Rosti

I know everyone can have different experiences, but I tell you, I don't know how these ratings are so high for this placed. I ordered the Grilled Vegetable salad with steak (which you have to pay extra). What I received was a salad that looked like a pre-made salad bag from Ralph's. Also, there were 4 small bite size pieces of steak! I mean baby bite sized. There were absolutely NO grilled veggies in the salad. When I spoke to the host regarding the lack of veggies, I was told they were all chopped up inside. I asked where? He said that I probably ate them all (when I had a few bites of the salad. This is truly a placed that I will never eat at again.

Pros: It was a nice day outside

Cons: Poor food quality, overpriced.

Posted 06/27/09

I had the pleasure of feasting with the owner at this wonderful neighborhood restaurant. We sampled a variety of dishes of which none were disappointing. We started with an arugula, endive, goat cheese (yes the cheese is pasteurized- for all you preggos) and pancetta salad. My 6 month pregnant taste buds especially relished the Roasted Shredded Chicken ragu with bowtie pasta- it was perfectly soothing yet unique and totally delicious. I am not sure if its on the menu- but it is an insider favorite!! I can't wait to go back for more! Don't forget to end your meal with a warm chocolate cookie- if my mom baked I would hope she would make em like this!

Pros: friendly staff, warm fresh bread

Cons: What are the drawbacks?

Posted 03/20/09

My boyfriend and I went here for dinner on Friday night at the Santa Monica location. We knew we could bring our own wine, so we brought a bottle and were seated immediately, although it was pretty busy in restaurant. We had the bruschetta for an appetizer, which was awesome! I loved the lasagna b/c it has shredded chicken in it instead of beef and my boyfriend got the gnocci with arrabiata sauce, which he liked but not loved. Overall, this place was great and so easy. We will definitely return!

Pros: service, price, and food

Cons: none

Posted 03/01/09

I can make food better than this! I got the world's most sour marinara with my cappellini topped off with goat cheese. The portion was about 3.5 times what it was supposed to be. But the mariana must have just come out of a can. It was the worst pasta I've ever had. The garlic mashed potatoes had zero garlic in it. The chicken in balsamic sauce was yet another terrible combination. The bread they brought to the table came cold and stale and no butter. The previous time I was here I had the steak and it was pretty mediocre too. Never coming back to this place again.

Pros: relatively fast service

Cons: everything else. stay away

Posted 08/30/08

I've been here a million times. Great food, decent service, a bit pricey though. Highly recommended. I'm just upset that the one in Brentwood closed a few years ago and now I have to drive to Santa Monica (Waaah!!! -- that's a baby crying!)

Pros: Excellent Food

Cons: A bit pricey

Posted 04/09/08

Great neighborhood place. get there early...one of my favorite restaurants. It would be good if they added a bathroom. I think they plan on it. Only one for all is not enough.

Posted 12/23/07

Great little restuarant. Good, friendly service. Very fresh food. Relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.

Pros: Food, atmosphere

Cons: no wine

Posted 11/08/07

I recently needed to pick up dinner and I was tired of the usual take out menus. I stopped in Rosti and found their take out line fast and easy. The menu has a good selection and is reasonably priced. Portions were hearty and food was tasty. They prepared my order within 15 minutes. The restaurant was full and while waiting, I noticed the servers seemed busy but attentive. I would definatly take out from here again and would even enjoy a meal in the restaurant.

Posted 11/06/07

They got my order wrong, the food wasn't all that great, I had to wait forever for it, and then it was fairly pricey for the quality to top everything off. I was here on a holiday weekend, so it's entirely possible this wasn't a normal situation for them.

Posted 11/23/06

Placed an order online for delivery. I had to call them to confirm (they were supposed to call me) and the food took over an hour and a half for the order to be delivered. Once delivered, the food was on the verge of being cold. Only one of the 3 dishes ordered was semi-satisfactory. One dish (chicken milanese) was supposed to be paired with potatos and vegetables however, there were no potatoes included and the vegetables were bland and overcooked. The taste of the alfredo sauce was so unsatisfactory, we couldn't even eat it. Overall, this was a very disappointing (and expensive) meal to have waited so long for.

Posted 11/17/06

It's not fancy but their food is excellent. I've ordered their penne arrabiata and loved it. Their bread with oils are good and I like the bistro vibe. For lunch it's nice to sit outside and their lemonaide is very good.

Pros: great little italian joint

Posted 11/14/06

This place is great for a nice lunch. The food is above average, and the prices are perfect. The service is always friendly, and fast. They have decent pizza, and the ciopinno is good.

Posted 11/12/06

Good menu with all the basics plus some unexpected surprises. Their pastas are great, very hearty (but not the most refined flavors). The salads are always excellent, and the chicken dishes are awesome, too. My favorite thing on the menu is the rollati, eggplant stuffed with riccota, and you can order it as an appetizer or entree.

Posted 11/02/06

I love this restaurant. I've been several times for Sunday brunch, a weekday lunch, and dinner. The bruschetta is a must-order. It'll make you fall in love with tomatoes!

Pros: Good food, cute ambience, pleasant staff

Cons: Popular/Long Wait (make reservations if you're going on a busy night!)

Posted 09/20/06

The most pleasant part of my adventure to Rosti was Sandra, my waitress. She's just nice. Very attentive and quick.

The food is unpredictable. I had the chicken ravioli on my first visit and that was delicious. My second visit was at lunch and I ordered a caesar salad (ok, not outstanding) and the rigatoni ragu. I'm not sure what I expected, but I wanted more than just noodles and sauce. I felt that the flavor could have used something extra instead of something I could have poured out of a jar.

Pros: Fabulous service

Cons: OK food

Posted 08/28/06

Rosti is the neighborhood restaurant we like so much we eat there three or four times per week. When we have return visitors from out of town, the first place they want to go is Rosti. The service is very good, the food is excellent - try the Rollati...YUM! It can be served hot or cold and we think the cold version is a little better. Best tomato based sauce in the city. One of the things we love about eating here is that we can bring our own wine and there is no corkage fee! The servers are friendly and accomodating - only drawback is when it gets really busy on weekends, it can get a little slow (like everywhere else). Call for reservations on the weekend, but drop in during the week and you usually won't have a long wait. Save room for desert - the cheesecake and all of the chocolate deserts are worth the extra workout the next day!

Pros: Great food, great service, bring your own wine with no corkage fee!

Cons: Can't think of any

Posted 08/03/06

Cozy neighborhood restaurant that has a great menu. The vegetarian specialities are delicious and the salads are fresh and yummy! Kid friendly with a good kids meal. Great for take out, call you order in though they get pretty busy on the weekends...

Pros: fresh, hearty, vegetarian specials

Cons: call ahead for to go

Posted 03/09/06

I wish I had known that they do not have a liquor license before I went: I went for a celebration dinner and a bottle of wine would have been nice. Food was okay, but the service was spectacular.

Pros: service, dessert

Cons: , ambiance

Posted 09/22/04

I happened by this place unexpectantly. I was looking for a good, solid Italian meal accompanied by nice wine. When I asked if they served wine -- the server was quick to point out no but offered a suggestion that I bring my own wine from a liquor store across the street. There was not even a cork fee. The food was good, but not great. Caesar salad had a great start, but lacked the punch of a good dressing. The Chicken Milanese was terrific though the sides of mashed potatoes and brocoli seemed too plain and uninspired. Do save room for dessert -- anything chocolate-related is recommended.

Pros: bring your own wine, good Chicken dishes

Cons: hit-or-miss dishes

Posted 06/04/02

This Rosti location is cozy, convenient and occupies a prime spot on Montana. The menu is extensive, but many items turn out to sound better than they taste. Pasta primavera is OK, though the vegetables are a tad overcooked and the marinara sauce suspiciously runny. Chicken parmesan fares better but is oddly paired with mashed potatoes -- instead of the usual pasta. The Caesar is tasty, -especially the garlic-flavored croutons -- but lacks somewhat in zip. Do savor the desserts. Tortes and cakes galore, all worthy of a sampling.

Pros: Lots of options, Delicious desserts, No wine corking fee

Cons: Hit-or-miss

Posted 06/04/02