Crudo e Nudo — Restaurant in Santa Monica

We reserved a table here for a romantic evening out. My husband and I have worked in hospitality in Los Angeles for over 20 years, and we heard good things about the crudo here and expected minimal ambience. Upon arrival, the hostess was talking to us with her back to us while was wiping off items from the chalk board we were to order from. When we asked her about their dishes and current selection she left it at "everything is good." with no further information.

We were sat outside next tot the drink cart with no barrier between us and sidewalk, which made for constant commotion behind my head and the constant sidewalk noise (it's next to Jameson Bar and there's lot of jovial drunk people), and though the place was not busy, we were asked not to move when we tried.

The only red wine they had available was a refrigerated Cabernet they served in water glasses, but we ordered it anyhow as we knew this place was all about the fish.

Our server let us know most people get about 3 plates each (most are $25), so with wine ($20 a glass) we were looking at this being a $200+ evening next to a drink cart on a sidewalk patio. They finally sat a couple next to us, inches away (there were lots of tables open, but we had one of the last working heat lamps, so they sat them inches from us to share the heat), and at that point we just looked at each other and decided to settle our bill and go else where. We go out to eat a lot, and

The server did ask us if anything was wrong, and when my husband said "this wasn't what we were expecting", she just silently rang him up for the wine and water, with no concerns or questions about what could have been better. Perhaps she understood why, but it's good to always seem concerned about a customer's experience.

Having grown up in Los Angeles, I don't care for the notion that (purportedly) great food means you can have 0 ambience and disinterested staff. Some people find this appealing and "exclusive", but I don't. I realize they can only do so much about their patio, but being friendly, or informative about their menu would have certainly gotten us to stay and try it out. I usually don't like when reviews are left by people who have not tried the food, but we had plenty of an experience before getting a chance to order. There are so many great, sustainable seafood restaurants who offer comfortable seating and informed servers in Santa Monica, let alone...

We came here for my birthday, drawn in by the promise of an ever-changing menu and a wine tasting hosted by the actual winemakers. It sounded like the kind of experience you rave about for years — and to be fair, the food lived up to the hype. Every bite we did manage to get was incredible, thoughtful, and beautifully done. But unfortunately, the experience as a whole was nothing short of chaotic — and frankly, infuriating.

The problems started immediately. There’s no explanation of how to order — just a chalkboard menu you’re told to take a picture of. No guidance, no service flow, no one checking in to help navigate what’s clearly meant to be a unique dining format. The waitress suggested three small dishes for three ppl total. Basically appetizers… We waited 45 minutes for our order of actual substance like rice and poke, only to be told it was never actually submitted. By the time we followed up, the kitchen had closed — and no one had told us last call was happening. We weren’t even given a chance to order more. We were just… cut off without knowing.

And then the attitude. Wow. Our server came back and, with full sarcasm, said, “Amazing! I got the chef to fire up the grill — aren’t you happy?” as if we were the problem. When I looked shocked, she literally said to me, “I see your wide eyed look but shit happens. Deal with it.”

On my birthday. After they forgot our food. With zero apology, no offer to make things right, and a final bill north of $300.

We left hungry, humiliated, and completely stunned by how poorly we were treated. It’s honestly the worst service I’ve ever received — not just inattentive, but actively rude and condescending. It completely overshadowed what could’ve been a magical night.

If you’re going for the food, you won’t be disappointed — the kitchen clearly knows what it’s doing. But the front-of-house? They’ve turned what should be a special, elevated experience into something that feels disorganized, dismissive, and just plain mean.

If they ever figure out the service side, this place could be a gem. But until then, be warned: the vibe here is “fine dining, feral energy.”

To top it off I have celiac and I’m currently in fetal position in pain because clearly it wasn’t celiac safe even though they...

I love this spot.  Everything I've gotten here is amazing, but the tuna toast is just as stand out as everyone is commenting on.  I can eat with the big boys, and a 1/2 order would have been plenty for an extremely satisfying meal.  This one is good for sharing if you want to get a couple of things.

The oysters are always an awesome go to.  Super fresh and the mignonette they come with is fantastic.  I got the crudo one day when it was scallops and oh my god....it was literally "melt in your mouth" tasty.

My all time favorite though is the prawns.  I crave them like 3 times a week.  I asked and I remember them saying they used calabrian chili for the diavola sauce and that combined with the sear on the prawns and the basil is such a tasty combo.  I also really like how they prepare them, it was peeled for you, but it also came with the head so you get all the flavor with none of the work lol.  Those prawns paired with the Cesar Goes Vegan is truly the perfect healthy & delicious meal in my opinion.  Btw, I used to work at a vegan restaurant and have eaten tons of vegan food and I can say confidently that salad is my favorite & most flavorful vegan dish I've ever had. It's worth coming here just for that.

The melon salad is really flavorful.  Super intricate flavors, I think they use a more special variety of melons than the type I'm used to.  A lovely and light summer dessert. But I'm never not going to get that almond cup. SO GOOD.

Overall the quality of everything is top notch. It's ultra fresh with super delicious and unique flavor combos. I also really dig how eco-conscience they are with their packaging and menu options. Really tasty food that you can feel good about eating from lots of...