Camelia

Review summary

1. J

   James

   Los Angeles

   11 reviews

   5.0

   11 reviews

   Dined today

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   As we have been here before and had enjoyed a sublime culinary journey. We returned with dear friends. We had requested a table inside and were promised twice it would be accommodated yet upon arriving the NOPE. We did a booth but by the front door, not great. Our Server seemed newer and did not understand the drinks or menu well. But no problem we DID. The food here is like no other UMAMI experience so this saved the day. The server missed items we ordered but honestly this time it did not matter. To the server defense, the restaurant was packed on Sunday night as hopefully he will grow from the experience. This is culinary journey worth any effort!!
   

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2. M

   Michelli

   Los Angeles

   7 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   7 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The place looks cute and the food taste good. Not crazy about the food presentation. I thought was expensive 400$ check for 2 people only two glasses of wine.
   

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3. r

   rebecca

   Los Angeles

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Me and my friends had a great time. The food was perfectly salted, everything was plated beautifully, such a delight. Also the cocktails were sensational. Thanks for the great service.
   

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4. J

   Julia

   Washington DC

   6 reviews

   5.0

   6 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   My best friend and I had dinner at this beautiful restaurant, which I would recommend to everyone! The decor and ambiance are warm, modern, and inviting. The aromas from the kitchen greet you the minute you walk in. At that moment, you know you have arrived at the right place. The libations: Drinks: We ordered the spritz and a dirty martini complete with a sidecar and the Japanese house vodka--yummy! The passionfruit spritz is fruity and dry at the same time! The dinner: Aioli grani is a medley of veggies from the farmer's market and tasty aioli. Sweet potato gratin--If this dish were a person, I would marry it. Wow! The balance between the sweet, cheesy, and savory consistency and flavor makes this my favorite of the night. Dry-aged burger and fries: The default for the meat is medium rare, which is a must! The grilled jalapenos added a nice kick! The French fries come with a dijon aioli and curry ketchup are tasty! The service? It was excellent and added much to the overall dining experience.
   

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5. U

   Uyen

   San Francisco

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Food was phenomenal. It was confusing who the host was because it took a while for anyone to acknowledge us despite having a reso. That was weird but once we got seated everything was fire.
   

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6. K

   Kent

   Los Angeles

   24 reviews

   3.0

   24 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 3

   Dishes were hit and miss. Drinks were excellent--Army and Navy, Milk Punch and Decibel Martini were all interesting and very drinkable. Tuna appetizer looked beautiful but too subtly flavored. Parker House rolls were ordinary (except in hue), although butter was good. Squid risotto was delicious--vaguely reminiscent of mac and cheese, but more exotic--our favorite dish of the night. Croque Madame looked just great, but tasted quite ordinary. Same with the burger. Japanese spaghetti was umami-rich--another rare winner. Mochi dessert had the look but was again nothing special in taste. Servers were extremely helpful--when they had the time to pay attention to us. We waited endlessly for our first order (the PH rolls) and had to ask two or three different servers what had happened to them. We all loved the idea of this restaurant, and the dishes all looked very special--they just need to pump up the flavor profile on many of the dishes and hire more servers.
   

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7. T

   TinH

   Chicago

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined on November 24, 2024

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 3

   I made a reservation at 7:15 and came early at 7:05. I did not get seated until 7:30. Even when I made reservation a few days in advance, the hostess put my partner and I in a corner of a counter seat. I gently fold her that if we can get a proper table as I made reservation and she said she will come back to help, but she did not even come back. So disappointed for my first time at Camelia. Overall food was okay and not sure if the ambience worth it either
   

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8. M

   Marcia

   Los Angeles

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on November 24, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   For full disclosure, we were already huge fans of their Tsubaki. With Camelia, Chef Charles Namba and the superb Courtney Kaplan have created a remarkable dining experience. The menu offers choices for everyone at the table. By offering small plates or larger communal options, Camelia allows you to enjoy an exciting and delicious dinner. My husband and I happily cruised through just a small part of the menu. Starting with Chef Charles' version of Uni toast and his spin on Dungeness crab on purple yam blini, we were primed for the elevated Chicken liver mousse toast that followed. These small bites each built flavors and tastes. Our meal was further enhanced with Courtney's perfect choice of sake. Her deep knowledge and instinct for what a guest will enjoy is unique. If there is any such thing as a "Sake Sommeiler," Courtney would be the grand master. We moved to larger plates with Scallops, dashi lime cream, maitake & king trumpet mushrooms, Tokyo negi, and chestnut date purée, a series of complex tastes. And the Abalone and Florida wild pink shrimp pot pie!!! A perfect sized bowl of magic! We finished up with the Koshihikari risotto, grilled Monterey Bay squid was a perfect ending, creamy with and rich with deep flavors. The grilled squid were lightly spiced, crisp, soft and with a bit of chew all at the same time. GM Kristen Dumandan leads a warm and welcoming staff. Everyone was knowledgeable and helpful guides through the menu. Happily, dinner was perfectly paced, without more plates arriving to distract from what we were enjoying or getting cold. We didn't leave room for dessert. But we're coming back because there is so much more we want to enjoy.
   

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9. T

   Teri

   Los Angeles

   8 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   8 reviews

   Dined on November 24, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   It was a really fun restaurant with a creative menu. I ate things I probably wouldn’t have considered based on recommendations from our wonderful server Jules (sp?) and enjoyed all of them. She made the pace work as promised. The rest of the staff was also working hard and plates were served and traded for clean ones by whoever was walking by. Highly, highly recommend.
   

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10. S

    Steven

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 24, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    Beautiful room, great service and food is excellent. Recommend the Parker Rolls, Chicken, Bolognese and especially the Croque Madam!
    

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