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.

Ambiance: - Located in santa monica, so parking is a bit…read moredifficult - Lots of seating inside and on the patio - employees friendly and helpful Food: - Artichoke & Mascarpone Stuffed Gnocchi: crowd favorite, good chew in the gnocchi - Black and White Spaghettini with bolognese: standard bolognese sauce, and good texture of the black and white noodles

Ashley was amazing. Hadn't had upscale pasta before and she recommended some amazing options. Would…read morerecommend!

Wow what a treat! My best friend and I came here for lunch and wow did it not disappoint. She is a…read moreregular but it was my first time and I did not know what to expect. Not meant for large groups, ideally 2 people or maybe 4 if you are lucky with tables and seating. It is a very small and upscale spot in Santa Monica. Casual attire is fine, especially if you are coming for lunch. The menu is very limited so I wasn't sure I would find anything that I loved but very wrong. The food blew out of the water, very fresh and flavorful. The waitress brough the food out as it was ready to make sure it was hot and fresh. I am very sensitive to dairy and none of the pastas hurt my stomach. The mushrooms were amazing though, we ended up even ordered an additional one because of how tasty it was. Pricing is what you would expect, for a pasta dish, a few apps to share, dessert and a drink you can expect to pay around $100pp. Highly recommend and would love to come back! Overall 5/5 stars!

Last night my wife and I returned to Il Piccolo. We have been coming here quite a few times over…read morethe past 2 years and it didnt disappoint. Our server remembered us and his service was excellent. My wife had the gnocchi bolognese which was excellent and I had the home made pici with guancale and onions. fantastic. I wish the portions were larger but I understand restaurants have to make profit to stay open. as Ive said in review after review, a great meal requires wonderful food along with great service. and last night was wonderful in every way. thank you and we will return, sooner than later this next time.

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'm not going to say anything about the food that you haven't already read in 30 previous posts!…read moreQuit scrolling and go order the whipped eggplant & vodka pasta. BTW. I'll think more highly of you if you add the Little Gem Caesar. And I may even respect you a little if you enjoy the luscious Passion Fruit Pavlova bathing in a decadent pool of ice cream! I said what I said. Vibes were high but turn down your hearing aids because it's loud as hell. Oh and JONATHAN is an absolute ALL STAR waiter! Tip him well or ..... well, I won't lay my threats out in public. Let's just say "or ELSE"

What a lovely place! Food was absolutely amazing! We ordered…read moregem ceasar salads, flank steaks, chicken was tender and juicy, vodka pasta, and some drinks. All was delicious! Our server Al was informative and friendly and so lovely. Thank you Al! The managers Natalia and Robert were very friendly and professional and are running this restaurant beautifully. Unfortunately- upon arrival for checking in on our reservation- we had to deal with Jordan who was at the front. Jordan was absolutely unhinged, rude, disrespectful and shocking with his tone, and rudeness. It was obnoxious and truly out of line. To the owners- your front line people are the most important people that represent not only your business but represents the people. One bad seed can cause a lot of damage to your business. This was the most horrible experience we have ever dealt with and we are very polite, and kind so his behaviour was unwarranted. The managers were very apologetic, and kindly offered desserts but we don't want freebies- we want Jordan to do better. If he behaved ONCE like this.... it's probably happened many times before.

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!

tl;dr although most dishes are passable, the signature dalla forma pasta plates fail to dazzle, and…read moreyou'll need a magnifying glass to go with the two-bite cheese samplers Every Los Angeles wine bar has a charcuterie and cheese board. However, few restaurants revere cheese like Santa Monica's Forma. Short for "formaggio" (Italian for "cheese"), Forma prides itself on an entire menu dedicated to cheese. But pasta-holics come for Forma's unique "dalla forma" preparation method, finishing their pastas within a full wheel of cheese. This technique is far from traditional, but it certainly is intriguing enough to entice locals and tourists to routinely book out the dinner service. Forma shares a popular block of Montana with a Sweet Lady Jane and a Williams-Sonoma. The golden yellow logo pops against the deep grey awning and slate walls out front. Enter through the tiled patio into the moody space. Cool lighting shines down onto the white subway tile and grey faux-wood floors. To the left, cheese fridges and panettone stock the wooden shelves behind the marble bar. To the right, wooden tables are pressed up against a diamond-upholstered half booth. In the far back, full cheese wheels are lined up along a sturdy wooden table, ready for the dalla forma finish. Modern instrumental tunes play unobtrusively around the space. We arrived for an early weekend dinner, and we had our choice of tables. We ordered a wide variety of dishes to share. The best plate of the night was the Roasted Gnocchi. The melt-in-your-mouth pockets were smothered in taleggio fondue, cut with tart cherry tomatoes and lemon zest. I also enjoyed the creamy saffron Risotto (finished in a Grana Padano wheel); however, I thought the dish was a tad salty, and the accompanying ossobuco was a clash in flavor. The other dalla forma pastas were good-not-great. On both, I loved the perfectly al dente noodles. The Chitarra Cacio e Pepe (tossed in a wheel of romano) was rich and creamy, but otherwise one-dimensional (in need of more salt or pepper). Meanwhile, the Fettuccine Bolognese (paired with a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano) was overwhelmingly wine-forward. Other sharables were fine, but not overtly memorable. Crispy Artichokes salad was a mostly standard mix of arugula and goat cheese; the unique fried artichoke reminded me of fried onions. The Pizza Raspadura was topped with melt-in-your-mouth Grana cheese shavings; however, the undercooked, flavorless crust was a dud. The hearty Cheese Fondue Roasted Cauliflower au gratin was served in a piping hot skillet, but the bites never achieved a perfect crisp. A few dishes were inexcusable. The Camembert platter included two tiny bites of cheese, two not-quite-crispy crackers, and a smattering of dull accouterments -- I could craft a far superior board with ease. Further, the Eggplant Parmigiana was sad and soggy; a shameful protein to pair with an otherwise impeccable marinara. Lastly, the Green on Greens was a wildly expensive plate of simple steamed veggies with a vaguely lemony butter sauce. The service was mostly hands-off after we stopped placing orders; the dalla forma chefs, however, were eager to share their craft. Our bill approached $300 (after tax and tip), and, frankly, the food was underwhelming for the cost. Namely, the popular dalla forma pasta dishes didn't quite hit the mark, and the diminutive cheese board was laughable, and Forma's modern trattoria felt more aloof than inviting. While I wouldn't flat-out turn down an invitation back to Forma, I would focus my attention on a select few dishes to mitigate the restaurant's (surprisingly many) shortcomings.

Came here for dinner before a show and so glad I did! My group was lucky enough to get seated right…read moreaway with no reservation! That was awesome from the host to squeeze us in. The place is cozy with a lot of cool art on the walls. The staff is great and friendly. There's a bar area where you can sit and you have the chef/cooks cooking and the pizza oven in front of you. Things I tried: *Garlic Knot: it was out of this world! It was so delicious! I could go back just for this! 10/10 *Warm M+O Bread with Olive Oil: 10/10 *Little Gem Caesar Salad: I got it with a side of anchovies because it's a Caesar salad haha. The salad was fresh and crisp! 9/10 *Wild Mushroom Tagliatelle: 10/10 my favorite item of the night! Pasta was cooked perfectly and the mushrooms were just the cherry on top! *Rigatoni Bolognese: 6/10. Pasta was cooked perfectly but I wasn't a fan of the sauce. *Diavola Pizza: 8/10 it's not spicy but it's good lol. Crust is so airy and crispy! *Peach + Hot Honey: 10/10! What a special combination of peaches, Parmesan & Prosciutto! *Besito Drink: 10/10 *Tiramisu: 9/10 I'm a sucker for Tiramisu and this one is good! I couldn't fully enjoy it has I was super stuffed already.

This place was amazing! I was so incredibly impressed. We came here with my kids, and this place is…read moredefinitely kid friendly. We sat in the backyard patio, and loved it. They have heat lamps and twinkle lights. They have paper and crayons for the kids. Victor was our waiter and he was awesome! So friendly and kind and gave great recommendations Parking: Parking was not bad! Metered parking for 2 hours and ample on a Saturday. Food: We got the chicken meatballs, Arancini, the salad with the fried capers and shrimp, and tagliatelle mushroom dish, corn, margherita pizza. My favorites were the Arancini, anchovy caper salad, and the tagliatelle. The dish that stole the show was the tagliatelle! It was AMAZING! the pasta was honestly the best I've had and I've had some amazing pasta. I will hands down be back!

My friends and I went here for a girls night dinner and it was genuinely such a cute place to eat…read moregood food, great vibes, and cute pictures! The service is so sweet here and we felt very taken care of the entire night. The parking situation is either street parking if you're lucky or valet parking ($12 cash/$15 card). We ordered the Spicy Pomodoro and the Carbonara and I will say, the Spicy Pomodoro was so yummy and creamy and we really enjoyed it! The Carbonara was a bit salty for my taste but it was still very yummy. Overall, 10/10 experience!

Came here for dinner!…read more FLAVOR (4.3/5): 1. HAMACHI CRUDO: The hamachi crudo was just okay in my opinion. The elderflower came through really strong, so the dish ended up being floral and sweet forward, while I prefer a stronger citrus element in my crudo. 2. STEAK TARTARE: The steak tartare also didn't really impress me. I couldn't help but compare it to Bestia's tartare, which had a richer and more well-rounded flavor. 3. SPICY POMODORO: The spicy pomodoro was good! Pasta was cooked to perfection and it had the right amount of kick. 4. SWEET CORN AGNOLOTTI: The sweet corn agnolotti was the star of the show, undoubtedly. The balance of the corn and the creme fraiche was just so well done, keeping it both sweet and savory. Would definitely recommend this one. 5. GRILLED BRANZINO: I always try to get branzino whenever I see a restaurant has it on their menu, and this one was a fun one. My friend didn't like it, but I actually really enjoyed the delicate flavors. The skin was crispy and so delicious and the spices on it paired well with the cucumber salad underneath, as well as the filling inside the fish. Really well done in my opinion. 6. BANANA PUDDING TIRAMISU: The banana pudding tiramisu was absolutely delicous. SERVICE (5/5): Service was good! AMBIENCE (5/5): I chose to sat at the counter where you could take a peek into the inner workings of the kitchen, but they also have more intimate/romantic seating throughout the restaurant if you want something for date night. PARKING (3/5): Their valet is $12 cash or $14 card, so I opted for street parking. Not too difficult if you don't mind the walk. The area can be a little sketchy at night. TAKEAWAYS: While Cento's mains were good, I felt like their appetizers fell short. If I were to come back I'd definitely get the Sweet Corn Agnolotti, Grilled Branzino, and Banana Pudding Tiramisu again.

I was traveling for work solo, looking for a place that I could go to by the beach and get a nicer…read moredinner outside on the patio and enjoy the summer nights in August. I love Italian and was short driving distance from my hotel. Servers sat me right away, menu was great. Waiter convinced me to get the restaurant week special menu. After ordering I got the meatballs (good!!) and then the kitchen power went out.. so they said we're not sure how long it will be. You can wait, maybe at least 30 mins- but you can have anything cold if you want. We just can't cook anything hot. I said I'm in no rush I'll wait, so 45 - 60 mins goes by and seeing so many tables get up and leave. I'm just killing time So then my meal comes out and I got some brown butter sage pasta which was amazing. And while the waiter was so apologetic the entire time, it was fine I had no where to be. He packed me extra dessert to go and eat at the beach sunset. And then comped my entire meal at the end. Was such a nice experience even outside of that. The food was amazing & Service was great!

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.

So so great. Went with a big group and we ordered SO MUCH FOOD to share and literally everything…read morewas a 10/10. Some standouts were the white truffle garlic bread, calamari, arancini and meatballs. For entrees, I got the chicken parm with vodka sauce instead and it was so thin, crispy and delicious. I also loved the grilled chicken ceaser salad. We had a couple servers and they were all phenomenal. Very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. Can't wait to return.

Our server Enrique was not as attentive as most servers I have had in the past.The food is…read moreconsistent with their other locations, and I've been to at least two other locations. It's unfortunate in our party with someone who had dietary restrictions. She ordered the lentil soup, not knowing that the base was made with pork. She had brought this up to the server, but nothing was done regarding her order; no compensation, no discount, no apology, hence my three star review. Service was slow. Restaurant was too noisy to hear the conversations at our table.