Finally made it to Vespertine last night after having it on my list for a while, and it was largely everything I hoped for, with one caveat.
The Setting
The restaurant takes over the entire building in Culver City. A striking copper structure that sets the tone before you even sit down. The meal progresses through different spaces, which adds a theatrical quality that we enjoyed.
Service
Excellent across the board. The staff struck a nice balance. Each course description was detailed and clearly well-rehearsed, veering somewhat into lightly pretentious, but never enough to take you out of the moment.
The Savory Courses
This is where Vespertine absolutely shines. Each dish was outstanding. Creative without being alienating, beautifully plated, and genuinely delicious. New flavor combinations that actually worked. If the meal had ended here, it would have been one of the best I’ve ever had. The quail many ways was a particular highlight. And the mussel dish was a delightful surprise.
The Desserts
Here’s my caveat. The transition course, meant as the bridge between savory and sweet, was the only dish I disliked. The desserts that followed were fine, not particularly memorable. The exception was the final course, which was visually stunning. I’m not a raspberry person at all, and somehow I enjoyed it.
Overall
Without the desserts, this is a top-tier meal, genuinely one of the best I’ve had. With them factored in, I’d call it a very solid 2 stars that earns its rating, just not quite the transcendent experience the savory half promised. And it’s definitely one of the priciest meals I’ve had.
Curious whether others felt the same about the sweet side of the menu.
by NYCFoodieDad
3 Comments
What was your total bill? Somni and Addison cost me $3-3500 for 2.
I had an incredible experience here like 2 years ago. Looks like the menu is exactly the same. The meal was good, not great, but it was BY FAR the best wine pairing I’ve ever had. Our servers became our buddies and took pics with us while we all laughed together for 3 hours. Our main server wasn’t polished enough to be serving us at a $1000/pp, 2 star meal, but we had a blast either way.
Food wise, big step down from a place like Providence (which was 2 star until only recently, and a similar, if not less expensive price point), and service is not even comparable… but with the presentation and all things considered, the memory of Vespertine is even more vivid for me because of how fun they make the experience.
It’s not the tastiest food imo, but it’s definitely an experience. One of the more unique fine dining spots. Enjoyed my time here in January.
Agree on the sweets, the red earth or whatever dish and the pancake thing were not anything amazing, but Layers was interesting.