Vernissage — Restaurant in Hawthorne

We came here for the New Year's dinner/event and we loved our FANTASTIC experience, from the neverending delicious food to the classy disco floor that had us dancing all night long. It surprised us that such a luxury place could exist in a strip mall -the marble walls, gold statues, and Modernist art create such a VIP upscale environment.

OH, THE FOOD! Upon walking in, our table was completely FULL of delicious appetizers. Oysters, tender eggplant, chicken feta salad, Georgian cheese pastries, blintzes, black caviar(!), red caviar(!), and mushroom Julienne(!!!) are just SOME of the ones I can recall...and each one shocked me and my parents with its unbelievable quality. As soon as we would finish one dish, the waiters would bring another one, piping hot and/or beautifully arranged! We lost count of how many times the waiters refreshed our personal plate (so classy and caring). BRAVO to every single dish and I mean that. And they had more than enough staff; there was always a waiter in earshot when things were needed. Plus they gave us adorable little keepsake gifts for each person!

My family LOVED the singers, who made a great first impression: they announced a very compassionate toast to peace, which was felt deeply in our family. It was a very touching and beautiful way to begin the live music. And these two singers (one of which was the DJ) made us dance for HOURS! 70% of songs were remixes of pop music most Russian-speakers would recognize, as well as some universal hits from the 2010s and '20s, and surprisingly a lot of songs by Pitbull. We expected the crowd to be entirely Ukrainian like us, but there was actually a mix of folks, including families from Georgia who - despite them being guests - ended up performing some amazing folk dances of their own! The restaurant highlighted our national diversity and celebrated everyone's culture by taking requests and playing music in different languages including Arabic, Ukrainian, Georgian, and Moldovan if I recall correctly.

The night flew by so naturally because the program was well-planned. Before we could get bored of one activity, the announcers surprise us with the next one. Looking back, so much happened in those few hours! There was plenty of time to eat, then a raffle, group dances, a disco floor, multiple folk dances, amazing singing performances, and the big reveal was an incredibly skilled belly dancer with plenty of props! All of these different activities occurred so unexpectedly that they were truly a surprise each time!

I would recommend this place to anyone looking to connect with Russian-speaking culture. And to those who are not Eastern European, COME BY and give it a try! I think it would be an AMAZING first experience for guests looking to experience the authentic, delicious, and fun luxuries of our...

We visited Vernissage yesterday for a birthday celebration, and I have to say, the service was exceptional. The staff was attentive, friendly, and professional, ensuring we were comfortable throughout the meal. The atmosphere was welcoming, and the pace of service was just right, everything flowed smoothly. The food of the French banquet was also solid, with flavorful dishes that were well-prepared and satisfying. There was nothing to complain about in terms of the service or food. it was clear they put effort into making those aspects great.

However, when it came to the music, it was a complete disapointment. For a restaurant that prides itself on representing Eastern European culture, the playlist was shockingly one-sided. The entire night, we were subjected to an overwhelming amount of Ukrainian music, with only two Russian songs (Всё будет хорошо and Шалом мой друг шалом), the Horah and Hava Nagila and some Georgian tunes mixed in. That’s not diversity and inclusiveness, it felt like we walked into Ukrainian cultural festival and not an Eastern European restaurant, ignoring the other rich cultures in Eastern Europe. Where was the Polish, Moldovan, Romanian, Serbian, or Bulgarian music? If you're going to represent Eastern Europe, your music should reflect the diversity of the region, and should be inclusive and not just one culture. The lack of inclusivity in the music was a glaring oversight that made the experience feel much less authentic.

⭐ 2/5 – Good service, good food, but the music was a major letdown. Vernissage needs to change their playlist if it wants to be truly representative of Eastern Europe...

Came tonight with my wife and a little baby for a party. A guy by the entrance told us go inside with the baby and bring our jackets back after. We went inside and start looking for a friend's table where they sit. And now interesting: Yurii (manager) came straight to us and sayid nothing like hello, how we are, whom are we looking for, or why we are here at all. Just told to us what we are not in correct place, and a buffet is at the next door. Really??? Buffet??? Who told you we are looking for a buffet??? That's the decision you made because we had jackets on. It's just ridiculous.

Told to him, what we are looking for our friends. He never helped us to find them, just turned and went away. When we finally find a place our friends sits, He just followed us and rechecked if we are right people and at correct place. Said nothing again and no apologies at all.

This is not the way how manager has to act. Also, client always right, because client payed you money.

Just to let you know, buffet manager much nicer then Vernissage restaurant...