Ospi Brentwood — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Was excited to check out Jemma this past weekend after hearing about its recent opening, and can say it was thoroughly disappointing/underwhelming in essentially every measurable way. None of my group was even aware that this is the same chef/management as Ospi until informed by our server (a restaurant all of us frequent and greatly enjoy). Following our experience, we could all agree this restaurant should not in any way be associated with Ospi.

The largest issue of our visit came with drink orders/service. Everyone in my party ordered extra-dirty martinis with a particular vodka specification. Upon them being delivered to the table, every martini brought out was crystal clear (no olive juice whatsoever), and could easily taste that none of them were made with the vodka we had ordered. Rather than sending every drink back due to the wrong vodka, we decided to try and salvage the drinks by keeping them and asking our waiter for a carafe/glass of olive juice to add to our drinks after explaining every drink was completely absent of olive juice. After a few minutes, our server returned with the most minuscule amount of olive juice possible in a shot glass. It was enough olive juice to fix one of the martinis from being served straight-up to extra-dirty, but we were at a table of 4 people who all needed olive juice. So we asked the waiter again for another glass, and let him know the glass he brought had barely any olive juice. And again, after a few minutes he returned with a minuscule amount of olive juice in a shot glass. We had to ask for olive juice 4 times, and each time there was barely any juice in the glass! It felt like we were being pranked, or part of an SNL skit.

Even crazier, after it being obviously clear considering the ordeal above that the first martini order was wrong, we all ordered another round and asked that they please use the correct vodka, as well as that they needed to put olive juice in the martinis. The next round was brought out, and AGAIN they were crystal clear. And AGAIN, we needed to ask FOUR times for olive juice. I have sincerely never seen such a ridiculous level of service in a restaurant in my life.

Beyond that issue, which all but completely turned us off from our meal, we ordered about 10 assorted dishes from the menu for the table to share — raw bar, appetizers, mains, pastas. And nobody in the party found a single one of them to be remarkable or necessarily ‘good’. The better of the dishes we had were from the raw bar, which truly says something when the best dishes coming from the kitchen are uncooked. About 3 of the cooked dishes were so bland and lacking flavor that we contemplated sending them back, but at this point we were so focused on finishing our meal and getting out that we didn’t bother.

I don’t know if these issues were because the space is new and there are massive growing pains, but it fell flat in nearly every category — bartender, service, kitchen. Can’t remember being this disappointed by a meal while spending $100+/person. Do not plan to return here unless there are several substantial changes made...

It was our daughter and son in law’s turn to celebrate my wife’s birthday. They chose Jemma Di Mare in Brentwood, Los Angeles, and it was an exquisite experience. This charming restaurant, curated by the talented husband and wife team, Jackson and Melissa Kalb, truly embodies the essence of a neighborhood gem.

Located in the heart of Brentwood, Jemma Di Mare offers a delightful menu featuring hand-rolled pastas, seafood classics with a creative twist, sandwiches, and salads, all crafted from locally sourced, market-driven ingredients. As a seafood-focused Italian American restaurant, they excel in delivering a memorable dining experience.

Their menu boasts a range of signature dishes, from timeless classics like linguine alle vongole and spicy eggplant parmesan to contemporary interpretations like polenta cake with Kaluga caviar and kanpachi crudo siciliana. My personal highlight was the spicy homemade rigatoni pasta with vodka sauce; it was a culinary masterpiece. The pasta had the perfect al dente texture, and the flavors were simply outstanding. To kick off the meal, the garlic bread was heavenly and set the tone for what was to come.

The service at Jemma Di Mare was impeccable. Our waiter was attentive, accommodating, and went above and beyond to ensure our dining experience was exceptional. To top it off, they surprised us with a delightful birthday dessert, which added a sweet touch to the celebration.

The restaurant's ambiance was warm and welcoming, with tasteful decorations that enhanced the overall dining experience. As for convenience, the valet parking with validation made it hassle-free to access this culinary gem.

In summary, Jemma Di Mare is a must-visit for those seeking a refined yet approachable dining experience in Brentwood. With outstanding cuisine, impeccable service, and a charming atmosphere, it's the perfect place for special occasions or a...

Dinner was terrific last night. Being a fan of Ospi, I was glad to hear when the owners opened up Jemma di Mare as well. It’s located in Brentwood, which is one of the prettier parts of Los Angeles. Parking can be tricky, however, there is valet in the parking garage beneath the restaurant.

Our server Mitchell was really polite and extremely prompt. He did a great job. The inside is really beautiful and done well. It is a bit loud because it’s basically one large square room with very few sound breaks, but it is designed well otherwise. Just was hard to hear our server and each other at times.

We started off with the Garlic Bread, which was a great start. It’s cheesy and garlicky and everything that you could hope for. Next came the Panzanella. This is a personal favorite salad of mine and this version of it was exceptionally good. It came with a lot of delicious Burrata as well. For my entrée, I chose the Sole Piccata and I thought it was great. It was perfectly crispy and the portion size was large. The caper and butter sauce was a delicious addition as well. We also ordered the Beets & Burrata which was a large portion of tasty beets on top of a generous portion of Burrata and the Spicy Rigatoni, which was well balanced and tasty as well.

Overall a great meal, and I would recommend to anyone for any occasion. I definitely plan to be back...