes. Seating is comfortable and in booths, food is incredibly rich and flavorful. Well worth the cost. Thank you, Kali! read more

KALI - IT'S CALLED KALI STEAK, BUT GO FOR THE PASTA I make my own reservations, pay for all my meals and tell it like it is. I want restaurants to do well as I enjoy going to them and being amazed by talent in the kitchen, the staff, the overall spaces and the experience.  Kali changed over time and now leans in as a Steakhouse with other items, hence "Kali Steak" as the name. What is really happening is that the steak program is not strong and the pasta and salad program is quite strong. I would also say that the Bar/Martini program is quite good as well. Service is short-staffed and well intentioned and the overall space is nice. We went on a Tuesday night for our anniversary and we are repeat customers. Last time we sat at the Chef's counter and it was one of the best meals I have had in LA in a while. We were celebrating, so we wanted a GREAT meal and were ready to try a lot of items.  The Space: As for the space, there is a large bar, no one was seated there when we went, but it could be on a busy night. The bar was surrounded by a room of high top tables, again, empty but for 2 tables. The main dining room is small but nice and bathed deep in rich color. I could see this restaurant full on a Friday or Saturday. We were seated at a small two table in the main, small, dining room. The Food:  We started with a stellar "skate" martini, served perfectly cold and with a great presentation. Bravo! I actually had two during my meal. Note that they are $24 each which added a lot of $$ to our meal.  Next was the Parker House Rolls - fantastic bread that you will devour. Stellar with the rosemary butter! It does take a while to get that bread, but it is worth it.  Next was the Tomato Salad, a wonderful Italian style salad with an excellent "knife through the heart" presentation. This too was stellar.  We ordered Mama's Pasta, Mushroom Risotto and the smaller RibEye 16 oz (there is a big RibEye of 32 oz which was tempting, but when I asked if it was thicker, as I like a thick steak, I was told "no its only larger it total size, not thickness. Too bad!).. for our main meal. What you need to know here is that orders are put in, and then the waiters "fire" each part of the order as the others come out or are done. What is of issue here is that if you don't tell them you want your steak and pasta together or certain items together, you wait...and wait....then one pasta comes out, then the second, then, probably at the 90 minute mark, the steak will come. By two hours, you might complete dinner.  The Mama's Pasta came first and I will easily say this was one of the top pastas in LA I have tasted. It's right up there with Mother Wolf or Locanda Portofino. It's sooooo goood! A must to order or take out!  The mushroom risotto followed that and it was also perfectly cooked, great tasting and a nice warm dish on a cold night.  The table next to us ordered different things than us. Their salad looked fantastic as did their drinks. They seemed to enjoy that part of the meal. The gentleman ordered the 16oz RibEye and ended up sending it back, telling the waiter it was "one of the worst steaks he has ever eaten in a restaurant." As we looked around a lot of people ordered steak, but a lot of steak was left uneaten. We ultimately, due to how long dinner was going and the comments from our neighbors, cancelled our steak. Desert was comped to us and it was good. It is called the Original Kali Meringue Gelato - very good!  My takeaway is 3 stars. Stressed service, understaffed, and sent back steak at a steakhouse is not a good look. Great bread, pasta and salad! Stellar Martinis. It's pricey (see my bill). Kali Steak could be quite good, with some changes, but go for the pasta - it really is quite good! read more

Kali Steak - Steakhouses Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We went for dinner a few months back and went with the Kali chefs tasting menu. They allowed one of us to make a substitution to the Crowded Beach, which we had really wanted to try, for one of the courses. Overall it was an excellent meal with great service as expected. All the courses from start to finish were absolutely delectable, and we were stuffed and satisfied by the end. I'm not a real big dessert person, but I have to say the gelato at the end actually ended up being one of my fav courses and find myself craving it from time to time. I'm sure we'll be back soon, especially for that absolutely delish gelato! read more

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This place was amazing. From the food to the atmosphere and decor to the service. We had a lot of the menu. My favorite was surprisingly the mushroom garlic risotto. It was very garlicky and it had it good savory taste. The duck breast was tender and cooked very well with the flavors mixed well. The rock cod was very good and the sea urchin pasta was very delicious and creamy and not overly rich. The dry aged yellowtail crudo was also excellent along with the pacific gold oysters. The fried avocado salad was also great. We had three dessert items that were great. The seasonal sorbet was great (strawberry) and the chocolate tartlet were awesome, I don't recall the other one. The service was superb, it was paced very well and the server was very attentive and knowledgeable about the choices we had questions for. The drinks were also very good, I had the green peppercorn pilsner that was great and they also have absinthe! Cocktails were all around great from the group. read more

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We tried Kali Steak because we saw the recent buzz in social media. Unfortunately we were disappointed in the meal. A few points: Noise: moderate to loud. At times I couldn't hear my husband across the table. Dress code: I saw casual to trendy Valet: $15 The martini and Hans Gruber cocktails were good. The Parker house rolls were good but the bottom had an eggy flavor. The beef tartare was good once we added pepper. The shrimp for the shrimp cocktail was ok. My husband's ribeye was cooked close to requested temp but slightly overcooked. My New York strip was overcooked. It was thin so it's easy to overcook. They brought me a new one that was cooked better. It was very sinewy/tendon-y similar to another recent review. The macaroni and cheese needed seasoning. The loaded potato was ok. We skipped dessert. Overall, if we want a one Michelin star steakhouse, we will go to Gwen. read more

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I've been eyeing Kali for a while but just never had a chance to dine here until recently. We came on a Wednesday night, close to closing time, and I really appreciated them accepting us and letting us dine so late. With one Michelin star, I expected it to be tasty but a bit pricey. They had the Dine LA menu available, so we ordered one of those and added a few extras to try more things. The food was incredibly enjoyable. Fancy food doesn't always feel worth it to me, but at Kali, it was definitely amazing. The seafood was fresh, and the presentation was excellent. A few of my favorite dishes from the night were the acid trip tomato salad, beef tartare cigar, roasted lamb chop, the Crowded Beach appetizer, and the bread was amazing. Also, a big shout-out to the gentleman at the bar who mentioned he worked with his sister--he was awesome. For a Michelin-rated restaurant, it exceeded my expectations, and I can't wait to come back. read more

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I decided to come here on a whim, and so happy I did! I started with the Crowded Beach, which is a seasonal appetizer. I really enjoyed having the assortment of fresh seafood (see picture), and it was a unique way to start the meal. I also had the Scallop Crudo, and it was fresh, vibrant, and beautifully presented. For my main, I had the Roasted Duck, which was absolutely delicious. The flavors were rich, and the texture was spot on and definitely a standout dish. The service was exceptional - attentive, friendly, and well-paced throughout the evening. The ambiance is also fantastic. While it can get a bit loud due to the open kitchen concept, it still works well for a date night. I also loved that the vibe wasn't overly formal or pretentious, especially for a Michelin-starred restaurant. One of the things I really appreciate is that Kali updates their menu seasonally, so I'm excited to come back and see what new dishes they'll offer next time. Highly recommend! read more

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Avocado was far from ripe, topped with crab that tasted fresh out of a can. Ribeye was cold / poor cut, scalloped potatoes undercooked and over-seasoned with nutmeg. Waiter did not ask what we thought of the food. Good wine and fine environment. read more

Horrendous. I was a big fan of the old Kali, and am so sad it's gone. This new steakhouse was awful. Anyone who enjoyed and appreciated the old Kali would not like this new, completely different restaurant. We reserved not realizing there was essentially a completely new restaurant riding off the coattails of the original Kali. We felt duped. This new steakhouse should be called something else, because there is no overlap between the patrons of the old place and this new one. THE FOOD: The worst. Everything was oversalted. The pea tendrils were such a salt lick that it stung my mouth. We had to send them back. I ordered the ribeye medium rare with horseradish. The rib eye was so dry. There was zero juice on my plate. Maybe it didn't rest or something, but it was quite disappointing for $90. Again, way too salty. There were actually sizable salt crystals I removed from both sides. Horseradish was quite liquidy, not creamy. Wedge salad was meh, nothing to write home about. Scalloped potatoes were not correct; the cheese was all still liquid and there was zero crispy/crusty top layer. I think the potatoes were a little overdone because you didn't get that chew you want. Although cute, I'm going to guess cooking them in ramekins is probably why the execution failed. THE AMBIANCE: dark, closed off, not sexy, carpet, and it got quite warm towards the end (I think they turned off the AC toward the end of our meal but before closing). It's too bad they spent all that money when the prior setup and decor were great. For what it's worth, I usually leave great reviews when I find a gem and don't really bother to call out the bad ones, but I couldn't hold back here. This restaurant needs to be renamed. There will be zero Michelin stars, but I don't think that's what they're going for anymore. read more

This is a Michelin 1-Star restaurant. They recently remodel the restaurant and redid their menu. The food is AMAZING!!! My boyfriend and I went there to celebrate our anniversary. We both ordered Filet Mignon with some sides. Every dish was unusual and delicious. read more

It's been a while since we were last here, and it's hard to do restaurant repeats with so many amazing places to eat in LA. This is our third time back, and we've loved it since our first visit. It seems to get better each time. Our whole table chose the dineLA menu. We started with oysters and prawns--the oysters were so creamy, and the prawns were cooked perfectly. Next came the scallop crudo, and we all scraped every last bit from the bowl. The tomato salad was incredibly tasty with its avocado sorbet. This is what made the chef above other chefs. So much thought process went into this dish... and every component worked perfectly together. The uni pasta was good, but it's something we can get at other places, so it didn't feel as special. The last course was the lamb chop--so tender and perfectly seasoned. Overall, we all loved our dinner and would definitely revisit this place again in the future. read more

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Interior is more like a hospital waiting room. We asked for a larger table for our party of 6, but we're refused (larger tables were available, and the restaurant was not crowded). Waitress complained about her 20% tip. read more

Came here for my birthday and because my friend was raving about the steak here The pasta we got tasted so perfect, and the steak truly was the best medium rare I've ever eaten. The ambience is very cozy. I felt truly served while I was here, and at the end, they gave our table their handmade gelato, which was literally the best thing I've ever put into my mouth. It was such a calming and beautiful experience, and I can't wait to go back read more

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So many basic, unforced errors. Never again. Ordered wine. Menu listed a Cote Mas Cremant Limoux, white. What they brought was the rose variant. Vivino shows the rose as being $6 less per bottle and .4 stars less. So they advertised one thing, and served something cheaper. Bad start. Ordered our food, including bread. Chef was chatting up the table next to us at length. Telling them about his philosophy and how he wants to be the best in any room. While he was continuing to talk at them, our salads came. The tomato and burrata salad was quite good. Lone bright spot in the meal. Waited for our food. Asked about the bread. Finally it came (right before the entrees) and the waiter made an excuse about how the chef was slammed with so many bread orders. He wasn't slammed, he was chatting up the table beside us forever. And further unbelievable because I doubt it's the chef who is warming the bread. Plus the bread arrived cold (more like it was sitting rather than hot out of the oven), and had the consistency of wonder bread. It's hard to screw up bread, but somehow they managed. I ordered the salmon, well done, and my other half ordered the filet cooked medium. My salmon arrived barely cooked, and completely unsalted. I can't remember the last time I sent something back, but I did here. They brought the salmon back slightly warmer but no more cooked, and still without salt even though I specifically asked. Meanwhile, my other half tried to eat his filet, which was nearly raw. See photo. Another waiter or host (not busser) cleared our dishes and I asked him to box the uneaten food so I could take it home. He snapped at me asking if I wanted to box it myself. No, but if you're clearing the entries table rather than just the food, and not communicating that you're boxing anything g, then yes I'm going to ask what I'd like boxed. And no, you don't have to be a d*ck snapping at me in front of my spouse at the end of a cr*ppy experience. Add to that, they had a big screen projection of sports in the bar area. Felt really downmarket. Literally a sports bar right next to an upmarket dining room. Oh, and they had the audacity to charge a kitchen appreciation fee after all this. I was eager to leave, so didn't fight it. But it was just one more ding to a lousy dinner. To sum up, barely edible food, dishonest service, chef too busy making guests listen to him to tend to the kitchen, and wildly overpriced for student-level cooking. Felt like bad reality tv. They would have been Chopped in the first round. read more

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Came here for dinner the other night and it was a phenomenal experience. Kali restaurant is a Michelin 1 star organic, farm-to-table, new American California-focused restaurant. Made a reservation and my table was ready upon arrival. Dining is available at the bar, including some seats that feature a view of the open kitchen, or in the dining room. There is no dress code at Kali and most diners were dressed casually with some opting to dress up. The menu features a la carte dining or tasting menus with raw oysters and uni, both of which I'm not a huge fan of. Opted for a la carte and started off with the market salad which was breathtaking. There were a ton of vegetables, some cooked, some raw, some cured and some not. I loved the contrast in textures and flavors. Everything was super duper fresh. The complimentary bread was decent and came out warm with some butter. Opted for the duck breast entree and it was fantastic. The skin was super crispy while the inner part of the breast was cooked to a perfect medium rare. The squash and nuts that complemented this dish were phenomenal. Portions were gigantic...quite unlike a 1 star restaurant... Opted to skip dessert and the staff brought over a truffle to end the meal which was splendid. ~$111/head after tax, gratuity, along with a 5% staff appreciation fee. read more

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