This place never disappoints it's always so good! I haven't been here for a while due to newborns babies can't go out yet but I do miss their food. Highly recommend everything on the menu plus the service is excellent. read more

I'm told this was one of Wolfgang Puck's first restaurants. Many of the staff have worked there since almost the beginning, and the LA celebs still frequent it. But I have to say how disappointed I was in the food. Everything was heavy and there was too much sauce on it all. Not that I was looking for a healthy meal, but I certainly wasn't looking to increase my cholesterol. Ambiance was nice and the wait staff very friendly, but I wouldn't come back. And that's just a personal preference; the restaurant clearly has its followers. If you're into old school dining where everyone knows your name, you might enjoy this very much. read more

I love this restaurant so much. At this point I think I've tried all their most popular dishes, and they are always consistently so delicious. It gets very busy here, especially on weekends so reservations are probably best. There's a valet/lot for parking nearby. Equally amazing is the service. They have very long time employees there who make such a huge difference in our overall experience. I think this is a great spot for special occasions, but again, it gets very packed and sometimes a little loud but not so much that you can't hear the person next to you. Always have a great time here. read more

Fun atmosphere for sure, a crowd favorite. Loud and energized room as patrons enjoy a variety of food and beverage offerings. The service is really good so show them you care when visiting. The food is great, something for everyone! Say hi to Bella she is and for the most part the reason things work as well as they do! Visit and enjoy read more

Had the most extraordinary experience dining at Chinois, thanks to the incredible service and delectable food. A few of our favorite menu items included: the potstickers, dumplings, and short rib. Special thank you to the owner who took the time to explain the history of this impressive restaurant and to Anita, our server, who helped make my birthday celebration one of the best! The entire staff is one of the friendliest and most attentive in the industry. read more

Chinois On Main - Asian Fusion Near Me - Santa Monica, California

The Food was incredible! Unbelievable the wonderful flavors combined. From beginning to deserts!

Like another legendary L.A. restaurant, Dan Tana's, one does not judge Chinois based solely upon the food. Chinois pioneered Asian Fusion Cuisine and a dinner there is less a meal than a fun dinner party one has been fortunate enough to be invited to. Upon only my second visit there, I was pleasantly surprised that GM Bella and bartender Victor remembered me from a prior visit. Instead of my work colleagues, I was joined this time by my wife and daughter. Speaking of Victor, he makes the most-amazing NEFT Vodka Lychee Martini- it's got that sheen of ice on top that only a proud barman takes the time to attain. Delicious and a wonderful complement to anything on the menu. We enjoyed everything we ordered, but the whole fried catfish was a real show-stopper. Rather than the sweet & sour-slathered, overly-battered mess on offer elsewhere, this dish is fried so expertly that many of the bones are edible and a light sauce accompanies it on the side. Our tastes run from Michelin-starred places to hole-in-the-wall Chinese joints where you sit on a plastic stool while Auntie makes dumplings by hand at a corner table. This past meal at Chinois was one of the best of the year. We can't wait to go back. Bon Appétit! read more

After a two week trip though California, along the coast and up in the mountains, in big towns and small, Chinois on Main topped my list of dining experiences. In fact, it is up there among my most memorable meals ever. I could not get enough of the eggplant. The short ribs - and their thick, luscious sauce - were to die for. I just wanted to keep going forever. We had a number of other dishes too, all good, but these were the ones that stood out. The ambience is unobtrusive, understated, not inserting itself into the important thing going on here - the food. In fact, I was so wowed by the food that I barely noticed where I was. The experience was well worth the elevated price. Can't wait to go back: even though it is on the other coast, I am counting the days. read more

What can I say! This place is awesome! Great flavor, friendly staff! Order the lobster 100 percent for certain! Love this establishment! read more

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This spot feels like walking into a warm welcoming home. A gem in the neighborhood and a staple, one of those places where you're always greeted with a smile and the food tastes like it was made with love. The chicken salad is so fresh and flavorful, with the perfect crunch. I also had the chicken potstickers and the Maine lobster spring rolls. Absolutely delicious and everything had just the perfect amount of spice. The service/staff here are so kind and amazing. I felt like I'd been going there for ages. The ambiance is very cozy and romantic. The artwork and tile work everywhere adds a lot of character as well. Great place to go for family style meals and you will be sure to leave satisfied. Can't wait to come back! read more

I've been going to Chinois for over 25 years, and remains one of the most exceptional restaurants in Santa Monica. The entire staff has been there for years, which speaks volumes about the restaurant's quality, consistency, and incredible atmosphere. read more

My Birthday Tradition! Amazing party with preordered menus of all my favorites! Thank you Wolfgang and Bella for making my Birthday so Special always also Victor for my Birthday espresso Martinis! read more

Chinois On Main - Wolfgang,Hope Morris, BELLA - Asian Fusion Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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I was really curious to try this place as it was Michelin and a Wolf Gang Puck restaurant so we came here for my birthday. I couldn't decide between giving this place a 3 or a 4 stars as I probably would have given this a 3.5 to be honest. I understand where the other reviews were coming from in terms of the ambiance. Every table was packed tight, literally no space to even walk through the seats. There were also some large bird in between tables hovering over you, which took up a lot more space. The interior space is also pretty small so it was really loud inside, we could barely hear each other. The food I thought was interesting and a good asian fusion cuisine. We had the ahi tuna which was probably my favourite dish of the night. The sauce was thick and light and the tuna was extremely soft and smooth, probably the best ahi tuna I've had in terms of texture. The calamari salad was beautifully presented and prepared by our waitress. The flavours were light and refreshing, which complemented the fried elements of the dish. The short rib was very tender and the sauce was rich and flavourful. The mashed sweet potatoes that came with this dish were also soft and creamy, which paired well with the meat. The sugar snap peas didn't do much for me though. For the price, you do get a good amount of short rib. The duck was nicely cooked and mostly soft however it was pretty dry and I wished the skin could have been crispier. You get a lot of meat here and the fruity sauce was interesting and added another layer of flavours for the palette. The duck fried rice was full of fatty, aromatic flavours and it smelled great. I don't think there was enough duck but the fried rice was moist and juices oozing out of the dish. We thought the side of steamed buns were going to be just plain buns which was what we wanted, however, it had vegetables stuffed inside the buns. This was probably our least favourite dish as the vegetable medley lacked seasoning and the bun was overcooked, dry and hard. We ordered the yuzu custard dessert. Normally, restaurants do give you a complimentary birthday dessert but not here. Anyhow, the yuzu was my favourite part which gave the dessert a strong lemony taste which I loved. The custard texture was also amazing and the raspberry gelato was well balanced in terms of the sweetness and sourness. The white ice cream I think was vanilla coconut or something and it was probably the best vanilla/coconut ice cream I've had considering I don't like vanilla. Some of the staff were really nice and lovely, including our waitress and the guy who performed a birthday song for me. However, I was very confused by the young man that cleans up the table. He took away every dish of ours even when there was still food on the plate. He never asked us if we were done eating and if it was okay to remove the plates except for the one time when there was actually no food left on the plate. And that's because we hurried to eat it all up before he started taking our dishes again. I was taken aback when we still had half an ahi tuna left on the plate that we wanted to eat and before we knew it, the dish disappeared. That kept happening throughout the night. I may still be interested in trying out other dishes so perhaps I may come back but at a time when there's less people and noise. The food overall was good but for the prices, the quality wasn't quite there even though the portion sizes were good. read more

I know the history of this place and have walked by it at least 500 times since living in the neighborhood but finally got to try it for the first time this past weekend. Calamari & Rock Shrimp Salad - familiar flavors done perfectly. The full-size portion was a perfect starter and the execution of this dish is as good as it gets. -Dumpling and Peanut Butter Sauce - loved the sauce. The dumplings themselves weren't anything incredibly unique but still will done. Great flavor profile here. -Short Rib Special - saw these coming out of the kitchen one after another so had to try it. I've eaten a lot of short rib dishes and this is seriously one of the best. Super tender and well-marbled short rib made this an instant hit. Wish it came with something fun like wasabi mash but the sweet potato mash and snap peas cut through everything nicely. Overall, I was impressed with this place. The flavor profiles are a bit dated (I'm sure they were once revolutionary) but between the service, quality and decor, we really enjoyed our meal. It's definitely not cheap, but you get what you pay for ingredient-wise here. Worth a try for some classic asian fusion flavors done at the highest level. read more

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We ordered two dishes, sichuan beef and the Shanghai lobster. The beef was awful, no sichuan experience in it and was too sugary, yuk!!! Who likes sweet beef!! The salad that came with it was old and tasted like mold. Horrible The lobster dish was also sweet. Not as bad as the beef but for $75 I expected a lot nicer food. The one star they got was for friendly staff!! Don't waste your money there. Go to any restaurant in Thai town and enjoy some delicious reasonably priced dishes. read more

I can't stop talking so highly about this place. The staff is amazing. You truly feel like family. Everything we had was great. Will be coming here often for the lobster and will probably be ordering 1 order per person since it was so go read more

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Wolfgang Puck never disappoints. Fun group of servers and great food and chill beachy wibe. Can't go wrong! Best restaurant in Venice Beach, CA. read more

My dine LA dinner at Chinois was one of the most delicious meals I've ever had. The service, presentation and combination of flavors was perfect . Highly recommend! read more

We have been to Chinois since 1987. Chef Rene creates the most delicious food. Whenever I have foreign guests this is the place I would take them for dinner. They are always impressed with the food, service, and ambiance. We have yet to have a meal that is not top notch. Bella and her staff are just delightful and amazing. Many of the servers and bus boys are still there. We have celebrated almost all our birthdays at Chinois. We love starters like Soft Shell Crab when in season. The Curried Oysters is to die for. The deep fried catfish is their signature dish. It's so crispy that you can practically eat the whole fish bones and all. Every once in a while you might even get a lovely piece of ginger. The Grilled Australian Lamb Chops are simply scrumptious. The Roasted Sea Bass in a spicy miso glaze is done to perfection. The duck fried rice is a great side dish. I highly recommend you give it a try. You will not be disappointed. read more

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I was disappointed at this place. Everything we ordered taste great for two bites, then it becomes greasy and heavy. I give it to them that the portion size is large. Service was very slow (I only saw two waiter/waitress for the entire restaurant, poor them, really understaffed there.) They did have a lot of cooks and helpers in the kitchen. Once you order, the food does come up in a reasonable time, but waiting for our waiter to show up was tough. I was going to order dessert after dinner, but it took so long for our waiter to come back to us, I just gave my credit card and left after paying. If you already sat down, the Grilled Szechuan Beef is pretty good! read more

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Since this is my 100th Yelp review, thought I'd make it a little more special for one of my all-time favorite restaurants. I started coming here with my Dad when I was a teenager because he had been living close by and it was love at first bite...and for me too. In the past, I loved coming here so much, I'd go for dinner with my Dad, in my High School baseball uniform, after home games :) Years later, I even lived in the hood, in back of Chinois...and would often come for just dessert and sit at the bar. I've celebrated numerous Birthdays here - mine/family/friends/loved-ones...as well as anniversaries, Valentines Day, family get-togethers, date-nights out...and in anticipation for what was my last first-date 10 years ago :) My favorite thing about Chinois has always been sitting at the counter (with only one other person) and being able to watch & talk to all the chefs & su chefs & cooks as they prepare and plate all the food. I tend & prefer to make most meals out of their "appetizers" opposed to Entrees, because IMO, they're more exciting yet less expensive than most of the Entrees. One of my favorite dishes (anywhere) is their Tuna Sashimi Tempura with Uni (sea urchin) sauce. I've been known to order two of these babies so I can have an entire plate to myself because it's heaven on earth in every bite. I also love their Soft-shell Crab (which is seasonal) with the cilantro sauce (and I'm not big on cilantro - especially when it's uncooked) but theirs is warm & insanely delicious - especially when the soft-shell crab is plumb and on-point. Some more of my favs are the Szechuan Duck Pancakes and their Chinese Chicken Salad. Also love their vegetable dishes. My favorite entrees are the Shanghai Lobster with ginger curry sauce and served with crispy spinach - its expensive, and there's not much lobster to go around, but it's worth trying if you've never had it. When I was younger I'd always request that crispy spinach as a side dish (which they wouldn't) but through the years they've added it to their menu. I also enjoy their Whole Sizzling Catfish - which they'll cut up at the table for you and it's served with a tasty ponzu type of dipping sauce. The desserts are pretty decedent...but I usually gravitate towards the Creme Brûlée, which is blowtorched to crisp & crackly perfection, and their Warm Chocolate Molten Lava Cake that oozes in delightful deliciousness (unless it was back in my vegan days and had to settle for their wonderful homemade & refreshing sorbets :) The service is usually great & friendly (most of the staff have worked here forever) the food is usually spaced out nicely. Though often times, it comes out too fast and there's not enough room on the table for everything (especially when we order lots of food) The servers & bus staff are fantastic and always exchange dirty plates & utensils for clean ones in between courses, and they try to clear the tables quickly to create more space. Bella, the hostess with the mostess, has been running the front of the house ever since I can remember and is usually the one you speak to when exchanging phone calls...and warmly welcomes you upon arrival. Wolfgang Puck used to show up nearly every Saturday night in the past and greeted all the customers at their tables..and I/we've taken a few pictures with him throughout the years. Say cheeese :) To me, the place looks the same after all these years - which is okay with me because Chinois was way ahead of their time, with Wolfgang's unique and eclectic take on his signature brand of French-Asian Fusion Cuisine. The place is often crowded and the tables are very close to each other...so you might be sitting bumper-to-bumper with other diners - depending on where you're seated...and a bit of maneuvering is required when getting in & out of your table or chairs. There's a lot of energy inside the dining area...but the place gets a bit noisy...so I don't encourage a romantic night out here. It's more about the food & service. But I still love everything about this place...even the valet service. However, this past dining experience was my least favorite. All the dishes mentioned above, lacked something of sorts and our group of 5, celebrating a Birthday, were slightly disappointed with all our food. In addition, some of the portions shrunk, and the prices increased significantly. Nonetheless, perhaps it was an off night for the food?? But I'll be more than willing to give them a chance for redemption. Because they've been extremely solid & consistent for so many years. Thanks Wolfgang, for creating such unique, outstanding & memorable cuisine...and so many fond & nostalgic memories throughout the years. read more

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I really enjoyed the food here. It's pricey but worth it for special occasions. I do wish they had speciality cocktails. I ordered a margarita but it wasn't great. I would say stick to wine or more classic drinks. The food was all delicious though. The chinoise salad lives up to its $30 price. The dressing is so good. I also loved the scallops. Service was also great. Family oriented vibes. Love that some menu items are from the original 1983 menu. read more

Chinois On Main - Scallops - Asian Fusion Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Love Chinois on Main. Bella is the glue that holds it all together. When your seated it's like sitting down at your family's best Chinese/French dinner. I'm just saying the the mood is very comfortable even if the room is packed. The food is alway solid and on point. I NEVER had a bad meal or dish at Chinois. It's on the family's permanent rotation We will always go here. read more

Let me start by saying everyone here was incredibly nice and cordial. Now... Underwhelming, tacky, boring except for the heist of the prices. Strong service at first that then tapered off to me being thirsty for most of the meal - probably also due to the overly saturated, oily and salted dishes. Feels like a white guy in the 80's named this menu, pretty sure something is just labeled as "oriental". Sweatingly expensive. Like it made me sweat until I remembered I was being treated to this meal. But I would never come on my own or take someone else here. It's the sort of place where its coasting off of some rep it build decades ago. Cocktails - uninspired, clashing, meh. Suntory Toki is not something you should speak to me as being exotic. These days I could probably find it at 7-11. Anyways. Big pass. Unless your grandparents are in town. And they lack taste. read more

Chinois On Main - Asian Fusion Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Chinos on the Main exceeded my expectations with top-notch service and delicious food. The cozy atmosphere creates a fun dining vibe. It's perfect for sharing; my dining partner and I definitely overindulged, but it was worth it! I highly recommend the lobster--absolutely fantastic. Hands down to all the staff because they know how to do it! I haven't had that kinds of customer service in a long time. read more

We dined at Chinois on Main last night, and it was spectacular! I frequented the restaurant quite a bit in the 80s and 90s when I lived in Santa Monica, so I was already familiar with the experience. But last night, on my first night back in town visiting, I was so impressed by the deliciousness, ambience, and service we had that I had to comment. We started with the Tiny Dumplings, the Oyster appetizer, and a Scallion Pancake, followed by the Sea Bass and the Shanghai Lobster. For dessert we had the Panna Cottaand the trio of Crème Brûlées, (which was my favorite from before). It didn't disappoint! I have to give the highest praise to our server, Lisa, who was fabulous, very attentive, friendly, and clearly devoted to our having best experience possible. All in all, it was a LIGHTS OUT experience--Wolfgang Puck does not disappoint! read more

Always great, always delicious. We started with the Chinois chicken salad. This remains the BEST salad I have ever eaten and despite the prices now exceeding $30 (ouch!), it is still worth something worth eating time and time again. Duck fried rice to die for! plenty of duck in this delicious fried rice. I get cravings regularly for this dish so it means having to come again and again. Shanghai lobster, another classic and favorite of mine. (I do remember when it was $49, then $59, then $75 and last night $105!!! I guess I have been coming over and over again. Tender Maine lobster perfectly cooked in a special curry sauce with rice, topped with amazing crispy spinach. A new dish for me was the Grilled Free Range Chicken. mmm..mmmmm. perfectly cooked chicken topped with tasty organic sauteed garlic spinach. A new favorite! read more

This place is soooooo good and vibe is high energy. Sea Bass is the best anywhere and the chinese chicken salad with the miso flair is yum yum yum. read more

This was my first time at Chinois, and the food was delish! It met my expectations. We started with the tiny dumplings, the lobster spring rolls (amazing!), and three main dishes, including duck, beef, and scallops with pad Thai. I highly recommend the egg noodles with vegetables. It has the ambiance of a neighborhood place. It's understated, and business casual was the dress vibe. It's worth checking out! And their bar is fantastic, also! read more

I visited this place on a weekend when Main St was closed to traffic. Quite large portions, I remember a very huge catfish, it was awesome! I'll come back to try the rice everybody is talking about x read more

Chinois On Main - Asian Fusion Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Super crowded and smoky inside, expensive, food takes forever to come out and tastes quite bad. Def would avoid if you want to have a good dinner read more

If I could give more stars I would! Everything hear was fabulous - the drinks, the service, the appetizers entrees and desserts! My favorite was the Chinese chicken salad and the scallops. When it came to cocktails I told the server what kind of drinks I typically like and they whipped up something unique. Dinner was expensive but every bite was incredible. I will definitely go back read more

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READ THIS: Chinois On Main Is A FAMILY experience. The food is excellent! The lobster rolls will blow your mind. The 10 spice honey sauce will be in your dreams! The Szechuan Beef is an impressionist painting on your tongue. It dances and shifts just as the water and breeze on a cool pond. Their duck is crispy and moist, never greasy. Please, don't get me started on the scallops. Never rubbery, these little morsels are perfectly seared. In short, the food is DAMN good. What I came here to tell you about, is the people. The staff are STARS. Their dreams, talents, and joy resonate in each dish. I came here at the beginning of my trip and was treated with overwhelming love and respect. When I came for my second time, before I departed, my (new) fiancé and I were met with such joy from everyone. It was a celebration! My new friends at Chinois on Main are so close to my heart and have helped to create such a fond memory that I look forward to visiting them time and time again. Chinois, Thank you for making our trip so delicious, tender, and memorable. We will DEFINITELY be sending invitations to the wedding All our Love to Chinos! read more

Where to start!? My sister was in town on a business trip, and we needed to find a place to eat between my home and her hotel. I looked up a bunch of places, but the reviews for Chinois totally stood out! The cuisine is Asian-French-Wolfgang-Puck fusion, and the food was tremendous. The Tiny Dumplings were great, but the Wonton-Wrapped Sea Bass with Beets and Spinach has spoiled me for life... I might never try anything else on the menu. The place is small, busy and eclectic. The staff is friendly, helpful, and refreshingly diverse. Two thumbs up! read more

We dined out doors with heat lamps. It was breezy. The staff was in high alert and fully attentive. The appetizers came out fast along with the cocktails. Tiny dumplings and Chinese chicken salad. The drinks are so amazing. The food was next level. The highest quality. We ordered curry lobster, sea bass, scallops, salmon. The street was somewhat loud. But the food comes fast and it over shadows any street sounds, sirens or in houses people on the street. This place may get a Michelin star. read more

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Omg this place did not disappoint! Great for a date night but also super welcoming for families. The lobster spring roll was incredible. We also ordered the Szechuan beef and the pad Thai with scallops. I can't wait to go back and try more dishes. The service is also so warm and inviting. They treated me like they were welcoming a regular although it was my first time :)) read more

39 years on, this is still one of the finest dining experiences in LA and my favorite Wolfgang concepts. Curried oysters, lobster, fried catfish and whole duck set high marks for technique. Best of all, it tastes bloody great. Expensive, but worthy as a special destination. read more

What can I say, but this was a perfect dining experience. Our reservation was honored and we were seated on time (even on a full capacity Saturday night). Our server was prompt, efficient, and got everything right. The food was the best we've had in a long time - great seafood dishes and the owner herself even came to our table to see if everything was good. We will definitely return. The only downside is that it is a bit noisy and the tables are close together, but that it is a small price to pay for great food and the best in service. Love this restaurant - no wonder they have so many regulars! read more

Whether you're celebrating an anniversary, birthday, promotion, or just having dinner for 1 on a Sunday night, Chinois on Main is most definitely the place to enjoy a wonderful meal. The service was fantastic, and the outdoor decor was beyond gorgeous and beautiful. I look forward to continuing to many more delicious meals at chinois on main! read more

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Love the atmosphere of this place, the decor is spot on. Food was delicious, you must try the lamb if you are a carnivore. Lobster spring rolls are just too good as well! Service was very attentive and friendly! Recommend 100% read more