Élephante — Restaurant in Santa Monica

Update - 4/10/25

The quality of the food has gone downhill since I last visited but the ambiance remains just as trendy. My boyfriend and I had a reservation for 8:45pm on a Thursday evening and the place was bustling. We found the music a bit too loud to have a conversation but the ambiance is nice. We ordered the tuna tartare, mushroom pizza, and cacio e pepe. I liked the tuna tartare although the portion is small for the price (a theme present throughout the menu). I was disappointed with the cacio roper - the pasta was too hard and the sauce was lackluster. The roasted mushroom pizza was the best dish - it came with meaty mushrooms and a good amount of seasoning. I’m annoyed that the waiter brought out a sauce to accompany the pizza (that we didn’t ask for) and then charged us 34 cents for it. The price isn’t the issue, but the fact that they’re nickel and diming us for something we didn’t want is a tad ridiculous.

Super trendy, aesthetic Santa Monica restaurant with high end menu. Came here with a group of five and we had to move our reservation to the following day which we were nervous about since there was going to be a $125 cancellation fee. However we called since we couldn’t change it online and it was fine. It’s located on 2nd St right next to flower child and you check in with the girl at the ground level, then she’ll let you go in to take the elevator. It’s kind of dark in the hallway going to the elevator and it feels like you’re in a museum. You check in again at the third level and on a Tuesday at noon, we were seated fairly quickly. For ladies wearing heels, be careful walking because the ground is a bit slippery. We were seated at the couches and it was comfy although you’re pretty close to the ground so if you’re tall you might ask for an actual table. The decor seems Northern African-esque with a thatched roof and Mediterranean decor. You get a nice view of the ocean although if you’re sitting facing the view, it gets pretty bright and there’s no shade. It’s open air but covered so weather shouldn’t be a concern. You can also come sit at the bar although they’ve been weird about letting groups in before so try coming when it’s not busy to ensure you get in. The service was okay - we asked our waitress about recommendations for sharing among five people and while she noted the plates are for individuals, she didn’t answer our question and merely pointed to the $35 express lunch menu which has three courses. They’re good about trying to fill your water but they leave jugs at the table. Now for the food (in no particular order):

Whipped eggplant - my favorite. Silky, smooth texture like hummus. The bread reminds me of the bread balloon at FIG but more dense and looks like it’s whole wheat.

Scallops - only comes in 3 and it’s tiny. They’re soft and buttery but I’d get it only if you’re really craving scallops.

Fussili pesto - food texture and covered with breadcrumbs but I was expecting a better flavor profile since Élephante is supposed to be known for pasta.

Brussels sprout salad - some found it too salty, I thought it a tad too sour. It has pine nuts.

Cacio e Pepe - another one of my favorites. Really creamy and rich but incredible taste.

Soppresata pizza - solid pizza and came with a chili honey (not spicy). I prefer the one at Roberta’s in Culver City though.

Broccolini - nice side vegetable. Very long and good to share.

Kale salad - also a bit underwhelming and came with two different types of dressing in the side per our request. There’s a lot of sliced green apple in it.

Tiger prawn - comes in four and the shell is half cut. Good seasoning but not evenly distributed.

Chocolate torta - also $12 but more worth it than the sorbet. It’s flourless so good for gluten-free folks but has marscapone on top so not dairy free. There’s a caramel sauce on the bottom too. It’s so thick and luxurious. Its texture reminds me of a budino and you best share...

We originally booked Elephante almost twelve months ago right before the original shutdown for covid. Our group of 5 were finally able to re-book and what a disappointment it was - food was great, service was what left a bad taste in our mouth. We were seated for our 11am reservation promptly and this is where the issues began. After 15 minutes of waiting for anyone to return with an offer of even water, we finally flagged someone down to have our server Giancarlo return to take our order. We ordered some drinks and a couple of starters - two serves of the eggplant and the breakfast pizza. Giancarlo was training a new server, which is fine, a few of us have worked hospitality before and have been there. What is not ok, is after waiting 15 mins with no apology and then watch our server spend 5 mins chatting with the trainee.

The drinks when served were delicious and strong. The whipped eggplant was as amazing as we all expected - light and fresh. The breakfast pizza was also really flavorful - the mix of the cheese, egg and guanciale made for a salty, delicious topping. We ordered more drinks after finishing these and another round of drinks. For the second order of food we enjoyed the vodka pasta, calamari, hotcakes and the breakfast sandwich. One of our party members asked for ketchup which apparently they don't have, that is fine but the way the server again looked at her like she was sad clause and didn't even offer an alternative condiment was a little upsetting.

Everything again was really delicious including the drinks and we continued to enjoy our conversation and the atmosphere. After finishing our meal we were finishing our third round of drinks and ready to order another round. We waited close to 10 to 15 minutes for someone to return so we could order more drinks or even give us the time of day. The server or the host, I cannot remember which one dropped the bill on the table without saying anything and we had not even signify that we were done with our meal. Our final round of drinks arrived, while we were drinking them, they returned not too long afterwards to see if we had finalized the bill.

It was at this point that we were advised that we needed to vacate the table for an upcoming reservation. We haven't even finished our current drinks, and no one had told us that we needed to be out of there at a certain time. We were looking to potentially order more drinks and desserts to ensure we were spending money on the table still. We don't mind having to leave for another reservation, but once again - nothing was communicated to us at all about this. Not once were we asked how the food was or if we needed anything else.

We witnessed Giancarlo treat every other table surrounding us with some excellent service. Apparently because we weren't Santa Monica locals who looked to a certain standard of his we obviously were not worth giving that additional service to. Even though we were a table that was standing over $500 worth of food and drinks. I had been looking forward to going to Elephante for a very long time and have been left with a really bad taste in my mouth, along with the rest of my party. What a shame for, such a beautiful venue With delicious food and views we will not be wanting to return. We could have received better service at a Denny's. Maybe a lesson and treating all customers with the same service is what's needed to be taught to the...

Nipping at his heels they are eating his dusts

The location boasts a pleasant view. Nonetheless, the establishment lacks professionalism. I was placed on a waiting list and walked around since I had a short window of time; after 15 minutes of waiting, I decided to grab my brunch at the indoor place across the street. While I had my coffee and waited for food, the text arrived that the table was ready. So I figured I'd pay a bit more and enjoy the sun since I didn’t want to sit by the bar in Elephant. It was chilly there.

I asked if I could cancel the food in the cross-the-street place, and they did. I took my coffee to go and returned to Elephant, but the staff, surprisingly, didn’t allow outside beverages! I stowed my coffee in my car, went upstairs, and ordered. To make sure, I asked the waiter if they accept Apple Pay, and oddly enough, they don't. It's shocking even though the city accepts Apple Pay for my parking permit renewal, this restaurant doesn’t.

I ordered and asked the waiter to go on with the order, and I'd go grab my wallet from the car to save time. So, trip number two to the car. It is so primitive and restrictive and unwelcoming, with no coffee allowed and no Apple Pay, but the worst is yet to come.

Once I returned upstairs, my table was taken. I questioned the waiter, and he was astounded. He inquired with the maître de, and she exclaimed, "I thought he won't return." Despite informing her that I was fetching cash due to their non-acceptance of Apple Pay, she assumed I wouldn't return and didn't grant me the courtesy of five minutes, selling my table in the process.

They suggested seating me inside, but the whole point was a seat on the balcony by the sun; otherwise, frankly, their food was a meh rated to me. I just needed 30 minutes to grab brunch and be on my way. They made me wait by the bar. I suggested the waiter at least get me a coffee in the meantime for this whole mishmash, but he ignored me. Shocking!

They only hire models and lack a practical approach to making amends with clients. An entitlement attitude of "so what?" prevails. While waiting by the bar, the manager came to apologize, yet there was no gesture like "Allow me to get you a coffee or a drink while we try to get your table back." Nothing! A dry, I'm sorry.  Errors happen, but professionalism dictates some form of compensation; it’s not even professionalism. It's common sense. Offering a coffee wouldn't have been too much, especially since I asked for it. In a place like Spargo, a mistake like that results in complimentary champagne, and in France, they won't even bill you for breakfast. But these people made a mistake and didn’t want to own it.

Fundamental problems with these kinds of places are that they don't carefully select their employees; they assume the location alone can handle the job. They may hire good-looking people, but they don't train them on how to handle a...