When I first arrived in Santa Monica from New York in 1993, I always opted to eat at a natural…read morefoods café just next-door to Fritto Misto, and I unfortunately never gave them a chance. Last week, I was in the mood for "Italian", and I remembered Fritto Misto, and I looked at their menu. They had meals that sounded delicious, and I was delighted that they served whole wheat and gluten-free pasta options. I wound up having a fantastic meal there, and I ate there again this week. Everything is so fresh, flavorful, and delicious! The environment is very warm and friendly, and the staff is very accommodating and helpful. I didn't feel like I had to choose between health and flavor when I was there; I got both! Bravo, Fritto Misto! A big thank you to Robert, the owner, and the two waiters/servers who helped me; Kevin and Carlos. Though I don't drink, a big thank you to the bartenders who were very friendly and helpful when I walked in.

If I could give this place a 10, I would. If you're looking for a good Italian place, this would be…read moreit. They have vegetarian options and meat options. The portion sizes are huge for the price The service for starters is amazing. The owner and the staff here are lovely people. The store has a great vibe as well for dates or family dinners. You would have to look for street parking but it's 100% worth it.

Found this spot on Yelp, and the reviews were fantastic. Our server Ashley recommended several…read morepastas and was super thoughtful walking us through each one. We ordered four different kinds of pasta. I'm normally not a huge fan of lasagna, but it's their signature dish -- and wow, it blew us away! All four of us loved it. The pasta sheets aren't overly thin, and they're green. The layering of meat sauce, cheese and pasta is perfectly balanced. The roasted cauliflower and roasted mushrooms were also incredible, with such a unique roasted flavor -- highly recommend! The chef even came out to tell us those are his personal favorite veggies.

My boyfriend and I have been going Uovo for about a year now. I've always been a fan of white sauce…read morepasta, but then I discovered the Amatriciana. It's the best pasta I've ever had. We travel about an hour and a half to get to this place, but we consistently return to the Santa Monica location because of the exceptional customer service. Two employees, Alexis and Nunu, have consistently provided a great experience. Nunu is amazing and ensures that every customer is taken care of promptly. Alexis is great at elaborating and providing detailed information about the menu items. Overall, the food is delicious and the experience is memorable. I highly recommend Uovo to friends and family.

A very nice dinner for four the other nite at Piccolo Santa Monica. All the food and drink was…read moreexcellent as was the service. It was our friends' first time at Piccolo and they were very happy. They and we will certainly be back.

What a splendid experience! Stopped by for dinner on Friday and I absolutely loved it. The dark,…read moreromantic, and quiet ambience outside is perfect for a date or girls night. Our server was so fun! The dirty martini was one of the best (frankly I normally compare to my own and this was very similar). The carbonara-esque pasta with guanciale was excellent as was the grilled calamari. We also got the duck ragu and prosciutto and burrata which were also great, but the former two were the stars along with the drinks. Might I also add that the bill was a pleasant surprise at the end of the night, so rare to find great food and drinks for a reasonable price these days. I loved it here, if I lived closer it would be j. my regular rotation for weekend dins.

I love love love love loooooove this place! The waiter was SO pleasant and patient…read more We sat in the sunset room and I thought it would glow in golden hour, but the sun was shaded between the trees so it didn't happen. We got the following: - Eggplant dip - the way the bread's texture is taste is with this...we INHALED this. - margherita pizza - so pleasant - pesto pasta - this had pistachio cream in it which made it more creamy and delicious - tiramisu - literally threw us up to the heavens, amazing - free mango dessert for my husband's birthday! We literally inhaled all the food and it didn't leave us bloated, which tells you it was healthy and nice food. Cant wait to go back.

The best part of Elephante is definitely the beautiful rooftop view of Santa Monica, especially at…read moresunset. If possible, try to get a table near the edge. It seems a little easier if you're a party of two. We arrived early for our reservation but still had to wait at the bar to be seated, which was a little annoying. The service was friendly, though. The food was good overall, but nothing particularly special. The vodka pasta was probably the standout. I also liked the fries, especially the sweet chili dipping sauce. The branzino was good but could have used more seasoning. The octopus was disappointing. It was burnt and pretty bland. Overall, I enjoyed the atmosphere and would go back, but I think the food is overpriced for what it is. You're really paying for the view.

I decided to go for dineLA lunch deal here and wow! The service was impeccable from start to…read morefinish. Free parking with validation btw. To start, they gave me a basket of white bread which was amazing. It was fluffy inside and crunchy on the outside. For my appetizer, I got the burrata. This was so good. I do wish they gave me a full burrata rather than half but a fantastic deal and dish. It was super flavorful and I loved every bite. I ordered the capellini for my main since the waiter recommended it as light especially in this heat wave and I had to go back to work after. I'm usually not a fan of angel hair but this was delicious. I loved the fresh veggies in the dish. I only wish there were more shrimp rather than just the 3. For my dessert, I got the tiramisu. It was the perfect way to end this meal. They also have this power lunch deal that I will need to take advantage of next time!

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars…read more Had the pleasure of dining here last night after making a reservation last week for DineLA. My girlfriend and I had always passed by the area and have been around the neighborhood, but had never been able to eat here. We got there a bit earlier than our reservation, about 10 minutes earlier than expected. The restaurant was extremely busy at 7:10 PM, with multiple family dinners and a huge birthday party happening all at once. After about 3-4 minutes of standing in front of the door, our waiter asked if we had made a reservation and immediately sat us down at a table right in front of the kitchen. The DineLA menu wasn't extensive but because of that, we were able to try both appetizers and both desserts. As for the entrees, we decided to get the Tagliolini and the Tagliata di Manzo alla Pizzaiola. The appetizers were both really food, especially the sauce that the Posillipo came with. It was so good that after we finished it, we got the bread and dipped it in the sauce! The entrees were okay; I think the Tagliolini could have used a bit more salt or some cheese, like Pecorino or Parmigiano but the scallops that came with the dish was impeccably seasoned. The Tagliata was also good, especially the sauce that came on top, but I just wished I had more of it. Even though it was supposed to be a filet, I couldn't tell if it was that or a skirt steak. Lastly, I was a bit happy when our waiter came to our table before our dessert and told us that they had ran out of the chocolate cake and that we had the option to choose from their regular menu (whatever they had that was available at the moment). When the waiter mentioned a hazelnut cake, we decided to get that. Again, so happy that there was no more chocolate vanilla cake because the hazelnut lemon cream cake was absolutely divine! I loved the lemon cheesecake-like filling and the hazelnut crumble on the bottom that was so light and compact that it felt like a hazelnut rice crispy treat. At the end of our meal, I attempted to get parking validation, as I was told that parking was free if our meal was under 2 hours. When I tried to get the validation, the machine wouldn't validate and was telling me to pay the entirety of parking. Glad to say that one of the staff members (I'm not sure if he was the owner or the manager or someone high up in the restaurant) saw that I was struggling and had told me that he would help me get the parking issue situated, and he actually followed through and did! There was also another server who offered to take our photos and had posed us inside the restaurant to take the shots. He did a really great job and both my girlfriend and I were so happy with how the photos came out. This place had gone above and beyond our expectation and I think its safe to say that we will definitely be back to try their regular menu!

It's been about 10 years since my wife and I last visited Forma. After this most recent experience,…read moreI have no idea why we waited so long! We happened to be in the area after dropping off some family at LAX and decided to stop by because we were starving. We didn't have reservations, but the staff welcomed us with open arms and were kind enough to squeeze us in. That hospitality alone made a great first impression. The food was fantastic from start to finish. We started with their bread, olive oil, and spread, along with the carbonara croquettes, which were absolutely delicious. Since they didn't have carbonara pasta that evening, I decided to give the croquettes a try instead, and I'm glad I did! We also ordered the grilled octopus served over a bed of lentils, which was excellent. For the main courses, we had the tortellini tossed in a cheese wheel and the braised beef short ribs with beef short rib ravioli. Both were outstanding ! Forma is a small, intimate restaurant with a wonderful atmosphere, delicious food, and genuinely great service. It's not often that you find a place where the food and hospitality come together so perfectly. It's a bit of a drive for us, but after this visit, we'll definitely have to make the trip back much sooner than another 10 years! Highly recommend!

I go to forma approximately 2 to 3 times a week for their happy hour. Each time I go it's generally…read moreabout $100 plus tip. The food atmosphere everything is great, but really bad thing happened and wait till you hear it. I ordered the steak tartar and they serve it on half a sandwich so I asked them to put another piece of toast on top so it's not open faced you're ready for this two dollars additional so tonight I had the bartender asked the manager and he said it's two dollars additional. The manager said charge her... what do you guys think about this?

There's so many spot that you just don't know about and this is one of them. I didn't know about it…read morein my case...lol... We were meeting some friends for a little birthday lunch and this was the chosen spot. Just along Wilshire, which you could miss if you're not looking for it. Street parking, not sure if there's a lot. Clean storefront but once you walk inside, it's a cute bakery and restaurant. Theres also a patio out back which we didn't see. The place is quite beautiful. Well decorated with a nice clean modern touch to it. Walk through the door and you're greeted with the hostess which is also connected to the bakery. The smell of fresh baked goods and coffee, nice. To one side of the restaurant is the kitchen. There's seating along the bar area if you want that chefs table vibe. Restaurant isn't too big so seating can get a little cramped. We were there for a friend's birthday which this was an amazing recommendation. Lunch menu is somewhat small but let me just say everything sounded amazing. Also the drink list was quite nice too. Food wise, started off with the arancini with homemade tomatoes sauce and Parmesan. Small bites but quite nice and tasty. Good for sharing. Then straight to the entrees. Oh lunch and dinner is somewhat similar as some things are removed and added to the menu. The steak salad with arugula, salanova, pecorino, avocado, cucumber with red wine vinaigrette. Wow, the presentation alone was beautiful and the taste, superb. I highly recommend this dish. It's decent size for one but also great for sharing. Then you have the burrata and prosciutto pizza with tomato sauce, arugula, olive oil, and sea salt. Nice wood oven thin crust pizza that was tasty. Great as an entree or perfect for sharing. Lastly the chicken malenese. Simple yet so good with a nice thin breaded chicken cooked perfectly. And then topped with a massive heaping of arugula and shaved Parmesan cheese and lemon vinaigrette. A classic dish that so good. Very light as well. Of course as it was a birthday lunch, dessert was had. The vanilla bean pound cake with berries and cream with the orange blossom honey on the side. And the affogato, both were delicious and a nice little treat after a hearty meal. Daria was the one that took care of us. First off let me say she was amazing. There was a little this and that and that on the side with ordering with one of the guest. But she took it like a champ and was accommodating and sweet. Made sure we were well taking cared of and checked on us often to see if there was anything else we needed. Amazing customer service and just an absolute doll overall. It was a first for all of us and the meal was excellent. From service to food, it was top notch. Now we just need to make a trip back for dinner and try the patio. Once again, thanks Daria for taking well good care of us. Highly recommend this restaurant.

Pasta: - Al Dente! great flavors and consistency!…read more- Corn Pizza: one of the more unique ones, decent crust and flavor

First off, this place is BEAUTIFUL! The attention to detail, from the textured walls and curved…read morearchitecture to the warm lighting and unique table settings. We started off in the bar area before moving outside, and both spaces had their own charm. The design was definitely one of my favorite things about this place! As for the food, we tried three different pastas, including their signature pasta for the day. I wish I could remember the name because when I tell you that pasta was AMAZING! So creamy, full of flavor, and seasoned perfectly. I'm still thinking about it, and my biggest regret is not ordering another one to go lol. Our waiter was great as well! Very welcoming and attentive throughout the evening. Overall, experience was 10/10. The food was delicious, but the design and atmosphere are what really stood out to me. Definitely a place I'd visit again!

Overall great Had girls gathering for birthday…read more. We ordered spicy pomodoro, squid ink, and carbonara.. Great but was little salty for us..

Were back again at Ospi! We ordered two salads, two pizzas, and a few pastas, and everything was…read moredelicious. The food definitely lived up to the hype! The atmosphere was amazing, and the service was excellent throughout the evening. We had such a great time, Highly recommend, and we're already looking forward to coming back!

Trendy doesn't always mean amazing food…read more We arrived about 15 minutes before our reservation. We easily found parking about 25 yards from the entrance. The restaurant was almost empty, our dining companions hadn't arrived yet. We ordered sparkling water, crispy provolone and the olives, almonds and fries appetizers. The provolone arrived warm, at best, the vodka sauce it was served with was delicious. This would have been fantastic if it arrived in a small cast iron skillet, instead it was a slab of cheese that would have been better had it not arrived at the table. The olives and almonds were small and forgettable. The fries were divine. Hot, salty and served with ketchup and a Chipotle mayo. The place began to fill and I began to think we may have ordered the wrong dishes. The server was challenged. Good thing I wasn't too hungry, I settled on a caesar salad that was...boring. My guy had the Tonnarelli, that was supposed to be cacio e pepe but it was drier than the Sahara and if there were a sprinkle of pepper it ran away, far away. Our friends enjoyed the Tagliatelle and they likely would have enjoyed a shower of Parmigiano Reggiano. There was none in sight. The bread and butter was super delicious. We should have ordered a boatload. At $14 for a slice of bread served with the same almonds and olives was silly...the garlic butter was super yummy. Serve the bread and butter. Ditch the olives and almonds and by all means, slather that gorgeous butter everywhere. The coffee arrived after the chocolate and pecan brownie and dessert spoons arrived after the cannoli was devoured. We learned our server loved our friendliness on what he described was his 1st night. A few missteps, but he was tipped a generous 35% because everyone has a first night. Ignacio was friendly, and will be a fantastic server in due time. He has hopes we'll visit again. I explained we would likely see him in Argentina sooner than that. No visit by a manager. Drinks and food were dropped by alternate staff whose robot demeanor felt like we were inconveniencing them. Best service of the night was the security guard posted outside the front door - he opened and held the door for us as we arrived and as we left and even bid us a good evening. Class act. If trendy is your thing, you might enjoy this place, it was a miss for me. Expensive too. I get it though. Wages, insurance, location, and prices are what they are.