07/05/09

overpriced with arrogance

by taste1234

I am all for paying for a good meal. The wine started at $72. a bottle and went beyond $2000. That would be okay except the $100 bottle of wine is really $20 and not worth that kind of mark up.

There are a lot of specials that you have to try to understand as they rattle them off quickly in a heavy Italian accent that leaves you kinda stumped (I over heard the other table say the same thing we did: why don't they write them down).

Don't even think of asking for any kind of changes to the plates. I asked for a side of pasta with my fish. It was like I created a new item on the menu they gave me such a look. Then told me that's not going to happen. Seriously?

The apps are an average of $20. We left with 1 app and 2 entrees to a sum of $110. Fine, if the food was good. The warm seafood salad was fine and light. The Dover sole was over breaded and spongy, the risotto was undercooked and over salted.

not worth the attitude and prices to me.

• Pros: fresh
• Cons: overinflated prices and attitudes

06/17/09

bad experience before even walking in.

by Alex1067

No one know the rules except the manager that comes in at 5pm. Only one beer and wine only. No wine list to view on line. $40 corkage fee for the one bottle.

• Pros: none
• Cons: one bottle for corkage per table

05/10/09

Favorite Italian in All Of LA

by freehorse

Consider myself an experienced diner with lots of Italian under my belt at places around the world.

Via Veneto is by far my favorite Italian in LA, as well as the West Coast as a whole.

Try the pumpkin ravioli, or the gnocchi. You can't go wrong though if you listen to your waiter.

• Pros: flavor, romance, wine selection, consistenty
• Cons: slightly noisy

03/23/09

This place could do well in NYC Thats how good!

by Dinob

I read some of the reviews from other people before writing this and don't know what to say. The service the day I went was perfect. We told our waiter to suggest four dishes, he did. We asked him to make a few changes within those dishes, he did. They were busy but I never felt like I had to wait or was ignored. I recommend this to anyone who has an appreciation for Italian food with a bit extra. This is hard to find in Ca.

• Pros: every dish was amazing, many diffrent flavors,
• Cons: A bit high priced so it may not fit everyones budget

08/21/08

eating while being rushed by the WAITERS

by Merigo

The food is good. However the service is the worse I have ever experienced. The female waitress never poured the drinks into the glasses. The cutlery was dirty. The bread was still on the table while having dessert. Serving food with the wrong hand, almost hitting us with their elbow. That is not all, or not as bad. What was bad was that we ordered and the whole time we felt rushed to leave the restaurant in order to offer a second seating. We arrived at 8.30, and basically felt like swallowing the food down because two of the waiters were on top of us to see when we could leave. The check was dropped on our table while not even asking us if we wanted some desserts. We ordered dessert and the waitress dropped the check. On purpose, we did not put the CC and came by 5 times, until we had enough and it was more than uncomfortable. We still had drinks on the table and the two waiters were almost opening the door for us, it was almost that obvious that they wanted us to leave. TERRIBLE!!!!

• Cons: Service, space, amount of customers

08/05/08

Horrible Customer Service

by eliselouise

Several days prior to my wedding anniversary I made a reservation and requested window seating. I had been assured by the restaurant they would try their very best to insure a window side table. On the day of my reservation the restaurant called confirming my reservation and the request for the coveted window table. My husband and I arrived at the restaurant at the same time as a single woman without a reservation. The host decided to seat a single woman without a reservation at the only window table left in the restaurant instead of us. When we reminded the host and the manager/owner of our reservation, window table request, and anniversary, the host retorted the restaurant was too busy to accommodate such a request. My husband and I had a wonderful romantic dinner at the Hotel Bel Air instead.

• Cons: Horrible Customer Service

07/30/08

Seafood Salad!

by hedkandie

That's all you need to order; it's simply delicious! Whereas most places call seafood salad a salad with some seafood on it, here they give you an abundance of seafood: clams, calamari, lagostines, prawns, scallops and white fish ( I'm getting hungry just writing about it) and they put in some arugula and a few tomatoes. The sauce is light and to-die-for.

As an entree I ate the dungeness crab and watercress salad in the shell and it was also amazing. The flavours here are light, tasty and fresh. I've never had such great food and I've eaten in many "high end" restaurants.

The dessert was also amazing. I asked for the Tiramisu ( my fave) but sadly they were out and our server was kind enough to bring me a sampling plate: panna cotta, and three different pies- all amazing. Panna cotta is my new favourite dessert!

It's unfortunate that there are so many bad reviews concerning the service and the manager, however our server ( the only female server) was fantastic and since we were with a regular, the manager paid (nice) attention to our table but I can believe what others have written.

The food is absolutely, hands down, amazing and I have to recommend people check it out because I haven't had a meal this great in LA.

And just remember two words: SEAFOOD SALAD!

• Pros: Ridiculously awesome food!
• Cons: None that we experienced.

05/30/08

Never again!

by buddt

We had a bad experience once before but because of the recent "hype" we decided to try it again. Never again! The staff (including owner/host) have a terrible 'tude. They are not interested in you unless you are a celeb, regular or pretty young things (without male companionship). They are so concerned with turning their tables that my wife and I were literally accosted a minute after we sat down by the waitress wanting to recite a list a specials. She seemed shocked when we politely told her we just sat down and wanted a moment to look at the menu, order some wine and then hear the specials. The busboy also seemed insulted by our choice of tap water after he offered only bottled water (sparkling or flat). We were almost sitting in the lap of two other tables for 2 on either side of us. When my wife asked if she could subsitute a different pasta with one of their sauces she was told "we don't make any changes or subsitutions to the menu"...and when we asked to order our appetizer first and then order our main course we were told "we have a small kitchen I can only place a total order"...not customer-friendly at all. They were totally focused in moving us along; even with our battling to pace our meal and wine, etc. we were still out in an hour! As a side note, the host/owner paid particular attention to the table next to us with 2 attractive women (and they weren't regular's) providing them with a sampling of the ravioli specials. I'm sure that wasn't the only "special" he wanted to provide. For such a supposed fine restaurant, can you say "cheesy"?Never again!Hint:if you want great Italian and similar ambiance, but classic, attentive service seek out Ago (West Hollywood), Osteria Latini (Brentwood) or Piccolo Paradiso (Bev Hills)-much better food without the 'tude!

• Pros: Could be construed as romantic environment.
• Cons: Simply horrible service with a matching attitude from all members of the staff top to bottom.

05/27/08

A TRULY EXCEPTIONAL DINING EXPERIENCE

by Ariel5504

I make an annual trip out to LA and Via Veneto is my #1 choice for dinner, EVERY night!

Best food anywhere, cool, hip vibe, friendly wait staff and I even got to meet the "rock star" owner on one of my visits. My favorite dish is the crab salad in a shell....it's to die for!! Some of these bad reviews makes me wonder as it certainly doesn't reflect my many experiences at this great restaurant. I also checked out their new place "Hidden" which is right across the street and that vemue is beyond description!! The "Two Romans and a Rock Star" are a great team.

• Pros: The food, the service, the ambiance
• Cons: None

05/27/08

best in LA!

by margana

without a doubt, the BEST italian food experience in L.A.

As an italian /american who's lived in italy, i know what i'm talking about.

Get the spaghetti botarga with razor clams. There's nothing that even comes close, anywhere.

btw, I LOVE the noise & the boys!