Since 1969, restaurant, hotel, travel & other witty reviews by a handpicked, worldwide team of discerning professionals—and your views, too.

Melisse

1104 Wilshire Blvd. (11th St.) Send to Phone
Santa MonicaCA 90401
310-395-0881 | Make Restaurant Reservations | Menu
melisse.com
Your Opinion
Add your own review
The epitome of Los Angeles fine dining, Mélisse fluently bridges French sophistication with style. Melisse Restaurant is one of GAYOT's 2013 | Top 10 LA Food Rating Restaurants | Top 10 LA Business Restaurants | Top 10 LA French Restaurants | Top 10 LA Romantic Restaurants | Top 10 LA California Cuisine Restaurants | Top 10 LA Wine List Restaurants | Top 10 LA Special Occasion Restaurants | Top 10 LA Thanksgiving Restaurants | Top 10 LA New Year's Eve Restaurants | Top 10 LA Valentine’s Day Restaurants | Go behind the scenes of Melisse restaurant! Watch our exclusive interview with chef/owner Josiah Citrin on GAYOT.com's blog.
 Watch our exclusive video interview with chef Josiah Citrin to learn more about his new cookbook, In Pursuit of Excellence on GAYOT.com's blog.
   Visit the photo gallery of Melisse restaurant.
 Melisse is one of our Top 10 Holiday Dining Restaurants in the U.S.

Cuisine

Open

Dinner Tues.-Sat.

Features

Wine

Great Wine List

* Click here for rating key

Dining room at Melisse, Santa Monica, CA

Melisse Restaurant Review

: Mélisse has distinguished itself as the sole top-end French gastronomic experience in Los Angeles. The elegant dining room is filled with beautiful beige chairs, and a purplish-smoke tone shades the walls. Everything achieves a high level of quality, from the service overseen by maître d's to the food presented by chef Josiah Citrin and his culinary team, including chef de cuisine Ken Takayama. Being half French (on his father's side), born and raised in Venice (California) and partially trained in Paris, Citrin has integrated the two cultures to create his own modern melody with the choicest produce and herbs from the famous Santa Monica farmers market. A meal might start with an amuse-bouche procession of three or four carefully created bites, followed up with a first course of lobster bolognese with fresh cappellini, black truffles and basil. Liberty duck breast and confit might be complemented by turnips, roasted grapes, watercress and pine. Meanwhile, the great French restaurant tradition of tableside carving is carried on with dishes like the côte de boeuf for two. The format is prix-fixe, with menus of four courses ($125) or ten courses ($150), plus the chef's "carte blanche" menu ($250) and a special tasting designed for vegetarians ($125). Wines can be paired for an additional cost. You'd be remiss to pass on the wonderfully well-stocked cheese cart. Desserts might include a play on "Cracker Jack" with salted popcorn sherbet, peanut butter crunch and caramel water. Your voyage through the comprehensive wine list will be made easier by sommelier Brian Kalliel, who will not only pour a Grand Cru Classé from the comprehensive list, but also suggest something that's fun and a good value.

User Ratings & Reviews for Melisse
Average rating    5
Reviews 1 - 2 of 21
The best restaurant in town
by Lisahj on Wed Aug 04, 2010 7:59 am
 
So I ate at Melisse about 2 months ago and it was fantastic! On Wednesday there is a deal that I’m really excited for – I love a good deal at a restaurant that I had a good experience with.
 
AMAZING....OMG
by car on Sun Apr 05, 2009 1:29 pm
 
Outstanding! The entire experience was fantastic.
Great wine list and friendly, knowledgeable sommelier. Staff is great,
We opted for their traditional tasting menu. Each dish was like a little work of art, and the flavors were so well matched and amazing.
The chocolate,chocolate,chocolate dessert was fabulous!!!
Can't wait to come back again soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Reviews 1 - 2 of 21
Los Angeles Area Top 10 Restaurant Lists
Discover the best restaurants in LA

Discover the top restaurants in Los Angeles for various cuisines and categories like sushi, steakhouses, pizza, happy hours, romantic dining and even gourmet food trucks.

Find the best restaurants in LA here!




RESTAURANT AWARDS 2013
RESTAURANT AWARDS 2013

Check out the 2013 edition of GAYOT's Annual Restaurant Issue, which features the Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S., Rising Chefs and more.

DINING ON A BUDGET

Check out GAYOT's lists for the best cheap eats in your areaSplurging at top-rated restaurants is fun for special events, but where can you go for a good quality meal that won't break the bank? Gather the change out of your piggy bank and sofa cushions and take it to one of our selections for the best cheap eats in your area.