The Rustic Canyon has nice ambiance. It has low light typical of what you'd expect from a more high class restaurant. Following recommendations, we had a reservation and were able to be seated immediately; though, like many other guests noticed, the restaurant had ample unoccupied tables. The staff was very nice and accommodating. Though I am not vegetarian, the server let me know that they could make many of the dishes vegetarian if needed. We tried four dishes here: 1. sourdough linguine with baja scallops & 'nduja 2. broccolini with smoked trout roe & brown butter 3. sausage-stuffed porchetta, weiser's romanesco & apple butter 4. pozole verde, mussels & hominy First off, the portions are very small. Expect to order many dishes if you wish to be full. The dishes are also meant to be shared. For two people, 3-4 dishes seems to be good if you would like be satisfied. All dishes were very solid, but I wouldn't say there is anything special about the porchetta or the pozole verde. The two dishes that really shined were the linguine and broccolini. The broccolini dish was special because of the brown butter and the trout roe. The broccolini itself was nothing out of the ordinary. The butter and the trout roe balanced each other and added flavors that took the dish to a whole new level. The linguine was something quite interesting. The pasta noodles are made from sourdough and the flavoring of this dish is quite unique. Out of the four dishes I tried, I would say this one is my favorite and I would recommend others try it. The sourdough noodles give it a slight sourdough taste, but the accompanying sauce counters it in a good way. The food here was delicious, but I am not sure the price justifies what they deliver. read more

Rustic Canyon - Clam Pozole Verde - Wine Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Loved the service and vibe. Food was rich and decadent but nothing out of the world. You won't be blown away but you won't be disappointed either read more

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There is only street parking available, which even on a Wednesday night was pretty much nonexistent. Be prepared to search and park a couple blocks away. We came about 10 minutes before our reservation, and our table was already set up and ready. The general manager greeted us at the door and was very pleasant. He had no problem seating us a little early. The inside was dimly lit with wooden decor and fairy lights near the windows. This made for a very homey atmosphere. It is very loud, so be prepared to project your voice. The actual service wasn't perfect. There seemed to be a little confusion as to who our waiter was- one waiter came over and took our drink and appetizer order, but then another waiter came a couple minutes after that and asked to take our drink order again. It wasn't exactly off putting, but set an awkward tone for service for the rest of the night. They staggered bringing out everyone's food orders. Would have preferred to receive everyone's food all at once. She did not go into any explanation of the menu, so if you have any questions or interest of what is being served, you will have to initiate that conversation. Once we received our food, everything was absolutely delicious. We started with the bread and butter and lavender almonds. Bread was soft, butter was salted, and the almonds were aromatic and delightful. We all shared the garden of lettuce, which was fresh with a light tangy dressing. I ordered the trout, which was cooked perfectly to be moist and fork tender. The smallhold mushrooms were crispy which added a pleasant texture to the dish. I could eat it everyday. My sister ordered the Japanese sweet potato, which was to die for. Everyone else ordered the lamb, which was a surprise when it came out; no one knew that the lamb merguez is a type of sausage. They were expecting a lamb chop. While still delicious, this is an example of where a little unprompted explanation to the main courses would have been appreciated. We ended with the chocolate halva, which was soft, not too sweet or rich, and paired well with the dessert wine we picked. Even if the service wasn't excellent and parking is difficult, the amazing meal made up for anything else that was less than perfect. read more

Hubby and I came with 2 other friends for a late Sunday supper. A great place for a chilled night over a bottle of wine, yummy food, and good company. Mix of rustic and romantic ambiance. We booked for a 8:45pm seating and waited by the bar table to get seated. Of course, I had to get myself a glass of Barolo during the wait. The servers and hosts were very friendly. Food: -Peas & cucumbers -Cheese plate -Yams -Dumplings -Mussel soup -Rockfish -Porchetta & sausage -Hangar steak -Bottle of Rose Parking: best to valet. Santa Monica has too much restrictions with parking. Overall: food tasted so flavorful and prepped with so much care. A place to check off from my list of places to munch at. read more

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It was a really good and heavy meal. It's supposed to be family style but they served one dish at a time vs everything in one go. We had: Beet salad (summery and citrusy and creamy - due to the avocado) Pozole verde (with muscles) - it looks nice and light but very flavorful Polenta - my favorite dish. It hits my umami spot. Super rich and savory with a hint of sweetness and tartness (apricots) Rockfish - simple, no frills since fish is fish if you use like a good quality fish. Chocolate tart - ordinary. Plum ice cream - quite a big and generous scoop / I guess cos it's $6? I didn't like the acoustics of the place, it was too noisy - felt the need to raise my voice and scream. Another odd thing was my reservation was for 7:30pm but we arrived at 7:15pm but was asked to sit by the bar and wait for 7:30pm though the "allocated" seats were just ready since we arrived. Other than that, our server was amazing. P.S. they added in 3% healthcare surcharge. read more

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I don't often say this about a place, but the vegetable dishes truly stood out here. From the extremely crispy endive leaves to delectably fresh snap peas, everything tasted delicious. When looking at the menu, I was very skeptical at some of the ingredients (white chocolate and macadamia??), but the combination of all of the flavors really worked well in a way that blew me away. The proteins were great as well, especially the pork chop and the steak. The sourdough noodles should not be skipped. Service was very friendly and loved the ambiance inside! read more

Came in for a quick bite and ordered the Baghali Polo, which is a rice porridge with lamb carnitas, fava beans, dill & garlic confit. It was a delicious mouthful with a nice salty crunch from the lamb carnitas. The dill added a nice brightness to what is a heavier dish. The other dish I ordered was the day's specialty, Black Eyed Peas Hummus with Salted Cod was another sublime dish. Nice and creamy, one should order crostinis on the side in order to spread this all over it and enjoy. Came at opening time and was able to grab a bar seat. The bartender was nice and was excellent with taking care of my order. Very happy with this place and with Chef Jeremy Fox's cooking. read more

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5 stars all around! Thanks to our server Gabriel, we had such a great experience with you and thank you for the great recommendations on the food choices. Everything we ordered was amazing! We ordered about 4 plates and two desserts! No regrets at all, drinks were amazing and wine was so great! Thanks to all the staff and amazing chefs, we'll be back for more, I promise! read more

Not sure why this place has a Michelin star tbh, but sure ! Came here on an anniversary dinner with my gf and it was semi busy. We got seated outdoors which was really just their parking lot with really cheap chairs. Onto the food, we ordered the snap peas appetizer and it was flavorful, but the sea bass we ordered taste like it was just boiled with no seasoning! We also ordered the bone meat for 2 which was mediocre. The waitress was awesome, prolly the only Michelin star thing to brag about. read more

Excellent, top of the line restaurant. Excellent service, cordial waiter, host, and servers. Loved my food and experience here. Small restaurant, Limited menu, but all Great choices. All perfect with a glass of wine. Can't wait to go back my next trip in the area. I was a walk-in as soon as Rustic Canyon opened and quickly got a table and service. I'd suggest a reservation however as customers were constantly flowing in. read more

Maybe it's the glint of a Michelin star that makes you have high expectations for a place--sometimes, however, that glint isn't all it's cracked up to be. Rustic Canyon was the planned getaway chosen for my group's Michelin star exploration/trial. Our expectations were high, due to the award, but also the glamor and hype given by coworkers, friends, and reviews below. However, the overall experience fell below our expectations due to a few factors, with the main factor being the server not being as helpful or warming as they can be. Some moments we can recall are: feeling rushed to hurry up, asking for vegetarian options and being given ingredients used on non-specified dishes rather than simply listing the dishes on the day of that fit that criteria, and being given the word 'potatoey' when asked how is the potato dish and that being the full extent given (the select of us that heard held back our laughter a bit). I do have to give props to where they are deserved. The daily menu is fantastic and something more restaurants should strive towards. Thank you for something that's refreshing no matter what day you go. Hell, I want to say that you may go on a day where you aren't stuck with feeling rushed or pushed or clueless due to members of the team, and that combined with a fresh menu will significantly give you a much better experience than what me and my friends experienced. Beef tartare, amberjack crudo, and the goat cheese ganache were the best--they had the complexity and creativeness that we were all hoping for within all our dishes we all tried around, but most fell flat (and sadly not fully finished due to just not having the 'wow' and 'pizzazz' we crossed fingers for). To end it, I think it's fair to state it's also dark as hell in there, but they provide one tiny candle on the table to brighten up the menu (not by much), so if you go for a nice dinner, might help to have somewhat good vision or just go during daylight hours instead. Other than that, I really do think we just got the short end of the straw when it came to service and food (but mainly the uncomfortable/uneasy service). read more

This place is beyond good. We were celebrating my birthday and what a treat to dine at Rustic Canyon. Service was top notch. They have turned their parking lot into a inviting outdoor space. Glad I brought my sweater, because it did get a bit chilly, but no worries, we were warm and had a wonderful experience. Started with the pickles, olives and fresh bread. Fun start. However, the pork chop stole the show. Every bite was sublime. Can't wait to go back just for the pork chop! They certainly earned their Michelin Star. Finished it off with some delicious desserts. Great to support an industry that needs our help at this time. So, go out and eat at this great spot! read more

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Some great food with a hefty price tag (about $200 per person), but mostly caused by the price of the drinks (cocktails are $17-$18 each). We had a large party of 11 people, and so we agreed as a table on the courses for each meal (at $89 per person), which was a bit challenging with some people's dietary restrictions. They were flexible with adding on a la carte items for those with dietary restrictions, but will charge you for the a la carte plate (in our case $33 for a vegetarian style linguine). Hits from each course: lavender almonds beets & berries with avocado, quinoa & pistachio (This might have been my favorite) grass-fed flatiron steak & santa barbara chanterelles Would reconsider courses: Coal-grilled turnips, sweet potato miso & aged gouda (the turnips had a bit of a bitter taste that couldn't be masked with the gouda) Dessert - There was a dessert that had a yellow custard and some merengue type of toppings on top. Wouldn't recommend. read more

Great food, service, and experience! Love the patio, the creative menu, and the collaborative teamwork of the knowledgeable staff.

Our first meal in LA in a recent vacation. The fish is best that my wife had in recent memory. The pork chop is creative. Props to the dessert chef. Outstanding. Walking distance from our hotel - Proper Santa Monica. read more

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Trendy, salty and expensive, but worth a visit every now and then. The menu rotates seasonally to ensure that ingredients are always the most fresh and local. While that concept is pretty commonplace now, Rustic Canyon has been doing it for years, before it was even that trendy. The small dishes are all generally very good. The beets and berries salad is incredible. The gnudi pasta were pillows of heaven. The burrata stuffed squash were the perfect fall appetizer. The protein dishes have been hit or miss. I had one of the chewiest steaks here. The rockfish was cooked perfectly but very miniscule for the price. I adore a good cheese platter, but for the price, their cheese platter was sad. Service is very hit or miss. This place has been packed every time I've been for dinner. The last time I was here, one of our dishes was forgotten and we had to ask our waitress and two other waitstaff on the status of the dish. Thirty minutes later it came out sans apology and then we felt we were rushed through the rest of our meal which was long through little fault of our own. If we had known it would take so long to come out we would have just cancelled the order and saved ourselves $40. Parking can be tough in these whereabouts. There are some meters if you are lucky, otherwise valet for $10. read more

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Four words a girl most wants to hear..." I bought you food", and they say girls are hard to please... Rustic Canyon, a beautiful restaurant located in Santa Monica. They have a seasonal kitchen which presents a regularly changing menu. So keep in mind when you see pictures online those items may no longer be on their menu. Their dishes are farmer market inspired by the freshest ingredients that come from local farmers, ranchers and fishermen. It's like the Farmers Market cooked up on a plate! You can actually taste the freshness of these ingredients as if they were grown in your own garden. I came here for dinner and I didn't quite know what to expect. This place was a lot fancier than I had anticipated, so don't dress to casual. Our server was sweet, patient and took the time to explain everything to us. She was able to answer all my excessive questions. The ambience is quite lovely. I think what gives Rustic Canyon such a charming element is the large windows that opened up into doors. It's like opening the sunroof of your car. It felt like we were outside even though we dined inside. I found the vibe to be relaxing and carefree minus the noise. What we ordered: -Lavender Macaron Almonds. The lavender almonds were amazing! I am always a sucker for nuts but these actually tasted salty with a little bit of a sweetness. You could taste the slight flavor of lavender but it wasn't overpowering. They had a perfect balance of sweet and salty. -Milo and Olive bread: It was warm and soft inside with a crispy coating. It's accompanied with Enzo olive oil, SB salt, and cultured butter. Who can ever say no to bread? -Pork Belly: It was served with summer squash, nectarines and fermented Cayanne in a pesto sauce. I don't eat pork belly but I had no problem eating the squash and the nectarines. Both tasted so fresh! -Ricotta Dumplings: Served with fresh peas, flavars and black pepper. The coolest part of the dish was the edible flowers. This dish had incredible flavors. -Polenta With Ricotta and Pine Nuts. Polenta is one of my favorite things to eat and I wasn't disappointed. It was nice and creamy. -Pozole Verde: Mussels that came with a traditional hominy, radish and crispy tortillas. The table loved this dish. -Sonoma Lamb: Served with Caroline golden rice, eggplant chermoula with sumac onions. I don't eat lamb but all the side dishes were delicious. For Dessert we had the Bostock Brioche which had Murray Farmers cherries, Armand and cream. Wow, the fruit tasted so fresh I could never go back to canned fruit again! Food this fresh will change your taste buds forever! read more

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Ours daughters foot the bill to send their parents on a milestone occasion to the Rustic Canyon...They wanted us to share a culinary "experience", not just a nice dinner. Needless to say, they hit the mark with their well-studied choice. We were warmly greeted by hostesses Charlie and Katherine and then continued in the professional hands of a chef, now turned front server, Jay. He helped us navigate the menu of incredible delights by explaining some highlights of each to entice our choices...Magic! It all started with the hearty chunk of bread from a local bakery with butter that was consumed eagerly with just water to savor its full flavor. The next choice was the endive, chewy strawberries, fresh cheese and pecans along with the weiser's tomatoes, pickled melon & corn pudding. Both were excellent with unique flavorful sauces...The endive salad was our "first base" choice. For entrees, the petaluma chicken, summer corn & radishes along with the baja halibut with artichokes and chamomile were ordered...The petaluma chicken won out for our choice to fill "second base". Note: Along the way the daughters, via text?, sent forth their choice of summer squash with basil and caramelized anchovy...Very nice touch!...delicious and healthy. Now for our unexpected "third base" choice (Bases now loaded!), we ordered dessert, a rare request for us after any dinner eaten at a restaurant. Once again, Jay put his two cents in and boy did it pay off!...The dandelion chocolate, eggplant & candied pine nuts was simply a spectacular burst of flavors that had our taste buds, with the pine nuts, zinging all the way back home. You typically would not think of eggplant in a dessert would exist but the "dessert" chef must have been in a very creative mood to construct this one!..Wow. The crispy wafer with chocolate, sweetened eggplant, candied pine nuts all combined with a surprising scoop of smoked eggplant ice cream rounded out culinary experience with a memorable boom! Not to detract from any of our ordered culinary delights that left the bases loaded, the "grand slam" home run that made our evening memorable goes out to the chefs' creations, our outstanding and attentive servers Jay, Gamma, and Manuel, hostesses (Charlie and Katherine) and any other team members behind the scenes that puts the Rustic Canyon high on the list for a return visit. In fact, we will treat our daughters and their men when the next special occasion that merits a "splurge" arises....Thank you to all. Leyla and Charles Acosta read more

Was in the area the past weekend and made reservations to try this place due to the solid reputation. In all, it was "fine" but nothing earth shattering and did not live up the hype. Came here on a Saturday evening and it was a packed house at around 830 PM. Like most LA venues, it's pretty small inside so no waiting area although there is a small bar area up front. We ordered a number of recommended items and my favorites were the lavender almonds (if they sold it in a store I'd happily purchase them!), hanger steak (very tender), and beets with quinoa. I felt like I could've just ordered those items at any other place though not sure what the uniqueness is about the food. No plate was over or under seasoned but again, nothing stood out either. Overall, it was an average dining experience but I'd much prefer going to Tar and Roses down the street. Now that place has got it going on! read more

Wonderful and attentive staff. A very relaxed atmosphere. And truly superb food. Delicious and inventive dishes. Bursting with unusual flavors. Fresh farm to table ingredients. Everything is beautiful and artfully prepared. Congratulations to the chef. The steak is a stand out dish. The sweet potatoe is a winner. The salads are incredible. The trout was good. The cocktails were super. And there was this honey ice cream that's the best ice cream any of us had ever eaten. So overall a great dining experience. No complaints at all. read more

DON'T GET THE BEEF RIB! As a regular of Rustic Canyon, I normally would give it an enthusiastic five stars. But I came here to warn everyone, DO NOT GET THE BEEF RIB! Everything else on the menu is fantastic. I went with my husband last night and we decided to branch out from our usual pork chop (excellent!) and order the ($99) beef rib since it was a special occasion, and the waiter enticed us after describing it as "delicious, fall off the bone". It was over salted, mostly fat, and very tough; it definitely did not fall off the bone (we were sawing at it with steak knives). We don't send things back, but it was inedible and expensive. We flagged down our waiter who spoke with the chef and told us he said, "that is how it's supposed to be" and that he would "cut it up for us if we wanted". What is this an IHOP??? It ruined our experience and left a bad taste in our mouths at what we considered our favorite restaurant in LA. To sum it up: 1) DON'T GET THE BEEF RIB 2) A Message to Rustic Canyon--when a customer orders the most expensive item of the menu and isn't satisfied with it, please offer to take it back and replace it with another dish read more

Went to here to celebrate my friends birthday on Friday. This place is really cool. Staff are really nice. Service is good.food taste amazing.only thing is a little bit disappointed it's the food portions is really small. read more

Rustic Canyon - Wine Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Loooooove this place! I'm an LA gal and this is the most LA restaurant in the best way! We sat outside and there were beautiful lights with the best best service! The menu changes (which I love and keeps you coming back) and it's very mischelin vibes without it being snooty! Def will be back read more

Rustic Canyon - Best dessert I've ever had - Wine Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Not many options for vegetarians. Although I like pasta, I wanted to eschew it to eat lots of vegetables but not a cold salad. All I got was a French bean (green beans) appetizer in a garlic sauce. Way too dark in here and parking was a challenge. I really don't like dark restaurants because I want to experience food with all my senses, particularly sight. If you can't clearly see your food and the presentation, it ruins the Michelin experience. Michelin Star #17. read more

Had the pleasure on dining at this restaurant, although they are not open for indoor dining they offer a cute spacious patio, everything that I had here was cooked beautifully, when the food came it out it looked to pretty to even eat, the food was amazing and the Drinks were really good as well, I had a wonderful time dining her. read more

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One of the Greatest restraints in California! Great choice of men and amazing deserts! read more

Delicious dinner! This restaurant is mostly small plates and there were five of us, so we tasted a bunch of things for the menu. Everything was wonderful. My favorites were the steak tartare, the yams and the salad (a red lettuce). Everything was uniquely prepared and perfectly cooked. The negative about this place is the noise level. You need to scream to be heard. But we'll be back for the food! read more

Very shocked this place had a star. Som was incompetent. Several dishes were underwhelming including the amber jack crudo. I get letting a protein shine but the preparation was non existent when it came to flavor. The mushroom dish was okay but I could have done that at home. The cacio e peppe was solid. The 90$ salmon dish looked great but lacked flavor it kind of tasted bad. Lastly the pork chop.. it was good the salmon roe sauce is unique and it had flavor. Overall It was just a lackluster meal and we expected way more. read more

I had the pleasure of having an amazing dinner here and it exceeded expectations. Not only was the food absolutely fresh, unique, and amazing the service was outstanding. I have a dairy allergy and this was no problem given the menu had lots of options that were easily modified and didn't loose any of the spectacular flavor. I look forward to coming back and highly recommend Rustic Canyon. read more

Sat outside. For an outdoor dining area in things felt rather cozy. Service was remarkable. A few dietary restrictions amongst out party and everything was able to be accommodated. The squash was the star of the show. A truly remarkable dish. Beets were great, tomatoes were great, steak was memorable. Great all around experience. Hope to return soon. read more

Dedicating my 1,000th Review to Rustic Canyon, woohoo!!! Finally, a restaurant in LA West, especially, in Santa Monica, worthy of five stars! This was my first-time dining at Rustic Canyon with my dining companion, Yelper Isobel L., & Rustic Canyon definitely did not disappoint! Therefore, I am happy to dedicate my 1,000th Review to Rustic Canyon! Bravo to Chef Jeremy Fox & Chef de Cuisine Andy Doubrava & their fantastic Rustic Canyon team! Parking: Street metered parking is free after 6pm (that's what I did). There's also valet parking too. Making reservations for Rustic Canyon on www.resy.com was easy! I, especially, loved that we were able to get a booth seating, which allowed for a more private, dining experience. Best of all, where we sat, there was an outlet underneath to charge our phones if needed, yay! After browsing through the menu, here's what we got & highly recommend getting everything! $7 Milo & Olive Bread served w/cultured butter, enzo olive oil & SB salt. Served w/three, thick slices of bread on a wooden craving board. The bread itself was crispy on the outside & fluffy on the inside. Both the enzo olive oil & cultured butter tasted light & mild. We even saved some of the bread to sop up the sauces from the other dishes. The 2nd dish was the $18 Pickled Tamai Farm Beets. This dish was absolutely A-MAZ-ING!!! The pickled beets tasted succulent & crunchy, as well as vibrant looking too! Underneath was the mini potatoes, diced eggs, anchovies, capers & bay blue cheese. If you happen to place the diced eggs on top of the mini potatoes, it mimics devil's eggs, adorable! The 3rd dish was the $21 Pozole Verde. Isobel had suggested getting this & it was divine! Served w/Hope Ranch Mussels, Rancho Gordo hominy, Coleman's radishes & topped w/tortilla strips, wow! The mussels were de-shelled, plump & hearty. Generous amount of hominy & verde soup was seasoned perfectly w/o tasting too spicy. The thinly sliced radishes & tortilla strips were plentiful & crunchy. The 4th dish was the $20 Ricotta Dumplings, so good!!! Served w/greens, mini orange tomatoes, herbs & black pepper. The dumplings itself looked like fat, adorable pillows, so plump & the filling inside was amazing & generous! The dumplings held up nicely & was easy to split in half w/o everything spilling out when you cut it w/your fork. The greens & mini orange tomatoes complimented this dish nicely too. The 5th dish was the $38 Halibut. We both agreed that the presentation & portion size looked like an amazing wedding dish meal. The halibut itself was fresh, flaky, buttery & thick cut size for two people. Served w/herb salsa, watercress, roasted turnips & fennel soubise (onion sauce), delicious! The 6th dish was the $35 Roasted Autonomy Farms Chicken. The chicken itself was roasted nicely w/o tasting dry. The presentation was plated beautifully & resembled more like a Fall Season dish or maybe even a Thanksgiving dish. Moist & juicy & when eaten together w/the Wesier's carrots puree & spicy pecan honey sauce, just wow! Finally, for dessert & our 7th dish was the $21 Artisan Cheese Plate. Served w/ strawberry jam, honey, candied walnuts & toasted sunflower bread. Our three cheeses consisted of a creamy cheese (my personal favorite), sheep's milk cheese & a hard cheese (forgot the name). To have this as a final dessert dish was a great way to end the meal! Isobel also got a $20 Dessert Wine, which was the 1997 Cazes, Vin Doux Naturel from Riversaltes Roussillion. France. Our server also treated us to the same one, except it's a 1927 vintage year. I sampled small sips of both & I preferred the 1927. It had a sweeter taste towards the end, whereas the 1997 had a more bitter, currant berries taste. Drinks: We were both served chilled water. Our bottle of chilled water was refilled whenever it was running low. Isobel got the $14 Glass of Rose & I got the $6 Grapefruit Rosemary Tonic, which was refreshing & non-alcoholic. I was pleased that my server had my drink redone when I had found a black poppy seed in there. After it was redone, he checked it himself before bringing it back to me, what service! Service/Ambience/Décor: Our male server (didn't catch his name) was friendly, patient & attentive as was the rest of the staff. The dishes came out in a timely manner & the mood of the restaurant was very relaxed & chilled. We didn't feel rushed. The decor had a rustic, farm style feel w/a spacious dining room & bar area. There's two unisex restrooms, both clean & well-stocked. Overall, I was thoroughly pleased w/Rustic Canyon & would happily return another time. Again, thank you to Chef Jeremy Fox & Chef de Cuisine Andy Doubrava & their fantastic Rustic Canyon team! My 1,000th Review dedicated to you guys is definitely worth the five stars experience! read more

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FINALLY made it back here after about 10 years -- and it was a very enjoyable birthday dinner for two! The best farmers market ingredients go into your food from the same owners as Cassia and Huckleberry nearby. Not a huge menu and it's very seasonal which I like -- so we decided to order four smaller plates for two people (plus desert). Definitely a special occasion place (as it's expensive) but also feels like a neighborhood establishment that is not too stuffy or fancy. As for the food: 1. Beets and Berries - 9/10 - Lots going on here with the soft avocado and pistachio nuts complementing the shaved beets 2. RC Grain Salad - 9/10 If you like farro and quinoa get this. Not overly dressed which we likes so you can really taste the grains. 3. Polenta w/ corn and cheddar - 9/10 - very creamy like a corn chowder but a bit thicker. Generous portion -- certainly the most filling dish we got. 4. Ricotta Dumplings 10/10 - My favorite -- they melt in your mouth -- would get these every time now. 5. Fig Whipped Cheesecake - 5/10 -- The only sour note -- as we expected to be wowed. There was no cake but a whipped filling with figs on top that just didn't work. Wasn't sweet enough either. Our fault for not returning it after the first bite -- but we wanted to head home. All in all a very positive experience and a "come back to joint" as my Dad used to say. Nice waiter and I did enjoy the blonde ale on tap. read more

Very good food BUT it's going to cost ya! Unless you go for water and crackers, you'll be spending $60-120 per person for dining. It's certainly upper-echelon due to price and quality, yet casual and most similar to an upscale gastropub. So, it's overpriced for what you get in a casual experience. Later in the evening, it really dark with cool dim lights...and much more romantic than at 530pm (when they open)...and more worthy. Overall, I love the menu selections, the food, the wine, and the service! The menu is printed daily, and is mostly the same each day...with just slight changes (seasonal items, etc). It also has a wee-little bar (seats about 6 at the counter, and 4-5 small tables) for a first-come, first-serve, no reservation needed. Unfortunately, I cannot give it a 5 due to its price point to value ratio (but it's close). WHAT I'VE TRIED: =============== * Rustic Canyon Burger ($18), plus $4 for bacon, plus $2 for an egg. So, for $24 it qualifies for the most expensive one I've ever had. Is it too much to pay? Probably. I mean, no. This is the best burger I've ever had. But hey, it did include a huge amount of natural cut fries [http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mLkaGrGmwreX-yHIgMCvYQ?select=yY3psgT7BXqAmhDys4stBQ#FRLSORHoehHWF8YUzlrQYg]. The bacon is not just any bacon, either. It's confit, 2 pieces of ultra thick lean meat - unreal. Due to the price point, it's gonna have to be on a special occasion. Too bad, because it's amazing. Sharp cheddar, caramelized onions, a slightly-oozing fried egg, house-made pickles, herb remoulade. This was a "WOW". One more look...[http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mLkaGrGmwreX-yHIgMCvYQ?select=yY3psgT7BXqAmhDys4stBQ#hB9WEFvfm6M6rmiiTzr77g] * Artisan Cheese Plate: 7-10 kinds of creamies and smellies to choose from, in choices of 3 ($18), 4 ($21), or 5 ($24) type plates...yum). Of course, 5 is the way to go. * Crispy Squash blossoms (aka "Zucchini flowers"; lightly battered and amazing delicious, stuffed with ricotta cheese and herbs, and lemony, too). [http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mLkaGrGmwreX-yHIgMCvYQ?select=yY3psgT7BXqAmhDys4stBQ#xktR3EboBB1MIshGnPO12A] * Fried Cauliflower (batter & fry'em...my kind of veggies!) * Wine, really nice glasses and o'plenty of fine bottles. A variety of local Cali's, Spanish, french, Italian. I liked the Copain. * Beer (Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier), bottled...served with a chilled glass. PRICE ====== It's really the only downside. Again, put this as a fancy-schmanzy place in Beverly Hills, it fits just fine. Example: an appetizer ($12), burger+fries ($22), 1 beer ($10, bottle), 1 glass red wine, Copain ($15) + tax & tip = $76. Ouch. SERVICE/MANAGEMENT ==================== Steve, a Manager, is very nice and tries to be outfront to meet and greet customers. I asked him several questions during my second visit, and he's very pleasant. Rachel, absolutely sweet and adorable, very attentive. The supporting staff, hostess and crew, seem helpful and attentive. CONCLUSION ============ Casual vibe with $$$ price. They have beautiful desserts, but I've been too stuffed in the 2 visits...no room. Boo. Daily, they have one burger, and seriously, it's the best burger I've ever had. Monday nights are BEER & BURGER night, where they serve 3 types of burgers with some unusual toppings (ie. lobster!). So yes, I will be back. The Rustic Burger is my bestest friend, or it is my BBF? read more

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I've been coming to Rustic Canyon a few times just for cocktails. With each visit, I was never disappointed. My drink of choice has always been "Sage Advice" (gin, meyer lemon, honey and sage). Don't let the miniature size fool you. Because you will get happy after a few sips. The Riesling is also highly recommended. I finally had my first dinner here with a few friends. I'm never the type to complain about portions. But let me tell you we all went home really hungry that night. We all decided to share the appetizers and split the two main dishes between the four of us. Sounded like a good plan because it always worked in the past. Here's what we ordered: (starters) - clam & mussel pozole $15 http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=QQQcyMqa3bEfT8fgKkIGHw&userid=PAx6EkkOO19tvNtjuBzVgw - california prawns, scampi style $18 http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=9MilpAu-VFJ4H06OkPAlpw&userid=PAx6EkkOO19tvNtjuBzVgw (main) - local halibut $28 http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=2qAh_VXsg7q-rQC2H1bVvA&userid=PAx6EkkOO19tvNtjuBzVgw - loup de mer (sea bass) $27 http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=8-2BsqYxv-ejEbXZUkcVnQ&userid=PAx6EkkOO19tvNtjuBzVgw The main dishes were not much bigger than the starters. We ended up asking for more bread. The pozole was recommended by a lot of people and they were right on, it was perfect soaked with bread. The scampi was delicious and highly recommended. My friend and I shared the sea bass and it was a mere 2 bites between us. I did not try the halibut since my other two friends were sharing it. Did I regret ordering the main dish? Yes. I was really expecting something a little more substantial. The price to portion ratio was not happening with me. I'd have to agree with most yelpers on this. If you're coming here for the first time, your better off ordering a bunch of starters instead. We did not try their $25 Rustic Canyon Burger. My favorite burger is still The California Roll Burger at 26 Beach in Venice for $19. http://www.26beach.com/burgers.htm Service has always been good, especially our last visit. The staff made efforts to accomodate my friend who's had knee surgery and was on crutches. The reservation part was a synch, I used the Yelp app (highly recommended). read more

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A group of us gathered at Rustic Canyon last night for the first time and enjoyed dinner here immensely. You know it's a great restaurant when all of your favorite dining companions agree that the dishes are delicious and the service impeccable. First and foremost, a huge shout-out for the wonderful service. There were six of us initially with two more guests arriving very late. We were provided with two extra chairs with no questions asked and, in fact, an apology offered that there wasn't a larger table to accommodate us. Truly, this was hospitality at its best. Our server/waitress/gastronomical educator Courtney provided an exceptional level of service: attentive, friendly, extremely helpful (when we asked about a specific ingredient, she researched it and gave us the info). And, when a certain very famous entertainer arrived to try to dine in peace, and we wanted to send over a drink, she advised us ever so politely that restaurant policy was to allow drinks to be sent over only when the recipient was a personal acquaintance. Unfortunately, that was not the case. No drink for you, mystery man! She was very tactful as she explained this to us. And how nice to know that if I am ever a celebrity, my privacy will be protected, too. Every staff person we came in contact with was absolutely wonderful. But on to dinner. The menu changes daily as it is based on produce available at the nearby weekly Santa Monica Farmers Market. The emphasis seems to be on creating new dishes in innovative ways based on what's fresh and in season. The chef is truly a master at teasing out the flavors of each vegetable and combining ingredients in new and inventive ways. Some of my favorites: Clam Green Pozole. Seafood in pozole? A first for me. Truly amazing how the chef combined ingredients in a new way but yet retained that instantly-recognizable pozole taste. Pork Trotter. So flavorful, rich, delicious. Beef Tongue: Best tongue ever! Roasted Chicken: Perfect and accompanied by flavorful vegetables. Cereal with Milk: Believe it or not, my favorite dish. I would have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, midnight snack....you name it. These dishes are only a sampling of what Rustic Canyon has to offer. Between all of us, we tried many other dishes and, food alone, the bill came to about $50 per person including tax and tip. Rustic Canyon offers exceptional value for your dining dollar. Street parking is readily available. Metered parking spots are free after 6 pm in Santa Monica. I'll be back. (And, no, it wasn't Arnold.) read more

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Date & Time of Visit: December 22, 2015, Dinnertime approx 6:40 - 9:15 PRICE: Like the restaurant Jar, the price-identification of this place is misstated at $$$. It is more expensive than that. It's actually $$$$. DRINKS (3 Stars) Chardonnay: My cousin and I each ordered a glass of Chardonnay. It was good but they cost $18 each. That's too much. However, the soda's price wasn't bad at $3.50. NOTE My taste buds and my companions' taste buds don't care for sweet food like Asian Fusion foods. So since we couldn't understand the menu (they were all in lowercase), we informed the waiter of our preference (no sweet food) and he made some suggestions. So we ended up ordering the following: BREAD (1 Stars) No free bread here but they had a bread which they called Ciabatta Butter & Oil and they charged $6 for it. It didn't taste good--almost like cardboard. I had bread at a friend's house in Chino Hills, a few days before, and that was really good. She got it from Ralph's--freshly baked. Rustic Canyon should just have bought that Ralph's bread and put it on their menu and saved themselves time and, us, money. So back to Rustic Canyon's no-good bread, we ended up ordering it twice because the main course we ordered (a huge steak) took long to cook. Also, we were not aware that the bread was not free. Had we known that, we would have tried something else. SALAD (5 Stars) Kale Salad: Excellent! Rustic Canyon is one other place that I know of that makes great dressing (the other one being Forage in Silver Lake). Back to Rustic's Kale Salad it came with dates, parmesan, fat-uncle almonds & lemon (description is from their menu because, obviously, I don't have a clue as to what a fat-uncle almond is). CHICKEN (4 Stars) Roasted Chicken: This was also very delicious but expensive (serving was small and they charged us $30). YAMS (4 Stars) Since the steak we ordered took longer than estimated to cook, they gave us this dish at no charge. It was delicious (menu description: white yams, celery, green garlic butter, hazelnut dukkah & aioli). STEAK (5 Stars) And now for the main course. We ordered a 36-oz Dry-Aged Cote Boeuf. It was aged for 45 days. It came with bone marrow, kale and potatoes. This was very delicious. If you want this, I suggest you call beforehand so that they can start cooking it. It takes one hour to cook this. For the price, the menu stated market price but good thing the waiter was forthcoming with the price because I was treating so I could not ask for the price. And by the way, it was $162. SERVICE (5 Stars) Very, very good. Heads up, a 3% charge will appear on your bill for the employees' healthcare. But I still commend their service. LADIES RESTROOM (1 Star) Very messy and the toilet seat was very loose. Someone could have fallen in. The restaurant although not big was packed. However, it only has one toilet. And when I went there around 9 pm, it was untidy. In addition to the loose toilet seat, there was a lot of paper towels on the floor and they ran out of seat covers. My niece who went earlier said it was not in that condition. So I suggest they assign someone to check and clean the restrooms every 15 minutes after 8 pm or something like that. DESSERT - We did not have time to order dessert because of the steak that took overly long to cook. NOISE LEVEL (1 Star) - Very loud PARKING (4 Stars) Valet. The staff were nice. About the fee, the sign stated $7.50 plus tip. That's the first time I've seen "plus tip". read more

Rustic Canyon - The 6:45 dinner crowd on a Christmas-week weeknight. (Get that?) And this is pretty much the size of the place. - Wine Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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We had a booking of table of 7 and was split up into tables of 4 and 3 which is fine but then we were put at opposite ends of the dinning room. Some cockamamie excuse that the kitchen is small and they can't cope with a table of 4 and 3 being next to each other. Then how do they cope with the entire restaurant being full? This is an expensive restaurant with a bad snooty attitude and I was ready to leave and go elsewhere as this was not the only place in town nor is it anywhere worth its cost. Alas other members of the group feel differently and we stayed. The food turned out to be so, so. Not worth the money and not returning, ever! Better places to go, believe you me. read more

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Interior of Rustic Canyon: Post 2008 Great Recession where tables & chairs are made of wood planks & hard as a rock. Bar on one side, cement floor, bare walls so sound bounces & cacophony reigns. It's Bestia, Wurst Kueche, Petty Cash all over again. I don't mind cheap interiors, but where is the use of the imagination? The Great Recession seems to have dulled the minds of many. Small plates: 1) Ambrosia Melon Gazpacho: thick, creamy light beige/yellow velvety soup made from coconut milk/almonds dressed w/ Delfino cilantro, Mexican sour gherkin. Light nuanced sauce w/ a touch of fond de cuisine of possibly chicken & pieces of sweet cantaloupe, tiny, green "mouse melon", micro thin sliced red chile pepper, shredded green Japanese Shiso leaf. Summery, bland soup for hot days when rich foods are just too much. 2) Fried Marin Sun Farms Pork Trotter: Meat is shaped into what looks like a rounded Maryland Crabcake w/ "redneck caviar" of rounded pinkish white grain. Dressed w/ fennel leaf & sitting on top of a watery mayonaise/chopped egg salad. The trotter is pasty, heavy textured, meaty yet dull in flavour. The egg salad is rather heavy tasting which adds to the massive denseness. May work better in winter when the need for fuel to warm up the body is more of a necessity. *3) Beets & Berries: Purplish, red sweet beets w/ guacamole, Rancho Gordo quinoa, pistachio soil. We mixed all the ingredients. The guacamole added a "Kakushi Aji"/hidden flavour which had buttery richness. Pistachio soil added nuttiness, & quinoa the texture. Nice vegetable dish full of iron & omega 3 oils. 4) Chicken "nduja" Omelette: Nduja usually is a spreadable Salame from S. Italy. Gribenes is Yiddish chicken/duck skin cracklings with onions. However, most of this bland, soft, fluffy omelette tasted mostly of eggs although traces of chicken nduja & Gribenes were scattered onto the flat omelette. Wavy potato chips smelling of burnt wood were on top as stomach filling decoration. *5) MainSun Farms Beef Tongue: Thin slices of soft, velvety meat that tasted vaguely of delicately spiced pastrami accompanied by Jeff Dawson's citrus, celery root mustard, Urfa chile, hazel nut, celery leaf. Nice, demure meaty flavour. I could have had this dish all to myself. *6) Calm Pozole: Soup is bright jade spring green from pureed cilantro whose scent came rising up to the nostrils. Rancho Gordo hominy was giant kernels of white corn, fried tortilla bits that retained their hard crunch for added texture. Clams were a bit over cooked so they shrank to a tougher sea meatiness. One of my clams had gritty sand in it, but can't always be helped. Green herbal chicken broth based broth was a nice contrast to the clams & refreshed by the addition of the scallion & radish. Big Plates: 7) Butter Poached Halibut w/ Summer Vegetable Stew: Halibut w/ a puree of greens on top was flakey, soft but lacked IKI, a Japanese culinary term meaning liveliness, freshness, vitality. Stew was a nice touch of sweet 100 tomatoes, eggplant, etc. . *8) Ribeye Steak: Nice cut of beef w/ parts that were more meaty, chewy & other parts that were soft, fatty. It seems grass fed since it has a high beefy flavour that doesn't seem to happen to corn fed beef. The fried potato & whey beignets were soft & Umami filled. Charred scallions & Japanese Shishito- peppers added plant roughage & a mild counterpoint to the texture & flavour of the rich beef. The Tomato Romesco sauce somehow went missing in action. *9) Brined & Roasted Half Chicken: Almost flattened looking deep brown roasted chicken that borders on Jidori or organic free range chicken w/ nice Bresse chicken-like taste in a deliciously meaty Bordelaise-like red wine sauce. Cylinders of sweet carrots, yam, & large grain cous-cous/m'hamsa decorate this superb chicken. Sauce is flavoured with coconut milk, vadouvan/french curry, date-ginger-mint Middle Eastern sweet spices. 1-9a) All the above was paired w/ a Pfneiszl, Kekfrancos, Ujra Egyuett, Hungary. Nice red wine w/ mild tannins, acids that countered a jammier, ripe black fruit sweetness w/ a touch of rustic teroir that complemented all the dishes. Dessert: *10) Cereal w/ Milk: Simple w/ Chamile flavoured melted ice cream, Pudwell Farms Yellow mild, sweet Raspberries & blueberries, buckwheat honey. Sometimes simple is the best. Churros w/ bland curd; Roasted Regier Farm Peaches & Cream was rather standard; Mint & Salted Caramel Ice Cream is just OK after experiencing Bulgarini & Carmela Gelati; Chocolate Carob Cake is rather heavy after such an extensive meal. Overall, 4- Yelp stars. read more

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tl;dr: some hits, some misses, large portions, expensive, uninspired, great COVID outdoor setup I came here with my girlfriend the day after Valentines Day for our first meal out in LA since earlier in the fall. We slipped into a reservation for dinner at 5:15pm which we figured might be nicer because the light will be out. Upon arrival, we were seated next to warm heaters by kind staff. We opted to pick a few things across the menu to share and my girlfriend got a drink which she absolutely loved. The beets and berries salad was excellent. Sweet, slightly crunchy, fatty - balanced overall. Perhaps missing a hint of acidity but I have no complaints. The "black garlic sausage" ($19) which they called salami in person and charcuterie on the check (??) was laughable and perhaps a bad joke about dining in LA. We received 10 rounds of paper-thin salami, placed in a shallow plate and covered with cheap olive oil and a few pickled radishes. I did not factor the egregious (and frankly hilarious) pricing into my rating but rest-assured we were a bit annoyed. I have paid more for less but the salami tasted like absolutely nothing and certainly not like black garlic. It was served with a rye bread that was either purchased from a bad bakery several days ago or was baked with little care by the cooks. Good bread isn't hard to nail and it's embarrassing to see flops at this level and price. The sourdough cacio-e-pepe was fantastic and perhaps an even more hilarious, though delicious, meme about dining in LA. My girlfriend has dietary issues with under-fermented refined white flour (as I suspect most Americans do) and it was inspiring to see this on a menu for the first time. I will certainly be trying to replicate it at home. The duck with mustard cream was OK. Duck confit is a pretty simple menu item, as was the one-dimensional mustard cream which overpowered the duck, the rhubarb, the braised greens, and the outdoor music. I was unimpressed and exhausted by the level of fattiness and richness which was regrettably not contrasted by any acid. The cod was perfectly cooked, though followed in line with the previous dishes: lack of acid, single-dimension flavors (in this case a broth that probably took hours to make but tasted only like smoked paprika), and a missed opportunity to create textural contrast by crisping the skin. The ratio of fish:veg was also surprising given Chef Fox's philosophy about vegetable-forward cuisine (he literally wrote a book called On Vegetables). Overall, I don't think I would come back. The staff were incredibly nice and the food was good, but considering the price (we spent $200 all in) and the number of other options in LA, I would likely look elsewhere for creativity and originality. Honestly, I'm surprised. The menu was incredibly conservative and the few basic mistakes (lack of acidity, single-dimensional flavors) leave me wondering who is in the kitchen. read more

This was a delightful experience at Rustic Canyon! We stopped by at about 7pm on a Tuesday and got seated at a table in the bar area. The hostess and our server were very personable and explained the menu. While the menu selection is not large ( approximately 12 to 15 items) moving from small to medium and larger entrees, the farm to table concept makes for a varied selection. The wine list is also similar in thoughtful selection. The atmosphere ( lighting and music) is also thoughtfully curated for maximum affect. There is a relaxed bistro level of comfort here. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. All the desserts are made on-site. It's a great place for an intimate date, anniversary or a foodie splurge ! read more