The menu was mind boggling with way too many options & service staff was not too happy to answer your questions about them. For people with dietary concerns, THEY WOULD NOT MODIFY YOUR FOOD FOR YOU. Food took a long time to be served & the portions were miserly. It was also very salty. The meatballs tasted like it was coated in salt & the pizza was very hard. maî·tre d'hô·tell had an attitude. They would not seat you till all the entire party arrives even though the driver took a while to find parking after dropping us off. Even if you were to tell them that you are hungry, they actually asked you to grab a pizza from their deli next door. Horrible Food, Bad Service, Highly Overrated!
We went for breakfast and were pleasantly surprised by everything that happened inside. Firstly, it caught my eye, this is even before studying the Internet, the place contrasts a little with the environment - it is cleaner, smarter, more pleasant))) Inside, an American classic both in the kitchen and in the little things. The portion size, the steak doneness, the taste, the adequacy of the staff, everything, at least a little bit, exceeded our expectations. We didn't expect much, but we were very pleased!
Based on a recommendation from my Airbnb host, I hit Abbott - Kinney area in Venice, arriving about 7:30 p.m. being Friday night, the several block area was hoppin, food trucks lined both sides of the avenue plus a small court area, a live band performed in front of a local business adding cool music to the fun vibe of the scene.Gjelina Take Away was my first food stop, again on recommendation of my Airbnb host. He did not steer me wrong. This place is awesome. The Italian tile wrapped wood fire ovens on the back wall was the first indication that this place doesn't mess around when it comes to pizza. They also have a selection of healthy fresh salad choices, sandwiches, and drinks. I wanted pizza by the slice and couldn't decide so I got both margherita and veggie. Delicious!
SPIDER AND DIRT IN MY CESAR SALAD. The manager names JESSICA said it was okay and normal since they get their lettuce from the farmers market. The lettuce was bone dry with no drop of water on it so there was no way it was washed. They did not offer to re make my salad and basically said that's how they come. I didn't get a photo since Jessica took the salad and didn't give it back after. I'm calling the local health department as well and giving a report.
The place is new and modern. Food was good, we had grilled artichoke, pizza and juices. Bar and table are well decorated with woods and gives rustic feels. Drinks were ok. A lot of people during lunch eventhough it was weekdays.
I went for lunch with my two best friends hoping for the experience everyone raves about, but sadly that was not the case. We ordered the chicken liver pate to share and it was heaped like a can of cat food on a small piece of toast. While there were 3 pieces of pate toast, it was nearly impossible to eat due to the disproportionate amount of pate on the toast. We also had the smoked trout salad. While delicious, the portion was ridiculously small. And speaking of ridiculously small, I ordered their version of an Aperol spritz which filled less then a quarter of the wine glass it was served it (see picture below). We also had two pizzas, one which was great (artichoke and burrata) but the other mixed mushroom pizza was dry and tasteless. The service was slow, inattentive, and disorganized. Perhaps the servers would be more attentive if the restaurant wasn’t automatically tacking a 20% tip onto your bill. How is Gjelina still listed on the LA Times top 100 list?
We have been in this restaurant years ago. This time, it was at the beggining on March. We ate there and in the moment of the payment they directly charge the tip:20%!!. We ask manager to leave our own tip but She refused. She said that it was houses rules so we ask again because this was not in the menu. They did not let us know about this automatically charged when we order. We did not want to argue more with her so we paid. But definetly, WE WILL NEVER COME BACK TO THIS RESTAURANT.
Gjelina came highly recommended and it did not disappoint. The courtyard where we ate was charming. The vegetables were absolutely fantastic. We had broccolini and romanesco both were outstanding. The pizzas were super thin crust, crispy and delicious. We will be back
We came for a late lunch on a Friday around 3:00. We had a reservation and seated soon after arrival. We split the chorizo pizza which was perfectly cooked. A small plate with red chili flakes oregano and Parmesan is included and needed as the pizza was average. The arugula salad is baby greens with some arugula. The grilled oyster mushrooms came out after we had finished the pizza and salad. We had thought they forgot. I do not recommend the aperol spritz which was all ice. I expected more for $100
Pricey but worth it. Cold brew was meh but everything else was killer. Breakfast sandwiches were bomb and the egg was delicious.