Citrin

Finally tried Citrin for dineLA. My favorites were the crudo and panna cotta and the dessert. The portions were pretty small, the beef came with only 2 pieces. Despite the $35 add on, the lobster bolognese was also pretty small with not much lobster though the presentation was nicely done and there was a foam layer on top of the pasta. The vacherin dessert was beautiful with the edible flowers and different elements, lemongrass ice cream and panna cotta, merengue, and raspberries. I'd come back to try their happy hour menu and other desserts I saw other guests order.Parking is restricted on many side streets but there are meters on Wilshire that end at 6pm.

We visited the 1 star Michelin Citrin restaurant out here in Santa Monica and we were not disappointed.Michael was our server and he was very professional and very familiar with the menu.The food was unique and in a league on its own. Small portions with bursting flavors on your palate. They had extended the "Dine in LA" menu for another week, which we were able to enjoy on top of choosing other dishes in their regular menu. We had clean utensils each time a new dish came. We were surprised with a complimentary oyster appetizer, which made up for the $5 hot water charge. Thank you for such a memorable and elegant evening.

This might be the longest review I've ever written but I'm frustrated. We came for Dine LA. Portions were super small and my friend left hungry. She commented on the poor quality of the steak as well. My food choices were good in my opinion (nothing special though) and the staff were nice. However, the dine LA menu prices online were not the same as the prices on the dine LA menu we were handed at the table (for example, the lobster said 25 online and in person it was 35)--we also thought this price didn't apply to us since this price appeared to be connected to an upgrade on the dish, not the dish itself. Every restaurant I've ever been to usually adds "upgrade to __ for $__" so I figured they just didn't care to write it but placed that extra price next to the words "truffle" and "caviar" on the two courses I got "upgraded" on. Honestly, caviar and truffle are usually extra at most restaurants so I thought nothing of it. I go into this more later. The bill also included a 15$ charge per person for cleanup and hospitality? What? This wasn't a tax, this was just an extra charge to get more money from us. The dine LA menu was also confusing to read because there was an a la carte section with prices next to offerings that were not part of the experience, but there were also items listed within the courses that appeared to be INCLUDED in the experience because they were listed under 1st, 2nd, and 3rd course and not under the a la carte section. Turns out one option in each course was actually included in the 99$. Why not put all the a la carte items in one place...or write upgrade next to the selections within the courses if they're not going to be in the a la carte section. The waiter could've informed us of this as well. I've gone to Dine LA restaurants every night and not one experience was like this. Our bill came out to 400$ for two people when we were expecting somewhere around 200$. There was also an a la carte sign in the top right that said $75 and I have no idea what that meant, since each item that was supposedly a la carte already had prices next to them...in the a la carte section. The menu items listed as part of the experience did have prices next to them, but each item typically has the option to add extra/different caviar or shaved truffle. So I thought by not ordering these extra options on top of my 3 course meal I was still only paying 99+tax+tip. The issue was that I saw a specific type of caviar at the end of the egg caviar description with a price next to it. To me, that looked like there was regular caviar or the option to upgrade to the caviar mentioned next to the price. The lobster bolognese also had an option to upgrade to shaved truffle right next to the price listed. I thought both of these courses were only higher if I added the upgrade since the prices were next to the words that seemingly represented an upgrade option. We were shocked. As a former waitress myself, I would've appreciated one of our many servers explaining this sneaky up charge approach. That is something I would've done. He should've explained the menu better and the upgrades. It was good but I would've preferred to spend that much money on a meal where I got to pick from more than three options per course. I love splurging on fine dining but I like to knew what I'm getting into. Additionally, I was seated in a spot where I was constantly being elbowed by servers because of how close my seat was to the narrow area where they walked past me. Like at least 15 times, probably more. Everyone was nice and somewhat attentive, until we finished our last course and couldn't get anyone's attention to bring us the bill. No drinks, no dessert in front of us anymore for a good 20 minutes. I wanted to love this place and give five stars but I left pretty sad and felt deceived.

I came here during Dine LA with a fellow foodie friend. We had reservations at 6:45 on a Sunday in February and were seated right away on the patio. It was a little chilly and unfortunately they were not able to move a heater closer to the table. They did turn up a nearby heater which ended up needing to be changed out halfway through the meal. The ambience was nice and the service was very kind and professional. I'm not currently drinking alcohol or eating undercooked/raw food, and the server acknowledged this dietary restriction upfront. We did have a mishap for our drink orders. I ordered a mocktail while my friend ordered a cocktail. When the drinks arrived, we couldn't remember the names of our drinks but we asked several times which was alcoholic and which was non-alcoholic. I had a few sips before our server came up to inform us that the drinks were mixed up. They apologized several times and brought out new drinks for us. Overall the food was truly tasty, and the presentation was beautiful. As an amuse bouche, we were served a blanched oyster. I had originally requested for the alternative - a soup, which initially was offered to me but had to switch since there was not any soup made. I was assured the oyster was cooked through. For my courses, I chose the shellfish and Meyer lemon panna cotta, lobster bolognese (DineLA upgrade), and the duck. The seafood panna cotta was such a surprise! It was light and flavorful and the creaminess of the panna cotta balanced well with the seafood medley. I was apprehensive to order this dish since I had never had a seafood panna cotta before, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I did have to eat around the roe as modifications were not welcome. I loved the lobster bolognese. The kitchen recommended slicing the bolognese rather than mixing it up with the truffle foam. What a delight!! I did notice though that, based on other yelpers' photos, the amount of foam they give you definitely varies. Ours was on the lighter side compared to others' experiences. I also truly enjoyed the duck, cooked to medium. The dessert (the "vacherin") was perfect. Very light to top the meal. I loved the ice cream with the graham cracker. Also, I can't forget the basil brioche - so fluffy and tasty. One last issue - the bathroom was not as cleanly as I would expect from a nice restaurant. The single use hand towels were overflowing the waste bin, one of the stalls didn't have a light on (completely dark) and was out of seat liners, and the other stall had a large puddle. I rated this as 3.5, mainly due to the inconveniences.

This 1 Michelin star restaurant is located in an unassuming building on the corner of 11th and Wilshire in Santa Monica. Named after the Chef's last name, the restaurant gave off a comfortable and modern vibe. We were there on a Tuesday night to celebrate my birthday. Nathan, our server provided us with excellent service.The food was delicious. This is what we ordered:1. Black sea bass2. Steak3. Chocolate souffléThe basil brioche was very good ! It was filled with herbs, savoriness and softness. The bread was simply divine! I loved it .All the food was well cooked and well prepared. They hit all the marks in terms of texture, flavor and presentation.I highly recommend this restaurant for a quality meal.

A restaurant that is 100% worth its Michelin star.Came here earlier this year to try their Tasting Menu during LA restaurant week (which was honestly how we discovered them). They had spoiled guests that week with a special tasting menu for only $99/person, and we got to try a good sample of their menu. Everything we tasted was as delicious as you would expect - well-prepared with the freshest ingredients. The Kampachi Crudo, Maine Lobster Bolognese, and Prime Brandt Beef were our notable favorites. So full of flavor and made even better with the wine pairing. Reservations are a must. You might be able to get bar seating with a walk-in, but if you want to sit down and have a full dining experience, make a reservation. Just be prepared to wait a bit as they are not the most timely with honoring the reservation time. Valet parking is an option, and I would plan for it. Street parking is rough.After trying their LA Restaurant week, I would 100% return to try their regular tasting menu anytime.

Heard great things about Citrin so came for a visit during LA restaurant week.Great tasting menu. Upgraded to the lobster bolognese, and it was the highlight of the meal. Unique in its presentation with a bubbly, creamy foam on top, and they told us to eat it like a steak. Absolutely delicious.Made reservations here for 9pm, and I think there must've been an issue with the guest turnover because we didn't get seated for another 45 minutes after our reservation time. However, the GM and the sommelier were very accommodating and even gave us a couple glasses of champagne for the inconvenience. Busy area, but they have valet.Highly recommend.

The fact that a happy hour exists at a Michelin Star restaurant blows me away. I had the "Just What I Needed" cocktail, and WOW this was an excellent mix! Just the right amount of flavor, sweetness, and alcohol. I also tried their burger which was also really good in terms of flavor, and also cooked to nice medium rare. Service was a little on the slow side to get started, but overall the experience and vibe was a 10/10!A nice touch was that you have the option to have your bags placed in their storage closet. Could definitely see myself coming here for a drink or two after work!

Delicious and refined plating with casual options for those looking for a taste of everything! Citrin is one of the only Michelin star establishments that offers a happy hour menu which allowed us to try a variety of dishes. The hamachi crudo was my favorite and seeing the dish for the first time reminded me of some incredible meals in Paris. My favorite of the night.Lobster bolognese was layered with flavor, can't go wrong with this. The bursts of flavor throughout the butternut squash dish left us wanting more! The sweet flavors really complimented the savory.The burger - so simple yet so tasty! The quality of the meat really comes through. Worth getting 2!Lamb sugo - I will dream about this. As a pasta lover this one was bursting with flavor but what really got me was the very al dente pasta. Loved.Ended with a dessert from their regular menu - pears adorning earl gray ice cream and merengue! I loved the textures in this one. A must try!Friendly staff and good timing for dishes. If I can share one note for feedback to the restaurant: it was tough to flag someone down for dessert - had to interrupt someone passing by after waiting a few minutes with menu in hand searching for eye contact.Regardless, had a great time!

Definitely did not meet or exceed my expectations of a 2 star Michelin menu and service.. and let me tell you why. Upon being seated it took 20 minutes to have our order taken. Mind you, it was Halloween night and we were one of only six patrons, and our menus were off to the side and closed, which at other places signals that we are ready to order, but maybe not here. None of these dishes blew me away and in fact they were quite mediocre. The truffle egg was a $150 supplement that I wish I never opted for. It was like eating a one-egg breakfast at dinner that was just topped with shaved truffle. The capellini in the lobster bolognese could've been easily mistaken for cup of noodles noodle had I eaten it with my eyes closed. We are well away from the season of summer and yet there were still summer legumes on the menu in the poisson du jour. which just tasted like beans and mush fish with salty chanterelle mushrooms. I'm sorry but beans, I don't care if legumes should have a place on a 2 star Michelin tasting menu.. the only flavorful dish was the veal which came with a single tortellini. Just one. The saving grace of my experience was the dessert, which was quite enjoyable and better than most Michelin tasting menu desserts that i have tried. However they knew it was our anniversary and the only regard towards it was a candle held together by a singular piece of marzipan on a dish that was already a part of our order lol. we were debating the cheese supplement as dessert and we made the hostess aware of this and at first she said she would check in with us around the third course to see if we still wanted it, but at the end of taking our order she assumed that it was our selection and said she would bring us the dessert wine with the cheese, and we were too taken aback to correct her. Which is ok, but does not seem she was really paying attention to detail or just oddly nervous. And lastly, we were told we were getting our cheese boxed up to go, and even told to take it out of the fridge for 15 mins before enjoying it at home, however the hostess let us walk out the door without reminding us of this or presenting it to us, leaving our barely enjoyed $45 cheese behind. As a patron I am not going to chase and hound over something that was supposed to be boxed up and taken home. But these are important details that did not meet expectations. Overall this place does not embody that of a Michelin restaurant let alone one with a star.