Our Los Angeles anniversary weekend’s final dinner at 2* Melisse in Santa Monica was absolute perfection. What an amazing meal. I can’t believe it’s taken us this long to try! We loved almost every single course, and too many to count were mind blowingly good. The wine pairings — unusually both white and red for every course or group of courses — were both avant-garde in approach and yet completely fulfilling and delightful. Every wine pairing was fantastic, and yet the two wine approach let us enjoy elements we otherwise might have missed. I’ve never experienced anything quite like that. The team was as effortlessly entertaining as they were professional. Service was fantastic — with the single caveat of the early arrival bar seating being a bit oddly done. We adored the sommelier and a few servers, and really enjoyed getting to know them a bit better as much as the food and wine. We absolutely loved it. Way better for us than wildly overrated Providence. We definitely will return.
I am convinced that Mélisse is one of the most intimate restaurants in LA where you can enjoy various sophisticated fine delights. The creativity of renowned Chef Josiah Citrin shows in every dishes, served in astonishing presentations with scrumptious delicacies. Pairing champagne & wines with the tasting menu here achieves perfectly-balanced components, harmoniously.Located in a serene ambiance, stylish and classy seating area, yet private scene in the heart of Santa Monica, I love that we are able to see how chefs prepare our mains in the most exquisite ways, plus a wonderful sommelier who pays meticulous attention to detailing & displays extraordinary service. If you’re a discerning food connoisseur like me, this 2 Michelin starred place is suitable for a pleasantly charming date night. Overall, my boyfriend and I are satisfied from start-finish, indulging our finest palates properly with the bite-sized portions.
Wow. What an incredible experience. Food, wine pairing, service hospitality. Simply amazing!
Ate at the bar. Staff was chill and fun to talk to, as were other guests. Ordered 4 starters/salads, 3 mains, and one dessert (plus a few cocktails). We didn’t do tasting menu, but felt like we got to experience a good range of dishes.All the food was amazing and worth it. Our group of four loved the evening. Only thing we regret is that we arrived just five mins after happy hour ended.
Very intimate experience. Very attentive staff and great service. Food was very well paired and arranged. Beautiful flavors, presentation, and overall experience. Came for my wife's birthday and very happy with the whole evening. Thank you Chef Josiah, Matthew, and staff!
Incredibly disappointing experience on Thanksgiving Day. @$125 per person we surely expected more from a restaurant run by a 2 star Michelin chef. The restaurant has not responded to any of my methods to reach them.Of our three entrees, two had to be sent back. My prime rib was over 50% fat. My mother’s turkey was dry and so desiccated that could not be cut. It appeared to have been sliced on a deli meat slicer and left under a heat lamp as if mass produced. That left my wife to either eat her meal while it was hot and watch us finish ours or allow her plate to get cold while waiting for our replacements- neither of which is acceptable for fine dining.My $18 glass of wine was a thimble-full and not even 3 oz. It was poured by our server at her discretion.While dessert was included, we had to pay an additional $21 for coffee that came well after the dessert was served.To add insult to injury I was charged $375 as a “no-show” despite checking in with the hostess and forwarding my check and table number and the name of our server to the restaurant when they sent an email saying that they were doing so.We knew we were in trouble when we sat down without so much of a welcome greeting and being handed menus (but no wine or drink list) we were approached by a gentleman who came to “remind us that we only had the table for 90 minutes.”We paid almost $600 for our meal with a compulsory $85 “service charge” to which they expected an additional tip.
Excellent food and overall experience. Yes, it is pricey, but worth it. Did the tasting menu and all the dishes had great and complex flavors with beautiful presentation. Service was impeccable and the staff was very attentive. We would definitely go back to try other dishes.
Perfect example of a solid 2 star - Great food all around with several excellent dishes, high-quality ingredients / well-executed techniques, and refined service. For us, the meal's highlight was the turbot.The 14-person dining room is fantastic. While the price point is certainly up there, I'd recommend the experience and I'm excited to see what Melisse's team can put out going forward.
Melisse is a gastronomic and sensory delight. The restaurant itself is small and intimate seating about 14 people at a time. There are 5 tables, each with a wonderful view of the open kitchen.The service here is impeccable as would be expected from a 2 Star Michelin rated establishment. From the moment we walked into the bar at Citrin to being led into the back room for our meal we always had someone available for our every need.Needless to say the food here is divine. From the aged beef, green goddess charcoal caviar to the Liberty Duck "Rouennaise" every dish was unique, creative and exquisitely crafted. I counted 19 different dishes. So come hungry for the portions are as generous as the courses are plentiful.Melisse is definitely one of the best restaurants I have had the pleasure of eating at. If you are looking for a special night out in Santa Monica make sure to put Melisse at the top of your list.
This restaurant is perfect fine dining. They serve you many very small and delicious artistic plates of food. The service is extremely attentive. You might leave hungry but it would be hard not to appreciate the delicious food