Forma Restaurant & Cheese Bar Santa Monica — Restaurant in Santa Monica

Yikes! I'm not sure what to make of this place from this experience. I am very disappointed by our visit tonight. My friend and I made reservations for 6:30pm. They have plenty of seating indoor and a makeshift outdoor patio in the back of the restaurant (they lead you down a sketchy alley).

The register/hostess stand is literally in front of the entrance- it's an awkward area because people are being escorted to their table, passing through, and trying to get seated all in the same area. Very hectic.

Summary: pasta was not good, $$$ Service was very good, efficient, attentive Bathroom: 1 for women, 1 for men

FOOD DETAILS We each ordered a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Rita Medalla Real 2018 $16 This complimented everything we had very well. Very smooth and easy to drink.

ROASTED SEASONAL VEGETABLES $19.00 This will be pictured but it was a plate of lettuce, beats, mushrooms, carrots, pepper, cauliflower, broccolini. This was as good a plate of veggies could be. Haha. Nothing too special about it.

FRESH RIGATONI WITH THINLY CHOPPED SEAFOOD RAGOUT & SPINACH $29.00 Included mussels, shrimp, calamari, salmon, garlic, sage, pepperoncino, light tomato sauce. I mean... I guess it makes sense because there are a variety of 4 different seafood in this pasta but it tasted like the ocean/fishy to the point I barely ate half of it. It was almost inedible. All of these seafood separately usually don't have that fishy taste so I'm curious as to whether they were fresh. I couldn't finish and I definitely didn't take it home. Which is rare for me to do.

PAPPARDELLE WITH WILD BOAR RAGOUT $29.00 Included large flat noodles, wild boar ragout , pinch of cinnamon, tomato sauce, parmigiano reggiano cheese. This was much better than the seafood pasta but there wasn't anything special about this either. Tasted like a typical pasta that I can make at home.

They have a huge selection of cheeses that you can choose to kind of create your own charcuterie. We got the 803 TRIPLE CREAM WITH TRUFFLE for $10.00 Rich and silky triple cream with black truffle/Pasteurized cow / France. Unfortunately, I couldn't really taste the truffle. It was creamy and reminded me of goat cheese.

Overall-- very underwhelming tastes. I expected more because it's a fancy Italian restaurant but I was let down. If I ever do try this place again, it'll be for the...

Wanted something refreshing and light to drink / a bite while my friend shopped down the street but really needed the restroom so couldn't concentrate. The redheaded Latina host walked off with a table so I figured I'd ask her more questions when I got back. I've been really loving nonalcoholic drinks and was craving something fruity so was hoping for some sort of salad/fruity NA drink combo in this heat, but when I asked about NA drinks, the host got confrontational and said "so you just needed to use the restroom?"

I was contemplating asking my friend to sit down and eat and maybe take a nice aged cheese rind home but was so taken aback and incredibly put off by how rude and hostile the host was. I tried to explain I really wanted a drink, but instead of offering any options or telling me where to find the selections, she just kept repeating that they don't do takeout for that item and was so hostile I decided not to come back. I just can't fathom anyone getting angry that another human being would need to use the restroom. I also work in the customer service industry and I could never imagine finding any reason to escalate any situation or making a customer feel unwelcome, and so out of the blue. You would think being at work you would offer solutions to your customers, especially when it's hot out, but she was so aggressive I was too scared to ask where that menu was at that point. She made me feel like it was a crime to even dare step foot into the restaurant.

This experience was so unprofessional, unkind and uncalled for it left such a sick feeling in my stomach and drained me after an otherwise pleasant beach day. I've lived in the area for a decade and frequent Venice beach weekly and have never experienced this sort of behavior at any other restaurant. Should've just gone to Starbucks, Rose or Venice Ale House (who have always been kind and attentive no matter how busy or needy I was!) but wanted to try something new. Big mistake. No wonder it's so empty. Definitely making a note to never come...

We walked into a restaurant on Monday at 5:15 and only 3 tables were occupied in the entire place. We were told we could be seated but that they “needed the table back within 90 minutes” for a reservation. Not sure we ever took longer than that but it was not a great way to start off the process. Maybe that’s why nobody was there.

Our waiter came over with menus right away. Seemed really nice.

When he came back we gave him our drink order, just some sodas, and ordered a cheese plate, as well as ordering our mains.

20 minutes later he came over to let us know the “cheese plate would be ready shortly.” Still haven’t gotten our sodas!!

He asked if we want him to put our dinner orders in. Now getting pressed up against the 90 minutes we said yes.

About 5 minutes later our drinks arrived with the waiter bringing over 2 cans of soda. Since he was carrying a drinking glass and can in each hand his grubby fingers were all over the rim of the glass which was gross. I asked him if I could please have straws since I had no desire to put my mouth on that glass. He said he never touched the rim and proceeded to once again demonstrate his can/glass holding technique. Don’t repair feel like debating it all just give me a straw.

As you might suspect our appetizer came out 2 minutes before the mains so that was ruined.

In terms of meals the pesto pasta was delicious and the pasta fresh. My piece of lasagna tasted and felt like it came out of a Stouffers frozen lasagna box. Actually, that’s not fair. The Stouffers would have been much better, and at least would not have been bone dry.

Nothing looked good on the dessert menu and with only 15 minutes left on the 90 minute timer we figured we’d better not take a chance. Mind you there were still 50% of the tables open when we left.

All in all it was “meh” on a good day.

Oh I forgot. Good luck trying to use the bathroom 100+ seat restaurant with a single toilet for men and single for women. Wound up waiting until we left and...