Camelia

Review summary

1. J

   Julia

   Washington DC

   6 reviews

   5.0

   6 reviews

   Dined today

   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.
   

   Is this helpful?

   Report
2. U

   Uyen

   San Francisco

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 4 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.
   

   Is this helpful?

   Report
3. K

   Kent

   Los Angeles

   24 reviews

   vip
   3.0

   24 reviews

   Dined 5 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.
   

   Is this helpful?

   Report
4. T

   TinH

   Chicago

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined 6 days ago

   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
   

   Is this helpful?

   Report
5. M

   Marcia

   Los Angeles

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 6 days ago

   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.
   

   Is this helpful?

   Report
6. T

   Teri

   Los Angeles

   8 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   8 reviews

   Dined 6 days ago

   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.
   

   Is this helpful?

   Report
7. S

   Steven

   Los Angeles

   2 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 6 days ago

   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!
   

   Is this helpful?

   Report
8. K

   Karolin

   Los Angeles

   9 reviews

   vip
   1.0

   9 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

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

   Unfortunately we did not have a good experience at this restaurant. Our reservation was at 7:45. We arrived on time and were seated on time as well. After serving us our bread and salad, they completely forgot about us. The 2 tables to either sides of us, one with 6 guests and the other with 4 were seated after us. They were served and almost finished with their meals until the manager remembered we had been waiting for a long time. She came to our table and apologized, but when we asked why was there such a delay she walked away. The second or third time she came by our table and served us a complimentary mushroom appetizer which we had not ordered. She still did not have an answer as to why we had been ignored. The last time she brought us our take out for which we had placed an order at the beginning of our dinner. And even though they offered us free desserts, we left hungry and disappointed at around 9:30! I think it is imperative for businesses to realize that most of us are not there to receive free anything. It is rather insulting. Too bad we will never return to this place, since I truly wanted to try a few other dishes on our next visit.
   

   Is this helpful?

   Report
9. J

   Julie

   Los Angeles

   26 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   26 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

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

   Amazing! Delightful!Inventive! Delicious! What a wonderful dining experience 💕 Thank you so much to the whole team. Camelia exceeded our expectations in every way.
   

   • 

   Is this helpful?

   Report
10. j

    jonathan

    Orange County

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 18, 2024

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

    Wanted to celebrate my mom’s milestone birthday at a highly recommended restaurant. Reservation for 4 at 730p on a Sunday, arrived at 725 and checked in. We were told to wait in their “lounge” which was two benches next to the bathrooms. I checked up with the hostess after 15 mins, who said the table was already closed out they were just waiting for them to leave. 30 mins later, no progress and no understanding from staff. They offered outdoor seating but it was 60°, the heat lamps were sparsely spaced, and the other 3 people in my party are over 50 and not suited for a chilly birthday dinner. At 40 mins past the reservation time I checked with the hostess AGAIN and she offered to seat us at a rickety table or eat at the bar. Ridiculous to suggest a party of 4 “enjoy” a special occasion eating at the bar, when there is a closed out table. 50 minutes later we were finally sat in a booth and served a comped tuna appetizer, but that did little to dispel my family’s frustration and irritation. Food was pretty good and unique, but this non-welcoming introduction is impossible to forget. Not sure if I want to come back to a relatively expensive restaurant that has POOR HOSPITALITY and DOES NOT ACCOMMODATE RESERVATION TIMES. My suggestion: get rid of reservations and lean into first come first serve waitlist.
    

    Is this helpful?

    Report