This place is nice. Nothing spectacular but it fits a niche in the location.
Food was delicious. Â Service was slow but they were slammed and I don't begrudge the waiter anything as he was pleasant and apologetic.
Cocktails... Not so much. Â Not very balanced as both (wife and i) our cocktails leaned way too sweet.
I'm teetering between going back or not. Food was really good. Â Maybe I'll try a Monday or Wednesday night.
Hope this helps.
What a classy and pretty place. Â I went there with a female friend and was enjoying the excellent food. Â However, when I was trying to get to the bathroom, I saw a long line of people waiting to get into the club. Â The techno music certainly doesn't mix with the restaurant side.
Anyway, the service was wonderful. Â My friend decided to take a sip of my whiskey and made a ugly face. Â The manager ran over like I punched her in the face and asked if she was ok.
I came here for a social event with many schools around southern california. We rented out the whole place for one night and it was pretty awesome!
We got there and there was parking right behind the place so that was very convenient. So we walked around the building until we got to the front. There was HUGE line for the place... but i was the event's photographer so i got in right away. My friends that had to wait in the line though did not get in until an hour after. So when i got in there around 10 there were not that many people in there. It was nice because it wasn't crowded, but i knew it would be crowded soon. When you first get in there are a couple places you can go.
You can go left, which is a room with couches and a bar and where pretty much everyone was dancing. It was dark and good music was playing in there. Or you can go right where there is light and a bar and also where the bathrooms are located. There was no music in that room which was nice if you just wanted to chat and chill. The third way you could go was upstairs. There are a couple rooms up there where you can hang out and watch TV or dance with super loud 90's music. There is also a bar up there which was nice. There were couches and chairs all over the place up here.
The drinks were priced at $11, whether it be a cheap cocktail or a strong one. I thought that was kind of lame, but i only bought 3 drinks and i was good for the whole night. The bartenders were eh. There were never any waits for drinks because many of the people were underage so that was nice.
It was Saturday night (11-7-09). I went with my sister and 2 other friends for Jimmys bday party. I had a good time. We parked in a structure for 10.00 which is really good because its usually 20. Anyway, we get in for free, usually 20, and the music was banging until they started playing some crazy crap that no one partys to. The set up was really nice...and the crowd was diverse...all ages and races. There was this one guy who danced his a7&s off the entire time. So basically, I will be returning when Im able to get on the guest list becasue I am sooo not paying 20 to get in and probably to park.
Review Source:Wow...I didn't even know this was a restaurant and I swear I was sober when I got there :)
I went on a Friday night and there were no dinner tables in sight. There were tons of people dancing to a variety of different music. It was almost like a big house party. They were playing hip hop and other top 40s music in the bottom two rooms. On the second floor there was techno, electronica and other similar type's music. The second floor was divided into a dance room, a TV and pool room and private gathering rooms.
The decor in each room was crazy. I couldn't tell if it was kinda classy or gaudy as hell. But it worked. I almost felt like I was in a very big expensive house.
The bartenders were nice and the drinks were strong but expensive. I paid $14 for a Long Island and $10 for a sex on the beach.
I think admission is about $20 per person. I didn't pay anything though. They had some sort of special with ladies being free before midnight.
Since we were being lazy we parked in the parking lot right behind the club. That will run you $20 and the man at the front would not negotiate...believe me I tried.
This club was a great time. The crowd was mixed race, age, and gender. The music was good. This club is a B+ and I would definitely go back!!!
Let me set the stage...
Picture a dark, cool August evening. Five women, dressed in various outfits from "crochtastic" to "hot teacher/dominatrix" walk up to a club where they are on the guest list.
Most of the women are buzzing it. One of them (that would be me) is sober.
Then picture FIFTEEN MINUTES later, getting to the guy with the lists who tells said women that the guest list expired 5 minutes ago and they must now pay $15.
Sober woman is annoyed, but not as badly as her cohorts.
They stumble into the club. Pass by the smoking hot bouncers towards the dance floor.
Sober woman looks around and notices a disturbing theme...the men are either:
1. Steroided, tanning bedded douchebags
2. Unattractive Phillapino guys who are loud and far too grabby
3. Creepy old guys who stare.
Sober woman was not amused.
Now they move to the dance floor, where old music was a'spinning and annoying women were woohooing. One in particular who was about a size 14 wearing, I shit you not, a bikini top and daisy dukes in a size 6. Can you say triple muffin top? *barf*
I could further describe the night, the guy following the hottest one, the old woman (I'm serious, home girl was 50) dancing to house upstairs wearing a native american headdress and halter, the lack of dance space on the dance floor, or the tres lame musical options.
But I don't really need to at this point, do I?
Put it this way, the highlight of Sober Woman's evening was when she was leaving and asking a fine ass bouncer where the exit was, having the bouncer hit on her. He was, hands down, the finest guy in the place. Ouch.
Now to be fair I haven't tried the restaurant, and I hope to. Â But after the meal, I will be "social"izing somewhere else.
i'm a HUGE fan of michel richard's citronelle, and continue to be a fan of this culinary genius after my first dining experience at this los angeles location. Â unlike citronelle's lengthy prix fixe, citrus has a short 4-5 course for $45 and $25 pairing. Â (where do you find that in L.A.? Â shweet! Â i say.) Â no, amuse buse (sp?), but who cares?! Â although, the pairing is for your two main entrees, that's fine. Â we ended getting full pours because we had to wait a bit for the chard to chill. Â (now, that's customer service.)
i started with mushroom cigars (parang lumpia shangia, pero with mushrooms at di baboy -- oink!), continued to goat cheese salad (yum), followed by short ribs (sarap), and a delightful mushroom dessert (it's not really made with mushroom. Â it's really a stiffened marshmallow shell with a dark, tuffle-like cap filled with chocolate and vanilla ice cream on a pistachio sauce and crunch balls. Â hmm... you really have to see and taste it to believe it.).
I ate at Citrus at Social during the DineLA promotion. The first thing I noticed was that the dining room was gorgeously designed in yellows, pale greens, and with shabby-chic flair - a design I wouldn't mind imitating in my own bedroom, it was so light, airy and pleasant.
Another thing I noticed: The dining room was absolutely vast - and it was virtually empty, on a Thursday night.
There were rumors that the restaurant had been doing so poorly, due in part to the inflated prices, that it could only afford to be open three days a week (Thursday- Saturday). When our group had a tour of the kitchen later that night, we confirmed with the sous chef that the restaurant was at a precarious point financially due to the low patronage.
You'd think that the lower DineLA promotional prices would have motivated a rush of business, so it was eerie to still see the restaurant so empty, even when the prices were low. A companion whispered to me that the "trendy" prices, coupled with relatively average fare, had prompted most LA foodies to direct their interest elsewhere, including to better restaurants also offering a promotional menu.
At any rate, you wonder: How's the food? Not bad. The Beet and Tuna Salad with Pickled Daikon was presented nicely, in a hockey-puck-like assemblage. The cooked beets and raw tuna were cut into identical-looking chunks, creating a playful effect, as you couldn't tell whether you were about to bite into a beet, or a piece of tuna.
The "72 Hour Short Rib" was - per the current trend - tiny pieces of meat, displayed artfully on a white plate that was a good 6x the size of the food portion. Accompanying the fatty spareribs was a yummy tatertot-like potato log ("Potato Napoleon"), which I initially thought was breaded in panko crumbs, but it turns out (I think? I can't remember.....) was actually rolled in finely-shredded filo.
The desert, a "Mushroom Vacherin - Chocolate Ice Cream, Pistachio Anglaise, Crispy Chocolate Pearls," was the most memorable thing I had that night. It was a chocolate-covered merangue shell, encasing chocolate ice cream, sitting in a puddle of pistachio. Cracking through the merangue was the best part. The dessert clearly invoked something whimsical out of Edwards Scissorhands or Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The dessert was so creatively and vibrantly presented, it was easy to overlook the fact that its flavors were pretty pedestrian and not all that special.
All in all, would I go back? Despite the pretty ambiance, relatively creative food, and friendly kitchen staff who kindly showed us around, the normal menu prices would pretty much scare me away. In these economic times, it's all about value for your money, and that's not really what Citrus' everyday menu offers.
I'm at about a 3.5 on this one. Â Had the tasting menu and a bottle of Chateneuf du Pape 2005.
Mushroom cigars (think southern chinese or vietnamese eggrolls, but thinner, with grilled/fried mushrooms) flavourful. Â 72 hour short ribs - succulent and zesty. Â Had the pumpkin bisque.
Like other restaurants in this group, the idea is fusion. Â Citrus' tasting menu is visually interesting., and actually blended well thematically with its spacious, spring green - accented interior. Â Decor is spare in the vaulted ceiling, giving the sense of a retrofitted loft. Â Charming, but a tiny bit discordant. Â
The creme brulee is a little different, being served outside of its native dish, and in the nude. Â It's playfully kept some semblance of modesty using a sprinkling of fresh fruit. Â Tasty effect.
The chocolate mushroom, on the other hand, is visually appealing, but tastes more like an enormous choco-puff. Â The flaky character of its texture left me unamused.
Wine menu was a tad spare, but largely made up of fairly pricey selections, with a token lower priced bottles. Â Squeeze the middle alright.
4.5 Stars
The restaurant is beautiful. Â I was pretty stunned when I got in (knowing this was not THAT expensive of a restaurant). Â It's not quite like all the typical LA restaurants (modern, trendy, hip), but more elegant, with a romantic feel.
Food is also very well cooked (all the meat was unbelievably tender) and prices were decent. Â But I can see how this can add up to be an expensive dinner, as there are many things that tack on (e.g. $4.50 coffee, $9 asparagus side, etc).
Came here for the dine LA, they were offering the pre-fix menu for $34, which sounded like a bargain...but the food was so-so. Â Started off with the goat cheese ceasar, which the waiter recommended was the most popular choice. Â The salad was way too heavy on the goat cheese, every bite of salad was just too heavy and rich for my tastes. Â The presentation was nice, but the salad lacked flavor contrast and came out too strong on the cheese. Â For the entrees my friends choose the 72hr short ribs and the grilled chicken. Â The presentation was beautiful, but once again the food wasnt thrilling. Â The short ribs were tender, but there was too much fat on the meat. Â I didnt care too much for the stewed cooking method, it didnt seem to bring out the flavor of the meat. Â They might have been better off grilling the steak instead. Â Plus, 4 whimpsy slices of beef seemed a little small even for a light eater. Â The grilled chicken was okay, but it seemed a little overcooked. Â The dessert was pretty decent, the presentation of the mushroom vacherin was beautiful, but it didnt taste as good as it looked. Â The creme brulee was pretty good, but it was a little heavy on the filling, and it was also made of vanilla bean (not your traditional creme brulee). Â The chocolate bar looked very nice, it was made of hazelnut, which again was too strong. Â There didnt seem to be a good balance between chocolate and hazelnut. Â Â All the desserts were presented beatifully and looked very appealing...but eating it was a major dissapointed since they didnt give a good sweet and rich balance.
Overall the food is decent, the atmosphere is very mellow and quiet, the live band was an added bonus which I loved, and the chairs were very soft and comfy.
sorry citrus - you have really great appetizers but you must work on your entrees!
the grougeres are the best!! almost as wonderful as chateau marmonts...the begula was awesome but not on the menu anymore
the last great thing is the kit kat bar - also not on the menu but you can still request it
decor is great!
My friends and I (4 of us total) chose Citrus as the location we would celebrate a special occasion. Â We made our reservations and were all set for a wonderful experience at 7:45pm on a Saturday night.
Upon arrival, it was busy but not what I would call "crazy busy." Â We checked in with the host station at about 7:40 and were told we could wait in the bar... so off we went.
20 minutes went by.... 30 minutes went by.... 35 minutes went by... so we went to the host station to check in. Â They said it would be another 10 minutes... so back to the bar we went. Â
10 minutes went by.... 20 minutes went by.  Finally, the host came and said our table was ready.  We were sat at a table that was directly in front of the entry door and the host stand.  It was a chilly night, and each time the door opened, a cold blast of air came and blew across the table.  The other guests arriving were also consistently bumping our table and seats as they  made their way to the bar.  We went back to the host stand and asked to be reseated because the table was not acceptable.
Back to the bar we went... another 20 minutes went by and still no seat. Â At this point we left without food and with a horrible experience.
Now... I am not one to complain for situations that are beyond someone's control... however... no one from Citrus came over to discuss the situation with us... apologize for the wait... offer us a "drink on the house"... not one acknowledgment that we were waiting. Â We had to ask to speak to management and we all just felt invisible.
This is inexcusable for the prices they charge. Â I will never go back to Citrus, nor would I recommend it to anyone.
This was one of my top favorites from DineLA's Restaurant Week. I had the goat cheese caesar roulade which was really rich and creamy. I thought I'd be turned off by it being goat cheese, but it was pretty mild. While most of my party had either the arctic char or 72 hour prime rib, I picked the chicken breast with asparagus and tater tots. I usually stay away from ordering chicken at restaurants because I always find it to be too dry, but this chicken was cooked perfectly. It was very moist and tender, and a large portion compared to what everyone else ordered. The tater tots were mostly bland though, but salt and pepper fixed that. My dessert was some kinda chocolate mousse with a wafer which was fantastic.
Service could've been better, and I wasn't happy with them running out of bread so early. But the place had really nice ambience here and very comfortable seating.
I really want to give it 3 1/2 but that's not an option. Â The 3 is really for the food, the entire experience was a 4. Â It's gorgeous inside and the drinks were really yummy. Â I went with a group on Friday and we received wristbands to go to Social and skip the crowd/cover.
Honestly, the portions are ridiculous. Â The food is tasty, but after we left Social, we headed to taco bell to fill up. Â If you are looking for a nice night out at a beautiful restaurant w/ a lounge to hang afterwards, this is your place... just don't go here if you are looking for solid sustenance.
This place was excellent! Out of all of my Dine LA reservations, I enjoyed Citrus the most. The food was presented beautifully and the food was pretty descent. Very rich flavors and the decor is very "fresh and clean" feeling. However, the food was a bit too salty. The 72 hour short ribs were awesome, and the dessert, "chocolate mushroom" was pretty inventive. Props to that.
Service was somewhat OK, but he was very patient with us so I give him credit.
Only gripe I had was that everyone seemed very old. Average age was about 45-50. Oh well.
Old Hollywood. Â Literally.
We went to Citrus to eat tonight. Â If you are expecting a hip, youthful clientele akin to the boulevard and the adjacent locations be forewarned, this is old people city! Â But does that really matter for an establishment centered on fine dining? Â No.
But FOOD should, right? Â You wouldn't think it by coming here. Â The Mosaic Carpaccio was like half the thinness of normal carpaccio - ie air - and flavorless. Â The Sea Bass was overly salted and rubbery. Â The Crab "Robaire" was canned crab meat from Trader Joe's on top of day old stale bread, but majority of it was melted cheese. Â The Duck, Duck, Orange was 2 pieces of chewy, horribly prepared meat. Â And a sprinkling of bok choy which they had the nerve to mention as a side like it was more than just a garnish. Â You'd think with 2 small pieces of duck on a plate, each piece would be phenomenal. Â It was the polar opposite. Â The mac & cheese is better at Souplantation. Â
In addition, the bartender must have been trained by his tastebud-less alcoholic Uncle Al. Â The Strawberry Blonde tasted like watered down Patron in a glass with pink food coloring. Â
The manager was really nice though. Â She came by to ask us how the food was, and we were relatively blunt. Â Sorry Miss Manager, don't mean to be rude, but if you read my other reviews, I rarely give bad ones. Â I also live for fine dining, Citrus should research other restaurants on Sunset or Hollywood. Â A place of this assumed caliber, with the competition out there, should at least be in the same league as their rivals within a 5 min radius. Â We KNOW the restaurants within a 5 min radius - Citrus does not meet that standard. Â
At least the décor was nice.  Really beautiful actually.  But if the only positive I can say about a restaurant is the tapestry, that's really sad.  Maybe they should invest less in the décor, and more on, oh I don't know, CHEFS.  Crazy idea, I know.
Dine LA Restaurant Week is the way to go, but man... How did a $34.00 meal add up to $200.00 with the 3 of us?
Well, when the waitress ask you the infamous question " Would you like Bottle or tap water? Make sure you say " I'll go for the LA Basin", Vossi Flat Water for $10.00 Â adds up.
Yes, the Goat Cheese Ceasar was the bomb. My 72 hour short ribs were tender, but the last 2 pieces were all fat and the creme brulee was just enough to do the Happy Dinner Dance.
Staff was great and the place itself is gorgeous.
Just make sure you have enough for Hollywood parking $10.00 valet with a validation from the restaurant, $20.00 without.
Dined at Citrus last night with a few friends as part of dineLAr estaurant week . Â Was able to try a 3-course meal for $34 plus $15 for wine pairing. Â I started with the Goat Cheese Ceasar Salad and this was delicious! Â I love goat cheese and it was so creamy and the homemade croutons just melt in your mouth! Â Main course was the Arctic char, a member of the Salmon family, was perfectly cooked, crispy, salty skin. Â Very good. Â The dessert was definitely the stand out. Â The chocolate bar...I'm still craving it today! Â My friends had the chocolate mushroom and that was not only beautiful but very tasty as well.
The chestnut soup was okay, the bacon flavor overpowered everything else.  72 hour short ribs were very, very tender but a little salty.  Tater tots were good, not incredible.  Service was very good.  Not the best meal I have ever had  but very good!
Yum. We had a great meal here last night. 6 of us went here for my husband's birthday during DineLA. and we all enjoyed it very much From the start, our server, Kenneth, was great. Not overbearing, but very helpful. The place was beautiful with very comfortable seats.
On to the food... Delicious. We started with the Chicken Faux Gras. It was huge and great. It was very creamy and rich. Then came our appetizers. We tried all three. The salads were good, but very small. I would have been upset by the size if we were not paying DineLA prices. But my pumpkin soup was very good. Then came the mains. We tried the arctic char, the short ribs and the chicken with tater tots. They were all three wonderful. I am not sure which one I liked best. For desserts, the chocolate mushroom was amazing. (There is not mushrooms in this dish. It is shaped like a mushroom.) It was so good I would come back to this restaurant just for this. It is a must order.
A solid 4.5 stars -- good food, great service, cool ambience.
This is definitely a see-and-be-seen type of place where you nibble in between people watching. That said, the food is very well-executed and often has a creative twist, without being too snooty. I really liked the chestnut soup, an impossibly rich concoction laced with foie gras. Service seems genuinely friendly and accommodating. Â Â
My only hangup is that it seems a bit overpriced. And the portions are small -- you will get full, but this definitely isn't the place to go when you feel like grubbing out.
I would definitely come here for date night or to entertain out-of-towners...make your reservation a little bit later so you can hang out at the club upstairs afterward.
Came here with a group of friends for their prix fixe menu during OpenTable's Appetite Stimulus Plan. Â The place is really nice, although I thought the large painting of the fruit facing the front door was somewhat mismatched with the decor (and I got that it was a painting of fruit bc I was in a restaurant called "Citrus," thank you very much). Â The service from our waiter was pretty much non-existent, and we had to inquire about three times regarding the whereabouts of our drinks, which were fantastic when they finally arrived half an hour later. Â I liked my friend's Orange Blossom best (vodka, blood orange, blossom orange water, and soda) - it wasn't bitter as I expected from the blood orange, but almost like a mild orange soda. Â I got the Melon Monroe (pineapple and watermelon flavors), and another friend got the Valentino (Black Cherry Vodka, Basil, cranberry juice, simple syrup, and grapes). Â Both were good, although I don't like basil very much and the Valentino had a strong basil flavor. Â Drinks were $13 each.
For dinner, we got the following:
Appetizer (one per every two persons):
-Onion Tart - Delicious! Â It had a slightly sweet onion flavor and looked like a pancake.
-Mushroom Rolls - I hate mushroom, but I have to say that these were very good - probably bc they didn't taste like mushrooms nor did they have that mushy mushroom texture. Â It tasted more like meat.
First Course:
-Cesar Salad - Small square of salad.
-Beet & Tuna Salad - My friend complained that they cut the tuna in square like the beets so she had trouble differentiating the two (she doesn't like beets much), but overall, she liked the salad.
-Pumpkin Soup - I like it when they pour the soup into my bowl in front of me. Â It came with pomegranate seeds, which was different.
Main Course
-72-Hour Short Ribs  - Tender but slightly fatty.  The potato pancake it came with was the best part of it - I had layers of what tasted like thin potato chips.
-Arctic Char - This is a type of fish that is very fishy tasting. Â I didn't like this one very much, but that doesn't mean you might not - I just don't like fishy fish. Â It came with pancetta and potato grits. Â This was my third time trying pancetta, and I've decided it's just not for me.
Dessert
-Chocolate Bar - Delicious! Â It was a rectangle of creamy chocolate with a crunchy bottom, similar to a big Kit Kat bar.
-Some dessert that looked like a mushroom - The bottom was ice cream and the cap was a chocolate covered meringue, all atop a pistachio sauce. Â Recommended if you like meringue.
-Some bread looking thing w/ fruit - I looked at my pictures and don't recall eating this at all, but I know someone ordered it! Â I think it might be bread pudding, but I can't be sure. Â Must have been average since I don't remember anything about it....
Though the portions were a bit small (I wonder if they made them smaller for the prix fixe), I was full by the end of the meal from the four courses and bread. Â It ended up costing about $60 pp ($35 for the prix fixe + drinks, tip, and tax), which is much less than we would have paid had we ordered each item individually. Â Food is not stellar but they had some good dishes - it's a nice place to go w/ a small group but not necessarily for couples since it's pretty loud. Â Also, I definitely felt under dressed (I'm used to it by now) since most everyone else looked like they were ready for a night of clubbing after!
I had an amazing experience at citrus. We made reservations and it didn't seem like a big deal if we needed them or not. The staff was pretty friendly although the hostesses weren't really attentive and didn't really greet us when we entered the restaurant. The atmosphere is definitely casual chic and cleverly themed. Our waiter was attentive and very knowledgeable about the dishes. He was kind enough to explain to us the more curious concoctions on the menu.
We opted to have the escargot appetizer, which was pretty standard. The seafood salad was delicious! The garlic chicken was bit dry but the 48 hour ribs was pretty good. The best part are the steak fries and the hush puppies that came as a side to our dishes.
Also, for dessert, the souffle was fantastic. Our waiter recommended it as a fellow souffle nazi...and he was totally right. It was THE perfect dessert to end our night.
WOW. Â I don't know what went wrong, but Erin R. and I were SOOOO disappointed in Citrus at social. Â W went because we needed to celebrate. Â At 8:30 on a Friday night the place was completely dead. Â There were papparazzi outside, and a red carpet (which was obnoxious to have to walk around from the valet, and ESPECIALLY obscene when we got inside and were one of only TWO couples!!). Â There was like NO ONE inside! Â Uh oh. Â Tip off #1. Â Erin's drink (the "social" something or other) was absolutely fantastic, and the best thing of the night. Â Our cheese puffs, on the other hand, were puffy, but not that cheesy, nor very flavorful.
I'd heard great things about Michel Richard, so I forgave him the cheese puffs and ordered the chicken with "tator tots". Â Unlike Erin, who loaths simple, white-trashy food made fancy (except for maybe the doughnuts at Grace), I, on the other hand, get excited about it.
There was no amuse bouche. Â The chicken was bland, the tator tots tasted exactly like Ore Ida, and the asparagus was simple. Â So what the HELL was I paying all this money for?! Â Erin's appetizer was the beet and tina salad. Â $16 and about 2 and a half bits. Â No hyperbole.
I'd come in expecting greatness, because Richard's reputation suggests it. Â At first I thought about getting the tasting menu, but they wouldn't do it for just one. Â Now, I know that it's regular practice for a tasting menu to require everyone at the table to order it. Â But my friend had dietary restrictions and didn't want it. Â Usually a place will not only be accommodating, but why wouldn't they? Â When a person's ready to drop that kind of money on food, they should be there tucking in my napkin. Â We ended up spending upwards of $60 per person for food that literally was tiny, not flavorful, and ultimately soooo disappointing that I think of it as by far the worst fine dining experience I've ever had.
Over all, we were so unbelievably disappointed, that I can safely say that I will never be back. Â For QPR (quality price ratio), this place is 1 star. Â Zero stars, even. Â I'll give it two because I'm nice, I guess. Â The only reasons I can come up with is maybe that the only people who go there are skinny and famous and don't actually EAT. Â *sigh*. Â I've learned my lesson. Â Don't go to places that appear in US Weekly.
P.S. Â What the heck is up with all these people having complaints about the food and giving 4 and 5 stars anyway? Â Standard escargot? Â Fishy char! Â Poor service?! Â Tough lobster??? Â Overcooked steak?!?! Â These things are not, under ANY circumstances, acceptable. Â Especially at this price. Â LA is a greater food cit than New York and even SF (IMHO), and Citrus really REALLY gives the food scene a bad name. Â I'm sad, unsated, and angry that I can't get back my special night or the gobs of money we spent.
P.S. Â The prices listed on the restaurant's menu are incorrect, they don't have a wine list online, nor do they give sample tasting menus. Â These things are just standard these days.
I was dying to visit the "new" Citrus. Â I had eaten at the "old" Citrus (on Citrus and Melrose) before it retired, and was curious to know how this new rendition had been transformed.
First of all, the atmosphere was great. Â Considering that this restaurant is located in the Hollywood Atheltic Club (I really have to try hard to imagine someone pumping iron in this place), it has been converted into a chic dining room decorated in bright lemon-lime-orange colors.
My guest and I enjoyed the prix fixe tasting menu. Â First course was a Citrus Cured Tasmanian Trout (in a lemon vinaigrette) and an Heirloom Tomato Salad. Â The trout was absolutely divine.
Second course was a Santa Barbara Spot Prawn in a lemon verbena emulsion and my guest enjoyed the Seared Scallop in a symphony of tomatoes. Â I was reminded how the french undercook their fish. Â Fortunately, the chewiness of the Prawn was well balanced by the sweet lemon verbena sauce.
I was super pleased with the Third Course Squab Katafi, which reminded me of an extremely grand funnel cake. Â The bird was covered with a pastry that was seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg and powdered sugar. Â Â My guest enjoyed the 27 Hour short ribe with potatoe tuile. Â
We went a little crazy with deserts. Â Although the prix fixe came with an Apricot Napoleon we also ordered two additional deserts. Â It was a bit decadent, but we rationalized the fact that Michel Richard is an award winning pastry chef. Â "when in Rome....."
I realize that dining in Los Angeles leaves something to be desired. Â We were seated about 15 minutes late and were already on a time crunch to go to a theater performance (I know ....Theater? In Los Angeles?). Â The Maitre De and host were a little clumsy and awkard because they were trying so hard. Â
I would recommend eating late here so that you can get better service.
Citrus  @ social had a killer atmosphere & decor is fantastic!! It is great for large groups . We arrived in  a group of 7 people  and had a drink at the bar.  The place has very high ceilings and is just great for large groups.  They had a  feta cheesy creamy yummy ceasar salad, they roll the cheese in the lettuce then cut the lettuce so all of the pieces are sort of stuffed with feta.  Let me say if you like feta...get this! The Tuna beet salad that one was perfect proportions beautiful and so tasty this was my favorite for its perfect taste.  For dinner i got the LOBSTER burger & fries..It was great but  the bun did get a bit soggy since the lobster had so much butter in it and it was a bit tough.  So a little disappointed.  other people at the table had gotten the chicken and it looked unbelieveibly delish and so they say. It was perfect medallions of chicken all white meat with tater tots that were saltier than a mofo! Â
Bringing up the back end...the kit kat desert!! let me say if you dig hazelnut this is the desert for you...or for me should i say it was killer!!
Nice thing was you could have drinks after in the bar attached with our whole group but by 10 on the nose the little dresses and high heels came in and the club music started... exit stage left please! Â i mean if you like the club scene ....go here and stay for dancing :) I suggest early dinner around 7 so you can avoid this bit !
Went here with some friends on a Saturday night. The place was pretty empty all night. I guess the economy is starting to catch up with the LA dining scene. Too bad because this place has good food and decor, and free access to the adjacent bar and club.
As usual, dishes are rated 1 - 10, 10 being amazing.
$13 The Barrymore (6)
The drink had a refreshing flavor, but needs more liquor. If I wanted fruit punch, I wouldn't have order it.
$0 Amuse Bouche (3)
It was a smaller version of the onion tart on the menu. Not very creative and it lacked a lot of the flavor in the original dish.
$15 Onion Tart with Smoked Salmon (6)
Great, strong flavors in the one. Similar to Wolfgang's Salmon pizza, but actually better.
$10 Gougeres (2)
I think these are misspelled on the menu. Rather than correct it, I think they should just take them off the menu. They are very bland compared to the ones at Cut.
$21 Mosaic (6)
I bumped this one up a couple points just for the presentation. Very cool, but the dish itself is pretty bland and each piece whether fish, beef, or onion had the same light, uninteresting flavor. I really missed the point of the scattered rice krispies.
$21 Lobster, 'Begula' Pearls (9)
Still not sure why the dish is misspelled. The 'caviar' is actually squid ink infused couscous with creamy lobster pieces underneath. The best dish of the night and the presentation was great. I could have done without the rocks on the plate.
$16 Cuttleish Carbonara (?)
I didn't get to try this dish as it was a small portion and my friend swallowed it before I could ask for a piece.
$44 Lobster Fennel (6)
The meat was pretty tender and the sauce was decent, but not my favorite one. Good for a woman who wants something light.
$34 72-Hour Short Ribs (7)
This could have easily been a 9. The meat was amazing, but it looked so lonely. It needed a dollop of cream and a side on the plate.
$42 Lamb (7)
Similar to the short ribs, well prepared and comes with a light jalapeño sauce.
$34 Duck, Duck, Orange (5)
Cool name for a dish and well prepared duck, but a little boring. It was just duck with an orange sauce. I would charge $45, add a piece of seared foie gras, and call it Duck, Duck, Goose....duhhhck
$44 Rib-eye Steak (3)
It was ordered well done, so it was already ruined. And it seemed plain, dry, and lacked much flavor.
$10 Gnocchi (7)
It tasted like green tea mochi with the texture of gnocchi. I thought it was a pretty cool idea and presentation added to the dish.
$12 Orange Souffle (5)
Their signature dessert, but nothing really special about this one, except for the elaborate presentation. The chocolate chip ice cream was good.
$12 Kit Kat Bar (4)
This is a really cool idea. It tasted just like a kit kat bar, except there is one distinguishable difference. It cost 30 times more than one.
$12 Apple Tatin (7)
I wasn't a big fan of all the flavors. It really tasted like three different components that didn't come together well, but the apple just looked so good. All points are for presentation. I tasted it with my eyes first.
Overall the dishes were ok to decent, but I really like the creative of the menu. Also, the service is good and the people there are all pretty nice. Good for a night out and a drink at Social next door. They even started battling on the dance floor. It got a little tempting after a few drinks, I wish I brought my cardboard.
Delicious and wonderful!
I took my gf there for her b-day last week. Â Having experienced Michel Richard's work before (Central in Washington DC), we had higher than usual expectations - which were met. Â And then some.
We went with the prix fixe menu as well. Â From start to finish, everything was delicious. Â Our sever (Nancy) was fantastic, allowing us to split a glass of wine for each course (she was generous w/ the 'half glasses' she was pouring) to help compliment the food the entire way. Â
I look forward to my next meal there already. Â Expensive? Â Sure, but the service and atmosphere that comes with the food makes it well worth it. Â Don't come here for an econo-meal, but if you're looking to impress AND enjoy a fine dining experience in L.A., this place is as good as any.
Two words: Â Too expensive!
I'm all for great food and a good price when the environment calls for it, but this place needs to lower its prices. Â The food is amazing, and if the economy weren't so wrecked, I'd have no problem with this place whatsoever.
The food was good/great. Â The service was eager. Â The decor was memorable.
But $30+ for chicken? Â I had the monkfish which was perfect. Â My bf had the shortribs, which were good, but not as good as the ones at Blairs.
I'd love to see this place thrive, but the overshadowing bleak economic news makes the experience here less than stellar. Â It's comparable to GM continuing to build SUVs when everyone wants a compact.
The kitchen staff is obviously very talented, and I don't think it'd take much for them to re-jigger the menu to fit the times.
My dashing dining companion and I decided to check out Citrus for dinner on a Friday night. Â The restaurant was about 1/3 full when we started dinner around 7:30pm and became packed after 9pm. Â The decor is quite interesting with everything done in light citrus colors....yellow curtains, light green chairs, and beautifully decorated ceilings.
I started with a house drink called "Essence" which was Bombay Sapphire with lavender water and blueberry juice that's served with an orchid. Â A great concoction and not too strong...which is how I like my drinks.
We started with the lobster appetizer that's served in a caviar container with "beluga" pearls which are really made of pasta covered in a black sauce....squid ink perhaps? Â It was a delicious combination of ingredients in a creative presentation.
For the main entree I got the monkfish that came with a pine nut risotto and spears of asparagus. Â The side dishes were good but I thought the monkfish itself was a bit too salty. Â My dining companion got the 72 hour braised short ribs which were fabulous! Â The meat just melts in your mouth. Â The dish is also accompanied by fries supposedly fried in butter....mmmm! Â Fantastic but it'll probably cost an extra visit to the gym or two - so worth it!
For dessert we shared the "kit kat bar" which was some hazelnut/chocolate ganache-like dessert on top of crunchy stuff made to look like a gigantic kit kat bar accompanied by a yummy circular cookie on top...superb!
The service is great...very attentive...although there were times that felt borderline excessive...or maybe because my dining companion and I were so engrossed in our conversations? ;)
Over-all a great dining experience that has a unique atmosphere. Â After dinner, we went to the bar and then the upstairs lounge in Social until the wee hours of the night....
Beautiful room, comfortable atmosphere, small six seat bar, very good food, excellent deserts, good wine list. Citrus is only a small part of Social Hollywood (a large venue consisting of night club, event room, lounge, and multi bar areas)
The location is a little far for most (between Highland and Vine) so you really need to plan to go here. If you are in the area I highly recommend it. The new Pre-Fix Dinner menu for $65.00 is well worth it. Keep in mind entree portions are not large. I have had eighty per cent of the menu and have not been disappointed.
The service is attentive and friendly but lacks five star experience. It is great for business, date and groups.
Valet parking and private parking lot are both available off Schrader intersection
Great space. Â I wanted to take the ceiling home with me. Â Interesting themed color combinations. Â I will not fault them for the (no joke) after-prom party occurring at Social.
Great bartenders. Â One poured me a single malt like it was soda. Â His buddy yukked it up. Â Not what you'd expect at such a posh place. Â Very welcome surprise.
Great host and wait staff. Â Cordial hostesses helped get our unfamiliar foursome together. Â Our waiter was willing to happily answer a barrage of menu questions, eager even to the fifth or sixth one (I lost count) - charming and gracious to the end despite the trial my dinner-mates saw fit to unleash on him. Â And as much respect for by-the-glass as bottle. Â Props.
Clever food. Â I say that instead of great because, even though the pate was addictive, and the 72 hour short ribs insane (just the right amount of reduction to flavor those tots), the cuttlefish carbonara while yummy was more of a curiosity, as was the cheesecake. Â I guess I'm just a simple person, so such effort to impress is unnecessary and even distracting. Â Go ahead and fault me and not Michel for that.
Whoever says the tater tots are not the pinnacle of spud cooking should be taken out back and shot. Â Sub them for the fries that come with most entrees. Â Eat them while too hot. Â If you aren't in love with them, take yourself out back and...well, you know what to do.
Go, but not for the food.
I really enjoyed the high ceilings and faux-fancy-French restaurant vibe. Â The staff was friendly and proactive.
Unfortunately, the majority of the dishes were mediocre. Â They had a good chowder that was tasty, but other appetizers, like the Tater Tots were nothing special. Â Worse, tthough its sauce was good, the steak was tasteless and overcooked. Â Why can't nice restaurants in LA get simple things like steak right? Â To their credit, they did step up and give us a free splash of wine. Â We also had the duck, which was actually pretty good.
Anyway, if you are more into atmosphere than food, this is a great place. Â If you are a foodie, then go, but with muted expectations.
I made my reservations for Citrus after hearing an interview with the head chef on NPR's "Good Food". The guy is a jolly Frenchman with a love for fresh Cali farmer's markets ingredients and probably a source of inspiration for Chef Gasteau from Rataouille judging from the thick accent and overall joi de vivre. The restaurant specializes in French dishes with a Cali twist, with items like "escargot in the garden" and "duck, duck, orange".
We were seated for our reservation for 2 right away by the friendly hostess. The space is impressive - high ceilings, big tables spaced spaciously apart, and nice soft lighting. 2 critiques - they missed the mark with the yellow curtains - it's difficult to decorate with just the right kind of yellow that isn't too pale or bright, these were too pale and gauzy looking. The huge poster of citrus fruits looked like a poster you'd find at Ralph's. But the boots were very comfortable - I love me some booths where they hook you up with a pillow for your back!
We ordered cocktails. I highly recommend "Essence" for fans of gin n tonic. Bombay Sapphire with lavender water and blueberry juice, served with an orchid  - very lovely. The boo ordered an orange blossom, which is a vodka drink mixed with blood orange, and some other citrus. It was sweet but not too sweet, a little bit tart, very tasty and refreshing.
We ordered the "surf and turf" appetizer, which is a mosaic of salmon, scallop, Â yellowtail, and beef carpaccio. Unfortunately this dish got the thumbs down from me. A few pieces were salted to the point of killing all flavor, and the pieces that weren't overly salted were killed by the sauce it was sitting in. I tried the sauce alone and it was weirdly bitter and limey. I liked the fact that there were rice crispies on top of everything, which gave a nice textural contrast to the meats, but the flavors were a big miss. Hopefully though, someone just goofed on the sauce and salting that night.
Happily enough, our main dishes get thumbs up! The 72 hour braised short rib dish is out of this world, and is served with french fries that are fried in clarified butter. Ya hurrrd me! I'll say it again: steak cut french fries fried in BUTTER!!!!
But back to the short ribs - they had such a rich and deep flavor - not overly winey (like at Comme Ca) and melt in your mouth tender. My only quibble with this dish is that it had no refresher on the plate along the lines of an herb or herb salad. The wine pairing for this was great, but alas - I've forgotten what the wine was!
I ordered the monk fish with pine nut and asparagus risotto, with asparagus spears. I was going to order the lobster, but I changed my mind when I could smell this dish a table away! The monkfish was divine. Firm and meaty, but luscious and perfectly seasoned and sauced. The "Asian Jus" (the reason I almost didn't order it - "Asian" anything in a French restaurant just sounds wrong, but I realized after trying the dish that the Asian influence was the duck sauce and hint of 5 spice on the monkfish) had a powerful and wonderful frangrance but didn't overpower the flavor of the fish. I loved the slight cinnamon taste to the fish and the sauce. The pine nut rissoto was a perfect compliment texturally and the flavor was excellent! My only complaint here was that the asparagus spears were a miss - completely over salted and soggy. BUT - the monkfish was DIVINE.
For dessert we had the orange grand marnier souffle. I did not care for the souffle - the orange flavor was far too strong. The texture on the souffle was good, but they served it out of the pot, which for me, makes the souffle go cold too fast. The ice cream they served with it was very nice though.
The service was friendly, everything came out speedily, and we left completely stuffed, plates clean (except for some fries). $187 total.
I would go back to try the cuttlefish carbonara and the lobster dish, which is the chef's signature dish. Bon Apetit!
I should probably not write a review for this place as I was broke, drunk, and in the middle of fasting for Lent when I visited Citrus at Social.
"Drunk during Lent?", you ask?
Yes, I was drunk. I gave up meat. Is that  not enough? I consider it communion wine.
L. was in for the weekend staying at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. We'd had a day of lounging by the pool with all of the posh people. Being the foodie that she is and always in the know, she scoped out this place on <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fopentable.com&s=897c359bd752b4f5407d5ea86453c82be2d1913c8d0b51b18d81fc58f52a6497" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://opentable.com</a> and made the reservation. Fab interior, filled with the beautiful people. Far cry from my Westside haunts. But a girl likes to get dressed up and go out on the town once in a while.
I had the Caesar salad, and a glass of Barbara d' Asti. Entrees are in the neighborhood of $35, wines at least $15/glass. Did I mention I was broke? And couldn't eat any meat. Not beef. Not fish. Not chicken.
Boo.
As my friend A. would say, "Well, try again tomorrow."
Dear God,
I haven't spoken to you in a while, so in case you have forgotten, it's Aunny D. Long time no talk! If you have a sec I wanted to drop something in your earhole. Just a shout out, really. I am thankful for a great many things, this is true. But I realized the other night that I don't thank you enough for hooking us humans up in the food department. I mean seriously, thanks for that, big fella! There are a few items I am especially grateful for, those would be: garlic, truffles, coffee, and dairy for which there might not be cheese. Dear Lord what a scary world that would be! Something, or I guess I should say, someone I am especially thankful for happens to be the Head Chef over at Social Hollywood's new restaurant, Citrus, Mr. Michel Ricard. I've been a kind of a French food kick of lately, so my recent visit to Citrus to experience their Cal-French faire was no big surprise to you I'm sure. Me and a friend went for a celebration dinner of sorts, and we decided to go all out, so Citrus was our destination of choice. Our first course was the onion tart with smoked salmon and creme frache, which was clearly a step above the homemade onion tarts I made over Thanksgiving this year. I'm sure you are well aware of what a disaster those were. Yikes! We also tried the Cuttlefish Carbonara which was quite possibly the most enjoyable dish I had all night. I could have eaten at least 3 plates of that alone, but as I'm sure you have noticed I'm not fitting in to my jeans as well as I used to be, so I choose to use some self-restraint, and we both know that is not my strong suit. For our main courses, we had the Lobster burger (PS - thank you for lobsters. I devour those little buggers as much as possible) with pomme frite as well as the Sea Bass, which wasn't my favorite, but I won't hold that against anyone. For the pies de resistance, desert, compliments of that lovely little French chef, we had the Orange souffle and the homemade Kit Kat Bar with sauce noisette. Can I just say, Heavenly! No pun intended, of course. The drinks weren't bad either; the bar has a really interesting menu and the mixologist is pure evil for concocting that naughty little KuKu drink. I guess I shouldn't bring that one up, but it was just so damn good. Pardon my French. All in all, I am very grateful that Social decided to 86 the old Moroccan restaurant and replace it with Citrus. Although, it was a bit harsh on the pocketbook, I hope to return there sometime soon. If there is any way you might shine down upon me and hook me up with a random hundred dollar bill on the ground or a winning lotto ticket, that would be much appreciated!
A very grateful & with a bit more junk-in-the-trunk,
Aunny
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