Mélisse

#600^th review
A special occasion is always a good excuse to indulge, be it in a new pair of signature brand shoes or purse you don’t need, a luxurious trip somewhere in Europe, or in our case, dine at Chef Josiah Citrin’s then-​rated 2 Michelin star restaurant for this particular celebratory dinner.
As I was slowly strutting in my stilettos towards our table, I surveyed the elegant dining room which was quite the contrary from the mysteriously drab façade. Dressy would be the appropriate attire but truly being in laid-​back SoCal, it’s hard to implement such a rule, thus the stragglers you’ll see, still very welcome.
The 4-​course menu priced at $ 145 was our unanimous choice and good thing since the entire table should order from the same menu. For those interested in the 10-​course option ($ 185), take note that it goes for 3 hours.
We started off with two amuse bouches: 1^st with the condor grapes, blue cheese, and pistachios, while the 2^nd one was the spoon of clams and parfait of orange gelee, fennel flan, and cashew mousse. Each one suitably amusing, igniting our palates for what’s to come.
Easy 5 stars for the starters and I’ll tell you why. The seared FOIE GRAS ($ 10 supplement) was delicate yet rich and buttery in flavor on its own, but imagine it paired with the sweet cherry, salted coffee mousse, and arugula, atop a subtly bitter pain d’epice… Now, that’s what you call hitting all the right notes! My better half had the Santa Barbara SPOT PRAWNS which was almost as equally good as my 1^st course. Huge sweet prawns, kohlrabi foam, uni sauce, razor clams… should I say more?
Bread service interlude of basil brioche, bacon focaccia, as well as olive ciabatta was one of the highlights of the night and if you’re not careful, you’ll consume more than you should like I did. Oh the sinful pleasures!
A signature dish they have been serving for 17 years now is the famed LOBSTER BOLOGNESE adorned with brown butter truffle froth. Swirls of al dente pasta had to be cut with a knife to enjoy and enjoy I did. Every morsel I savored with bursts of ocean flavor from the scrumptious lobster pieces. Picking the 4-​course menu was mainly for this reason and it was absolutely justified.
The PRIME RIB EYE CAP was excellent — beefy, tender, and rich in flavor while the 21-​Day Aged Liberty DUCK which my husband ordered blew me away. The flavor was exceptional with crisp outer skin plus a perfectly pink and tender meat to boot. Probably the best duck dish I’ve had thus far. A lusciously buttery potato mousse was served on the house for us to share as a side and wow! Delicious.
For our dessert course, TANGERINE SOUFFLE for the lady and DARK BERRY PARFAIT with lemon verbena ice cream for the gentleman. These were both exemplary desserts. Not an after-​thought, no, no. Loved the fruity flavors and the fact that none of these were overpoweringly sweet. But really, the parfait takes the cake.
And to close such an outstanding meal on a sweeter note, laid in front of us was a beautiful plate of mignardises only to be packed for us after I snapped a photo. This was where we tapped out.
Impeccable service from start to end was expected and very well-​executed by our server. When you don’t need to ask for what you need, you know the dining staff has got you well taken cared of. Bravo Melisse for the well-​earned accolades and for making our evening extra special. We each took home boxed chocolate truffles as gifts for our anniversary. Thank you!

I ordered tasting menu and it made me more than full. Every plate was done very precisely like an art and they all tasted great. This place would still be highly rated even if it was in NYC or Tokyo. This place has michelin stars. Not every day food but great for special occasion. Romantic place.

Took my gf here for her bday and let me start off by saying please be prepared to spend some $$$$$! However, as the saying goes, you pay for what you get. The service is impeccable, food is refreshing and delicious, and we were both taken on a delightful journey of food.
I ordered the 10 for both of us and I have to say none of the courses disappointed. I won’t bore you guys by reiterating much of the other reviewers comments, except that this is a must try if you live in LA. The biggest compliment I can give Melisse, is that I definitely hesitate when eating things such as foie gras, caviar, raw oysters, and anything else that sounds a bit weird to eat. However, I promised myself I would be like Blake Shelton at Nobu, and just eat anything and everything that came in front of me. Surprisingly, I found everything I ate extraordinary to my taste palettes. It opened so many taste buds, and this is the biggest thing that impressed me.
Service is wonderful to say the least, and you will be hard pressed to see an empty water cup, or an unfolded napkin.
The hit to my wallet was definitely there, but for that once in a while blue moon, Melisse is definitely a great place to go to spoil yourselves!

After 6 years of living in LA, my husband & I finally made our way to Melisse. We’re not big fans of fancy dining but every once in a while, it’s nice to dress up and go eat some fancy food (IMO). Service was really great, attentive, and not stuffy or stuck up. The sommelier used the word «gnarly» to describe a red wine — which is awesome. I also thought I heard a server mutter «so good» as he was placing my Lobster Bolognese on the table. We did the regular tasting menu (not the 10) and added the Rotisserie Chicken (which was damn good and moist).
The Wild Sea Bream and Spot Prawns were both good for the first course. By the time we got to the entrée, I was already full but I still ate all of my Prime Beef Rib Eye Cap (which was tasty but heavy).
When presented with the choices of bread, get the basil brioche. So good.
We circled the block for parking but it’s largely permit only and meters. Just valet and save yourself the time.
I don’t know why people think the ambience is dated — it looked good to me. There are a lot of Asians but Asians love to eat good food.

A wonderful place to celebrate a special occasion or just when you want to spoil yourself. My hubby surprised me for my birthday here and it was truly a wonderful evening all around. Service is top notch, as it should be at a place like this, but truly was outstanding.
We decided against the 10 course extravaganza bc of time. Once our waiter told us it was nearly a 3 hour ordeal, it wasn’t as appealing to us as we had plans after dinner. However would definitely come back to try the 10 course meal — just need the right expectations. Instead we opted for the 4 course meal which was fantastic.
The complimentary amuse-​bouche was amazing — 2 for each of us — an explosion of flavor. Upon recommendation we both had the lobster bolognese which was really good — based on the build up I was expecting it to be amazing and was a little let down, but still very good. I only wish it was served warmer… it was a little lukewarm My main dish I felt the same way about — after one of the experts deboned my fish right in front of us, which was amazing to see… I have to say my fish wasn’t that hot. I started to question my need for my food to be hot. Maybe the french don’t serve food hot? If you ask google, that is actually correct. Hot food can’t be fully tasted. Lukewarm can. So there you go.
My husband enjoyed his choices thoroughly. The dessert round blew us both away. We look forward to coming back!

French fine dining at its best!
What a truly amazing experience. From the moment I entered the restaurant, I was impressed. The décor is beautiful with clean lines throughout the restaurant. The host greeted me kindly and guided me to a lovely booth with a great view of the primary dining area. Promptly thereafter my server stopped by and assisted in the selection of my starter wine. He also talked through the menu and answered my initial questions.
I decided to go with the four-​course option ($ 145) that allowed me to create a delicious customized meal. My meal included 1) complimentary amuse bouche of goat cheese grape spheres and grape in goat cheese and rolled in pistachios, 2) complimentary oysters with shallot panna cotta and red gelée vinaigrette, 3) complimentary fennel flan with orange gelée, warm cashew foam, and vanilla oil, 4) Scallops with truffle sauce perigourdine, polenta, and asparagus coated in black truffle, 5) Lobster bolognese with capellini, basil, and brown butter sauce, 6) Duck with Swiss chard, celeriac, and whipped potatoes, 7) custom cheese plate ($ 25 supplement), 8) complimentary palate cleanser of vanilla bean yogurt with blood orange sorbet, 8) Nutella chocolate dessert. Yes, yes I did eat all of that delicious food — and I’d do it again!
Instead of going with the optional wine pairing ($ 125), I opted to choose wines by the glass. The server came by throughout my meal to offer suggestions on wines and I found him to be very knowledgeable and helpful. Every server and manager within the restaurant was wearing a nice suit (an elegant touch) and they were all at the ready to assist any table before guests even had an opportunity to ask. Mélisse is the epitome of fine dining and you absolutely must dine here. You need make a reservation. Now. Resistance is futile. I’ll wait.. . Use OpenTable. Done? Okay, now put on an outfit with an expandable waistline (trust me on this) and head on over!

This place is overrated.
I live in the area so I drive by there everyday, this place was on my friend’s restaurant list, so I decided to give it a try.
First of all, outside is ugly, inside décor is nothing special, and it must have been the Asian night, there were nothing but Asians, feel like I was in China instead of France…
I don’t mind spending good amount of money on food which I eat out twice a week, I’m also foodie. But I thought this place was overpriced. I know it’s French, but everything was so small and I didn’t taste anything. The only thing I remember eating was the lobster bolognase, I wish it was bigger.
If it’s French and has high price, I expect exceptional service and spectacular décor, but they don’t have any of that, so I haven’t been back since the first time which was over a year ago, I will probably never go back unless there is some kinda of special occasion…

Melisse was an exquisite dining experience all the way around. As someone who enjoys the excitement of pre fixe menus, I was beyond satisfied. From beginning to end, this experience was worth the time and price.
I came here for my 21^st birthday and the staff here definitely did not forget. They were so sweet and made it completely special from the moment we arrived.
The staff was so attentive; there was always water and bread on the table but definitely no crumbs! They made sure of that. :)
I greatly appreciated the explanation of the dishes and all the recommendations of the best way to enjoy them. As said before, the menu was very exciting. There wasn’t one thing that I didn’t fall in love with and want more of. We did the 10 course option, which was A LOT of food. Each dish was beautifully presented.
Although the entire experience took over 3 hours, the time went by fast. I almost needed a pillow for our booth by the time we were done but it was so worth it.
Can’t wait for another occasion/​excuse to come here again!

4 star to the chef
5 star to the host ladies
0 star to the waiter service
The most young couples are there to celebrate their birthdays and the rest are snobby seniors that have Cruella de Vil attitude and the looks. Some of them are staring at you in a rude way.
The main dining room has this beautiful chandelier and uncomfortable chair that makes you sit in one position. It’s very noisy and crowded. If you want to have some romance? Do not sit in the main dining room.
The private dining room is dark and a bit depressing, but at least it’s quiet.
The waiter told us that there’s a 10 course menu that will take 3 hours, but the actual waiting time include is a total of 4+ hours, especially when your waiter completely forgot about you.
The extremely bad service:
We waited 30 minutes for the pea soup, 20 minutes for the bread, 20 minutes for the rib eye.
Our waiter spent more time flirting with the host ladies, but forgot about our dish.
«Do you want some bread?»…” sure”. We waited 20 minutes for the bread.
We watched our next table finished two entrees, but we are still waiting and our waiter didn’t have a clue, because he was too busy flirting. He danced around and in front of the host ladies like a joker.
He and the bread guy came often to check our table and went away like everything is under control
6 out of the 10 menu dish came out the kitchen without explanation.
The oily finger prints are all over the plate and glasses, unbelievable.
The people who brought out the food have a frozen face.
The coffee came with the cheese pastry.
Our waiter was friendly and handsome, but when I waited more than 30 minutes for my pea soup, I wanted to use the folk to pick out his eye balls. This is not a Mr. beautiful smiling face competition, If you are there just to dance around and show off your pretty face? perhaps a gentleman club is more suitable.
When I told the main waiter about the waiting time, he actually made a small joke about it and try to smooth it off and act like nothing happens.
The wine list looks like Wikipedia and the cocktail list is like a Bible. The wine list has at least a few hundred bottles in the list. Their wine list is bigger than some of the winery in Napa valley.
The food:
+++The egg caviar: The soft poached egg is not too raw, sturgeon caviar wasn’t too salty, lemon crème fraîche was light, if you mix everything together, it’s creamy, delightful and most important not overly salted. The Egg Caviar at Providence was overly salted and I had to return the entire egg, but this one is perfectly in balance.
+++Foie Gras Torchon: Foie Gras was fresh, tender and it melted on your tongue. The quality is perfect. And nothing else on this plate will be amazing anymore after you tasted their Foie Gras.
-++Sweet pea soup: It was a nice 4 teaspoon of pea soup, we finished it pretty fast, especially when you waited 30 minutes for it. The presentation looks lovely, the portion is tiny. The soup is delightful, but you can barely taste or smell the black truffle.
–+Sprouting cabbage: It tasted like lightly seared cabbage soaked into the french onion soup. The sun choke chips were crispy, cabbage is a bit overcooked, the leaf were yellow-​ish, the soup was tasty and very chessy. The dish wasn’t special.
–+Stoninton Main diver scallop: There were oily finger prints on my plate, the oily fingers were covering about half the edge of the entire plates. Very gross. My scallop was overcooked and Mr. Q’s Scallop was okay. The scallop was standard, there was nothing much different in between the scallops from Season 52 or Roy’s.
+++Loup De Mer «En Ecailles»: This is the highlight of the entire menu. I got mouth watering when we talked about this perfectly cooked dish. The sea bass was perfectly cooked, The scale and the skin are crispy, the fish meat was juicy, tender, fresh and it melts in the mouth. It wasn’t fishy at all. This dish makes the entire menu boring.
–+Prime beef rib eye cap: The worst dish on the entire menu. Awful plating. The beef comes in a ham size and it looks like a thin wasted wipes with a lot of holes. potato galette is tasty and crispy and the radicchio tasted bland, smokey and bitter.
—Tarte aux Fromages: Awful cheap taste cheese tart with a yellow-​ish watercress that enter on a wrong dish
+++Amazing cappuccino and lemon balm mint tea.
-++Chocolate Nutella crunch: A bit overly sweetened dessert, but overall good.
+++Cherimoya: It was a good balance in between sweet and sour.
—Bread/​desserts: French country roll will break your teeth, bacon focaccia tasted rancid, caneles were burned.
The kitchen is being stingy, they use a lot of semi-​withered salad/​leaves to decorate.
The chef should learn more about the plating, some dishes looks unbalanced in color and shape.
And most of all, please change/​train your service team.

5 stars, 10 stars, 100 stars, TAKE IT ALL! Dinner that delighted my palate to the extreme. I have come across plenty of restaurants that left an imprint of goodness in my brain but Melissé, Melissé you are that ONE! I’ve been wowed by your sophistication — atmosphere, service, and most of all your delectable food. I cannot express enough how skilled your chefs are here. Every bite was heavenly, so whatever you decide off the menu you will not be disappointed. Applauding!

My wife and I went here for her birthday. We were expecting a great experience but the food, ambience and service exceeded even our expectations. We spent the night comparing this dining to when we went to Bouchon in Napa and Grand Cascade in Paris. It compared very well.
The meal was pricey but expected. I will not go over all of what we had as others have done that. What I will say is the layers upon layers of flavor and tastes was truly wonderful and leaving you to wonder why others can’t do what they are doing.
We left contemplating when we will come back! Bravo!

Celebrated our anniversary and must say this was a fantastic dining experience. We ordered the 4 course meal but must say the lobster bolognese was amazing. The wait staff including Jon was super attentive and explained every course that was presented by 2 waiters that had the presentation down with class.
We can’t go to a restaurant like this everyday, but to spend our anniversary there, was a night to remember.

After reading so many great reviews about this place, I finally got to try here on my birthday thanks to my BF. Inside the restaurant was nice and the ambiance was super high end. I see a lot of people here looking like they are coming from rich Beverly Hills area lol As soon as we reached the table, I saw a nice note saying happy birthday to me and a nice box of chocolate. Since there were a lot of waiter, I was expecting service should be efficient but we waited for about 10 – 15 minute to get our order which I felt it quite disappointing.
We chose the 10 course menu. Since it’s a lot of food to memorize, I would not go over one by one, instead, I will highlight my favorite items.
Amuse: This was panna cotta with fresh salmon roe and oysters. Since its my first dish, it was quite refreshing. Creamy panna cotta and fresh salmon row actually made a great combination. It was also super colorful, orange, green, purple and gray which definitely increase my appetite.
Egg Caviar: It was caviar in the soft scramble egg. I had to dig into the egg cause you can’t take the whole thing out and eat it otherwise the egg yolk would leak from the bottom. The flavor was nicely balanced.
Artichoke Soup: This soup was AMAZING! It was creamy and flavorful. They put a little parmesan cheese cracker in the middle of the soup. The cracker melt inside my mouth with the sip of soup. Literally drooling thinking about this… The presentation was also amazing.
Stonington Maine Diver Scallop: I am always a huge fan of scallop, as long as you do not overcook the scallop, I would enjoy it. They did a amazing job in cooking the scallop, it was crispy on the skin and center was tender and juicy. The veggies on the side though, was a little bitter.
Caramelized Chatham Bay Cod: I love this dish. The cod was sitting on pureed cauliflower dressing. I love how the cod was glazed or cooked to dark orange color and created this bitter sweetness. Dipping with the broth definitely made me want to take bite after bite. I really enjoy this one.
Prime Beef Rib Eye Cap: This was the main dish but one of my least favorite one (others are some dishes I did not list out here like Foie Gras Torchon or Romanesco Cauliflower) The steak was okay. It does not have that melting in my mouth effect. Nothing to rave about. I would say maybe it was because I was amazed by those appetizers?
Chocolate Nutella Crunch: My favorite dessert time! I really like this dessert. I love dessert but not a chocolate lover, however this chocolate nutella crunch definitely made me fall in love with chocolate for one moment. It was not overly sweet and it has crunchy, creamy and smooth texture. Definitely a light chocolate dessert!
Cherimoya: Chef ending our tasting with this super refreshing fruity dessert. They also gave us complimentary tea to pair with dessert which I appreciated.
Overall I had a great dining experience here even though this is not somewhere I would come often. Some of the dishes definitely impress with their flavor and plate presentation. Valet parking is $ 8.5 with the restaurant parking lot.

I came here for my birthday and it was a wonderful experience. The ambience here is simple but elegant. PERFECT for a special night out with your man. I think my husband might have even liked this more than Eleven Madison or it might just have been the caviar talking to him! Hubs ordered the Ossetra Golden Imperial Caviar with some nice champagne for my celebration. The caviar was nutty, buttery and extremely exquisite.
For dinner, hubs was pushing for the 12 course menu but his eyes are always bigger than his stomach. I knew we would get too full for the 12 course so opted for the five course instead. It was the perfect amount of food as we had also ordered the caviar for our appetizer.. We both absolutely loved the lobster Bolognese topped with a truffle froth/​foam. SO DIVINE! Their menu changes depending on season and freshness but the chefs culinary skill and precision in these amazing dishes make them worthy of their 2 Michelin stars!

After being disappointed by the best French restaurant in Paris, I found one that was way better… in Santa Monica, California.
Each dish in the tasting menu was better than the last. Standouts included the Sea Bass, Foie Gras Terrine, the caviar egg, scallops, lobster bolognese and dessert. Basically the whole tasting menu. That’s the point, right?
Our server Ryan was fun, casual, and diplomatic to the point of being a UN attaché. He made the experience even better.
Only drawbacks were the menopausal bread and bathrooms more suited for truck stops than fine dining.
That said, next time I want great French food I’ll save on airfare, and ditch CDG for LAX.

I finally got to try the very famous and well known Melisse! I made reservations and took my GF for her BDay. I heard so many good things about this 2 Michelin Star restaurant so we were both pretty excited and really looking forward to this meal. Street parking sucks — so I recommend doing valet for $ 8.50.
As soon as we entered we were greeted and seated. What annoyed me was it took more than 10 min for someone to come and take out order — we had to ask twice for someone to come. Come on…
We ordered the «Ten.
Amuse: Some sort of Panna cotta WITH Salmon Roe and Oysters. This was the perfect start to a meal! Very light, refreshing and flavorful. I wish I could have more!
Egg Caviar: This is one of Melisse’s signature dishes and it was incredible! Scrambled Egg with Caviar served inside the egg shell. The scrambled egg was incredibly light, fluffy yet flavorful. The caviar gave it nice saltiness and much needed texture.
Foie Gras Torchon: Not my favorite dish. I would much rather have seared Foie Gras as it melts in your mouth. The Foie Gras Torchon was good but not amazing. It was a bit hard to cut as it was pretty dense and cold but the flavors were there.
Artichoke Soup: Amazing. Very rich and creamy. I wish they would serve a bigger bowl of this!
Romanesco Cauliflower: Our least favorite dish of the night. It is just a piece of cauliflower. I think it was not fully cooked as it had this raw taste and it was pretty hard to cut.
Stonington Maine Diver Scallop: Scallop had a very nice sear and was extremely flavorful.
Caramelized Chatham Bay Cod: This was my personal favorite dish. The Bay Cod was perfectly cooked. It was super flaky and buttery that melted in my mouth! All the components here worked.
Prime Beef Rib Eye Cap: This was my GFs dish so I only had a bite. I was a bit disappointed that they weren’t serving A5 Wagyu like most high end restaurant tasting menu. The beef was nicely cooked but not mind blowing.
Colorado Lamb Loin: Lamb Loin came out medium rare was requested but it lacked some flavor. A little tough to cut and eat as well.
Nuvola: This was some sort of cheese and date dish. Sweet and salty combination always works!
Chocolate Nutella Crunch: This was a beautiful dish. The presentation was amazing but the flavor was one tone — all chocolate.
Cherimoya: Very nice, light and refreshing to end the meal.
The meal took about 3.5 hours — on par with Providence. The meal was enjoyable but not mind blowing. Service was bad at the beginning, good at some times and awkward at others. My GF had a nice time and overall we liked the food and service. It was nice of them having a «Happy Birthday» card on our table when we arrived.
After trying Providence, I prefer them over Melisse but thats just my opinion.

The BEST anniversary ever!!!
The most amazing food I’ve ever had of all the tasting menus we’ve had — the most consistently great! It’s no wonder this place has 2 Michelin stars! It’s absolutely well deserved and its some place you should experience at least once!
The décor is very modern with a purple twist! The service is impeccable and what you expect from a restaurant of this caliber!
Upon being seated — there is a little stool for my purse! Hooray! What a nice touch!
Anyway, we went with the 10 course dinner (which is really more like 15 courses and took about 3.5 hours!) A veritable culinary Disneyland! And of course, each dish is a work of art!
Amuse — grapes two ways. One cut and covered with goat cheese and pistachios — another a gastronomic grape! Both interesting and delicious!
Also, they bring you a little glass of a carbonated citrus drink — to cleanse your palate — which may be one of the best things I’ve ever drank! Sweet but fresh! Amazing but so simple! A great start!
Oysters — I guess the «real» amuse — served in a little tin — so adorable! The oysters were tasty — again I’m not a huge seafood person — but they were delicious and the presentation was just so whimsical and beautiful! The trout caviar added a nice saltiness without a fishy taste but there was also a bit of a saltwater/​briny gelee! Overall a beautiful and tasty dish!
Egg Caviar — a soft poached egg with a lemony crème fraîche and some caviar on top! I’m not a huge fan of caviar but this was delicious! Added a nice salt and no fishy taste or smell! Delicious! Also, the flaky pastry that accompanied went perfectly with the egg! Yum!
Fois Gras Torchon — this definitely changed the way I think about fois gras! This was superior quality and although I’m not a huge fan of forced meats, I could definitely eat half. I thought the portion was large — and it’s extremely rich — although well balanced with the mandarinquat marmalade underneath! But still half went to Pump! It’s a very rich dish!
Artichoke Soup — The crumbsky! I thought the word was adorable and I love a good soup! This soup was delicious! Very earthy and I loved the strong cheese flavor on the croquette! Adorable and delicious!
Romanesco Cauliflower — this was definitely one of my favorite dishes — I loved the intense Asian fermented black bean flavor — and it was just so umami! Delicious!
Scallop Dish — that scallop was melt in your mouth perfect! I actually wished for more! And I loved that salsify purée! It was out of this world! I was scraping it off the plate as Pumpie happily watched me happily enjoying it! :) I love salsify! It’s my new favorite obsession! Also, those blood orange pieces! How do they peel them so well! I must know!
Fish (Cod) dish — I’m not a fish eater — in fact I never eat it — aside from shellfish — because I’m just not a filet fan! But… I really enjoyed this dish! The sauce was almost like a broth and the fish was perfectly flaky and almost potato-​y! Ahhh! It was a delicious dish and the broth was so tasty! Mushroomy!
Beef Dish — we had the prime beef rib eye cap med rare! Absolutely delicious! With just salt and pepper that meat was delicious and super high quality! No fattiness! The balance of the fat/​richness of the beef and portobello mushroom was a nice contrast to the bitterness of the raddichio and stinging nettle purée! Another home run!
Cheese Dish — this was a caramelized cheese with a bit of black pepper honey and a bacon mousse! Light but tasty and the date was delicious!
Chocolate Dish — Sophisticated was the first thing that came to mind — but still somehow decadent and chocolate-​y! A win! And just so beautiful to look at too! And still quite sweet!
Fruit Dessert Dish — my favorite of the dessert dishes — a bit of cherimoya fruit with a tangy and light tangerine sorbet and with little tapioca pearls and tiny perfectly peeled pieces of tangerine! Light but the perfect balance of sweet! So delicious!
Tea course — they brought out a little glass of Melisse or lemon balm tea! Actually very delicious and went perfectly with the meal end!
Cookie course — another assortment of cookies! Ahhh! I was stuffed but everything was just so tasty! Canales, macarons, bon bons, and a jelly candy. All amazingly tasty! The tamarind macarons were definitely my favorite! A lovely tang to balance the sweetness!
Everything was just amazing! I not only left stuffed but having broadened my culinary horizons and having eaten and loved some items that I would never have ordered elsewhere!
Of all the tasting menus that I’ve had, this one has to be my favorite! Every single thing was amazingly and meticulously prepared and executed — which made all the dishes absolutely delicious!
On a side note — the chef’s son was eating at a table with his friends in front of us and we got to see the cheese table/​cart! It’s huge and full of delicious looking cheeses — and cheese accoutrements! Yum!

«To receive a guest is to take charge of their happiness during the entire time they are under your roof» — Fernand Point
As I walked in, the whole environment changed. Dim lights, elegant décor, classy environment. I was at an upscale New York restaurant, except I was in LA.
They had 6 different types of bread and they were all unique and delicious!
dineLA menu
Stellar Bay Oyster
Peekytoe Crab, Burrata Cheese, Caper and Scallion Vinaigrette
One of the PRETTIEST plates I’ve ever seen. I’m not a fan of raw oysters, but I can eat this dish over and over again and be totally happy. It was creamy, rich, and full of flavor. The oysters were incredibly fresh, and the edible flowers added a nice aesthetic touch.
Savory Cabbage Potage
Potato, Leeks and Whipped Smoked Bacon
Sure, you might be thinking potage is just a soup. But believe me when I say, this was my FAVORITE dish of the night. The soup was out of this world and you NEED to dip your bread in this. Maybe, it was the crispy potato skin in the soup. Maybe, it was the bacon. It was probably the bacon…
Seared Maine Diver Scallop
Turnip, Mustard Greens, and Pea Tendril Broth
Vert
This scallop dish fell flat for me. No exciting flavors there. Wish it had some acidity to brighten up the dish.
Caramelized Chatham Bay Cod
Salsify, White Mushrooms and Chestnut Emulsion
I’m more of a salmon person. But I have to give credit because the cod cut like butter.
Flat Iron Steak
Braised Beef Cheek, Swiss Chard, Potato Galette, Shiitake Mushrooms, Sauce Bordelaise
The steak was good, but nothing memorable. However, the mashed potato was DIVINE. Loved the texture and one of my favorite, if not my favorite mashed potato I’ve ever had.
Sonoma Lamb Loin
Lamb Shank Ravioli, Braised Shelling Beans, Charred Onion, Rosemary Scented Lamb Jus
The lamb was a bit tough to cut. But I really enjoyed the ravioli. It was the perfect ravioli bite.
Chocolate and Caramel Fondant
Ricotta Cremeaux, Hazelnuts and Dulcey Ice Cream
I loved the white chocolate drippings on the side! The dulcey ice cream complimented the chocolate fondant. However, the hazelnuts weren’t necessary for me in this dessert.
By the end of our meal, I was very satisfied by the amount of food we had. They also brought out two chocolate bite size desserts for us.
Thank you Melisse for your Two Michelin star experience!

We have been looking for dining at this restaurant for quite awhile. The day before my birthday, we decided to give it a try and hope it will be a good and impressive food experience.
–service: the waitress was nice and gave us good service. Each dish they brought over, she gave us a description of it, which we expected since we have been dining out a lot. However, the other assistance or other servers were not that nice, the way they acted seems a bit rude to us. They straight forward to grab the plates from us without any words. 2.5 stars
–foods: as this restaurant is rated two Michellin stars, we of course expected the food is worth that price. Well, I cannot say it very good. It’s an Okay level. My food was kinda cold when I was eating it, and the air conditioner was not on. The presentation of the food was ok, nothing impressive so far. 3.5 the maximum
–parking: I didn’t see any valet parking services. You have to look for a parking. But after 6PM, you can park on the street
–menu: they said their Dinela was ended on Friday not Sunday. They have a 10-​course menu for $ 175. The 4-​course is for $ 135. Keep in mind that the French food is pretty heavy.
Overall experience, it’s under our expectations, it seems people are overrated it.

I’ve been wanting to try this place for sooo looongg!
The service was great. The place was loud. The food was good.
Well it was good for this kind of restaurant standard.
— Naked Cowboy Oyster (⁵⁄₅)
— Savoy Cabbage «Potage» (⁴⁄₅)
— SB Ridgeback Prawns (³⁄₅)
— Caramelize Bay Cod (³⁄₅)
— Black Truffle Risotto (⁵⁄₅) — supplement
— Flat Iron Steak (⁴⁄₅)
— Sonoma Lamb Loin (²⁄₅)
— Chocolate & Caramel Fondant (⁴⁄₅)

Warning: This review is certainly overdue! But I haven’t forgotten my dining experience & the food here. A very innovative French cuisine at Mélisse.
We came here for a gf’s bday and decided all to go with the Carte Blanche (15 courses about $ 250+tax). Upon being seated my gf had a little place card that said «Happy Birthday.» It was definitely a sweet gesture for any occasions that is to be celebrated there. Just let the restaurant know ahead of time.
: VENUE /​FOOD :
The ambiance was elegant & intimate. The décor was simple yet classy. Excellent service & friendly staff. The food exceeded my expectations especially the cheese cart — we were ALL in cheese heaven. OMG we had about 10 different type of cheeses (pretty much all that was on display). To this day my gfs can’t stop talking about the amazing cheese cart! If you love cheese — must get the cheese course!
The complimentary variety of bread was standard. Every dish served was explained and they were all pretty CREATIVE & DELECTABLE. Complex with exquisite, well-​balanced flavors. Loved the complimentary sweets they provided us toward the end of our courses. Although we couldn’t finish them they boxed it up nicely for us. No alcohol this time around since I had to drive.
: OVERALL :
Price-​wise, it was a major damage to my wallet (especially paying for the b-​day gal!) but well worth it just like French Laundry: D If you haven’t yet at least give this venue a try once. I’d definitely come back here again when the opportunity arises. Anyone wants to take me & pay for my dinner? :)
: NOTES :
1) Valet $ 8.50 behind the main street (easier than finding street parking)
2) Everyone in the party needs to order the same type of menu. So if all Ten then all Ten.
If all Carte Blanche then all Carte Blanche.
3) For Carte Blanche expect to be dining for a couple of hours :)
4) I would suggest dressing up a little to dine here — business casual/​dressy. This is a
2-​MICHELIN star establishment.

DineLA has officially launched the higher priced menu at $ 95+ a person. Went to Melisse last night and had a wonderful experience again! At $ 265 for two people (with tax, tip, valet, and $ 9 water for the table — if you want free water you have to say regular water if you say flat you get the $ 9 water), it’s a great deal! I think one day I will do the full course tasting menu, but for now, DineLA hits the spot. For the first time, I did not sit in the main dining room and I gotta say, I LOVED the private room with only 4 tables. I will sit there from now on. We sat at the table where the curtain was right on my back, which I actually liked. :) Darker, more intimate, quieter, felt like you were at someone’s home sorta, with butlers. I forget what the amuse bouche was, it was sorta like a molecular gastronomy fake grape (like the fake olives) and it came with a half grape with some white chocolate and nuts on it. For the first course, it was the Stella Bay Oyster. OMG — so good. It was so light, refreshing, and tasted PERFECT. I wanted another one. Just enough salt/​briney-​ness with the smattering of green onion made it sing! The second option was the Savoy Cabbage Potage or the Santa Barbara Ridgeback Prawns. My boyfriend got the potage, I got the prawns. While the prawns were good GET THE POTAGE. It’s so rich, decadent, creamy, filling, and it warms your soul! I was sad I did not get the potage. They gave you a few prawns, so that was nice to have so many, but trust me, you want the potage. My boyfriend was using the bread to wipe down the bowl to get the last bits of the soup; I kid you not. No shame in our dining game! The bread also came around this time and out of I think 6 or 7 options, we got 3 each. I really wanted to try all of them, but don’t want to be rude about it. I got the green basil one, the bacon foccacia, and the olive bread. Next time I should get 3 basil ones. LOL The butter here is DIVINE, I tell ya!!! I always taste a speck of butter without any bread just to get a true taste of it and DAMN! The butter here is so flavorful it’s like eating a creamy CHEESE. I could seriously just eat the butter alone like it was candy. Yes, IT WAS THAT GOOD. Then came the Caramelized Chatham Bay Cod — the caramelized element was really good. For our entrees, I got the Flat Iron Steak, boyfriend got the Sonoma Lamb Loin. He loved it, I don’t eat lamb, so I didn’t try it. The steak was so tender, so melt-​in-​your-​mouth it was like eating butter! I liked the steak more than the beef cheek. I really enjoyed the diced mushrooms and the potato gratin was good. We also got compliments from the chef, a mashed potato dish, so did the table next to us. Not sure why… maybe our entrée came out a little late or maybe they can see I’ve returned? Anyway, the mashed potatoes were also to die for — the texture was so smooth like pudding, the creaminess, the flavors, very happy to have received it complimentary! Last course was dessert — loved the ice cream, roasted hazelnuts and the entire dish — sweet, but not too sweet. Then comes out the other desserts — 4 pieces. I do like the white grape jelly square and I’m not a big fan of macarons, but here I liked it. Another item was like a churro cake and also a half sphere of chocolate. Everything here is delicious, some more than others, but soooo worth the 5 stars as every dish is made with such detail, passion, and thought. Whatever you eat here will most likely be the best version of it that you have ever eaten, failing that, the most inventive version of that dish. Valet is $ 8.50, street parking is also possible if you look. Don’t forget to eat at Charcoal Venice, Chef Josiah’s new restaurant. Another restaurant on par with Melisse is Providence. I’ve been to Valentino was not a fan. I gave Spago 4 stars.
2009 Michelin guide (Michelin is ditching Los Angeles, at least for now. You won’t be seeing a 2010 Michelin guide for L.A. as they said people dine based on where celebs go):
Two stars:
Mélisse
Providence
Spago
Urasawa
One star:
Asanebo
Bastide
Cut
The Dining Room at the Langham
Gordon Ramsay at the London
Hatfield’s
La Botte
Mori Sushi
Ortolan
Osteria Mozza
Patina
Sona
Sushi Zo
Trattoria Tre Venezie
Valentino
Water Grill
2008 Michelin starred restaurants:
One star: «A very good restaurant in its category»
Two stars: «Excellent cooking and worth a detour»
Three stars: «Exceptional cuisine and worth the journey»
Two-​star restaurants:
Mélisse, Santa Monica
Spago, Beverly Hills
Urasawa, Beverly Hills
One-​star restaurants“
Asanebo, Studio City
Cut, Beverly Hills
Joe’s, Venice
La Botte, Santa Monica
Matsuhisa, Beverly Hills
Mori Sushi, West Los Angeles
Ortolan, Los Angeles
Patina, Los Angeles
Providence, Los Angeles
Ritz-​Carlton Huntington Dining Room, Pasadena
Saddle Peak Lodge, Calabasas
Sona, West Hollywood
Trattoria Tre Venezie, Pasadena
Valentino, Santa Monica
Water Grill, Los Angeles

This review is looong overdue! In mid-​December, the boyfriend of six years proposed to me at Venice Beach (because that’s where we shared our first kiss at sunset hour), and so we went to celebrate our new found engagement at Melisse afterward. The fiancé had told them ahead of time what we were celebrating for, and so I loved that the restaurant had decorated our table with a cute congratulations card, and complimentary truffle chocolates.
We each did the ten course chef’s tasting menu and it was divine. We’ve been to Providence before, and Melisse’s cuisine way ranks up there too. The ten course menu included:
Complimentary: two amuse bouche dishes
Egg Caviar
Foie Gras Terrine
Chestnut Soup
Roasted Cauliflower
Stonington Maine Diver Scallop OR Truffle Risotto (we chose each one; the risotto is delicious but quite filling!)
Wild New Zealand John Dory (a fish dish)
New York Steak
Nuvola (I actually forgot what this was, it tasted like crispy fried cheese with bacon mousse)
Chocolate Nutella Crunch (with vanilla ice cream)
Cherimoya (a refreshing fruit dessert)
Complimentary: Hot Tea (it tasted great and was very soothing), and more chocolate, macarons, and sweets
Extras: unlimited different types of bread including this excellent green roll made with basil leaves and it was amazing and memorable
They also give you copies of the tasting menu to bring home. It’s printed on pretty paper tied with a purple ribbon.
The main thing I want to say is that the staff treat you so well. A huge THANK YOU to Eric and Van, our servers, who made our evening so special. I couldn’t help but take photos with them because I wanted to remember everything about that night, but also because they were so kind and provided such excellent service! I had promised that I would write about them on Unilocal.:) Apologies to the both of you for the delay, but I didn’t want to announce our engagement on social media until we had told our friends and family in person over the holidays so it took a while!
Thank you, thank you Melisse! Thank you for making our proposal celebration dinner so exceptional. A huge compliment to the chef Josiah Citrin! We hope to return again sometime in the future — the next time to celebrate an anniversary or so. :)

I really enjoyed this place! I came here for my anniversary and the definitely treated us well!
First off, valet is $ 8.50.
We arrived at 6:15, the early the better unless you are a late eater. We were greeted with 2 small boxes of chocolate truffles.
Our waiter was J Francios, he was amazing! He did a great job explaining every dish (he could tell it was our first time).
We ended up getting the 10… it is about a 3-​hour meal, people aren’t joking, but it sure didn’t seem like it, which I loved! They really think about the timing of each meal. I can tell you my boyfriend and I were not hungry after, which some mentioned… I can tell you that you will be full as the food served can be light but quite rich as well.
1. Compliments from the Chef: Grape and Goat cheese in one bite! Interesting but I love goat cheese so I might be biased
2. Soda: Grapefruit infused… very light but cleaned the palate a bit.
3. Egg Caviar: one of the my favorite dishes… The perfect combination of egg, crème fraîche and caviar! I want more!
4. Foie Gras: Had several different elements on this dish. I have never had such a large piece of foie gras before… it is VERY rich and not for the lighthearted.
5. Chestnut Soup: had charred pieces of cauliflower and some other vegetables.
6. Truffle Risotto: this is an extra cost but completely worth it! They shave several pieces of truffle on the risotto. Flavors were lighter than expected, but I loved it… (side note: don’t touch the truffles when they open that nice pretty box… for smelling only)… OOPS!
7. Almond Crusted Dover Sole: This was one of the highest dishes, but definitely a favorite, it was paired with gnocchi. The gnocchi itself was very light even though there was truffle it wasn’t overpowering
8. Dried aged liberty duck: consisted swiss chard etc. the duck was nicely cooked, had a bit of fat on it which gave it some good flavor.
9. Cheese course with melted brie
10. Chocolate Nutella crunch: melted in your mouth, light and crunchy!
11. Cherimoya: Tapioca and Tangerine Sorbet, sweet but light at the same time… very refreshing.
12. Petit four, dainty soft jelly candies, chocolate bouillon, my favorite was the macaroon. I have never had such a good macaroon, by far THE best!
I’m sure I am missing something, but overall the experience was one to remember and something if anyone can get the privilege of doing at least once; I highly suggest it!

Features:
–We came here hearing all these nice things about this place and boy were they right about the amazing food this place offers.
–We tested the $ 165 tasting menu and we were severely impressed. Our first dish was the egg caviar which consisted of a soft poached egg with lemon crème fraîche. The second was the foie gras terrine which had blueberry, meyer lemon, hazelnut, and toasted brioche. The sweet pea soup was really good, very different and very tasty. It had black truffle oil which was a good addition to the soup. The porcini mushroom had artichoke and leek scape vinaigrette. The Santa Barbara spot prawn was prepared with asparagus and citrus chive butter – scrumptious! My least favorite was the truffle risotto which consisted of aged acquerello rice. The fish was prepared with fava beans, crayfish, and mushroom. The flat iron steak, devil’s gulch qual, and petit brie were also excellent in my opinion.
–The meal ended with Irish coffee which had guanaja chocolate, coffee milk, halzelnut praline and brown sugar and my all time favorite, the strawberry lemonade dessert which consisted of lemon sorbet and yogurt dots. I don’t really care for sorbet but this was very tasty!
–Service was superior, ⁵⁄₅ stars!
Improvement:
–There were some delay between the different dishes, and at times, we waited as long as 10 minutes to move onto the next dish.
–Wish we could have sat in the main dining area. Where we sat was extremely quiet and almost deserted.
Tip:
–This restaurant is expensive but really worth the money. Great food and good service.
–Valet parking is available so take advantage of it so you don’t have to find street parking.

This is for the Dec 2014 menu (i’m a bit backlogged). Since moving away from the LA area, I try to hit up an interesting restaurant at least once every time I come back. So I arranged a dinner with 6 friends at Melisse. Overall, the consensus was that the service was excellent, but the food was just ok. Some of the dishes were great, but too many were lackluster.
Also, I thought the price was way disproportionate, even for 2 michelin star standards, given the disappointing dishes. At the time, it was $ 165 for the tasting menu, but random little things felt oddly like they were trying to shake you down. $ 9 coffees and waters (each). Really? Only the rarest über-​hipster coffee house has ever charged me $ 9. Unless they bring out their in-​house barista to brew me my coffee at the table, no, stop. I can only guess that they lack local Michelin competition in Santa Monica. I’d rather they just fool me and charge a normal amount for the coffee, but raise the rates on the alcohol (of which were about $ 20, which I’m fine with). After everything, it was about $ 250-​$ 300 pp depending on booze.
A $ 165 tasting menu price is very close to Momofuku Ko territory, but without Ko’s intriguing dishes. After the weird coffee and water pricing, the ho-​hum food, to be honest, I actually felt a bit embarrassed in wasting my friends’ monies. One friend suggested Providence would have been better, but I honestly think you could get as interesting food in the $ 70-​$ 100 class of restaurants that are all over LA and OC these days.
But if you’ve got money to burn and want a nice dining experience with decent food, this could be the one for you.

How fitting it is that my 300^th review is for Melisse! My hubby took me here for my birthday (number will remain a secret haha) and it was a wonderful experience
When you got to Melisse, you are not just here for a meal but rather the whole dining experience as a whole. Melisse is a two Michelin star restaurant serving French cuisine. Valet parking or street parking available. We opted for Valet ($ 8).
The entrance of the restaurant is a bit hidden but once you step inside, a simple elegant set up for their dining area. We opted for the 10 course tasting meal ($ 175/​per person OUCH) and probably ended up getting two extra appetizer (mussels and grapes) and an extra dessert plate for a total of 13 courses that evening (YAY).
These are like tapas (small plates) and really give you just enough to crave more! My favorite included the egg caviar, the truffle butternut squash soup, the fois gras (which I never had!), and the king crab. I was not a fan of the liberty duck and the prime beef ribeye. Perhaps, it was too heavy of a course to set at the end as I was getting really full off all the other dishes! At first, you think you wouldn’t be full but then we ended up surprisingly stuffed!
Some other notable things: if you leave the table, they will come by to fold your table napkin and neatly put in back on the table for you, if you are a lady, someone is always there to pull out your seat, if you are coming for your birthday, everyone who works there and sees you will wish you a happy birthday as you take your seat, if you want bread, just stick to the green pesto basil bread.

While in my heart of hearts I can’t give this 5 stars, it came see dilly close. I absolutely LOVE an interactive food experience, but what I felt was lacking most, was the interaction from the sommelier to better recommend and be more personable in discussing possible pairings.
Everything from the truffles with an anniversary card, to the amuse bouche, to the wonderful assortment of breads, lobster bolognese, beef cheeks, egg and caviar and halibut was OUTSTANDING. Certainly a 2 Michelin worthy restaurant!

Once again I find my plebeian ass eating at a place where I clearly do not belong nor should I ever be associated with… but then again, fu*k all that noise, you only live once, let’s eat some overpriced food!
Brought the wife here for our 10yr wedding anniversary dinner because anyone insane enough to deal with my dumbass for 10yrs deserves at least a decent meal every now and again. We had like a 10 course meal for $ 135 per person and shared a half bottle of bandol red wine for $ 55. So we’re already talkin’ $ 325 not including tax, tip or the 3% health care surcharge… total damage was just about 4 bills when all was said and done. Was it worth it? Kinda, sorta, not really? The place is beautiful, the food is great, service was amazing… but we had just had a very comparable meal at Patina in DTLA for about half the price, so there’s that. Josiah Citrin was super nice btw and even stopped by and chatted for a bit, so, much respect.
Anyways I was trying to be courteous to the wife by not taking pictures of EVERY single course we had, hence the lack of pictures… so I blame the wife… and you should too.
PETIT FOURS
These came towards the end and they were all pretty standard, pretty good, nothing great. Really good macarons, however.
CHOCOLATE 3 WAYS
The wife ate most if not all of this because… yknow. she’s a girl. Girls like chocolate… I have just recently come to realize… I had a taste… it was aight.
DRY AGED STEAK N BEEF CHEEK
Dry Aged New York Steak, Braised Beef Cheek, Swiss Chard, Nantes Carrot, Sauce au Poivre. This was EXCELLENT. Rich, meaty, peppery deliciousness.
BERRY DESSERT
Ohhhh, pretty… and delicious. My favorite dessert of the night. What? I like my desserts just like the wife likes her men…
fruity as fu*k.

This was like a bad movie treatment of a French restaurant –all image and little substance.
To begin with the service was poor. We waited a long time for menus; the waiter went through the fine dining motions but mostly ignored our table. «I’ll be right back with more bread’ followed by 15 minutes of solitary, until the bread waiter arrived on his routine rounds. Similarly, my water glass was empty for long intervals. After I ate one dish (Bass with crisped scales), the waiter came over and remarked on how great the crispiness was. «I couldn’t eat the scales», I replied. Only then did he look at my plate to see the scales piled up on one side.
With a few extraordinary exceptions (the soup; the unexpected two palate cleaning courses served gratis, and perhaps most of the dessert), the food was poor to fair. The lamb was too salty; the duck bland. The above-​mentioned Bass peaked at «good» but not excellent after the scales were removed.
The chocolate desserts were memorable except for the soufflé, which was mediocre, and not helped by the waiter’s pretentious injection of chocolate sauce from a hypodermic at table.
Citrin visited the tables, and at ours acted as if he was performing an unpleasant duty; he was perfunctory even though I recalled fondly to him first eating at his Jiraffe restaurant many years ago. And no, I did not mention Rafael Lunetta, so there was no reason he would have had his buttons pressed. Compare with Wolfgang Puck, who visits many thousands of tables, making each one feel special with his sunny smile and engaging conversation, as if he had all the time in the world.
At well over $ 100 (About 150 bucks or so) a person without drinks and «supplements» this was very poor value indeed. There are much better fine dining places in LA, many with equally high Zagat ratings at lower prices.
I should probably add that I’ve had great meals at some of the finest French restaurants in the world, including in their Michelin three flower (star) day Laperousse, Laserre, and Tour d’Argent in Paris, and there’s nothing wrong with molecular gastronomy if it’s delicious, so it’s not as if I didn’t like the style of the cuisine.
While I’m on the subject I recall one example of great service embodying the first principle, «Never make a patron feel uncomfortable». My ex-​girl friend and I were dining at one of the above-​mentioned Parisian restaurants. She ordered a lobster dish, which turned out to be half a lobster. As a dyed-​in-​the-​wool Maine lobster fan, after finishing it, she asked the waiter «Where’s the other half?» The waiter looked at me inquisitively and I nodded. He then turned back to her and said, «Oh, madame, we’re keeping it warm for you in the kitchen» and after an interval, brought out a second dish, Of course the check revealed she had two lobster dishes.
There are some several positives about this restaurant (This explains why I rated 2 stars instead of 4 unlike some other places):
— Great décor
— High quality cooking and presentation
— Unusual sense and taste
Negatives:
— Prepare to spend $ 150 – 200 a person (set menu only) as I mentioned above.

Melisse, you are simply exquisite. Thank you for ringing in our 8^th year as happily marrieds in such a festive and classy way. We loved every minute of our sumptuous three-​hour meal.
We ordered the 10 and wine pairings, and were thrilled with each dish and glass. They treated us like royalty, from the charming French waiter to the knowledgeable boy-​faced sommelier, we were pampered.
Yes, expensive doesn’t even to describe it but it is all very worth it. We started with little bites of tomatoes and some fine dry champagne. And moved on to a succulent oyster. We loved the egg caviar; that was just the best! I wish they’d used an ostrich egg so I could bury my head in it.
Everything from the foie gras to the eggplant soup to the veal was simply delicious, and heightened by our young sommelier’s wine selections.
Their attention to detail, like the little Happy Anniversary card and truffles they left on our table, to the footstool purse holder, was unparalleled. We hope to return again for another special occasion.
P.S.
I’d like to take a second to address my young brethren who were scattered about the restaurant that night in various stages of improper attire and rude behavior. Listen, kids: flip flops, shorts, and t-​shirts aren’t what you wear to a 2-​Michelin-​starred fine dining experience. If you had just walked in from the street, I’d be more sympathetic, but since you too had a special card on your table with a candle-​lit dessert, I can only deduce you had planned your trip. Is it that difficult to wear a decent shirt and to refrain from texting all night with apathetic expressions? I don’t do that when I’m in your church; please don’t do it in mine. For the love of foodie gods, at least silence your phone and PULL IT TOGETHER, young padawan!

5 stars because I couldn’t find anything to criticize really. Made reservations via opentable which made the process very simple and received a confirmation call on Thursday prior to our 6pm Saturday dinner.
We arrived and went inside to check in. We were seated immediately and wished a happy anniversary, brought homemade truffles in decorative boxes as a gift from the restaurant and were brought water while we perused the menu. We had every intention of trying the 10 but due to a shellfish allergy we opted for the 4.
Every dish had a unique taste of its own. Some may say they were not wowed but if u take the time to taste all the flavors on the plate I find that hard to believe.
My favorite was the lobster bolognese and the prawn. The steak was done to perfection and the beef cheek it was served with was sensational. We wanted the cheese cart but changed our mind after filling up on the 5 different breads.
We ended the meal with the chocolate and salted caramel dessert and because we really wanted to try the Nutella crunch which came only with the ten, the waitress brought out a piece to make sure we didn’t leave without having a taste of it. It was delicious!
Finally yes the bill was about $ 400 including wine, coffee and water. But it’s our anniversary and that’s how we roll. My husband didn’t like the 3% charge for health insurance but if the restaurant won’t pay for it and feels the diners should so be it. I’ll pay it during my one time visit.
You must try this place at least once in your life. Treat yourself every now & then. Not too often, otherwise it’s no longer a treat!