09/30/09

Very friendly staff

by angekur

Had to take a second to post a good review - the one (and only) time I have been there which was just a few months ago, the staff could not have been friendlier. My 1.5 year old son was with us and he was quite the toddler at the table, eventually spilling an entire bloody mary all over our table. The wait staff handled it so kindly and they continually came by to try to entertain him and keep him occupied. I was very impressed.

• Pros: Staff, vibe, ocean air

08/15/09

Great experience 8/15/09

by nikkinikki23

we had out of town visitors and had never been here before. great food, service was excellent. especially appreciated our waiter, a charming irish guy who was very attentive & friendly & helped us with menu choices. all in all, a really great experience!

01/11/09

Great food - wonderful service

by JudyTersteeg

There were 7 of us and we were seated separately because there were not enough tables large enough on the porch. After being seated we told the waiter we wanted to all sit together. Not a problem they seated us inside and were most helpful. It was a family get together and we all were having fun and acting silly.

The food was all DELICIOUS! I had the mushroom pizza - so good. Three others had the fish and chips

they truly enjoyed it. When we left we went over an apologized for our silly behavior and the waiter

just smiled at us and said it was nice to see a happy family. What a wonderful thing to say. I will speak of

that experience for a long time to come. Thanks for a great memory

09/02/08

Avoid at all costs

by CalIrish

We have gone twice in the past two months and have had an awful experience both times. The service is

absolutely horrific. There is no one to greet you when you arrive, there doesn't seem to be anyone in charge to assist you and the confusion at each table being served is laughable (if it wasn't costing you $100 per diner). The food presentation is unacceptable, seems like sides are just slapped on. Make sure you ask the price of the specials since they are all around $50 each compared with the $27-35 range of the listed items. One of our party got a $55 filet on the bone that was so fatty she could not eat it. (yes, a filet) The three different waiters that approached us all had a different story about the availability of soft shelled crabs. The drinks were close to $20 each. We don't usually complain about price if the experience, food and service are good. Please, there are many other restaurants in Santa Monica, do not choose this one.

• Pros: not really
• Cons: everything

08/02/08

Over rated DO NOT go there Not Worth the money!

by Carlal

I waas visting LA from the ATL and reservations was made for us to this restaurant. I have never tasted food so horrible. It is not worth the $101.00 we spent there. I had salad with mostly lettuce and hardly no meat. They did not have bottled wine in the White Zinfadel only glass, which i thought was not a good thing. The waiters were bumping into each other, we were checked on to see if everything was okay. I ususally complain to the manager of a restaurant I decided not to because I knoew that i will NEVER go to this place again. BEWARE!

07/27/08

I HATE THIS RESTAURANT!!!

by carencritique

This HAS to be THE most over rated restaurant of all time! I have been here many times (both on Robertson and the ocean) unfortunately due to business meetings- and hands down they have THE worst service on the planet. A cocktail is $20, EACH. The food is AVERAGE and UBER EXPENSIVE. This is the biggest joke and most over hyped restaurant ever. I hate it, and have actually taken a stand NOT to have to go back there anymore... it's just too annoying. They must train their waiters to be bored automatrons, and it MUST be in their protocol that they MUST reach their arms directly in front of your nose to either place or remove a dish, basket, glass or candle from your table... it is shockingly poor service- and frankly when you're paying absolutely TOP dollar- there is the expectation for some very basic service. I HATE THIS PLACE!!!!!

• Pros: NONE. Absolutely NONE.
• Cons: EVERYTHING.

07/14/08

Agree with You've Got to be Kidding

by Juleemc

I've been eating here since 198something. One of my most favorite spots, until last Saturday. Terrible service, terrible food. Served me two dead mussels. Would have complained about the table by the wait station but didn't want to wait another hour. It had already been 1/2 hour after our reservation time when we got seated. Taking the glass from my husband's hand to refill it was unacceptable. No more raves from me and I doubt I will got back.

• Pros: Parking

11/30/07

This place is a complete 180 from The Ivy on Robertson!

by marpop

I have been to The Ivy on Robertson and that place is so overhyped & overpriced (not to mention the food sux), but this location across from the Santa Monica pier is fantastic! I've been here several times and each time I am surprised at how good it is (I had such low expectations at first based on my experience at Robertson). The last time I was here was for dinner (group of 4 w/o a reservation on a Friday nite) and were seated promptly and had friendly service. Yes, their famed gimlet is WAAAAYY too strong even though i asked for mine to be mild, but everything from the moist, flaky, flavorful halibut to the seafood broth entree to the crab cakes and grilled veggies, was yummy. (Although, yes, the taco salad was a bit blah.) The brown bread is not my favorite, but everyone else always loves it. In spite of my disdain for places that are super-hyped, I have to admit that Ivy @ the Shore is consistently impressive.

• Pros: Great service, very flavorful seafood
• Cons: Gimlets aren't as good as they say

11/23/07

ARE YOU F'ING KIDDING ME?

by devanlane54

WORST AUTOMOSPHERE.

WORST SERVICE.

WORST FOOD.

WORST PRICES.

My ears are still ringing. DONT BOTHER. You are OVER-PAYING for the possibility of seeing a celebrity. THATS IT. If you want good food, go somewhere else.

05/01/07

Best "Soft Shell Crab" anywhere....And believe me, I have tryed and no one comes close! Excellent Service!!!

by gemarshall

I have been going to the Ivy for over 25 years. The Robertson location is more romantic but the Ivy at the Shore is right behind them and gaining. The food is the best attraction by far...drinks are a definite second and the service is second to none. By the way; this is what you pay the big dollars for...I call it the trifecta for restaurants....the best of ALL three categories! A lot of restaurants may have one or two of the above; but how often do you find ALL three. Personally speaking the value is also in the large portions; one entree can be shared by two...however I prefer my own...I don't want to share. OK there are three entrees I can recommend; of course the "Cajun" Soft shell crab, the Cajun "Prime Rib" and my son's favorite is the lobster enchilada's. The experience at the Ivy is very consistent....if you go say hello to William the Manager he is the Best!