Sofitel-Los Angeles

I highly recommend Simon Restaurant to everyone. Its a gorgeous ambiance with great food, cocktails, and attentive employees. I have no complaints about this place as the few times I've dinned there have always been quite pleasant.

Pros: Great Atmosphere

Posted 04/28/09

I'm a French person so you can imagine How "cuisine" and gastronomy are significant for me.... Since my childhood my quoit is used to the most refined meals. And each time I go to the Simon's restaurant, it's a real enjoyment... like exactly when I was a child and I knew I would eat some marvellous pastries "Clafoutis aux cerises" or others "pate en croute" to my grand-mother's place.
I can only highly recommand that restaurant with very sure values in terms of food and creativity like we can find in a convivial family with a very modern touch and inventiveness in plus in a very beautiful interior design which helps you to feel different... to feel ready to enjoy every moments of your stay at the SImon La Restaurant!!!!!
I love the terrace Socosy and Sozen in the middle of Los Angeles........

Posted 08/20/08

I went here with some friends for lunch to check it out. We made a reservation but had to wait about 10 minutes until they would seat us. Once we finally sat and got our menus, it took the waiter another 10 - 15 minutes for him to come back and take our order. We thought this was odd considering they weren't busy but figured the food would make up for it. Finally we ordered food and had to wait another 20 minutes for our appetizers to show up. Once we started eating, our meals came out immediately following. Clearly their timing was off which was annoying, considering how much money we were paying and how much food we had ordered!!

For lunch, we shared pizza, salad, tuna, chicken, etc. Basically a sampling of the entire menu. the food was so OVERRATED! the pizza was like Papa Johns, the chicken was so buttery and greasy that we felt greasy after we ate it. the salad and tuna was OK but nothing to recommend. We also got the sampler dessert. I had heard people raving about the cotton candy and the rice krispies treats but we found it nothing special. Cotton candy at a carnival is better!! Granted, it was cool they had it, but really - at my age (30ish), why the heck would I want to eat cotton candy anyway? I don't get it.

Finally it was time to get the check - which had mistakes on it. They charged us for two drinks that we didn't order! I guess they got our checks mixed up but it was the icing on the cake for us. Bad service, nasty, greasy food - Overall, it wasn't a great experience and I know my friends and I won't return! It's NOT WORTH IT!

Posted 06/29/08

Went here with friends visiting from out of town. Everything we had was delicious, the staff was very friendly and welcoming, and I loved the look of the place. Will return for sure!

Posted 06/15/08

More than a week earlier, I personally went into the restaurant and made reservations for 11 people. The hostess came with me and we confirmed and finalized a patio section. Only 3 days before the date, they call me and say they have given away my reservation to accommodate a group of 60 people in the same patio area. I told them they need to do something about this and they said the managers will see what can be done and will call me back. They never did. And when I called them, they were very rude and disrespectful and basically didn't care. So overall, they threw away a reservation made earlier in advance for 11 people for a larger reservation (which brings in more money) which was made after my reservation was confirmed.

Posted 05/28/08

I went there for lunch and felt that lunch at Simon was rather decent. They met my expectations however, did not exceed them. The ambiance is beautiful and is a great place to enjoy the afternoon and eat at your own pace.

I had the eggplant patties as my appetizer which I felt was good but was rather sweet. Their salmon salad was rather small for a entree and their dessert was decent. They gave us cotton candy at the end which I felt was a nice touch as it reminded me of old times, good ending to a decent meal. :)

Service was very prompt. Our drinks were filled as soon as it met the half line. One thing I must point out is that I get very ticked off when waiters bring the bill before I am finished with my dessert. I happen to find it rude and absolutely unnecessary especially when the restaurant is not busy. I would probably go back as I found the food very decent and I think SimonLA has more to offer me the next time I return. However, they should pay attention to finer details to ensure customers a great dining experience.

Pros: Food, Ambience

Cons: No attention to detail

Posted 02/10/08

Nice staff & service but I have never had such bland food. The ribs were utterly tasteless as though they had been boiled for 10 hours. Even the onion rings rendered no flavor. My 3 other dining guests concurred. Sorry to write a bad review. I'll never go back.

Pros: good service, easy valet

Cons: Denny's has better food! sorry!

Posted 11/10/07

I went to Simon when it first opened and had a very nice meal, good food, fun atmosphere, and good service. Like many places after the reviews were in, it went completely downhill. We had one of the worst meals I've had in Los Angeles -- $257 and only 3 drinks were purchased and no dessert. I had the Tuna Dynamite that is recommended on this sight several times - it was disgusting. The rice was old, the sauce was bitter, the tuna didn't taste good, and the crab just tasted like mayo. Another person had the tuna tartar, which with quality fish can't taste that bad- it was bland and just tasted like oil. Two of my fellow dinners had the salmon which was fishy and undercooked. One of us ordered the corn pancakes and braised ribs. The ribs had too much sauce, so you could taste nothing about the meat and the pancakes were boring - no yummy corn kernals, nothing -just pancakes and meat? Even the table breads weren't good. The biscuits tasted like baking soda or a mix from a box. The only good thing were the cocktails and for that I can spend 30 in the bar and not waste a meal out. I was really disappointed. My experience was so disappointing I couldn't even bring myself to spend $8 a Cotton Candy gimmick. I think the Iron Chef burger needs to go on the dinner menu and they need to start their menu over!

Pros: Can't think of much other than good cocktails -maybe with enough of them you wouldn't notice the food

Cons: Everything about the food.

Posted 09/29/07

Best tuna dish in LA. Kerry Simon is an amazing chef and this place lives up to all the hype. THere is amazing interior design by Yabu Pushelberg architects. The great thing as well is the restaurant sits right next to Rose Bar so you can easily grab a drink after dinner. I would recomened one of the private rooms that a great for birthday parties. Its a little on the pricey end ($40 entrees) but the meat dishes we had were excellent. And you see kerry cooking in the kitchen which was super cool.

Pros: Kerry Simon

Cons: Noisy

Posted 07/08/07

Simon LA was a huge surprise. I was thinking it may be all atmosphere and so so food. Luckily, I was sooo wrong. It was amazing! The tuna dynamite can only be described at "Katsuya on Crak" --amazing. I had the halibut and my boyfriend had the short ribs. Cooked perfectly and what really surprised me--is very good sized portions. Even the bread basket was amazing. Mini pretzel bread and mini corn muffin squares. For dessert we had the banana chocolate cake that came with a mini glass of vanilla milk shake and 2 straws. Not only was it fun but it tasted so amazing--perhaps they make their own ice cream because it really was amazing. And after dinner, it was perfect to be able to wander into the Stone Rose. It made for a perfect night out. One thing to note: Make sure to have th restaurant validate your parking ticket. That way you only pay $5 for the parking instead of $11 and its kind of a pain if its crowded to have to go back in again if you forget to get it vallidated.. Execellent, Excellent

Posted 07/08/07

We were a little concerned after we saw all the negative reviews here, but our lunch at Simon was a wonderful experience. The hostess was warm and friendly, and service was attentive but inobtrusive. The tuna dynamite and heirloom tomato-burrata salad were delicious appetizers. My husband had the filet mignon "cobb" salad for his main course, which was well executed. I had the angus burger. It was very good, but as my husband said, a burger half the size at 2/3 the price would be even better. It's absolutely enormous, and I think it was about $17.

It wasn't on the dessert menu, but we asked for the junk food sampler and the kitchen delivered. What a blast!

Some random thoughts....

Loved the bread basket. The little rolls taste like soft pretzels, and the oniony cornbread was delish.

Loved the bathroom! Whoever designed the ladies room put as much care into the design and materials in there as most places put into the main restaurant. The diningrooom is beautiful, and we had a great view of everything from our circular banquette.

We were a little concerned about the valet parking, so we parked across the street at the mall for $1! I highly recommend this option if you're not in heels.

Simon ain't cheap. Lunch for two without any alcohol was over $100. Still, the food was excellent, the service top notch, and the ambiance fantastic.

Pros: Food, ambiance, excellent service, clean and stylish bathrooms

Cons: We parked across the street to avoid problems with the valet, which seem to be rampant from what other reviewers have said.

Posted 07/04/07

I didn?t stay in the hotel, but went to the restaurant for dinner. $50 buck for my meal (just the meal, without any drinks), and it was one of the most disgusting meals I have had in quite a while. The meat had fat on it, the portions were ridiculously small (they had the nerve to say ?salad? when really they served literally 9 leaves of lettuce, I?m not kidding, I counted!), and the service was crappy (despite the fact that I was the ONLY person sitting outside. They didn?t refill my drink and didn?t even check on me to see if everything was ok. I would never eat here again nor would I recommend it. On a side note? if you are going to charge pretentious prices, at least live up to expectation.

Pros: nice location and atmosphere

Cons: horribe service and restaurant

Posted 06/26/07

Service - fast, attentive, friendly, funny, good recommendations.
Food - took server's recommendations, so we got the best of the best. Margarita pizza, tuna dynamite and tomato goat cheese soup were the highlights of the appetizers; ahi tuna and shortribs for the entrees; junk food dessert platter with fresh peanut butter ice cream...

We will be back!

Pros: service, food

Posted 04/16/07

We had a party of 7 and we got seated right when we walked in even though we were running a few minutes late. We started off with drinks I got the starbust martini appetizers I got the crab salad which was part of the specials for that day and it was like eating sprouts, there was no crab in the salad, it was very bland and had way too many vegetables. While a friend of mine ordered the tuna dynamite which was a lot better. For the main course we had the filet mignon, tandoori chicken, and tomato basil soup. The filet was average nothing too special, not soft and melt in your mouth kind of meat. While the tandoori chicken the waitress said was one of the most popular dishes which I did not understand considering that if anyone has ever tried tandoori they would realize that their tandoori dish tasted more like a thai dish specifically panang curry. I don't know who the chef at that restaurant is but he has no idea how to cook, he has great presentation skills and thats about it. And for dessert we had the sampler which was $25 for square rice krispi treats, cotton candy, caramel corn, a few cookies and stuff you can get yourself at a carnival or the grocery store. At the end of the night my friends and I enjoyed the dessert sampler more then we enjoyed the meal. That pretty much says it all.

Pros: ambiance,g reat bar area, service is good

Cons: food is boring, unmemorable, and lacks any flavor or the wrong flavor

Posted 03/04/07

Great dinner, excellent service, loved the Sea Bass with Quinoa, tuna tartare was amazing, TUNA DYNAMITE, to die for! The junk food dessert platter was delcious and fun.

Dont miss the Cabo wabo watermelon margarita!

Pros: great service, great atmosphere, terrific food!

Posted 02/18/07

I am a music executive in town for the grammy's and had the misfortune of having lunch at Simon with other music execs based in los angeles. From the moment we entered the hotel we were greeted by friendly employees. However, once we arrived at Simon that all changed. The hostess and other staff that congregated around the host booth we unfriendly and asked if they could help us in a manner to infer we were bums off the street because we were not in suits. FYI all in the party work for MAJOR labels. We immediately did not feel welcome at this establishment. When one person in our party asked one of the hostile girls where was the men's room she just pointed in the direction not to utter a word. Its funny to all of us that these people are making less than 30K a year but because they work in the hotel of the moment feel like they need to behave a certain way, when we all know they couldn't even afford to stay at a place like this. The combined wealth of all in our party exceed well into the millions ( it was only 3 of us) and we treat all people including staff with respect. We will not recommend this place to anyone however, the music/entertainment industry is small so this experinece will not go un-noticed. Do not waste your money at Simon. You will receive much better service at a number of restaurants in los angeles. I am currently staying at the L'Ermitage in Beverly Hills and was considering switching hotels because of the design of the Sofitel. However, considering Simon is the only restaurant in the hotel I will not spend my money to be treated poorly. By far one of the worst places to bring a client to for lunch. Luckily, all in our party knew each other before this lunch. However, had this been a lunch with another executive not from within our circle this would have been rather embarassing to have chosen such a place.

Pros: None...

Cons: Rude staff, menu has a limited selection, food below average, grocery store dessert, plastic chairs, ikea furniture

Posted 02/09/07

Sofitel is as French and classic as it gets, but the design of this restaurant is so modern, so hip, so strking. Soft lighting, open kitchen design, the entire ambience is a feast for the eyes.
I tried for appetizer the Beef Carpaccio Pizza with arugula and blue cheese, and it was really amazing; after every time I swallowed, I couldn't stop my tongue from going round and round exploring every corner in my mouth looking for more.
For entree I had the Cowboy rib eye with some creamed spinach for side dish, the meat was juicy, warm and with great texture and tenderness. .
The big finale, Junk Food Dessert Sampler... I couldn't believe I was falling in love with cotton candy all over again.
Kerry Simon is really a great chef.
This place is a must for dates... you only get one chance for a great first impression and this is the place.

Pros: Great place, great food, great bar next to it "STONE ROSE"

Cons: Valet service, traffic around La Cienaga and Beverly

Posted 01/18/07

I made my reservation through opentable and requested that the Chef prepare my girlfriend and I a Lunch Tasting Menu in order to properly experience what Simon had to offer. Upon checking in, the hostess made our arrival known to the Executive Chef, Sebastien Pfeiffer, who came out and introduced himself to the two of us. We were seated and promptly welcomed by our server. We were pleasantly surprised with the 4 main and 1 dessert courses that the Chef prepared for us. We began with a dish they called "tuna dynamite" that consisted of sushi rice and raw ahi topped with warm crabmeat with mirin and soy. An endive and watercress salad with apple, blue cheese and white wine vinaigrette with basil oil garnish followed. Beef carpaccio pizza with arugula and white truffles was presented third with a tandoori marinated wild salmon atop a cold black bean salad with red and yellow pepper oils after it. The "junk food sampler" completed the tasting and included a vanilla bean milkshake, peanut butter ice cream, homemade donuts, chocolate chip, cranberry oatmeal and peanut butter cookies, a Hostess-styled cream filled chocolate cupcake and a coconut, marshmallow and chocolate Snowball, regular and chocolate Rice Krispy treats, caramel popcorn and pink cotton candy. Regardless of the fact that the dessert was way over the top and far too much to consume, I found it to be very clever and tastefully done. Taking the avant-garde interior design of Simon, the adjacent lounge and the Sofitel Hotel at large, I was pleased to find that all the food was prepared and presented in a simple, unobtrusive style. A basic square plate was used to present all 4 main dishes and the honed simplicity of the flavors matched well. We were once again met by the Chef prior to leaving and had the opportunity to briefly thank him. Overall, I felt this to be an excellent experience. I took the extra time to make certain requests (i.e. the tasting menu) and was fully satisfied with the outcome.

Pros: Beautifully artistic decore, pleasantly simple cuisine

Cons: the price of the valet parking was a little on the high side

Posted 01/15/07

Hostess was a complete idiot (and we did have reservations), cocktail waitresses are b*****s who don't know how to say excuse me but shove their way through the lounge area, bartenders feel they're too cool to serve you drinks, and this was all experienced in less than 10 min. of being there. We were really looking forward to trying the food since we've heard such great things about it but I did not feel like spending money and getting disgusting service. We were more than happy to be out of there. The only highlight of the night was the excellent valet service. Freddie was the nicest guy who was not only polite but pleasant. I think he was the only employee there who actually knew how to smile.

Posted 01/07/07

The food was great, it's a great date spot or girl's night out spot. I went with a group and the concensus was that the food was delicious... whether you had steak, salad, or crabcakes! The best part of the evening had to be the huge mountain of pink cotton candy that they brought out to our group... I thought I was going to cry and had to keep myself from diving in head first!! Stylish, good food, fun ... especially if you stay for a drink at the lounge... it's chic and totally LA, but in a good way. ;-)

Pros: Great food, great ambience! Valet was lightning fast. Very cool lounge.

Cons: Can add up quickly, but at least it's worth it!

Posted 01/05/07

I went to Simon LA last night (a Saturday) and had high hopes. Our party was a total of six people. The food itself was above average for LA -- though nothing that would rock your world if you are a serious foodie. I would give it in the 23-24 range out of 30. I went with the Cowboy Ribeye, which was very flavorful, and some creamed spinach, which was less impressive. I also ordered a Duckhorn Pinot, which took forever and a day for the server to bring it out, so there was no time to enjoy it before the food arrived. The service, while not awful, could have been far more attentive. My friends ordered dessert, which seemed to come with a big pile of pink cotton candy for the entire table to enjoy gratis, which was fun and tasty.

So, the evening on the whole was a pretty good time until we went to leave. As has been described before on this site, the valet overcharged me for parking. My party had a 7:30 reservation, and I was sweating bullets on La Cienega in traffic because I was running late for the reservation. Yet, inexplicably, when I went to leave, the valet told me that I had arrived at 7:05, as was written on my ticket. I asked to speak to the valet manager to complain. I told him that I was absolutely certain of the time that I arrived, that I was an attorney and that their establishment was defrauding their customers. The valet manager told me that my case must be an isolated incident and basically gave me nothing but platitudes. Tomorrow, I will write a letter to the city attorney's office (the department that handles consumer fraud) about the incident and copy of the manager of the Sofitel. I am also going to attach a screen print of this website documenting that my case was not an isolated incident. Obviously, I will not be going back to Simon or the Sofitel until the issue is resolved. I urge others to do the same.

Pros: Some Inventive and Flavorful Dishes

Cons: Valet, Service, Value

Posted 12/16/06

If you like good old American food with a twist...you will love Simon L.A. I was brought here to celeberate my birthday with two great friends. I have been wanting to come to this place for months and I am so stoked to say that this place did not dissappoint. We came on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2006. I had probably one of the best dining experiences ever. We were greeted by a beautiful host and a friendly staff. I felt like I was on some restaurant reality show. The energy was high, and it seemed like everyone and their mom shared a birthday with me that night. The servers had black leather aprons, you can't get any more rockstar than that, I was waiting to see Tommy Lee pop out of the kitchen any time, but to my delight, Simon introduced himself to our table. That was really cool. Now let's talk about the food. All I got to say is that this place has "the best macaroni and cheese" ever. It beats Bertha's in South Central. A little truffle oil can make anything great, and it made their mac and cheese to die for. We had a thin crust pizza which was delicious. Their dynamite tartar was the best I've had in a long long time. For my entree I had the braised short ribs with sweet potato pancakes, so good and filling I took it home. And let me tell you, after 3 days in the fridge, it still tasted great. After we were done with this rockin feast, the star of the show had to come with a candle. It was the famous dessert platter equipped with cotton candy, home made cookies, snowballs, chocolate cupcakes, caramel corn, and a milkshake that would make Kelis proud and bring "all da boyz in da yard!" After a bite of everything I was stuffed. What a fantastic dining experience. You'll see more plastic on the female clientele than a toy store. Simon LA is a celebrity restaurant, I hear a lot of them frequent this place a lot, The Killers being one of them. I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a great "L.A. jammin dining experience!"

Pros: Macaroni and Cheese, good service, and of course the Dessert Platter.

Cons: Lots of calories.

Posted 12/08/06

I had been looking forward to trying this restaurant for months, after seeing a picture of and reading about the Junk Food Dessert Sampler in "Los Angeles Magazine". Happily, the restaurant and entire meal did not disappoint.

The ambience of the place is quite nice. I agree that the decor is a bit minimalist but still attractive. The service was great, we had a very attentive and pleasant waitress. She made a good suggestion for a bottle of wine and gave a detailed description of the dinner specials (which I ended up ordering). I love the whole "pretzel bread" trend that seems to be popping up a lot. We ordered two appetizers, the Tuna Dynamite and the Gulf Shrimp. I liked the Tuna Dynamite a lot, the crab and tuna was generous enough and very fresh. The Gulf Shrimp were tasty but not all that impressive- a better than average popcorn shrimp with a yummy sauce.

For an entree, I ordered the flank steak special, served with a balsamic reduction sauce and alongside a sweet potato pancake and wilted spinach. The meat was very tender and the sauce was delicious. Loved the yummy potato pancake as well. My date had the Surf and Turf. He, being a lobster connoisseur, and I both found the lobster to be very fresh, tender, and perfectly cooked.

And finally, the dessert- fantastic and so much fun! We were warned by the waitress that it was very big, meant for a large group, and we would probably have leftovers. It was indeed huge, but for a sugar-addict like me, it was heaven and I was happy to take home the leftovers! Our sampler was actually a holiday version, with an eggnog milkshake, gingerbread man, pumpkin cupcakes, santa cupcakes, and peppermint ice cream. It also came with an amazing, refreshing green apple sorbet, bag of freshly baked cookies, tub of caramel corn, and of course, the giant puff of cotton candy, which my date and I quickly devoured. Overall, a wonderful experience and worth the price.

Pros: Fun cocktails, Great food, friendly service, amazing dessert!

Cons: maybe a bit pricey....

Posted 11/27/06

Beautiful room, very good service, and good food. Not as amazing as everyone seems to be saying but good. I didn't like the tuna/crabcake combo, and neither did the others, but the steak tartare and the spare ribs were wonderful. The junk food dessert was fun but the homemade cupcakes were just ok and so were the donuts. Great rice krispy treats though. Service was very attentive and lovely from host stand to our server.

Pros: Ambiance, Service, Food

Cons: Parking

Posted 11/12/06

This retaurant is new, and I think it's necessary to take that into consideration before making any criticism. That being said, we experienced possibly the worst service we've ever had in Los Angeles. What should've been a normal Monday night business dinner dragged out for over three hours. While most of the food we tried was excellent, we found that the halibut was overdone and the penne special was underwhelming. The highlight of the evening was the delightful junkfood sampler dessert.
I would give this place a few more months before stopping in. They need to work out some kinks.

Pros: Ambience, fantastically fun dessert

Cons: Sloooow service, staff's lack of knowledge about the menu

Posted 10/26/06

The workout room is impressive, rooms are a bit small but nicely decorated, very nice staff, good location overall. Didn't try the restaurant in the hotel since there were so many places nearby to go to. I would stay there again.

Posted 10/25/06

I was impressed with the restaurant and most of the good reviews listed here were very accurate in terms of friendly service, food and ambience. Yes, the chef greeted us at our table. The appetizer called tuna dynamite was delicious and enough for 2 people to share. The halibut was fine but the fish portions are small. The mac & cheese au gratin is popular for a very good reason. Finally, the chocolate molten cake was sinful and not overly sweet. It was funny to see many orders of pink cotton candy were being served throughout the night.

Similar to another reviewer, the rude valet staff made my dining experience end horribly. They wrote the wrong time on my parking valet ticket so that I had to pay for another full hour (remember to validate). They were not willing to consider that they made a mistake and did not believe me when I told them that I actually arrived 15 minutes LATER. I should've complained to mgmt so please take this tip: double check the time that they write down on your parking ticket!

Pros: Decor, wait staff and menu

Cons: Rude valet parking staff at the end of the night, Expensive appetizers

Posted 09/17/06

I had such an interesting experience last night, I wanted to comment on it. Rarely have I eaten at a place where all the different elements combined - the hostess, server, food, and chef's personal attention - to have me walking out the door with a big grin on my face. My guest and I were very impressed by the attitude of the staff and the ambiance of the restaurant. Food and cocktails were excellent - our waitress was extremely attentive and friendly - the chef personally greeted our table. I wasn't expecting to say this, but I'm definitely going back!

Pros: service, food

Cons: noisy/busy

Posted 09/13/06

I was nervous about trying this restaurant after reading some bland reviews, but the tuna was fantastic, so no complaints there! What left a horrible impression was the valet on my way out. I was catching a ride with a friend and needed to take a moment to move some things off her passenger side seat. In the span of no more than a few seconds, the valet managed to spew several rude phrases at me, such as "get out of my way," "move it," and others of that variety. I understand that the place was busy, but I was moving as quickly as I could and there was no need for such rudeness in any event!

Pros: Food, atmosphere

Cons: Rude valet

Posted 09/09/06

Simon is one pretty little kitten. Pretty and Sleek. I loved the austerity of the place. Service was great, drinks were better. This is one heck of a makeover for Sofitel!

Posted 09/06/06

The hostess said that if we did not arrive within 15 minutes of our reservation time, we would be placed on a waiting list. This seemed pretentious on a sunday night at 730 when the dining room was only about 1/3 full. Despite this minor hickup, the service the rest of the evening was friendly and professional without being overbearing. Our server was knowledgable and offered her advice only when we soliticted her. The drinks are incredibly strong for such a trendy place, especially the "Old Fashioned," basically bourbon on the rocks. The menu is interesting and unpredictable ranging from modern american, to asian and italian influences. The side dishes, however, follow the New American cookie cutter mold (mac n' cheese, creamed spinach, onion rings, etc.) Appitizers were phenomenal- the yellowtail carpacio is fresh and light; the Tuna Dynamite is an interesting blend of texture. Main courses were well prepared and seemed to be of high quality ingredients, though they were not as exciting as the starters. Braised short ribs were tender but a touch fatty. The tandoori salmon is a beautiful piece of fish, though do not expect anything remotely "Indian" in taste besides the papadum garnish. The dessert list contained some unique options including one dessert with avocado (we steered clear of that one). The gooey chocolate, banana, caramel pudding cake is a typical molten center chocolate dessert with a few additional touches including a delcious vanilla bean 'milkshake' that tastes even better poured over the cake.
The atmosphere, however, bordered on being too stark. The chairs looked cafeteria like, and tables were almost too far apart as to be unsettling. The twig like stamped metal partitions are interesting, but the restaurat could use a touch of color or white to break up the monotonous gray pallete. Diners are also a mix of trendy young angelenos, and dumpy tourist hotel guests making for an unusual scene.

Pros: service, appitizers, strong drinks

Cons: too stark, too gray, strange mix of diners

Posted 08/20/06

Now this is one restaurant that is worth all the hype. Everything from the food and drinks to the host and waiter were fantastic and the staff is great looking for you LA'ers who care about that thing. The drinks were great and priced well (shocking for a trendy place) and if you are looking for a GREAT steak..look no further. This place has an amazing atmosphere, so comfortable and chic (feels like you are dining in an aquarium)...great staff....and the food is unbelievable. The one thing Simon LA has that most restaurants in LA lack, an appreciation for their customers..they don't look to gouge and push you out...they look to entertain. Move over Sunset and Hollywood Strip....you're tired..Simon is here and taking the lead...it's competitors haven't got a clue

Pros: Ambiance, Food, Service

Posted 08/17/06

Great space, very Zen, sit outdoors, food was a 9 and staff was cool. I will go back soon. The Simon at the Hard Rock in Vegas is also groovy.

Posted 08/15/06

After dining at Simon in Vegas we were very anxious to try Simon LA. Just as exected, Simon LA was amazing. We were promptly seated. The hostess and waiter were extrememly personable. The service was superb. The restaurant itself is trendy yet comfortable. Try the spicy tuna appetizer....the meat was excellent and the mac n cheese is a MUST. The vibe is ultra chic and they have the best key lime pie martini in town. Can't wait to go back!

Pros: Atmosphere, food, cocktails

Posted 08/14/06

I went there with 5 friends for my birthday on a Saturday night 2 weeks ago, and our ecxperience was very positive: got a call back to confirm the reservation in a timely manner, ambiance was beautiful, our waiter was knowledgeable and courteous, food was delicious (the tuna appetizer is to die for! I had the daily special fish (halibut, I think) that was really good also.) All my friends were very happy with their dishes too. It's a little pricey, sure - and I would probably give it a 10 if it wasn't quite as expensive, but other than that I cannot say anything negative. And after learning that it was my B-Day the waiter comped us that fun and crazy Junk Food Sampler for dessert! (And the best part - if you eat at the restaurant you can go to The Stone Lounge afterwards without having to wait in the line!)

Pros: Ambience, background music, delicious food

Cons: Pricey

Posted 08/14/06

I had heard the buzz about Iron Chef Kerry Simon's new restaurant, and went to check it out for myself on Thursday night. While busy, myself and my guest were greeted promptly, and sat at a cozy booth by the patio. We began with the Tuna Dynamite, and it lives up to it's name - tuna sashimi inside of rice with crab and a spicy aioli on top, it was fantastic. Next we had the Cowboy Ribeye and Lamb Porterhouse - both juicy and delicious, with wasabi mashed potatoes and creamed spinach on the side. While the mashed potatoes were great, go for the spinach only if you like your creamed spinach heavy on the cream. After all of this, we couldn't pass up the "Junkfood Platter" with homemade Cotton Candy, rice krispy treats and more - a fun and tasty way to finish it off!! We loved it all, and would come back in a heartbeat - the excitement of possibly running into a celebrity ( the bar next door, Stone Rose, is owned by Cindy Crawford's husband Rande Gerber), the atmosphere, and mainly the food will bring us back again!

Pros: Valet Parking, Escort to the Restaurant, Prompt and Friendly Service

Posted 08/10/06

This place is average, the food is average, the service is average, the drinks are average, the ambience is average I hope you get it AVERAGE. The only thing that was not average was the price. If you like to pay for a Mercedes and drive a Toyota, this one is for you.

Cons: Overpriced

Posted 07/28/06

I was really excited to try try this one, after watching "iron chef" Kerry Simon and hearing about newly opened LA franchise. This is one to skip. Not only was there not one thing that anyone in my party of 5 diners remotely liked. The menu was inspiring, unoriginal and terribly overpriced. I had that tandorri salmon, as a huge Indian lover and also a big fan of salmon, I was expecting fireworks. The fish was favorless, it was not plated well and to top it off it was soggy and raw in the middle. As for the other American favorites: I sampled the meatloaf (bland), the mac and cheese (oily and truly a waste of truffle oil) and the tater tots which were hard. I can think of about 10 more places in LA for a 1/3 of the price that can beat any item on this menu. My advice to Mr Simon is to brush up on his cooking skills and invent a new menu.

Posted 07/14/06

Out on business and my girlfriends first time in LA; the breakfast here cannot be beat. Dinner was also great, but pricey. Rooms were nice, and the beds are amazing. My only complaint here was the rudeness of everyone inside the hotel. The bell staff was tremendous, but the conceirge left quite a bit to be desired, as well as the front desk staffing.

Pros: Breakfast, Dinner, Clean, location, Beds, non crowded

Posted 01/02/05

Had a Jr suite....that's just it...it was tiny. At $300.00 a night, you'd think you would get more room to work with. The windows in the bedroom part were slanted...giving the room a very odd feeling. I did like the balcony that we sat out on and had drinks and smokes. The restaurant was good. Great patio for outside dining. The pool was nice, too.

Pros: great location

Cons: , expensive

Posted 10/03/04

Went for boyfriend's b-day: Bellboy popped one of my $2.50-each balloons even before I checked in, the whole floor (11th fl) was smelling smoke when I paid for a non-smoking room, the nicer and roomier room with nicer view I had to pay extra $30 for on top of the regular price had no view and was tiny.
Oh, also, I left a pair of crystal drop earrings in the bathroom-but I vividly remember where I put them - and of course, those were never to be found... -_-; Not the best experience at all.

Pros: nice room service

Cons: , stinky room, tiny, tiny room

Posted 04/27/04

This hotel set the standard for me as far as hotels go. The amenities are wonderful...I especially liked the gym (which had EVERYTHING you could ask for). The room service is great (the breakfast is the best!). The conceirge went above and beyond his duties...even securing us a very last minute reservation at a wonderful restaurant on a Friday night. I wouldn't stay anywhere else!

Pros: EVERYTHING

Posted 05/27/03

Very convenient location, comfortable rooms, and excellent/friendly staff. the valet folks were super nice. Highly recommended!

Pros: staff, location

Posted 02/10/03

I stayed here in March while visiting LA for a long weekend. I was treated like a queen and was assisted in getting transportation and getting food from outside of the hotel. However, I do not recommend eating anywhere else but the hotel. The food was incredible, breakfast was amazing, wish I had eaten there more instead of leaving the hotel. The food at the hotel cost just as much as most of the surrounding restaurants, but I assure you is much better. Highly recommend this place. Spacious rooms, courteous staff.

Posted 07/08/02

This was a very nice hotlel with European style accomodations...the location was a bit weak...or maybe I just expected something more from Beverly Hills...a LOT of chains...not a lot of character in the neighborhood.

Posted 06/12/02