Wonderful indoor/outdoor patio adjacent to cool dark-ish dining room and large bar. (Looks like it wud be awesome place to rent out for a special event!) -- They have a great happy hour drink+food menu and the full dinner menu has several dishes I really enjoy. (There's 1 main dish I didn't care for -- but can't even remember what was.) The wonderful ambiance, enhanced by friendly, attentive & fun servers (+ enticing happy hour prices) are the driving reasons I continue to return. Sometimes I bring my laptop and can do my work while comfortably enjoying happy hour....... and then I'll stay for dinner too. I live in the neighborhood and I'm appreciative of Massilia's delicious hospitality. read more

My in-laws were in the area and my wife got to choose where we went for dinner, so let's insert Massilia into the mix! We had what I believe was a 7PM reservation and got seated right away on a Saturday night inside an absolutely stunning restaurant. It's on the darker side in here (which I personally like), is absolutely massive with both indoor and outdoor seating, and had such a friendly staff I now personally consider our waiter a family member and my new Uncle. The menu here has a a great selection of french dishes, pasta dishes, appetizers, and desserts to top it off (even though I was too stuffed for that). For an appetizer the table ordered the Pan Con Tomate with Prosciutto and even though it's not something I would of personally picked, I did enjoy the small amount I had. For a main course I went with one of my favourite dishes of all time, Steak Frites! Massilia did not skimp on portions here or kill you with price. The steak itself was served with an absolutely amazing chimichurri sauce and a boat load of french fries. Every aspect of the plate was incredible and for $32? Yeah, I'll be coming back in the future. The steak was served rare and was absolutely mouth watering while the french fries were crispy and had great flavour. Overall, Massilia was perfect choice for dinner and an absolute gem in Santa Monica. The atmosphere and restaurant were amazing, the staff was delightful, and the food was perfect. I couldn't recommend this place more if I wanted too, I'll definitely be back in the future! read more

Massilia - Steak Frites! - French Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Food was alright, the pizza flavor was good but the crust was too hard. Ambiance is nice and the shop is a walkable distance to 3rd street promenade. read more

Massilia - French Near Me - Santa Monica, California

When mom is in town, she puts my love of LA restaurants to good use and has me book a trendy place for her and her sisters. Today, I got to join the fun and enjoy a lovely dinner at Massillia! Surprised the relatives for their 5:30 reservation. I was supposed to stay for just a drink, but I was having such a great time, I had to crash the entire dinner! 5:30 on a Friday night was the perfect time. It was chill and quiet. The restaurant itself is super relaxing and had a nice ambiance. To start, I asked the waitress to bring me a fruity cocktail and what she handed me was delicious. I totally forgot to snag the name, but it was refreshing and yummy. For food, my aunts ordered EVERYTHING! we are a vegetable loving family and definitely got lots of yum yum that reflected that: ratatouille, salad, mushrooms, calamari, mashed potatoes, broccoli, salmon flatbread, and so much more. Everything was so flavorful! I really enjoyed every dish we got! If I had to choose some absolute favorites it would be the salad and the ratatouille! Both were incredible ( along with everything else). Finished the meal off with the pear dessert and a glass of port. Yummy! Great meal with family! I'll happily be back in Massilia to have another lovely dinner. read more

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Massilia in Santa Monica is where modernist elegance meets unapologetic allure--golden glows, sultry tunes, and a vibe that's electric yet whisper-intimate. Ideal for a wine-soaked date that'll leave you both flushed. Our server A charming whirlwind, with just the right wink. Then, the stars: Spaghetti Bolognese, a bold, meaty embrace that clings like a lover's secret; Tagliatelle aux Morilles, creamy morels dancing on fresh pasta--earthy decadence, perfectly al dente, begging for seconds. read more

Massilia - Spaghetti Bolognese - French Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Came here on a first date. While the B rating in the window got us a bit nervous, we still stayed and enjoyed some dirty martinis, tequila espresso martinis, and shared the squash rigatoni + steak frites & broccolini. Steak was great but not sure I would get the rigatoni again. The pasta felt like something you make at home when you're half wanting to be healthy. Our waitress Nilin was great and gave us the best seat in the corner. If you know me, you know I love a first date side seat situation. Decor inside was cool and a bunch of people were sitting outside but indoors was empty other than one other table. Good spot to go to before heading to Harvells across the street but otherwise, not sure I'd go back. They are on inkind which is a great new app we used to pay & even got $25 dollars off. read more

Massilia - French Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Went here last night! We had a group of about 12 and when I reserved and pre-selected the meals I didn't think they'd actually meet the choices selected! Not that it shouldn't happen - I've just booked a lot of dinners and preselected a lot of dinners in the past and many times we'd get there and they would be like "oh you can pick whatever" - so that was nice to experience not having to worry about ordering from the menu really at all! The service was great and everything came out perfectly timed. The restaurant is beautiful - if you want an intimate setting, I think it's a great spot to catch up with close friends or even going on a date. We had so much delicious food - I'm not a fan of mushrooms but the mushroom pizza was super flavorful. For the main, I ordered steak frites which everyone loved! I also got to try their espresso martini, Prosecco, and sparkling rose which were all delicious as well Definitely would recommend stopping by. Jean Michel is amazing! THANK YOU read more

Massilia - Espresso Martini - French Near Me - Santa Monica, California

tldr: Amazing service, beautiful space, okay food. FOOD-- We shared fried calamari. It was good, I liked the aioli it came with. I got the tagliatelle aux morilles and the flavor was lacking. I've had an identical dish elsewhere in LA so this was one disappointing in comparison. Maybe the GF noodles really are just that bad? In hindsight I should have gotten something else though I really wanted a pasta dish. DRINKS-- The bar is beautiful and they have a great menu. I'm not drinking currently but was pleasantly surprised to find a decent non-alcoholic section that wasn't just Coke & iced tea. I got a NA Prosecco and it was great! It didn't just taste like juice, the flavor was more dynamic. SERVICE-- The service here was 10/10 and made up for the underwhelming pasta dish, so I would still definitely come back and try something else. Hospitable but not overbearing. AMBIANCE-- The space is beautiful (just look at the pics!) and cozy. We sat in one of the booth areas, but they have tables, lots of bar seats, and outdoor seats as well. PARKING-- The lot across the street is super affordable (I think we paid $2) read more

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It was another lovely dinner at Massilia. We were so glad to find our favorite outdoor corner table available. In addition to my husband's usual, the 8-Hour Braised Lamb Shank, we decided to choose a couple menu items we haven't tried. We were overall happy with our orders. The Salmon Socca Flatbread was a nice starter, but the presentation was a bit messy. The Bouillabaisse was warm and flavorful. The portion was smaller than expected -- I'm not sure if I would order it again. The Pear Melba for dessert was excellent. As always, service was friendly and attentive. read more

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We went on a Sunday night at 7 and the place was rather empty. A beautiful restaurant. We were seated by the windows. We had the Burrata and Calamari to start. Brussel sprout Salad to share. The star entree is the 8 hour lamb shank. Really good. We also ordered the steak and the Bouillabaisse. Would love to return to try the Brunch. read more

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A solid European happy hour spot in Santa Monica!   I visited Massilia on a Friday afternoon around 5:30pm, right before the happy hour menu cut off at 6pm. My friend had made a reservation before for 4pm at this French-Italian fusion spot. Walking in, the restaurant had a nice ambiance with outdoor, indoor, and bar seating. The lighting was nice and the seats were nice and cushiony.   My group ordered a variety of happy hour items to share alongside some regular menu items.     - Grilled Broccolini: It was nicely cooked and had a nice snap to it. The parmesan and other toppings also provided a nice flavor to them.   - Fries with Harissa Mayo: Fries were crispy and tasty, but the mayo just tasted like a regular ketchup and mayo mixture.   - Tagliatelle Aux Morilles: It was okay, I wish the pasta was more al dente.   - Flatbread Comte Cheese Pizza: This was my favorite, a perfect blend of French and Italian flavors. I loved the french cheese in the pizza, it was delicious and nicely cooked.   - Shrimp & Tuna Ceviche: It was okay, would've preferred split up crackers to make it easy to share.   - Crispy Calamari: Standard fried calamari.   With all of this split, it came out to be around $29 per person which was not bad. The servers were funny and friendly, but we did have to flag them down at times. There's parking at a structure across the street which is free for the first 90 minutes.   Overall, a good experience here and the happy hours specials were good. I would visit again. read more

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We grabbed seats at the bar; the hostess was super friendly as soon as we walked in, and the bartender took great care of us. We both went with the Le Bowl and added chicken and ahi tuna for an extra protein kick--it was so good! Do what we did and you won't be disappointed. We were digging the high ceilings, gorgeously lit bar, and cool aged brick walls. It's got that perfect urban feel right in the heart of downtown Santa Monica. We came during the day around 11am but definitely want to check out the evening vibe because I'm sure with such amazing food and gorgeous interiors it gets hopping. read more

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Came on a quiet Wednesday afternoon and this place never fails to amaze me. We ordered the butternut squash &kale rigatoni and the braised lamb shank. I don't usually go for butternut squash but today I'm so glad I did. It was fresh and citrusy and I wanted to lick the plate after. The price was reasonable and the flavors packed a punch. Getting to sit outside on a beautiful day was a plus. I fear I may have started and addiction to this pasta and will definitely be returning. read more

Massilia - Receipt from our meal - French Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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We drove a long way to try this beautiful restaurant. We really enjoyed the welcoming vibes by all the staff. The food was delicious. I had the 8 hr lamb shank & my husband had steak & fries. We had fried calamari as our starter. They were all great. For our side dish we ordered broccolini which was the only dish that tasted funny . It tasted like it was cooked in bad oil. Drinks were good. Coffee was delicious. We will go back again. read more

Massilia - Great Lamb shank & steak - French Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Massilia is a French restaurant nestled in Santa Monica near third street promenade, featuring a cozy interior and an intimate patio. Our group ordered the steak frites and lamb shank and both were quite delicious. Unlike most steak frites, the steak was thicker and you were able to select the temperature as well. The fries were perfectly crispy and deliciously seasoned. You have the option to get a chimichurri or bearnaise sauce, both of which are excellent options. The lamb shank is a gluten free meal and was so soft it pulled right off to the bone! In terms of cocktails, La Française was a clear winner. Anything with St. Germain is an obvious choice. Our server was very friendly, also French, and such a delight throughout the meal service. I definitely recommend dining here for modestly priced options with great ambiance. (32/50--2024) read more

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After my first time here I had to return. I came in a Wednesday night and they were able to sit us quickly. We chose to sit outside and the ambiance is very cozy. We started off with some broccolini and it was perfectly cooked and toasted with some Parmesan on top. For my main I ordered the 8hr Lamb shank and oh my god it was amazing. The meat fell off the bone and it was so tender some bites melted in your mouth. The shank was served over potato purée which was seasoned to perfection. With the amount of Lamb served it was well worth the price. Compliments to the chef. read more

Massilia - 8hr Lamb Shank - French Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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This is such a beautiful restaurant downtown Santa Monica! Service was wonderful, and surprisingly they were not too busy. I love that they open early on weekends for brunch so that we were able to have a wonderful meal before a day at the beach. We try a variety of their dishes and enjoyed all of them immensely. The prices are fair, considering the quality of their products, everything was made perfectly. Great dining option if you are looking for something unique and flavorful in the area! read more

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Food: 5/5 My friend got the margarita pizza and it was super delicious! The crust was thin with the perfect amount of burrata and tomato! I got a sangria to drink which was also good and prices were super reasonable. Ambiance: 5/5 Super cute place with dim lighting and comfy seating! I love their cushioned cubbies! Service: 5/5 Very sweet and attentive workers. Food also came out quick! read more

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Really liked our experience here! Reservations made for 7, not too crowded and were seated inside immediately. Comfortable seating, intimate ambiance despite the industrial feel and the uber high ceilings. We ordered the tajine (great flavor with perfectly cooked chicken), Brussel sprout salad (without cheese- fresh and lightly guy) roasted mushrooms (to die for!) and the bistek (w chimichurri sauce (not my favorite) and we ate everything! Although I didn't love the steak, I did love the frites. I'd definitely come back and maybe try the lamb shank or the shrimp. They can accommodate gluten and dairy allergies. Service was great! read more

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A wonderful spot with consistently great food and atmosphere. The soups are rich and comforting, and the desserts are always on point. While the patio can get noisy, the interior is warm, stylish, and very pleasant. Service is fast and attentive. One of our favorite places to dine in Santa Monica. read more

Beautiful, relaxing, close to the beach but not exactly. Great place for brunch lunch and dinner. Open air outdoor seating as well as indoor lounge type bar and tables serving exquisite French and Italian cuisine served on beautifully plated arrangements and made with the finest ingredients from knowledgeable chefs. When you pay, make sure they give you the exact change because for some reason they seem to short change you here by telling you they don't have change. This is not how a business should operate. If you don't have change just say you don't have change and we can pay with a different form of payment, give back the original payment instead of giving back money that is missing the change. What kind of business needs that extra 0.50 cents? Or is both our math that bad? The guy had to run back and ask someone else for 2 quarters to make the change correct. Technically still missing a bunch of pennies because they didn't round up. But hey, I'm just a customer, who am I to argue with? read more

Massilia - Wow Avocado Toast and more - French Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Food was delicious here! Tagliatelle was really fresh and the sauce was yummy! Fries & calamari were good off the HH. Pizza was okay not my fav. Service was slower but they were polite. Cute indoors and outdoors, they also have wifi! read more

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Massilia is one of my favorite spots in Santa Monica. It's has a romantic vibe, perfect for date night. We had an early dinner and took advantage of their happy hour. They have great pizza, specifically, their wild mushroom pizza is my fav. We also ordered their crispy calamari, clams with merguez sausage, tagliatelle aux morilles, and steak frites. Everything was delicious. Their fries are shoestring fries and perfect. This place takes reservations and have a parking structure right across the street (free for first 90 minutes). The owner is really friendly too! read more

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Great experience and the food was great! Reason why the experience is great is because of Jean Michel D! He made the service wonderful and let us know which food is the best and most popular to eat. Ambiance is pretty dark. It's not for everyone, but I like it! 10/10! read more

Massilia - French Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Some of the best atmospheres in Santa Monica if you care about that. Ideal for dates or small parties. I wouldn't bring my family here, though. There are different sections of the restaurant with slightly different atmospheres. The outdoor/indoor patio is more artisan, rustic, and quieter. The bar area is upscale dive, dark, and moody. The seating area by the windows are comforting, louder, and good for a small group. The service is fantastic. Best in Santa Monica. Drinks are tasty, not strong, though. Food is good, nothing amazing, but solid. Prices are average for place like this in Santa Monica, so it's not cheap. Parking is metered street or Structure 5, which is across the street. read more

The food was really hit and miss: French fries: A+ Vegetable Couscous: C - it was served room temperature but the flavors were good. Mozzarella Pizza: B+ - this was good. Spaghetti Vongole: B - this was good but some of the clams were sandy Tiramisu: A - the fresh berries on top were a delicious addition to the traditional version. Provencal Mule: A We had a couple issues while dining at Massilia. 1. There were three of us dining. Two meals came out and one meal came out later. They should have all come out together. No problem. It happens, they offered to comp the dessert. 2. Food was spilled on the sofa we were sitting on and my friend's jacket brushed up against it. We notified the waiter so he could clean it up or have someone clean it up. Instead he brought the bus boys to our table. The two bus boys tried to plead their case insisting they didn't spill the food (or bring the food out late). We don't know who spilled the food but it was spilled. It just needed to be cleaned up. It's a restaurant...spills happen. However, it became a shouting match we never should have been part of. We paid the bill, with a tip (even though the waiter told us not to tip) and left. As we were leaving, one of the bus boys said "Don't come back." Somehow these ordinary infractions were horribly escalated. This is totally unacceptable and shows very poor management. I would avoid this establishment if you can. There are a myriad of better options in Santa Monica. If you value your dollar, go elsewhere. read more

The food was soooo good and tasty! Our server, Jonathan, was amazing and we had the best time celebrating a birthday here! The atmosphere is elegant, fancy and quiet enough to have conversations at a big table. Highly recommend this place for a dinner party! It won't disappoint! Shout out to Jonathan- again 'cause he's that good! You went above and beyond for us!!!! read more

Massilia - Outdoor patio - French Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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The sunlit tiled floor and plant-dotted patio set a gorgeous backdrop for a date or catching up with friends! Surprisingly few guests came at lunch time, so service was nice and fair. Our Spaghetti Bolognese and Tagliatelle Aux Morilles arrived as neat little mounds of al dente pasta topped with grated parmesan. I liked the mushroom pasta more than the bolognese, but both were too lightly seasoned and had little meat and sauce.  If your primary interest is a charming ambiance, then this place might be worth checking out! read more

Massilia - Tagliatelle Aux Morilles: morel mushrooms, cream sauce, parmesan - French Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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I was walking by and decided to try this place. I was not disappointed. The breakfast sandwich was delicious and the patatas bravas were crispy and perfect. My drink, the l'amante, was slightly spicy but still delicious as well. Service was excellent and the patio faces a relatively quiet street. There is a parking garage right across the street for added convenience. A definite must try in Santa Monica! read more

Massilia - Breakfast sandwich, l'amante, and Patatas Bravas - French Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Had lunch at Massilias today. We should have known better when we sat and saw a 'B' Grade by the health department. But we were open minded because of the reviews. Well my iced drink came as a hot drink and I figured ok I will just drink it. Totally hot milk no flavor. One person ordered the steak frites with the steak medium rare, came well done. They were asked if they'd like chimichurri or some other sauce and they asked if they could try a little of both since they didn't know either and was given a yes but came as a charge on the check. My pasta was a greasy tasteless over cooked pasta and nothing about it was creamy. Another person got the spaghetti and that was over cooked and underwhelming. Normally yelp reviews are a good guide but I'm not sure how things went so wrong here. Paid over 100$ for really crappy food/ don't bother going. read more

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Gorgeous interior, pleasant vibes, and delicious food. I came for dinner and really enjoyed the mussels, smoked salmon toast, and ceviche. Lots of shareable options here. The menu is a fusion of a few different cuisines, which I always appreciate. I had a couple of sweet cocktails. I don't remember the names, but I had asked for a recommendation and what I received was sweet, light and easy to drink. The bar was buzzing. On a Friday night, not a lot of tables were occupied. I liked the comfy seats and spacious table. The servers were pleasant and hospitable. Everyone here seemed so jovial and helpful. There is street parking and a garage across the street. You will need to pay to park. read more

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The food was pretty good over all. The service was great overall, until we were almost finished. Over all our waiter was great. However, after him bringing the check he decided to pretend he was going to cut my daughter's hair, he had scissors in hand and lend over towards her with the scissors. My daughter was scared and my wife shielded her. My daughter was distraught and my was was extremely upset . Unfortunately, the ultimately derailed out Christmas dinner experience. My family was upset and I believe my daughter was traumatized. This was our family Christmas dinner. read more

A good solid 4+ stars. We felt like we almost snuck because we did not have a reservation, but we got there at the right time on a Friday ~ 8pm. We did get seated right away - but the place did fill up a bit later so a reservation might be a good idea. All the servers were pretty nice and helpful. Their drinks were pretty good, the Japanese whiskey one seemed to be the best by dipping and voice vote. We ordered items to share with the mushrooms, pizza, mashed potatoes, meatballs, and potato bravas (yes we like potatoes) being very good. There was a salmon dish that was 4 pieces on a little pieces of maybe flattened potato that did not seem all together, but we did not get sick so all was great - to be fair the salmon was yummy. The physical space was kinda interesting as it was almost carved in to "worlds" with outside seating having some corner spots finished to almost look like rooms vs cafe dining. The same goes for the interior where you can sit in a more table and chair area vs a comfy sofa type seating. read more

We made a reservation the night before NYE for dinner, after a day of shopping. As we enter, we thought no one was here but i was wrong. The place is full inside the main hall. However we chose to sit closer to the front because it has a high cushion seating. It felt so good after a days shopping. We ordered a lot to try and most of them are not disappointing. Salmon flatbread - nicely smoked salmon. The flatbread could be better if its crispier. Ours is soft, but the dough is still very nice. My mom loves their ratatouille. Flavorful and coked nicely. Bouillabaise - is ok. Clams are cooked perfectly, wish the broth is a little less tomoto base but more fish broth and whiskey. We also ordered the tagliatelle mushrooms - its very rich and creamy. Its really good but we ordered too much food so we didnt finish. Overall, a lovely place to eat, spend time to mingle with friends with very comfortable seatings. read more

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Really yummy local spot, it's a bummer they are always so quiet. The bar has ample seating and they have lots of tables. They have a happy hour that is 50% off all cocktails on their menu. The even have some food options. I love that it's a hidden gem of the neighborhood. read more

Massilia - Shrimp and Tuna Ceviche - French Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Was super excited to try a new French restaurant over winter break...Brought my family here for dinner to celebrate my parent's birthdays from out of town. While I LOVED our waiter, the food and the vibe were ok.. but, nothing special. I should have known when we walked up and it had a "B" rating:/ read more

Mediterranean spot with heated patio seating as well as indoor seating. Came here on a Friday evening and made a last minute reservation online for a group of 5. There's a parking garage close by with the first 90 minutes free. Credit cards accepted. They have a great happy hour with tapas as well. We shared the dishes family style and this spot is vegetarian friendly. We ordered the broccolini pizza, the patatas brava, calamari, mushroom pizza, bolognese, ratatouille, and squid ink pasta. The squid ink pasta had to be returned due to the clams seeming off, and the server was very accommodating about it. The calamari was the highlight of the meal for me - it was crispy and I really enjoyed the seasoning. read more

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This restaurant deserves 6 stars! I have been here a handful of times and each time we're treated like family! Aside from that, the food is another absolute highlight, especially the 8 hour lamb shank which NEVER disappoints. Lastly, I must point out that the superstar of that restaurant is Jean-Michel. He is so attentive, always seems to make our visit special, and is part of the reason we love this place so much. read more

Massilia - Broccolini - French Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Very nice and trendy place in Santa Monica. It's in a touristy spot close to the promenade however, it is not a tourist trap. I was excited because there were a lot of positive reviews about this place, however, I think I just did not order well. The branzino was very dry and not very flavorful. We got the potato bravas that was well reviewed. However, I thought they were quite average not that flavorful, but not the worst potatoes I've ever had. The person of pizza was very standard and pretty good. Drinks were great. They make good meal cocktails, and the interior of the restaurant is very nice and has good vibes. read more

Massilia - Grilled Whole Branzino - French Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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We've been 3 times. The first time was good enough to get us back a second time (the flank steak is really good), but after two mediocre experiences I'm not sure I'll go back. The ceviche had pieces of fish that were very fishy. The seated ahi needed a lot of lemon to not also taste distinctly not fresh. The meatballs were the best dish and were great. The bar didn't have the ingredients needed to make a mule on the menu or a white Russian. But the drinks are good, for la prices. The zucchini gratin is bland, needs salt and pepper and Parmesan to be flavorful. The service is pretty good, but the bartender and wait staff engaged in lively conversations with each other that distracted them from their customers. The atmosphere is great, it's a shame the kitchen isn't quite stepping up to the same level. read more