Ivy At The Shore

The atmosphere at The Ivy is incredible. Fresh flowers and a beautifully set table. When my daughter and I first arrived for lunch on a Thursday around 130 pm the restaurant was half full. We were sat in the back dining room. It was a chilly day (55) and cloudy. They had the overhead heaters in and it was very warm when we first arrived that it was almost too hot to stay. Once we acclimated our glorious wait staff of 3 different servers made sure our glasses were full at all times and continuously checked to make sure we were OK. My daughter ordered the margherita pizza and a Caesar salad while I had the crabcakes and the delicious Caesar salad with anchovies. I have never had a Caesar salad with anchovies, which is the original way to eat it, and it gave it a very unique and salty taste that I actually enjoyed. I was not impressed with the three small crabcakes. They seemed to be over cooked and I chewed on a shell or 2 and that is why I give it 4 stars. Nonetheless, the remoulade sauce was delicious and complemented the crab cakes that were dry and crunchy. I can’t express enough how friendly are waiters were and when they found that we were from out of town, they took the time to give us really good recommendations on where to go. Our total came to a little over $120 for 2 people with tip know which was but also wasn’t surprising.

Had to write a review immediately. The place was so beautiful and the service excellent and food fresh and delicious. Lucky to find this place on our walk through Santa Monica

I have been to the Beverly Hills location a few times and would say I prefer there over this Santa Monica location even though it’s been open since 1985. In my opinion they have the best Red Velvet Cake I have ever had but it is overall the meal is overpriced for what you get. Also parking in this area is a lot trickier, your best option will be valet or one of the pay lots next-door for $15 for two hours. Our server was polite, although very busy tonight. This is a bit of a tourist trap in my opinion but still there are some good dishes. I started off with the Crab Cakes and they were pretty good although not great. I think they are overly expensive for $25 for three small cakes so I would not recommend ordering it. For my entrée I had the special for the evening: the Branzino & Shrimp. The Branzino was very tasty, although the shrimp was the tiny piece shrimp that you get in a regular shrimp salad. Wish it was prawns or something larger. The cannelloni beans on the side was a strange choice in my opinion, I would’ve much rather had a small salad, or even a type of rice. For dessert I got what I always get when I go to any Ivy location and it’s the old-fashioned Red Velvet Cake. As mentioned, it’s the best Red Velvet Cake I’ve ever had and would highly recommend it. I would honestly go there just for the cake. Overall, I know this is a famous LA restaurant that’s been open since 1985, but I honestly would not recommend it over many other locations in town. It’s not bad but it’s definitely not great. Also, this is more of a casual place to go with friends or family. I would not suggest it as a business dinner or a date spot.

Lovely spot to enjoy a brunch, lunch, or just sip.

I ordered mexican food and It was amazing even the anise bread they serve at the beginning, the interior looked so pretty makes you feel in another era, plus food was ready in 8 minutes, waiters were nice and friendly