Whist Restaurant

My wife and I recently dined at Whist at the Viceroy for our wedding anniversary. We knew there had to be a new chef based on the innovative menu selections. According to our sever, Executive Chef Taite Pearson has an extensive culinary background, and has worked among some of the countries top chefs including Joel Robuchon. Much to our delight our selections were as good as they sounded. My wife enjoyed the pumpkin cappelletti, maple, ricotta salata to start, followed by the lobster bolognese, hand cut pappardelle, basil, while I devoured the lump crab fritters, chives, caviar, aioli, followed by braised beef short ribs, potato puree, celery leaves, horseradish. We were also impressed by the extensive wine list. Last but not least we enjoyed Honey-Pistachio Profiteroles
greek yogurt, saffron, market figs and Cherry Upside-Down Cake
walnuts, vanilla, malt. I would highly recommend whist for an intimate evening or with a great group of friends, as the portions could definitely be enjoyed family style. I have a feeling we were in the presense of future celebrity chef, foodies run don?t walk!

Posted 12/26/08

This restaurant was rated the best Sunday brunch. The Sunday brunch is about $50 per person and it?s like an all you can eat buffet style. There are not that many selections, my boyfriend and I were the first two that got into the restaurant for their Sunday brunch. However, most of the food weren't hot. Like the egg benidicts, steam clams were all in room temperture. It?s over priced and the food quality is below average. For those who have tried TAPS in city of Fullerton. You would not think Whist has the best Sunday brunch. If you are foodies?.this is not where you want to have your Sunday brunch. For $50, you can spend it at somewhere else and get better quality of food.

Pros: Stylish decor through out the restaurant

Cons: Not worth of your $50 for your Sunday brunch

Posted 05/24/08

This place could have been great for my graduation lunch were it not for the fact that they overcharged our party of 6 by $150!! We realized later that we had been swindled and now we're going back and forth with management. Even getting a parking validation was a NIGHTMARE because they happened to be "out" of dining stamps so the attendants kept trying to make us pay twice the amount for restaurant parking and wouldn't believe that we dined at the restaurant. Check your receipt CAREFULLY. Or just stay away....

Posted 05/18/08

I had plans to attend a dinner party Christmas night, but was cancelled. I am glad it was now because I came in to Whist upon realization that hotel restaurants are always open on holidays. Had a cocktail before dinner and the bar was breathtaking! Newly transplanted from Chicago, I felt like I had truly arrived in LA! We almost chose an outdoor table but it was chilly. I can only imagine how great those cabanas are in the summer...so VIP in a welcoming way! For dinner, we chose a French Pinot Noir, which was decadent and fairly priced at $120 for the bottle. We shared everything, the endive salad was perfectly paired before the beet risotto. The beet risotto was not only amazing in flavor but was the most attractive risotto dish I have ever let my eyes upon! I think of it often...the service was impeccable, I never had to ask someone to lift my water bottle and refill my glass. The lamb chops were noteworthy, although I favor Enoteca Drago just a tad more. The dessert was "Just Chocolate" and satisfied me in 3 spots. Overall, this is the most romantic environment I've yet to experience. Truly a wonderful setting, with knowledgable and genuinely friendly staff. I will be back many times!

Pros: too many to name

Cons: none that I can find

Posted 01/03/08

What can I say, beautiful decor, great food, this place has it all. A bit pricey, but oh well. Very romantic and the serviceis friendly once you sit down: don't expect the maitre d' to smile at you.

Pros: Beautiful location, good food, impress-your-date restaurant

Cons: value

Posted 10/10/07

i thought that this place is a good place for drinks and dinner. the ambience is nice and you have a choice of dining in or outdoors. the service is nice although not as attentive as i would like. but, there were no snooty airs. on to the food. we tried the foie gras and the pork belly. the foie gras was very good, very flavorful and not too salty. the pork belly was lean, not quite as fatty, but it was still nonetheless. i had the thai shrimp curry with glass noodles -- it as very good. it had a nice spicy kick to it. my friend had the rib eye and she liked it. i would probably go back.

Posted 06/30/07

Awesome food - especially the glazed pork belly. We ate there twice and Friday night was better than Sunday night. I think Sundays are bad because the chef is not in and they have a smaller staff. When the Cat is away, the workers will play. Sunday night's meal was not as spectacular but the food overall is still good. We also had lunch there Monday and it was fantastic. I would highly recommend this place. Just make sure you pick a good night to go.

Pros: Fantastic Food

Cons: Not consistent between Friday night and Sunday night food. A bit too loud.

Posted 02/20/07

Decided to eat Christmas Eve dinner w/ my hubby based on outstanding reviews at Citysearch. When I went on another foodie blog site, I was told that this was a horrible restaurant. Since I already made reservations, I decided to forge ahead - good thing I did. The place is very loungey, dark with dim lighting. Our waiter was very attentive & made sure we were well taken care of. For starters, I had the butternut squash soup (which was so creamy & tasty, with garlic bread bits & chunks of cheese) while my hubby had the seared ahi tuna (good but nothing to write mom about). Had the scallops for my main course, and it was really good, esp. with the caviar topping. My hubby had the rib-eye, which looked humungous (good, too, accdg to him). By the time dessert came, we were stuffed (the portions seemed bigger than most fine dining places), so our waiter suggested the cookies with milk and syrup, since we could take it home. Pre-tip, with 2 glasses of alcohol, our bill only came out to $140!

Posted 12/29/06

I had breakfast here with some co-workers and it was really very lovely, they were attentive, the coffee was awesome, the OJ was really good- they were very accomadating about our picky special orders. I would really like to go back at night when it's all funky and happening.

Posted 11/16/06

My girlfriend and I went here on a Friday night, it wasn't too packed until later in the evening. We sat outside. The big white chairs were comfortable but I felt too far away and had to keep leaning in. The food was great I had the Kobe Burger and she had the Salmon. Get the Smore's for dessert they are great and fun to make. It was a little pricey with a bottle of champagne.

Posted 11/01/06

We live in San Diego and often come to Santa Monica for weekend get-aways. We have eaten at the Lobster, Ivy , il fornaio etc. before, but this time I wanted to find something special, as I was looking for a restaurant to celebrate my husband's birthday. After reading the reviews and checking the website for the Whist, I was curious and knew that this was something worth trying. From the moment we stepped into the lobby, we were taken with the beautifully decorated Viceroy lobby, lounge and pool areas. We had a couple of drinks by the pool by candlelight, such a lovely ambience and then were seated on the patio for dinner. Our waiter, Juan, greeted us by name and could not have been nicer. The wait staff were amazing and we also met the Sommelier, who was so knowledgeable about wine and truly showed a passion for what he does. We had the tasting menu with wine parings and it was absolutely fantastic. My husband is French and we have eaten in Paris and London, but nothing compared to this magical experience. This place is amazing! The food is outstanding. This was the best birthday, ever!

Posted 09/24/06

After spending the weekend with guests from out of town, I have eaten in nearly all of Santa Monica's best restaurants in about four days. We finished off last night with dinner at Whist. It was hands-down the best meal of the week. We didn't have a reservation, and called 30 minutes ahead for a party of 7 for a 7:30 dinner - the staff accommodated us. Upon arrival, we were seated immediately, our server, April, was wonderful and attentive. The food.... we couldn't stop taking about it - the steaks are fantastic, the tuna fantastic - the heirloom tomato salad fantastic - great wine list, beautiful decor. We had a few cocktails after dinner at the poolside bar - the bartender, Ben, was great - this place is worth every penny. I can't wait to go back. Highly recommended. Next time I plan on making reservations and requesting an outside table.

Pros: excellent food, ambience and service

Cons: I can't think of any

Posted 09/09/06

I went here last weekend for brunch with a girlfriend. At first I was quite worried when I saw that the brunch was actually a buffet because I tend to be biased towards thinking that buffets tend to focus more on quantity rather than quality. I was pleasantly surprised. All of the food was excellent! There was everything that you can imagine including French toast, a wide selection of meats & cheese, bacon, sausages, bread, pastries, smoked salmon, a table full of desert, fresh made-to-order omelets to name a few...All you can drink champagne for $10, and it was good champagne too! Next time I would make a reservation for a table outside and also make sure I plan my day better so that have plenty of time to sit there and enjoy the food, champagne and atmosphere.

Posted 08/08/06

This restaurant is absolutely amazing. We went on a Thursday night and we sat on the outside patio. I highly recommend sitting outside, it is very romantic and the landscape is very beautiful and elegant. The scenery is perfect for a date or a large group. The food was wonderful and the service was friendly and prompt. The server was helpful with recommending the perfect wine based on our taste and was also helpful with suggesting the perfect entrée to match.

Pros: Beautiful scenery, romantic and great food

Cons: n/a

Posted 07/05/06

I went to Whist on a busy Friday night... the scene was hip the decor inviting the food - absolutely amazing. I had the Jidori Chicken paired by a glass of wine suggested by the sommelier. The staff was attentive and personable.

Posted 06/26/06

This place has it all, a great ambience and very tasty food. It can get a little spendy, but it's worth it.

Posted 04/14/06

i loved the whist. I was actually expecting much less of the resturant. I am a very picky eater, so to my surprise i ended up having a 3 course meal. the service is fabulous. everything we needed was brought to our table, we hardly ever asked for anything. overall the cons were the table next to us were super loud and the dinning area is small. not intimate. but the food and service was outstanding.

Pros: good food, great service

Cons: too loud, croweded

Posted 03/09/06

As a native westsider I know it is easy to get caught in a the homogenous drone of Santa Monica dining. Whist is an exquistite escape with its fabulously inventive decor, superior service, and a menu that is both creative and delicious. I daydream of their butternut squash soup with goat cheese and sage. The Kobe burger is divine, and rest assured all of their ingredients are farmer's market fresh. Moreover, their ultrahip bar is, in my opion, the coolest place to have a drink in a 30 mile radius. Go!

Pros: dining cabanas, creative menu, attention to detail

Posted 01/11/06

We had dinner with friends and were very disappointed. The dining room is poorly lit and extremely noisy. The menu looked good but the food was nothing special. I've eaten much more interesting food that was much better prepared and cost much less (our water bill alone came out to $48 for 6!!!). This place is all about appearances over substance. If that's your thing (and there were a lot of people there who don't mind that kind of superficiality) then you'll like it fine, but we left feeling that we'd been suckerpunched. We could have taken that $100/head and had a much better meal elsewhere and still had a lot of money leftover. This was a poor value on every level.

Pros: Good service

Cons: expensive, noisy, mediocre food

Posted 12/03/05

We went to the Viceroy for my husband's birthday and had a great time. It's a gorgeous venue, very chic. We had no reservations and just got there early to snag tables in the bar. Worked out well. We ordered all sorts of apps, ALL were good. The soups, salads, and especially the chicken and waffles :) so fun and everyone really dug them. We also attended a friend's bday in one of the cabanas which is very nice, great for the warm summer evenings. The service was good too, boucners seem a bit aggressive, but other than that, great place!

Pros: great food, valet or street pkg, beautiful decor

Cons: crowded on wknds

Posted 11/19/05

Cool place. I dig the absinthe bar flair it has going on. The service was very attentive
(if not a bit too cool) and the food was devastatinly good. Great scene, great food, great service. Way to go, Whist.

Posted 06/02/05

My wife and I love Whist! We dine out quite often and my wife's background in the restaurant industry raises the bar on the food quality and service standards that we expect in fine dining...I must say Whist exceeds our standards...I enjoyed every bite of the pork tenderloin and my wife opted for the tasting menu...Since that time we've been back again and again and we're always pleased!!!

Posted 05/31/05

Took my Mom and Dad from out of town into Whist to experience the Los Angeles dining scene, and we were most impressed. We had the tasting menu which included sweetbreads with flagoelet beans, truffles, and smoked bacon and John Dory with crushed olive oil potatoes, pine nut tapenade and calamari salad. My Dad said he never had a better meal in his life!

Posted 05/27/05

Dining at Whist is a wonderful experience, and is both gastronomically and aesthtically pleasing.
The people watching rivals the snootiest haunts in Hollywood. The roasted quail is tender and succulent. The best dish, however is the popover filled with fois grois and covered with a red wine reduction. If possible, request a cabana and sit pool side.

Pros: Ambiance, Friendly Staff, Food

Cons: Expensive, Valet Parking Only

Posted 03/06/05

A friend and I arrived here at almost 11pm on a Tuesday night. The hostess was gracious, warm, and seated us promptly on the patio - which had great atmosphere and was very cozy. Unlike the other reviews I've read here, we had fantastic service - attentive but not intrusive. We shared the butternut squash soup, the crabcakes and fennel salad, and the john dory. The staff was not snooty at all when we asked to split the food. The chocolate and vanilla souffles were very nice to top off a great dinner. Not the most spectacular food I've had, but quite good, especially for 11pm. On a side note, I tried to go to the bar one night and the valet was quite rude - said the bar was full and told me to move my car. Yeesh! Lesson here - don't go on a busy night!

Posted 12/20/04