Fia

Very average overall. Wouldn’t go back. Our server had no knowledge of the menu, and didn’t come back frequently enough. A lot of servers/staff just standing around.

Chef Brendan Collins and his well trained kitchen staff produce a mouth watering array of dishes that appeal to all tastes. Don't miss the Duck, cooked to perfection! We'll be back real soon!
Jane and David Rivera

we had a wonderful time at fia for an anniversary dinner. it was a busy night filled with reservations so it took us 30 min until after our booked time to be seated. not a huge deal since we decided to grab cocktails at the outdoor bar and take in the ambiance. once we were seated our server was very attentive throughout the meal and helped out by highlighting a few different dishes to try. all of the food came out in a timely fashion and they remembered my advance request for champagne delivered to the table when we sat down. for two people, one small app, one vegetable, and two pastas was plenty of food and we passed on dessert. pricier than i expected going in but was okay with it since it was a special occaision. would recommend fia to small groups or couples with the caveat that you'll be spending more than other places but service and thought that goes into the food are top notch.

The bartender Vinchenzo is incredible, he’s very kind and makes an incredible drink. Our waiter on the other hand, was rude, questioned what we ordered because in his opinion we didn’t order enough protein (dinner with was two pescatarians and a vegetarian) he didn’t pay any attention to us for the rest of the night until he brought us the check without even asking if we wanted dessert. The food was good and I would go back again, just not in that mans section.

FIA FIASCO - We were excited to try Fia as it replaced an old, Santa Monica stand-by, The Wilshire. We thought that it was encouraging that we needed to book a reservation for 4 a couple of weeks in advance. The restaurant was busy and our table was not ready at our reservation time, so we went to the outside bar for a drink. The bartender was friendly and attentive, but it was a cool evening and there are no heaters directly by the bar, so that made our wait a bit uncomfortable. When we were seated at our table, it was in the corner, so rather than a view of the lovely patio, 1/2 of our table only had a view of a wall, a railing and the light over the stairwell. That was not conducive to an enjoyable dining experience and the problem could be easily rectified by strategic placement of a vertical garden, a planted trellis or even a decorative wall. Also, there was only one heater adjacent to our table so one side of the table was warm, and the other was cool. The biggest challenge for the evening, and the item that resulted in low marks for the restaurant was the service. Our waiter was pleasant enough, when present, but the service was lackluster, at best. Getting lemons for the sparkling water took multiple requests, drinks sat empty with no offers for another, some of our group order appetizers for dinner, and some ordered them to start. They were dropped in the middle of the table with no indication as who they were for, which created some measure of confusion. The food was flavorful, but was infused with quite a bit of garlic (more than to my liking, in any event). Bottom line, there was nothing about our experience that would inspire me to return to Fia.

Second time here. Service was slow. It took us a while to wave people down between each course. Plates we were not cleared as new courses were served. One course came out cool (colored to hot). It’s way too expensive compared to the lack of service. Hostess was welcoming back accommodating, then it went downhill. Left there not wanting to return. Very disappointing as the menu and atmosphere are good.

Beautiful setting and interesting, well-executed menu. Service is both tedious and poor- waitstaff really needs to level-up the professionalism. “Should I send the som over?” I assume meant the sommelier, but the attempt at pretentiousness was bizarre. Also, the treacly over-explaining of every menu item was almost creepy.

Great food and ambiance! I loved all of the outdoor space. Ordering one course from each section was recommended by our waiter. My girlfriend and I shared everything and the meal was very nice.

Absolutely beautiful place. Nice service. Food tastes like dog food. Waffles, burrata and apples without any balance. Lobster bolognese soaking wet with mushy capellini. Chicken parmigiana dry with ketchup on top.

Is the Chef tasting his own food.

Go there for drinks and get out of town.

Did I complain? Nope. Total manners. Left a nice tip. Food is horrivle.

I loved the space, the courtyard was inviting, nicely lit, and the trees made us feel like we were in a warm Mediterranean grove. I also thought the menu was interesting, with enough variety to match most anyone's taste. However, the loud music took away from the overall ambiance (I would describe it as aggressive pop, often with PG lyrics, certainly not something I would choose to listen to as I'm having a nice dinner) and as we moved from appetizers to pasta to main course, the food quality did not quite match the prices. It also didn't help the experience that we received only the wine list and were approached to order a bottle before we even had the food menu (which also listed cocktails and wine by the glass) in our hands.

Most dishes worked but some added unnecessary pieces. Chef’s chicken mousse, the spicy tuna arancini and the octopus cappelletti were outstanding. The Baja style Dorade less so, turning this fish into a fish taco is a waste of flavors

Would like to see a bigger wine list

Our experience at Fia was great overall. The patio is so cute and romantic and the food was delicious. Everything was priced around what I expected although I felt the cocktails were a little pricier than necessary. Our one complaint, and we heard the people at the table next to us talking about it too, was the music. EDM was being played which I thought was super bizarre for a restaurant like this. It just didn’t match the vibe or what I’d imagine they want the vibe of this restaurant to be. Coming from someone who enjoys EDM and listens to it regularly, even I thought it wasn’t the right mood at all. Other than that, the experience was great and I’d definitely come back.

We had a lovely dinner and the drinks were stellar!

My wife and I were celebrating her bday at Fia. We did enjoy the restaurant, thought that the food was good and the service outstanding. However, we have found better value in other restaurants we have tried in the LA area.

The outdoor patio, the indoor area, and the overall vibe of this place was very cozy and welcoming. I don't remember our servers name but he was exceptional in explaining the dishes and offering recommendations. I would recommend Fia for any type of occasion!

Amazing ambiance and lovely staff. The food was hit and miss - it the lobster bolognese was incredible

Kampachi was quite good, duck and cavatelli were OK, cocktails were fine, service was meh.

Terrible service. It was chilly outside and we were told we’d have to sit outside and may or may not get heaters. They said they had blankets but the. Said they were out of blankets. We asked to move the table closer to the fire and had to move it ourselves. We also had to get up and find someone in order to pay. Everything took forever and there weren’t enough people there to justify it. The food was good though when it finally arrived.

The manager went above and beyond to accommodate our party. The hostess and the other staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. We will definitely go back to Fia for another amazing experience.

Fia is a beautiful restaurant, delicious food but absolutely staff with an attitude as if they were forced to answer our questions or explain our dish but Ian the manager is very much aware of his staff and promised for us to come back for a better experience.

Innovative food in a beautiful setting. Service just needs to be buttoned up (servers shouldn't take unfinished plates without asking, they also need more wine/beverage training, and don't make diners feel rushed to leave).

Dinner may be a different story, but brunch out on that patio is a lovely way to spend a couple of weekend hours. Quiet and comfortable. Good quality coffee. Nice selection of drinks.

Poor seating management and food delivery/presentation. Ok food and very good ambiance but neither can overcome the poor management and food service. Lots of improvement still needed at this still young restaurant.

The service, atmosphere, appetizers and dessert were most enjoyable. However the entrees (Lobster Bolognese and Braised Rabbit Tortellini) were disappointing...not much flavor to either one.

Fia is a very nice spot for a drink and appetizer. I wouldn't advise staying beyond that, however.

Wait staff - perfectly pleasant but far short of the caliber that I would expect of a higher end restaurant. Waiters recited gibberish about ingredients which seemed aimed at convincing us about the sophistication of the dishes. Alas, they did not command the authenticity of a career waiter, given how they tripped over their rehearsed lines. The restaurant also thought it was acceptable to have trainees follow the "experienced" waiters. That's just fine at Chili's but not for our $300+ dinner.

Food - "Small plate" concept is clearly aimed at overcharging guests. Almost $15 for a side of baked potatoes (patatas bravas). Over $40 for a small serving of ribs. The peach burrata dish was excellent except for the inexplicable waffle which was wholly unnecessary. The charcuterie plate was among our favorite due to the warm french bread. Speaking of bread, no complimentary starters. Food was rushed to our table as soon as it was made. Given the cost and setting, it would have been nice to actually savor the dinner and not be done in just over an hour.

Environment - the garden is indisputably lovely and refreshing. By far, the best (only?) reason to come to the restaurant.

What an amazing experience! I could not believe I was dining in LA...I felt as if I was up Sonoma or some lovely European destination, given the decor, the ambiance, the quality of the food, the whole vibe of the place. It still has the bones of Wilshire but it was been rethought in some many ways, starting with how one enters the restaurant...Great service and very fun wait staff. Treat yourself to a dining stay-cation and book Fia asap. You will thank yourself afterward as will your family and friends.

We loved this place and our waiter was awesome .
Keep the good work

Beautiful spot, delicious food and great service. Fia is a gem!

The menu is designed to be shared so we asked the waiter how many dishes we would need for two people and he could not give us a good sense of how many plates or what type of plates to order. The food was good but the portions are very small and very expensive. We left still hungry and had to get pizza. The patio is unbelievably beautiful but the food and service leaves a lot to be desired especially for the price.

Saw the review at Eater and decided to try. IMHO, the food was just ok, nothing special about it. Good outdoor seating though and Sunday brunch vibe.

Wow! Go NOW! We will be back to try all of the food and specialty drinks on the menu.

It played out as we would have expected, 2 celebrity chefs from 2 outstanding restaurants (Birch & Melisse respectively) creating this phenomenal synergy that is Fia. With stunning fireside outdoor gardens including an adjacent bar area, as well as an indoor section with its own bar, it seemed more like a compound with multiple parties than a typical restaurant. Our server group was personable as well as efficient, and our main waiter guided our choices perfectly. Although everything we ordered ranged from excellent to "pinch me", a few dishes were truly stellar: Rock Shrimp Cakes w/Horseradish Aoli & Cavatelli w/Truffles both need to be ordered again (will need to come back with a bigger group 'cause there were too many other things that sounded amazing). And then there's dessert...Goat Cheesecake? He nailed it with "when it comes out you'll say wait a minute, that's not what I ordered". Many textures & distinct flavors...SO glad we took stepped outside of the box! And, we could actually hear each other...and not the adjacent tables - damn! We're gonna have to think of another special occasion to celebrate soon...or just come back because!!

Loved the warm, cozy environment. Service was good. Food was pricy and too saucy for us.

The outdoor patio is so special and our waiter was so helpful! It’s pricey but worth it for a special occasion or nice date night.

The garden is beautiful. Great place for a romantic evening...

We booked this for our 25th anniversary dinner. On the reservation, I noted the occasion, and asked for a nice quiet table, as I am hearing impaired. We arrived a little before our reserved time. There were a number of tables empty, both inside and outside, yet the hostess said we could not be seated then and had to wait. We went to the noisy bar, ordered expensive drinks that were mostly large blocks of ice, and at exactly the reservation time, my husband went back to the hostess and asked for our table. We were given a noisy table inside, that had been open from the time we arrived. I noticed that the other open tables, some outside on the prettier and quieter patio, were also still available. Our waiter as changed at least twice. No one wished us a happy anniversary, let alone brought us anything special. The food was ok, the setting pretty, albeit noisy, but the attitude and lack of good service will keep me away. With the many other options in LA, I don't need to dine at a place with poor service.

The chairs need to be replaced. They are so uncomfortable that I couldn't recommend the restaurant.

Innovative menu, artful cocktails, incredible dishes. The potatas bravas are easily the best potatoes I’ve ever had.

Service was spectacular. The ambiance was incredibly inviting. Some of the food was stellar - but not everything was memorable.

Loved the food and ambience. The Hamachi crude was fantastic, so was the capellini with lobster bolognese.