"Let’s get one thing out of the way: dinner at this French restaurant will cost $800 for two people. Minimum. So, if you’re eating here, alert your bank. That said, this decades-old Santa Monica mainstay isn't some stuffy time capsule—the soundtrack runs from David Bowie to Frank Sinatra and the sommelier won’t judge you for choosing a bottle under $100. Melisse’s tasting menu changes nightly, but you can expect dishes like scallop carpaccio, a tiny pea tart, or an oyster topped with smoked vinegar jelly. There’s nothing heady or outrageously niche about the food at Melisse—it’s just that everything you put in your mouth is essentially flawless. " - Nikko Duren, Brant Cox, Sylvio Martins
Melisse