Recommends

Gongi

Joined 5 years ago

LOVE THE MOJITOS!!!!!!. Been to the Xiomaras in Melrose. The experiences have always been unforgettable. Their black beans are just "mouthwatering delicious". The ambiance at lunch time is quite cozy! If you Love Windows and Sunshine that is the place to have a unique Cuban lunch. Of coarse my ultimate favorite and always will be is Their Mojitos! The most interesting thing about it is of course the glass. If you have been there you know what i mean. If not go check it out! BEST of ALL i got to make my own MoJITO!

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Former Pasadena mainstay heats up Melrose with hearty Nuevo Latino cuisine and amazing mojitos.. The Scene
Xiomara's Hollywood outpost is more modern than the Old Town original, but lush foliage, decorative wrought-iron details and an earthy palette evoke an inviting island vibe. The dining room hums with cheery Cuban music and the whir of fresh sugarcane being juiced at the bar. Glowing candles line a stairway leading to loft tables. Servers know the basics, but need more training to meet the high expectations of Xiomara Ardolina's dedicated fans.

The Food
Like the Pasadena restaurant, the menu features elegant Cuban and Latin cuisine with Asian accents. Tangy seviche with plump shrimp is a memorable starter, as is the mound of flavorful shredded duck ropa vieja served on a manchego corn cake. Equally compelling entrees include the fall-apart tender lamb shank served tableside from a cast-iron pot, and a more casual Cuban sandwich served with crisp fries. The souffle-like chocolate bread pudding is rich and light and fluffy--a truly decadent end.

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maybell

Joined 6 years ago

Xiomara. Great ambience but the food is bland.

Four of us went on a Saturday night and although our waiter was friendly our food took forever to come out.

All 4 of us were disappointed by our meals!

It has a great atmosphere but we all decided we wouldn't return because the food was so tasteless.

It's too bad because the menu has an interesting selection

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fatandstupid

Joined 6 years ago

Great Experience. This is the first resturant review I have ever written. After eating at Xiomara today for lunch, I decided I had to tell people about it. I work down the street, so I've eaten at Xiomara for lunch 5 times and dinner once. Each visit has left me feeling more and more contented.

The service has always been attentive without being annoying.

The quality of the food itself is suprisingly good. I've read a few reviews of this eatery that said it was expensive, they obviously have not eaten at fine resturants around LA, because Xiomara's pricing is well within reason.

The appetizers alone are excellent. The Shrimp tamales with Lobster bisque sauce are to die for. Everything is so fresh and flavorful, it's hard to go wrong.

Thumbs up!!

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burbanksteve

Joined 9 years ago

Great Flavors & Service. We went ot Xiomara on a recent Thursday night looking for something a little different, and we were not disappointed. From the moment we arrived and valet parked, the service was absolutely top-class. We took notice of the reviews here and had a mohito each, and they certainly lived up to expectations.

The menu is really interesting, we'll have to go back at least another couple of times because we were struggling to choose. We started with spicy duck and the smoked chicken flautas, both were excellent; perfectly cooked and flavorful. We followed with a roasted pork loin (special for that night) and the bouillabaisse. Again, great depth and complexity of flavors, in particular the bouillabaisse broth had a rich and spicy undertone which we found out to be from a yellow chilean pepper we'd never heard of before.

The wine list isn't extensive, but the waiter recommended to us a cabernet sauvignon from Sonoma which was really good and sat well with the flavors of the food.

We succumbed to the sales pitch for the chocolate souffle with coffee sauce (and were glad we did) and rounded off with a couple of espressos. As we left, the valet had already been alerted and had our car waiting right outside. Great service and really interesting food & drinks- what's not to like?

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peggyarcher

Joined 7 years ago

NOT to be missed.. I've been driving past this place for a long time and had never even thought about going in.

I'm sorry I waited so long to go.

My friends and I got a great table on Saturday night.

First off, although the Mojito has become the second-most annoying cocktail in the world, I HIGHLY recommend the version served here - our server told us they grind the sugarcane on site. Whatever they're doing, the drink's amazing - although very potent. The Sangria is also fantastic - it's not too sweet or fruity, and it complements the food perfectly.

Although everything we ordered was delicious, the standouts of the night were the Seafood Chupo (spicy seafood soup that was unbelievably good - we kept picking at it even when we had other dishes available, and we ended up sopping up the remains with bread), and the chocolate souffle (once again, not too sweet and the perfect end to the meal).

The staff were terrific, and I had a wonderful time here.

I'll definitely be back, and soon.

Doesn't Recommend

wizlaw

Joined 9 years ago

Good Gourmet Food. Update: The Pasadena restaurant appears to have completely dropped the ball on service. The menu is really expensive and I dont think there is any value at all to dine here. The food is tasty but in the end.. leaves a bad taste in the mouth...

Doesn't Recommend

sidden

Joined 8 years ago

Horrible Service. 5 of us went there for my birthday celebration to location on Melrose. I had went previously to the other location in Pasadena, no problems there but Melrose is a whole other story. Our waitress first off could literally barely speak any English her accent was so STRONG, secondly it too forever to receive our food, third the wait was so long to get our check that I almost called the restaurant from my cellphone in order to get the check but my husband ended up having to take the credit card downstairs to pay the bill. This is really, really bad service. I filled out the questionnaire at the restaurant and also emailed and called them to express my dissapointment and NO ONE has bothered to call to speak to me or email me back. RUDE

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burbankqt

Joined 10 years ago

Amazing...but EXPENSIVE. This is a great restaurant! Outstanding food, wonderful ambience and good service. The downfall: It's EXPENSIVE. We had a party of four and the bill came out to $250. That involved an appetizer, one drink for only 3 people, 4 entrees, and 4 desserts. Good dishes to try: the spicy tomato soup, swordfish, tomatillo/cilantro risotto, &tres leches flan. The mojitos are really, really good too. Overall a great experience. I would go back for a very special occasion.

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Snootykitty

Joined 10 years ago

Wonderful. 4 of us went and disallowed ourselves to order two of the same thing. The taquitos with chipotle sauce are a MUST EAT! It's served with the sauce inside of a scooped out mandarian orange, and the sauce is the best chipotle I've ever had. The duck appetizer was also great, it had complex flavors that were enjoyable. I'd not reccommend the asparagus/potato puree soup, however. It's boring.

For entrees, I had the strip steak with bleu cheese mashed potatoes. Everyone agreed I had the best plate on the table. It was awesome. The lamb shank was presented flawlessly. Seabass was good. Oh, yes and the mojitos rocked the joint.

GO!