Michael’s

A Santa Monica classic. Delicious food (especially love their Beef and Fried Chicken Sliders) and drinks. Friendly servers and bartenders :)

What a hidden gem! We live right down the street and always walked by this place but thought it looked kind of small and weird from the outside. Looks can be deceiving! When you go in, the place is actually very large, with a small bar area to the right, a large lounge/​couch area in the middle and a huge outdoor patio. Supposedly there’s an upstairs too but I didn’t see it.
Happy hour is served all night in the bar area. We arrived at 8 pm on a Friday night and had no problem sitting down right away. The tables in the bar area are pretty small, doesn’t appear to be designed for large groups, but maybe they could move tables around. Our server was friendly, prompt and gave great suggestions. Happy hour prices on the drinks were decent for the area, but the food… wow!
We ordered the mule and vodka smash, both delicious (margarita was not that good IMO). Then for food we had the shishito peppers (yum), the chicken and waffle wings (double yum!) and, my favorite, the broccolini and goat cheese pizza. Plenty of food for two and our tab with 4 signature drinks and three apps/​meals came out to $ 70. Not too bad for Santa Monica on a Friday night.
I can only speak for the happy hour of course, did not have the dining experience, but we’ll definitely be back!

Nice bar, very large restaurant, very friendly bartender guy long hair not sure of his name. great sliders, good drinks

Had a lovely halibut dinner. The bread was good, but very simple, like a dinner roll from the grocery aisle. The dessert was a medley of sorbets and fresh berries… snooze.

Amazing happy hour food and drinks. Even the house wine was good! Highly recommended!

My boyfriend took me to Michael’s for my birthday dinner. He reserved a table on the patio, which is absolutely beautiful: lots of lush, green plants and tiny white lights, comfortable chairs and candles on each table create a romantic ambiance.
We ordered the poke for an appetizer, and the A Fistful of Berries and Elderberry Spritz drinks — all very fresh, light and delicious! For dinner, we had the scallops and duck breast, with flourless chocolate cake and port for dessert.
Michael, the owner, led us to our table when we arrived, and also stopped by to chat for a moment. Several of the management and wait staff stopped by to check on how our evening was going, and our waitress could not have been more gracious and accommodating.
It was a wonderful evening. Thank you, Michael’s, for making my birthday special. (BTW — they didn’t know it was my birthday — this just appears to be their «regular» good service).

1. I ordered drinks — never came
2. Ordered beats salad for I believe $ 16 — total disappointment as far as size and what you get. Basically, cut boiled beats and a little bit of cheese. Nothing in this dish would give you any sign that is being served at a special restaurant that has a chef that cares about its menu.
3. Steak — ordered medium well, came way below medium.
4. The only good thing was the cheese selection. That was good.
5. Pizzas — again super small and nothing special.
Overall, very disappointed. Will NEVER be back there. I was so looking forward to it… And for nothing. There are so many great restaurants in LA. I just can’t believe that with so much competition management doesn’t improve the quality of service and especially the menu.

So far not a good start Michaels :(
I called 15 minutes before 5pm so that I could pick up my order when they open up (5pm). Needless to say it’s 5:30pm and I’m still waiting. How long does it take to fry up some fries and chicken wings!

Great service, delicious food, beautiful garden and great atmosphere. We got chicken and waffle wings, truffle fries and squash soup. Everything was absolutely delicious and very flavorful. Michael, the owner, stopped by every table to say hi and introduce himself to the guests and made us feel very welcome at his restaurant. Happy Hour goes until 10:30pm, can’t beat that! This restaurant is a must, you will truly love the food and ambiance.

Restaurant location and setting is great
The garden is absolutely gorgeous
Food Is good but a bit pricey
happy hour is nice but is only indoor and on few designated tables
Outdoor dining is beautiful and a great experience

My main reason for not giving this place a four-​star rating is that the food was pretty pricey to not really wow any of us. While nothing we had was anywhere near bad (we all tried each pizza on the menu and shared an order of truffle fries — the fries were great), it also didn’t «wow» us.
I would still plan on going back, because what is lacks in food, it more than makes up for in the ambiance. The artwork is eclectic, almost making you feel as if you’re in an art gallery that just so happens to have food — such a unique vibe that I haven’t seen anywhere else. There’s a lounge area, bar, as well as an absolutely gorgeous patio (perfect for a date night). Bonus? It’s directly across from the 3^rd Street Promenade.
I also thought the wait staff was the best I’ve ever had at any restaurant I’ve been to. Everyone was extremely attentive, constantly checking in to make sure everything was to our liking. Even the owner of the place came up to our table to see that we were having a great time — such a friendly, funny gentleman.
With all that said, the food aside, I really had a nice time and look forward to going back!

This restaurant just north of Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica is classy and elegant, but with a Southern California vibe to it. Just steps away from the beach, this place has world class ambiance. All of the servers wear three piece suits, the owner actually made his rounds and greeted patrons, and a sommelier walks around taking your drink orders. With all the formality, they were surprisingly very friendly and easy going.
The outdoor patio was also quite nice. On a nice day, I would suggests sitting outdoors.
As for the food, we started off with an Amuse-​bouche of tuna and pureed avocado on a spoon. The presentation is nice and makes for a nice palette cleanser. We ordered the foie gras, which was pretty good. It was perfectly fatty and sweet and nicely seared. I enjoyed the kurobuta pork chop and the brussel sprouts it was accompanied with. For dessert, the chocolate fondant cake was alright, but a little on the dry side. The earl grey ice cream did not really complement it either, but I will try something else the next time I come back.
Overall, Michael’s is a nice restaurant to go to for a nice evening out. The food is probably more of a 3.5 stars (a little under 4 stars). And since it is a bit pricey, the bill came out to more than I was expecting for 4 small dishes. But because the service was excellent and unpretentious, I would give it a solid 4 stars as a whole.

We went to Michael’s for the first time this past July for my birthday. We had passed by and were impressed by the new Happy Hour and small plate menu. We had such a good experience with the food and service that we went back for our anniversary a few months later. We don’t go out to dinner a lot, so this was a big deal for us. We had reservations for tonight, New Years Eve, but cancelled when we found out that their relatively inexpensive small plate menu was being replaced by an expensive over the top pre fixe menu. The purpose of this review is to alert the owners of Michael’s that not everyone appreciates jacked up prices and overly rich foods on a special occasion. Most of us just want to hang out and be comfortable at our favorite restaurants. See you next year!

You wouldn’t know from walking by the bar window that in the back is a beautiful patio for dining. It’s so romantic. If it’s cold you get your own space heater. We indulged in oysters, bone marrow, yellowfin and cheese plate, all were phenomenal. Service was excellent at both the cozy bar and at dinner. I highly recommend this place especially for a date.

My husband and I had dinner here on a Saturday night; I was given a gift card to the restaurant and we finally got ourselves to Santa Monica.
As soon as we arrived, we were taken through the front and bar area to the outdoor (but covered) dining patio. It’s a very pleasant space surrounded by trees and bushes and kept at a nice temperature. The waiter came promptly and frequently to the table throughout our meal. We ordered some appetizers, a small dish, and a main course to share from the fall/​winter menu.
Beet salad– good, but not much different from other beet salads I’ve had elsewhere. It consisted of the standard red and gold beets, greens, and goat cheese.
Kabocha squash soup– For the price ($ 12) I’d give this a 2 – 3. It was served with chicharron on top and pomegranate seeds. The chicharron weren’t anything special and seemed like they were the type you can buy at any Mexican grocery stored (or even any store in an area catering to Latinos). I didn’t try it but my husband wasn’t wowed by these. The flavor of the squash came through well in the soup but I thought it should have had a bit more seasoning and the pomegranate seeds were incongruous and did absolutely nothing for the dish.
Kalamata olive and rapini pizza– (~$ 14) Pretty tasty; the dough had a nice crispy exterior and was flavored well with a bit of salt. Rapini (broccoli raab) is very similar to broccoli; neither of us had tasted it before and the waiter couldn’t quite remember what it was, so I was expecting something more like argula. I’m not sure I really liked the rapini stalks on the pizza but the leafy parts were good.
Loup de mer– ($ 32) The fish itself was excellent: delicately seasoned and very moist flesh with a crispy skin. Unfortunately, I thought the rest of the entrée was on the boring side. It was served with a crunchy green vegetable (I’m not sure which and their fall menu is not currently on the website), something else we couldn’t identify, and pieces of chorizo, on a bed of purée. I couldn’t identify the purée either as it was a satisfying creamy texture but unfortunately bland. My husband liked the chorizo. Overall the entrée seemed haphazard, although I enjoyed many of the individual components.
I also ordered a glass of the Malbec wine but didn’t particularly care for it.
We found the ambiance and service to be very good (although I would expect the waiters at such a restaurant to know the menu) but the food to be average, particularly for the price. Our total was about $ 94 before tip. I can think of several restaurants with similar pricing and better food.

AVOID this place at all costs! Tonight I heard the bartender say, «I like roofing girls» while he was pouring drinks! I will never come back here, not only is the place unprofessional but how anyone in their right mind would joke about date rape or dating violence is beyond me.

Just heard the bartender working right now say «I like my girls roofied». Not sure I want to finish my drink and certainly not coming back. Wow. He has a black beard and black shaggy hair. Just a reminder to drink smart and be safe.

Love the Happy Hour food and drinks. Cant pass it up.

Yummy happy hour snacks and drinks! Walking distance from my place. It’s one of my favorite places for a quick dinner and drinks in the bar area or a beautiful place for a special evening on the patio in the back. Great service too!

Great Food! Great Service & ambiance.
The staff are friendly, polite and exceptional!
The food is great, I love this restaurant.
One of the best restaurants in Santa Monica, the Garden setting is quite warm & romantic. I recommend this restaurant hightly!

Sat in the patio area, which was very nice. The people that worked their were extremely friendly and attentive.
Food was excellent for all four of us. Dessert menu a bit limited but the cappuccino made up for it.
A very nice time, Michael the owner came by and checked up on us, a nice touch.

This place is visual stimulating and totally romantic. I enjoyed dining outside they have hanging lights and it’s easy to get lost on the ambiance. The food honestly was mediocre I was expecting more. The scallops were the most impressive from what we ordered. I really want to rate them higher but we didn’t enjoy our food. Nonetheless it’s a beautiful to have a drink and maybe some dessert.

Santa Monica is an amazing city, but sometimes you have to learn to differentiate between chill local spot or tourist, price gauging trap. This place is the latter.
You wouldn’t think that considering its hidden location on 3^rd street before the promenade and not in tourist walking territory. Outside they have an easy to read sign with key phrases like «happy hour» and «all night.» How can you resist, right? I should have thought differently when I looked at the menu and the happy hour prices listed $ 8 cocktails (Misfit for the record does $ 6 cocktails every day from 12 – 7 and the quality is always on point, so is the location). Whatever, I live around the corner and it was worth it to see if Michael’s would be added to my repertoire of local hangouts.
My bf and I’s first round of cocktails were surprisingly really good, so the price was worth it and for $ 5 a plate of charred shishito peppers was a steal. We both looked at each other and understood, we would be coming back here for sure! Then our two friends joined us and one idiotically forgot her ID. Thankfully she had her expired ID and the interim ID provided by the DMV. If the DMV says the paper is law, then everyone else should right? Not at Michael’s.
I’m going to guess that they’ve been caught at least once or had issues with people rolling in with fake IDs and its not worth the risk, but when our server came to take their orders, he didn’t even look at my friends stuff! He heard her say «expired ID» and he was shaking his head, pushing his hands out to stop her from trying, and one foot stomp away from telling us to shut up. But when I asked to talk to the manager, he tried to nix that too, claiming he knew what he would say anyway. Dude I’m not asking to talk to your dad, I just want a second opinion okay? When I tried to insist, he SHUSHED ME and then stomped away. I’ve wanted to shush lots of customers in my serving days, but always thought was probably poor form. Turns out I was right to think that.
When the manager came up, he wanted zero to do with my friends materials. Not only that, but he didn’t apologize for it, he was rude without explanation. It wasn’t worth the fight, but it was certainly worth a try on our end. We ordered another round and a ginger ale for our smart girl. At this point we could tell the other servers were just staring at us. Not even trying to be sneaky about it. When the server came back with 1 out of 3 cocktails and no ginger ale, he didn’t mention their absence at all. If the place had been slammed I would have thought not a big deal, but there were about a handful of people in the bar area, and the staff was I guess too busy staring at us to make the other drinks or pour a ginger ale? When I asked where my drink was the bartender said, verbatim, «I’m just waiting for the uh yea. Do you want me to cancel it?»
That was it. We paid, tipped and left. When we went to Copa down the street, the bouncer didn’t hesitate with our friend’s ID and we walked right in and had a wonderful night elsewhere. I know this place has been open for years, but there is a reason Michael’s needs an all night happy hour and why the place is emptier than a ballpit after a kid pees in it.
Sorry Michael’s, we could’ve been great.

Went here for a dinner business meeting. I was told by one of the regulars that this place has been open for more than 15+ years.
There’s an indoor and patio seating. The patio is nicely lit with hanging lights which made it looked really romantic. They have over head heaters for when it gets cold.
Food was mediocre. I ordered their Maine Diver Scallop which came with flowering broccoli, Crispy Polenta which I thought were pretty salty, and Pearl Onion. Hubby ordered their Kurobuta Pork Chop which came with Chantrelle Mushroom, Goat Cheese, Spring Onion, Angolotti, and Thyme. First bite was excellent but unfortunately we weren’t able to devour it because it had too much fat.
For dessert, I ordered the S’mores Bar which had toasted fluff, dark chocolate ganache, butterscotch blondie, and graham cracker ice cream. It was good but I thought it was too dense and rich. I love sweets but this I couldn’t even finish. The Nutella Cheese Cake was yummy though. It wasn’t too cheesy like other cheesecakes I’ve tried.
We went. We tried. The end.

Went to Happy Hour at Michael’s with a friend last night. The food was decent, and the Happy Hour cocktails were pretty good.
But what really pissed me off was that we each also ordered an iced tea, and the waiter just kept refilling them. But when I looked at the bill, I saw that we were being charged $ 33 for six iced teas!!!
I’m sorry. That is completely outrageous. If a restaurant is going to charge $ 5.50 for iced tea during happy hour (which is already really steep), then refills should be free, and if not the waiter needed to make that extremely clear upfront.
When we complained to the waiter, he first said «they told me to charge you for the teas», and then later changed his tune and said, «I rang up the iced teas and just forgot to take them off.» Right, because it must be common practice to ring up supposedly free refills of iced tea.
I am giving the restaurant two stars because they ultimately did drop the extra four iced tea charges after we complained, but the reality is if a restaurant is offering a Happy Hour, they shouldn’t use subterfuge to pad the bill. It’s just bad business.

Lovely to sit outside and share a bottle of wine over a meal! The duck was wonderful and dessert was great but I wished the wines we ordered were better curated.
Get the duck!!!

Love this place. World-​class cooking, world-​class hospitality.
If you’ve read my other reviews, you will see how rare it is that I give more than 1 star. This restaurant has been around for about 30 years. The owner is a doll and he wanders around frequently greeting guests. He is a professional. His employees are welcoming, friendly and efficient. How rare! The food is wonderful. Amazing flavors, good basic and wonderful sophisticated choices. Becoming rare in this city. Even their Coleman Salad is splendid. Simple, French vinaigrette that is delightful with crisp lettuce sprinkled with their rooftop-​grown fresh herbs. I’ve had a salad with their tarragon and OH was it yummy. Yes, I know I’m a weirdo loving a salad but it sure beats iceberg lettuce and bad dressing elsewhere any day.
I like to eat in the bar area, which is lit by candles and has a perfect mood for dates. They have truffle fries that are generously topped with grated parmesan — and these too are exceptional. You also get enough fries for 10 friends to share. I hear the mushroom risotto is to die for. The pizzas are wonderful. The burger looks amaaaaazing!
The inside dining area features a garden patio that is lovely. There is some major power lunch history out there. Shhhh. I won’t tell.
I have to say that even the valet guy outside is one of the sweetest valet guys you’ve ever met — he has a BEAMING smile that I noticed the very first time I went there. Give this guy some recognition. He is also a good indicator of the warmth and hospitality that you will receive at the hostess station, restaurant, bar area and from the owner.
A rare and delightful longtime gem in Santa Monica. Please keep it open.

They were in Eater LA top 10 restaurants to go to on Mother’s Day. We booked it and we showed up. We were seated at their patio/​garden area which was pretty crowded that day.
I will give them three stars for the service, food and ambiance.
They had the prix fixe menu of $ 55 per person for a Mother’s Day Sunday brunch.
The choices of food didn’t live to our expectation. Very limited and it was mediocre.
This is an iconic place since its been there for 20+ years or so. can enjoy and eat in a better restaurant than here.
But I give them credit for still surviving the restaurant business.

Happy Hour Only (Goes ALL NIGHT!!!):
I visited for Happy Hour, as my coworker recommended it. When we visited, there was no room in the bar area, (we were a group of 8), but the hostess kindly sat us at a table nearby, and handed us happy hour menus.
The drinks were strong and the apps were also discounted. We got the truffle fries (yummy!!!), the Chicken & Waffle wings (which just tasted like chicken with a savory sauce and a touch of syrup), but were good nonetheless; and cookie sandwich bites. All items were tasty!!!
The place had a very romantic vibe (dimly lit & very trendy). I would recommend it for a casual date, or just to catch up with friends.

In diesem Pionier-​Resturant kalifornischer Küche serviert man oscarverdächtige Gerichte, die Augen wie Gaumen erfreuen.
Der üppige Garten macht ein essen zum schönsten open-​air-​dinner der in der Stadt. Zumal es an meiner lieblingsorte Santa Monica liegt. Daran erinnert man sich stets gern zurück.
Also unbedingt vorbeischaun 5*