Gjelina — Restaurant in Los Angeles

I often forget how important service is to the overall restaurant experience because normally it's invisible by virtue of being basically functioning as expected, but when it's bad it makes you question why you bothered going out.

We got a reservation for 4 for breakfast (though it wasn't busy on a Sunday morning, you wouldn't need one), and were promptly seated in a little back room with a few tables. It's a nice space, and they started a space heater since it was pretty drafty back there. Great start!

We sat and chatted for some time, not in a rush at all, but a little surprised no one came to check on us for a while. After a bit another group was brought back there and seated. We continued to just hang out. Eventually a very flustered staff member came back and apologized for the wait, then started to take the other table's order. The other table was very thoughtful about pointing out we had been there longer, so the server shifted their attention back to us instead. When one of us ordered pancakes, the server noted that "they come out of a different station", which seems like a silly food prep choice considering breakfast there isn't a shared-plates situation, but it just meant that it came out about ten minutes after everyone else had food since they could not/would not time one of their 10ish breakfast options with the other ones.

After putting in our order we realized we were getting chilly, and it turned out the heater wasn't working, so when someone came (I think to drop off water) we asked them to check the heater. Someone came and looked at it and left without doing anything to it.

Another jump forward, and one of us received a drink (a mimosa), but the other drink (a michelada) needed more time. We joked with the server about bartenders frantically squeezing tomatoes and shrugged it off. Someone pointed out the heater still wasn't working and we'd love it to be turned on, and they said they'd take a look. I think this time someone lifted the base to look at the propane tank, then left.

Some of our ordered dishes came out shortly after, so that some of us had a drink but no food, and some had food but no drink. There was another mention that the heater wasn't working and we'd really like it on.

Some time later, when a staff member came by to seat another group my husband raised his voice about the heater. I chided him but he was a little exasperated and trying to make my grandmother more comfortable. Someone actually came to replace the propane, and then someone else came to ask how we were doing (presumably the manager at this point), so I mentioned the missing michelada. They returned later to tell us there would be no michelada because "they're having trouble with the mix" so they offered me something else, but I was halfway through my plate so I opted to stick with water. We shared more gentle ribbing about this mythical complicated concoction. Just before I finished my meal, a michelada did actually appear, though I couldn't finish it before we decided to head out, because we didn't feel terribly comfortable there.

Just to reiterate: it was not a busy day and we had an exceptionally simple order (they don't accept modifications anyway), and over the course of the meal we interacted with at least six staff (probably one host, two servers, two bus/water/support staff, and a manger). But somehow no one ever seemed to know what was happening or consider communicating to each other or to us, and they still add a mandatory 20% service charge. That's...ridiculous? I believe they said they comped the michelada, though because someone else in the party paid I couldn't confirm it was actually removed from the ticket. I can't imagine going back to a place that charges that much for service while offering so little. I don't even like over-eager servers and hovering managers, but I'd still prefer that to being alternately forgotten and ignored.

You have so many good food options in LA. This one...

🚨 Extremely Disappointing Experience & Horrible Service - Left Before We Could Even Order

SERVICE: This was the real issue & the reason we left. Our waitress had a condescending, visibly irritated attitude from the start. She made strange, judgmental facial expressions while one of my friends was speaking, which made all of us extremely uncomfortable. It felt like we were being mocked. We were just talking to each other. Not being loud or inappropriate — and yet we were treated like a nuisance.

When we tried to interact politely, there was no change. If anything, her attitude became more dismissive. Eventually, someone who seemed to be the manager came over, and instead of diffusing the situation, they mirrored the same cold, aloof energy. No smile. No effort to improve the experience. Just more of the same: rude, indifferent, and unprofessional behavior.

FOOD & DRINK: We never even got to order food. We received our wine, tried to reset the tone, and hoped things would turn around. They didn’t. After sitting with growing discomfort and frustration, we decided to cut our losses and leave. No one goes to a restaurant to spend their money and to be disrespected. t’s disheartening when you’re excited to enjoy a restaurant and are instead made to feel like an inconvenience.

ATMOSPHERE: The space itself is cozy and aesthetically pleasing. Unfortunately, no amount of ambiance can make up for what followed. A beautiful atmosphere doesn’t matter when the people working there make you feel unwelcome from the moment you sit down.

SEATING: Gjelina has a mostly reservation-only setup, with limited seating for walk-ins. That’s understandable, we were fine with waiting. When we were finally seated in the communal area, we were hopeful and ready to enjoy the evening.

BOTTOM LINE: There are far too many excellent restaurants in LA to waste your time and money at a place where guests are treated like how we were. Gjelina may have a reputation, but based on our visit, it’s completely unearned. The staff’s attitude was shockingly unprofessional, and no food or wine is worth putting up with that level of disrespect.

We left disappointed, confused, and honestly a bit stunned by how bad the experience was. I won’t be returning, and I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. Unless of course you’re looking to spend good money...

I asked my friend where she wanted to go for her birthday lunch and she said Gjelina. I immediately ran to the reviews which were very mixed. The one thing that was mostly pointed out was that it had bad service. With that being said, I was very reluctant to go. Then I looked at the prices and thought maybe I need to look into going to another place but my friend almost swore that it would be worth it. Well, she wasn't lying. Of course I checked the menu before going but opted to go anyway. Since so many talked about the 20% gratuity that would be taken out, I didn't question it.

I'm sorry for not taking pictures of the food because it all looked so pleasing to my eyes and even smelled wonderful. We first started with the Heirloom Cucumber Salad with the mint and dill tossed in a delightful preserved citrus vinaigrette that was so refreshing and tasty. My friend ordered the Smoked Trout Salad. I tried a little but I'm not a fan of smoked fish however, the salad part was very good.

BUT, (and I know you don't start a sentence with the word "but") let me tell you! I had the Blackened Vermilion Rockfish Sandwich. Ahhhh! They knew I was coming! The fish was so fluffy with a Napa Cabbage Slow and Fermented Chili Aioli. I promise to take a picture when I go back because I will be going back and taking others with me. That sandwich was so yum yum good!

OK, now lets get to the service that was given such a bad rating. I don't know if it was the time of day that mattered but Carolina, our server was so kind and attentive. She talked and laughed with us and made sure we had everything we needed. There were also others working there that were very pleasant too; checking over their shoulders to make sure we were fine.

Sooo, I only gave 4 of 5 stars for the ambiance because we had a battle with a fly but I've been to other restaurants that had the same problem, that's why I don't like to sit near windows. Overall, this was a very good experience. Go, but go soon because I heard some of the items were seasonal. I hope they keep the Blackened Rockfish Sandwich on the menu because I can certainly eat that again. Thank you Gjelina for the experience and the great food!...