Michael's - Santa Monica

Unfortunately, it was virtually empty. These are difficult times.

The food, service, and everything else was excellent.

The best wait staff in my whole life.
Excellent wine recomendation.
Fantastic new menu

Have been going to Michael’s for a few years now and we love it! Wonderful staff and food and drinks! It’s our go to for happy hours mostly but for dinner it’s an extra treat!

Great food!

Absolutely perfect!!

One of the most beautiful restaurants in Los Angeles! The food was fantastic the red leaf salad first, oysters and the waygu beef. We loved it!

Lovely seating in peaceful back garden room. Tables are nicely far apart and noise is subdued. Waiter was knowledgeable, friendly and attentive. All the food we had was delicious, fresh and attractively presented. We intended to try different restaurants each night during our brief vacation in Santa Monica but are really tempted to go back to Michael's.

This was my first experience at Michael's and it was amazing. Every course we had was exquisite. The staff was very polite and offered great recommendations.

The food was unbelievable and we will definitely be back again to try more things on the menu.

Wonderful food in a lovely garden setting. Very attentive wait staff.

Beautiful restaurant, delicious food and knowledgeable staff. Loved it 😊

Valentines

Really love this place and our waiter was amazing. It felt like the kitchen was not really prepared for the prix fixe menu on Valentine’s Day though. Wine pairings poured very early, time between courses was long and inconsistently timed. Our waiter apologized for the delay at one point and brought us more wine, which we appreciated, but typically, this place is better than that.

The food is always fantastic. Service is great. You'll eat something there you've never had and their wine list is first rate. Always enjoy my dinner there.

Great Valentine’s Day set course menu. Wonderful staff. Amazing and unique dishes.

Excellent delicious food, but our entree was served cold and needed to be returned to the kitchen... everything else was perfect

Michael,s was very disappointing. Yes ,the patio is very beautiful. The food should been better. They made a BIG profit.

This was a birthday dinner with friends. On the positive side, the garden area is beautiful, romantic and stylish. But it won't be enough to get you there more than once. The food was poor; the sushi apps probably the pick of a bad bunch but the entrees had few redeeming dishes: lamb ribs were pure glazed fat, pasta was tasteless (and we had 3 of 5 on the menu). That brings me to the wine: Not only was every single bottle we picked out not in stock, but the sommelier could not have got our taste in wine more wrong. Having ordered Sancerre, he replaced it with one which was orange in color and bubbled in the glass. Undrinkable. Each bottle he recommended (between $70-$120) got progressively worse; smokey, buttery - nothing like we originally ordered. It became a running joke. Probably the most disappointing dining experience in a long time.

Excellent service, wide array of unique flavors
Slightly on the pricey side

Definitely, my favorite restaurant in Los Angeles. Worth it every time!

Michael’s is back in form

Delicious food, great environment, one of my favs in Los Angeles

Michael’s is a wonderful spot. The food is more imaginative and exciting now. Excellent and friendly service!

Neither of us had been to Michael's in probably 20 years, prior to which our experiences had been mixed (as opposed to when it first opened, and the food was extraordinary). We decided to give it a try again during Restaurant Week and were delighted to find that the food was again extraordinary, the service was as always gracious and excellent, and the ambiance still spectacular (I'm referring to the outside garden patio; being over 35, I can't recommend the inside room, where the shiny walls reflect the voices of large groups of younger people). We checked the regular menu and the prices, especially for entrees (limited # of them the night we went). So . . . Michael's is back on our rotation!

Looks amazing, taste amazing, feels amazing!

Fried quail was excellent. I also enjoyed the salmon. The outdoor seating area is open and gorgeous . A romantic setting. Will be back again.

Nice ambience great food and service

Compliments to the chef, great dineLA menu, lovely garden table! Thank you for a fun & delicious evening!

Exceptional food , gorgeous ambiance, exceptional service.

We absolutely loved our meal at Michael’s. We went for a special meal to celebrate several occasions. The happy hour on a Friday was in full swing, and we were seated with a view of the gorgeous patio but comfortably indoors on a chilly night. The service was impeccable. We were greeted by Michael, who graciously welcomes all of his guests whenever he is there - such a class act. The food was perfect - from the yellowtail crudo and buttermilk battered quail, to striped sea bass and wag you sirloin entrees, and our passion fruit soaked pavlova desert. Still the quintessential Santa Monica dining experience. We will be back soon for more.

Hadn't been in years - is it possible it's better???

We went for dineLA. Really enjoy patio seating, complete with heat lamps. The yellowtail first course came with a delicous and unusual sauce. For the main course we chose the wagyu strip and the striped bass. Both were cooked properly but didn't find the sauce that interesting. The two desserts we selected were the pavlova and the dark chocolate ganache tart with persimmon filling. Of the two, we preferred the pavlova, a dessert we love and wish it were served more often. Service was excellent.

Dinner wax excellent and can’t wait to return.

Excellent food, lovely patio and attentive service. Highly recommend.

Very quiet beautiful patio. Solid California/new American fare and great cocktails. Super friendly staff.

We tried the Dine LA menu which was excellent. All portion sizes were full size , the food delicious. The Roasted Squash and Persimmon Salad was the best salad ever! And, the Pavlova is a must!

We didn’t get everything we ordered and the sommelier was rude and condescending. Very disappointed in this visit.

Great atmosphere, friendly staff. Disappointing food.

Had early reservation sat right away. Waiter was friendly and knowledgeable. Early on Michael the owner came over and gave us such friendly greeting I was half-wondering whether we had previously met!

The food was great especially the sliced Wagyu steak and rabbit sausage pasta. Excellent wine selection, I will be back to see my “buddy” Michael.

Love this place!!! Everything on the men is amazing! Love the pea tendrils salad, the whole deep fried fish, the pasta with 3 kinds of caviar, and the sun chokes are the bomb!!! Beyond that the service was impeccable and this might just be the most romantic restaurant in the whole city!

I hadn't been to Michael's in thirty plus years, as I'd moved out of the area. My memory of the restaurant was that it was a stellar dining experience. Well, it is still a top notch dining experience from beginning to end. The wait staff is courteous, efficient and professional in every way. The French gentleman serving us was outstanding. He recommended the Tagliatelle for two with truffles (which coincidentally was what I'd planned to order) and it was one of the best, if not the VERY best I've had. Uppercase compliments to the talented chef. The oak lettuce salad - superb! Did I mention that I'm a picky eater who likes her food to be clean and high quality or I won't eat at all? We had the great pleasure of Michael coming to our table (as he did to others), which further explains the longevity of this premier dining establishment. I could write a book on how much my husband and I enjoyed celebrating his birthday at Michael's. Absolutely no complaints!