I went to this restaurant on a Sunday in the early evening with a friend. It was not crowded at all, which is great because it's a pretty small restaurant. We had a reservation, so it would have been fine anyway. The menu is super simple in the sense that it's not very descriptive and doesn't have a lot of words, but the servers are very nice and helpful. For example, I told the server that I had dietary restrictions, and I told them what they were. He took my menu and marked it up with what I could and could not eat and what could be turned vegan for me, which was super helpful. The food was also really good. My favorite dish was actually the crispy potatoes. I didn't expect the level of flavor that came on them. The cabbage was good as well. I've never had cabbage layered with flavor and infused with herbs like that, so that was cool. I've also never had crispy rice, so that was a good experience. We had ours without the egg yolk in it. The fish, which is listed as a yellowtail, was pretty good. The cauliflower was one of my favorites, along with the potatoes, and I like the olives. It was a nice touch as a quick appetizer while you wait for your food. The service was just really good. They were very accommodating and very patient, and the restaurant is very clean. The bathrooms are clean as well, so I would definitely come back here. I thought the vibe was welcoming and nice, and the quality of the food was delicious. read more

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I've had dinner here many times, and it's always a great experience. The service is consistently good, the wine selection is excellent, and the food is genuinely delicious. My favorite thing on the menu is the crispy rice. My only qualm is that they charge what they do simply because they can. I've accepted that the food and the prices don't match when I decide to go here. A $36 cabbage steak and a $24.00 artichoke feel hard to justify (the best wood-grilled artichoke is up the street for $15.00 at Little Dom's). I also frequent Kismet Rotisserie next door, which makes the pricing even more noticeable. My second favorite dish here is the braised half chicken leg, $36.00. It's delicious, but on my last visit I couldn't help thinking that I could walk 20 feet next door and get a whole chicken from the same people for $29.50. I think for $36.00 it should at least be half chicken and more lima-beans or something. That said, it's still a super cute spot for date night, dinner with friends, or even dining solo. I definitely recommend it, just go in knowing the prices are a little audacious. read more

I walked into Kismet having heard high praise, and it definitely met those expectations. The atmosphere was lively and aesthetic, and the service was kind and quick! Started with the crispy cauliflower - flavor was amazing, crispiness could be improved. The sauce was delicious but honestly seemed like a cop out pairing, ultimately it was a good dish though. The barbari bread and marinated feta was the star of the meal. The mango on the feta was crazy good, creating the perfect bite with the marination. This is one thousand percent something I'd return for! The tahdig was unfortunately a miss for me. Very crispy to the point of being a bit tough, and the seasoning on the inside wasn't quite as flavorful for me. We didn't eat much of this in the end. The chicken leg was incredibly well seasoned, with the greens coated in a delectable and well pairing sauce. The chicken was pretty well cooked, it could be a tiny bit juicier but one of the better chicken dishes I've had for sure. For dessert the strawberry hibiscus cheesecake was also great! The strawberries were marinated in hibiscus tea, which was a perfect tart topping with the creamy cake and the lightly salted crust (amazing crust btw). Kismet was definitely a standout meal that I'm looking forward to trying more items at! read more

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It wasn't too busy inside when we arrived. The Phyllo pies came with two and are crispy on the outside with lemony chicken & pine nuts inside. The Shrimp + shishitos are delicious soaked in the sage and dried rose butter. The Autonomy farms flatiron steak was juicy & tender and the salsa verde was a great combo. The Malawach flakey bread I could eat multiple plates of. I loved the Tahdig with its crispy, crunchy texture on the outside and soft inside. We ordered the Pistachio Pear Tart for dessert - it was sweet but not an overly sweet finish. Parking- street parking read more

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Came here for their seasonal steak menu which is very different since they are better known for vegetarian food (but never tried before) Obviously got the 8oz steak, the color looked brilliant and flavor is spot on. BUUUUT, this is one strong workout for my jaws and tongues. I usually go for medium or medium rare, but this steak is just not tender enough without like 38 bites? Shrimp scampi pretty sure I can make this at home with ease. Chicken leg is my favorite. The sauce is rich and flavorful best if you order some of their dinner roll and dip it in. However, again, it's a big chunk of meat so the interior is not seasoned well, and I start to get that uncomfortable taste from it towards the end. So the service is pretty slow, but they turned out to be really nice people. We were gifted many of their cute post cards before we left.. I probably won't drive 40 min for their steak menu. The $90 per person price tag doesn't help. Maybe I'll try their regular menu later, who knows. read more

Kismet - Steak 8oz, braised chicken leg and shrimp scampi - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Too long on the to do list, we finally could not resist to go there, and there was no reason to regret. Sitting on one of the outside tables despite still rather chilly temperatures, the heaters made it very pleasant and the noise level was substantially better than on the inside. The server was very knowledgeable and humorous. Most importantly, the food was outstanding, from fried cauliflower, phyllo pies, sweet potato, panroasted rock fish (rather than vermillion), malawach flaky bread, and for dessert a cardamom semifreddo. What was MIA: no espresso, which is really a deadly sin for a mediterranean restaurant ... read more

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I think about their Veggie Pita everyday. I dream about it. I love this little middle eastern place! My perfect afternoon consists of a Hailey Bieber smoothie from Erewhon (right across from here), and a Veggie Pita from Kismet. The sandwich is bursting so much at the seams that they give you a fork so you can eat the insides lol. The gummy egg on top is to die for. I love the tahini sauce inside, and the vegetables are seasoned to perfection that I can't believe something healthy could taste so good. Service is always very fast, and they have a small literal hole in the wall where you can sit and eat (but there are no tables). Plenty of tables and seating tho in the rest of the plaza! Free 90 min parking in the plaza! read more

I miss the old menu and the prices went up. They need to redirect the menu to give the people ordering online more of a plate with variety and value read more

We sat outside on the patio area, which is the only option when you're reserving online through Resy. The inside is very modern and cozy. The seats outside were not comfortable, especially since we were there for an hour. We got the bread with butter and sea salt which paired well with the soup of the day which was a tomato bisque. The house salad was unique given the cashew Russian dressing. For entrees we had steak frites and peppered honeynut squash, both which were mediocre. The rose water lemonade was quite unbalanced and tart but our server was attentive and great! I might come back to try different menu items but initially not the best impression. read more

Kismet - Peppered honeynut squash and house salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This vibe of this place is awesome. On top of that the food was great with lots of gluten free options as well, the servers knew right away what to remove from the menu as options and what to lean in on in terms of what they could recommend. I particularly enjoyed the steak and little gem salad. I will also mention the gluten free cheesecake was probably one of the most delicious I've ever had! read more

Wonderful dinner service last night at Kismet. Staff was so kind to ensure no cross contamination for my friend with Celiac, many gluten free things to choose from! My favorite was the cucumber salad and coffee cardamom semifreddo dessert. But everything was season, well prepared, and delicious! read more

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We loved all our dishes and were very impressed. Our friends loved it too. Our first time.

I ate here on my birthday over a month ago and I still cannot stop thinking about the broth that came with my chicken leg. It was phenomenal. It was quite possibly the best thing I've put in my mouth, ever. I had never talked about broth so much before but I couldn't help it. I forgot it was my birthday because the broth became the focal point of the night. Everything was amazing but Jesus Christ the broth you guys. I will be back one day just for broth. read more

Great date night spot that's casual and cozy. We ordered a few small plates to including the gem salad and phyllo pies. I had the shrimp squash for my main entree and it was great. Recommend making a reservation because it really gets booked. read more

Love their food but ordered online and received two pieces of flaky bread for over $15 and a small scoop of the marinated feta for over $18.

What a great find. Some friends recommended Kismet and we were delighted we went. Sarah, the owner and head chef greeted us and was very personable and welcoming., Our server, Matthew was fantastic. He explained the menu very well and made a great effort when I told him of my allergy. He went above and beyond to accommodate my food allergy. The restaurant is small but very chic and hip. The food was amazingly wonderful. The best sweet potatoes I have ever had. Very heavy on interesting vegetables and sauces. They do have a few meat choices. It's a place where you order a few items and share everything. The best cabbage dish we've ever had. So many interesting and delicious choices. Run don't walk to Kismet, you won't regret it!! read more

Lovely and intimate this a great place for a quiet meal with a date, a friend, or small group. It is only street parking (at least when we went on a Monday) so keep your eyes open for street spots when you start getting close. The service is friendly, knowledgable and laid back. Definitely better to come when you have time for a leisurely meal. On to the food. Everything we tried was light, flavorful, and shareable. Nothing was too big, or overwhelming, or overpowering to the other dishes. We started with the marinated feta with spice-roasted tomatoes + grapefruit spread ($16). We added the green zhoug ($4) at our waiters suggestions. To go with this we had seeded barbari bread from the delicious bub + grandma's ($7). This was a perfect combo. The green zhoug had a lovely heat the paired well with the sweet and cirtusy feta spread. We progressed to the appetizer of the cucumbers which had mandarins, parsley seed, sesame, rosewater labneh ($19). This was simple, light and creamy. A nice appetizer. From there we went to the crispy rice - tahdig which was a persian-style rice with currants, pumpkin seeds + egg yolk ($24) and the braised chicken leg with fava beans, frisée, mushroom jus ($33). These were definitely the heaviest of the plates but were still light and not overwhelming. I love a good crispy rice and it was nice try it in a different flavor profile. To finish we opted for the chocolate cheesecake. Which was a little dense but still a nice way to end a light meal. For 3 people this was a prefect amount of food. We could have perhaps ordered 1 more but that may have been over doing it. read more

Went during the steakhouse takeover so didn't get to try the main menu but it was fantastic. Unexpectedly unique tasting burger was the highlight. read more

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Ambiance was cozy, intimate, dimly lit . Our server was the sweetest and checked in on us frequently! We went for the special steakhouse menu in February and were SO satisfied with all the dishes. To start, the house rolls and mashed potatoes are a must. My personal favorite were the mussels - sooo flavorful and def dip your toasted bread in the broth. Kismet is known for their chicken but I preferred the flat iron steak and gravy. Will need to be back for their original menu and try the famous Persian crispy rice. Overall a lovely dining experience - quite pricey but enjoyable! read more

Great location & service. Top notch food, very hard to get Persian food right and these guys have done fantastic. Try the crispy rice, chicken, lebneh and cucumber salad. Cant wait to be back read more

Kismet - Tahdig & Chicken leg - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Kismet is one of our favorite restaurants. The food is always delicious and perfectly prepared. The staff are warm and welcoming. Cozy and intimate, a great spot for a date or to catch up with friends. We had a few new dishes that we hadn't tried before - fried cauliflower and sweet potatoes. So goood! read more

Kismet - Fried cauliflower - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We are fortunate enough to eat at some nice restaurants and were expecting good things, but this experience exceeded our expectations. Staff were wonderful and very helpful. Drinks and wine suggestions were on target. Food was absolutely delicious! We haven't had a vegetarian meal this good... maybe ever? Pro tip: if you love bread like we do - get *both* the breads! read more

Waiting for their good menu instead of this one. Not a fan of a steakhouse when it is advertised as Veggie forward.

I've frequented Kismet Rotisserie in the past and was very excited to try the sit-down restaurant. This place is more formal and more veggie-forward, but the menu is more quirky and varied. The marinated feta came with delicata squash that literally melted in my mouth and the little gem salad was fresh and exciting. The tahdig was yum but nothing super special, but the sweet potatoes were genuinely the best sweet potatoes I've ever had. Highly recommend for both meat eaters and vegetarians! read more

Kismet - delicata squash and little gems - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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We have dined at Kismet multiple times before and never had complaints. I would return but not until the regular menu is back. We decided to try their steakhouse concept and unfortunately it was extremely disappointing. Since the menu is dedicated to being a steakhouse we naturally tried the steaks, of which there are three options, ranging from 4oz for $45 to 16oz for $142. The product did not support the prices at all, the meat was tough and flavorless. The best "steak" was the cabbage steak, however the $38 price tag is steep. We started with shrimp cocktail ($22) which had four small shrimp that were not deveined and did not taste good. The redeeming items were the fish of the day and the desserts. The service was minimal and flat. I don't mind spending a lot for a great meal, but this unfortunately did not deliver. I would wait to come back when the regular menu is being served. read more

For Mediterranean cuisine Kismet fits the bill. A quaint, smaller spot that serves up fresh and refined Mediterranean dishes. Family style is the move so come with friends and family you don't mind sharing with. I would say the dishes are certainly smaller so recommend 3 people max per any dish or it becomes a single bite for each. The crispy rice is a signature and delicious. The flaky bread was arguably the best item of the night and closely followed by the chicken, as well as the sweet potatoes. The service was attentive and collaborative for dishes hitting the table. Keep in mind, beer and wine only and some mock tails for those taking night off from the alcohol. Highly recommend, something for everyone. Keep in mind it's slightly cost + and our bill was ~$375 for 6 people. read more

4++ Middle Eastern-centric / inspired restaurant. Awesome space and vibe at this place. It's not huge but feels really nice and cozy. Great/ friendly service as well, the plates/dishes here are meant to be shared. It was recommended that we ordered about two plates per person. When we sat we got some delicious olives and ordered some wine. I'm terms of food, we ordered: the fried cauliflower, the lemony chicken & pine nut pies, the taghdig (Persian crispy rice), pork collar steak, and black cod. I thought all the food was prepared very well and loved the tahdig. In terms of the proteins, I enjoyed the cod more than I did the pork. I know this is all supposed to be shareable, but it did feel a little on the pricey side for the portions. It is a nicer place so there's that. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed my experience and meal and totally recommend this place. Met up with a couple of friends in the middle of the week and thought this place would be fun. Came here with no reservations and was able to be seated outside, no problem. I thought the table was a fun spot and had potential for some fun people watching during the day. It is a busy part of town, so parking can be a little tough. Since we came here in the middle of week (at night), we were able to find street parking pretty easily. read more

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Amazingly tasty food (and some of the smelling dishes we have had all year)! Our favorites were the Persian crispy rice with the egg yolk inside, the roasted maitake mushroom and the incredible spiced carrots. We had an early meal due to having a show at the Greek, and the staff were very accommodating. Our dishes came out lickety split! We had a total of four small dishes, but we're surprisingly full with leftovers to spare. read more

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Service was excellent, aided by a healthy sense of humor. We had six different dishes, all with interesting flavors and spices. Not at all traditional Mediterranean flavors. The cheesecake was the perfect finisher! read more

My favorite spot for chicken. Service is usually friendly. I really like the quick take out spot, outdoor seating helps with kids, and the food is perfection. Haven't had a bad experience. Of course like all spots in this area, I only wish there was more parking. However the food is so good I would spend extra time looking for parking if it meant I would satisfy my cravings. read more

Incredible experience at Kismet. Everything was on point from the service to the ambiance. Here is a breakdown of the food we ordered: Cucumbers- this is a great dish to start the meal. It is super light and refreshing, loved the zatar seasoning. Lemony chicken pies- these pies are puff pastry stuffed with lemony chicken and pine nuts, super delicious! Carrots- the carrots were super smoky with Moroccan spices. The sweetness of the carrots paired nicely with the spice, incredible dish! Chile Chicken Skewers- the chicken was very moist and flavorful. Each order comes with 2 skewers, I could've definitely had more! Persian Crispy Rice- this was my dish of the night. I've never had anything like it. The rice was buttery and had good texture with the crisped rice on the top. The rice was topped with currants and pumpkin seeds, a must have! Overall, loved my time here. I can definitely see why it is a Michelin bib gourmand rated restaurant! read more

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I expected something closer to Turkish food based on the name, but that wasn't the case at all. The so-called Middle Eastern flavors didn't land for me, and the food felt disconnected from what I was anticipating. Overall, it just didn't work for me. read more

The food is great, dont get me wrong - the clams were delicious. The chicken was ok, the rice is the same. But what makes it worse is the service. I don't know if the guy was just having a bad day, he was rude or racist. It's either one of those but he def gave the vibe that he didn't wanna serve us. Yeah idk vibes are off rude service. Not good enough to come back read more

Unfortunately the food is incredibly bland and my friend got sick after dining here. The service was also slow. The place was busy and I am guessing they were understaffed for the evening but unfortunately this affected the overall dining experience. Guests were also incredibly loud which did not make for kinda killed the vibe. There are better restaurants that serve Mediterranean cuisine. read more

Kind, thoughtful and knowledgable servers. Great food and bev. Ambiance was warm. Well taken care of.

First time (and last) at Kismet. Came here with my kiddo for a special meal. We have the Kismet cookbook at home, so we wanted to try a few things and then try to make them at home out of the cookbook. ALL of the food was amazing! The complimentary olives and the tahini were as delicious and memorable as what I had in Cairo! The Persian rice, Little Gem Lettuce, braised chicken, and flaky bread were scrum-diddly-umptious! My kiddo is a picky eater, but loved every bite of everything! It was all so good that it kept bringing up happy memories of the best food I'd ever had. The only down-side was that we like to have our meals with ice water, but the water they served was room-temperature. Some iced water would have been nice, esp on this hot night. So, why only one star? Because at the end of our meal (thankfully, not the beginning or middle), we saw not one or two or three or four, but FIVE mice (!) running back and forth on the sidewalk and up the plants that line the outside of the restaurant! It was so totally disgusting, it ruined our whole meal! We were eating al fresco on the patio in front of the restaurant. It doesn't mean they have mice in the kitchen, but they should do something about them in front of their restaurant. When the waitstaff came out and saw us screeching in the patio, they just shrugged and said the mice came out in droves NIGHTLY and that there was nothing they could do about it! The waitress even commented, with a totally straight face, "The New Yorkers are totally unfazed." We can never, ever go back to Kismet ever again if they are okay with having droves of mice on their shrubbery, sidewalk, and patio EVERY NIGHT. read more

Delicious, healthy, and fresh dishes. I love their unique flavor pairings and dedication to using local and in season produce. Their restaurant is adorable. Service is great! read more

Delicious!!! I like how one other Yelper put it, "the food is lovely and pricey." An accurate description! (Especially the little Gems Salad being $17 when it's just leaves and pistachios). Presentation is pretty!! Walked here with my cousin and the area is not the safest but we made it. Sat at bar seating and it was perfect! The food took FOREVER and the waiter kept checking in with us and apologizing saying the rice usually takes a long time (next time, I would call ahead and order it. It was like they started making the rice once we ordered). The waiter was so nice that he even brought us out complimentary salad (the pricey little gems one). The restaurant has nice ambiance and the soap in the bathroom is fancy with exfoliating ingredients! The Fried Cauliflower was brought out first and it tasted SO good!! The caper yogurt complimented it well and I usually don't like capers (he was thoughtful and put it to the side). The chicken skewers were amazing with radish and a cilantro avocado sauce (sooo good and tasty)!!! We also got the Persian Crispy Rice and it was buttery goodness!!!! I would say worth the wait but when you are hangry, nothing is worth the wait! It was delicious though! Lastly, we ordered the Dark Chocolate Semifreddo for dessert and it was good!!! Had like an ice cream texture because the plate was frosty. Overall, come here expecting to pay $$$. read more

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Such an array of delicious dishes! And the service is excellent. We felt very welcomed and well fed!

This is my second time here and sad to say, this experience was even more disappointing than the last. I really wanted to like this place! Its concept ticks off all the boxes of things I typically like, but the execution leaves too much to be desired to justify my return. The staff were pleasant enough, but due to our last experience, we were reluctant to order much and chose dishes recommended by our server. We had: little gems salad Trout Cabbage steak The last time I had the gem salad, it was perfectly dressed. Unfortunately this time, it was bit soggy and over marinated in dressing. The trout was a disappointment. While the fish appeared fresh, it was bland, uninspired and unexpectedly greasy. The "cabbage steak" was a wedge of roasted cabbage swimming in a pool of oil. The cabbage was well cooked but each bite yielded a surprising mouthful of grease. The cabbage was garnished by a couple Indian inspired pickles, which were a nice touch, but the acidity was certainly not sufficient to offset the greasiness of this dish. As the dish cooled, the combination of the cold oil and sulfurous cooked cabbage became overwhelming (and we typically love cabbage dishes). The $32 price tag on this dish is baffling. If these were the dishes that were recommended to us, I would be hesitant to delve any deeper into this menu. read more