Chateau Marmont Restaurant — Restaurant in Los Angeles

There are places in Los Angeles that come pre-wrapped in legend, and Chateau Marmont is one of them. It whispers old Hollywood secrets, sways with ivy-covered mystery, and promises a dining experience soaked in glamour. Unfortunately, for all its famed allure, our visit left us with the distinct taste of… missed opportunity. As seasoned hospitality professionals, my partner and I always walk into a restaurant wearing two hats: guest and silent critic. Greeted (barely) at the host stand by a manager and hostess duo, we received a lukewarm welcome that felt more obligatory than heartfelt. My partner introduced himself as the manager of another local restaurant—but the gesture was brushed aside. I went in for a handshake, which the manager conveniently ignored. A small moment, but telling. Hospitality is, after all, in the details.

We were led to the garden—which, I’ll admit, is charming in its own right. Hidden, leafy, and quietly cinematic. Unfortunately, whoever designed the layout forgot the basic ergonomics of dining. The banquettes and table heights were out of sync, leaving me feeling like I was dining at a kid’s table in a dollhouse. My posture suffered. So did my patience.

For five long minutes, we sat without acknowledgment. No greeting, no “we’ll be right with you,” just a runner silently pouring water. Our server eventually appeared—pleasant and competent—but then vanished like the rest of the team. The meal unfolded in slow-motion, carried out by passers and runners who executed their roles without warmth or connection. It was like watching a service drill rather than being hosted in a celebrated establishment.

And where were the managers? MIA. Not once did I see them glide through the room, check on a table, or smile at a guest. Their presence—if we can call it that—radiated superiority more than hospitality. In an industry built on the art of making people feel seen, their detachment was a loud silence.

The food? Excellent. The drinks? Solid. LA prices? Expected. But none of this makes up for the glaring absence of what should be the soul of a restaurant: the human touch. No music. No vibe. Just beautiful architecture doing all the heavy lifting while the service and energy fell flat.

Chateau Marmont is, undoubtedly, a gorgeous place. But beauty alone does not carry a dining experience. Without hospitality, charm becomes pretense, and service becomes a...

Tried to book dining reservations over a month in advance. Called them, was told they release tables on the first of the month, on the first there were not any reservations available, called again, they explained they don’t take reservations for December because of the holidays. Decided to try it anyway for our Friday night when the date came around for our girls night out in LA. We checked with the door about getting a drink at the bar, they said that could be okay. Valet parking is further back down the street, but they may not let you valet unless you have a reservation. $25 to park and walk up the hill. Once inside we tried again for dining and they said no, although there were open tables the whole time we were there. We got cocktails at the bar, which was small and crammed and where the servers come to get the drinks for their tables in the dining room, so there is bustle making those drinks. Again there were 2 large seating tables in the bar area that had reserved on them for 2 hours with no one at them. We were however able to get a small table in the bar area after some people left. The decor and vibe of the whole building is old style, beautifully maintained and it is amazing, BUT I can’t show you a picture of the inside as when I tried to take a photo of the Christmas tree they had in the main dining room, the front desk guy rushed over to me and told me no photos inside. They do a very good job keeping this exclusive which I’m sure works as I wanted to come and experience it, but it was a bit disappointing given we had tried so hard to make this work. We had 2 cocktails each, they were not exorbitantly priced and overall the experience was okay, but for the price, what I had hoped the experience would be, there was a feeling of not being welcome or “good enough” to be there. It was an experience that I would...

If i could give a zero I would. Our experience was simply unacceptable. After waiting 20 minutes just to place our order, we were rushed through cocktails and starters, only to be told (with no prior warning since we booked through our concierge service) that we only had one hour left to have our mains, desserts, and wine that were not even ordered yet. All this at a place that claims to offer a high-end experience.

The staff was shockingly rude throughout the evening, especially the woman managing the venue, who made it very clear that guests were a disturbance rather than welcome. Despite multiple polite requests to stay longer to at least have a proper meal, we were firmly refused, under the pretext of a "busy night" though the restaurant was half-empty.

We had been considering a stay at the hotel for our next trip in Los Angeles, but this experience made it clear: we will never return, and we strongly advise others to think twice...