Sona

The meal at Sona lived up to all the hype I've heard. The sweet corn chowder started the meal wonderfully, followed by the melt in your mouth beef tenderloin and short ribs. A companion and I split an ounce of the wagyu beef just to try it and it, for me, beat the wagyu at Cut. For dessert definitely try the fried lemon meringue pie. It's unique and flavorful. Our waiter expertly recommended wines and we all left very full and incredibly satisfied. I would recommend this restaurant without hesitation.

We visited Sona for Valentines Day and it was a night to remember. Sona is incredible in that the flavors one experiences are like nothing you have ever had. The desserts were in my oppinion some of the best I have ever had. Estimated Price: $220

Went to Sona for a special occasion where they had a nine-course prefixe. Just as a qualifier, I've eaten at just about every "nice" restaurant in LA as my significant other likes to call herself a "foodie" which makes no sense to me whatsoever. Over nine courses I did not have one thing on my plate that I liked. I ended up giving every last dish to her and left hungry. I've traveled a lot and have eaten at amazing restaurants around the world. I'm more than willing to try new foods, and even exotic dishes. At the end of the day, good food is about tasting good, not what it looks like on a plate and not how exotic the incredients are. This is Sona's problem. The food just doesn't taste good. Sure, the portions were miniscule, which is fine in a nine-course meal, but the dishes that they created were just garbage. Who charges $125 per person and doesn't have any steak on the menu? Don't even think you're getting out the door for $250, either. I had one glass of wine and she had one mixe... Read more

This place was perfect. It was like an LA secret. Perfect for our date, and I would love to go back for business meetings or a holiday party. They have a private room that scream, perfect high end party!!! The food was mind- blowing, the desserts were creative. Everything on our 9 course dinner, was plated on a different type of plate. Staff was attractive and kind. Everyone must try this place.

Arguably L.A.'s most acclaimed restaurant, Sona is a bit of an anomaly. After all, in a city where it's more about style than substance, this disarmingly simple space tantalizes the eye with not much more than a bubbling stone fountain and a candlelit bar. The chilly dining room with unadorned, brushed concrete walls and a minimalist look, feels more like a stark sushi bar than a luxurious dining hideaway--a reminder that the focus here is squarely on the food. Classically trained chef David Myers' superlative menu meshes fresh seasonal ingredients with culinary creativity. First courses blend textures and flavors in unexpected ways, such as creamy macaroni with crispy, succulent sweetbreads and foie gras terrine with apple butter and pine nut vinaigrette that's simultaneously savory and buttery. Second courses range from Kobe steak paired with a bundle of smoky, melt-in-your-mouth short ribs, to a sweet duck breast draped over mildly grilled eggplant and a tangy brown mustard sauce. T... Read more

If you are going to a restaurant for the food - not the scene or to be seen ( sorry half of my friends belongs to that category ) you do not want to miss this place . The food is absolute fantastic ! .We have been there several times and we are absolute blown away every time . The service - the food - the AMAZING desserts from Michelle Myers ( during the day enjoy Boule across the street ) . The only minus - the room - its a small quiet room - Im sure many will enjoy this - but a bit to quite for us! . Want more noise and party and still enjoy David Myers incredible food - try Comme ca

I will make this short and sweet. I have eaten at Sona over ten times over the year I have lived in Los Angeles (previously lived in NYC, London and New Orleans-all food mecca's). This is the BEST restaurant I have ever had the pleasure to dine. I have been to many extraordinary restaurants around the world, from the French Laundry in Yountville to Louis XV in Monte Carlo and many many more. David Myers is a genius and has perfected the dining experience. Bravo!

The best Dinning Experience. I took my girlfriend for a romantic dinner. We had an amazing experience. The food was great.

For those of you who are saying that Sona isn't an amazing experience- you obviously don't dine at upscale restaurants very often! My husband and I were visiting from out of state and ate at Sona for our anniversary and it was, hands down, THE best dining experience we've ever had. Chef Myers and his staff were courteous, VERY educated in the food they served us, and so accommodating. We each had the six course tasting menu, and Chef Myers sent us several extra courses, along with champagne, as it was a special occasion for us. I've been to many fine dining establishments in NYC, LA and other large cities that are known for great food, and Sona tops my list. I've followed Chef Myers career for several years, and there's a REASON he is Los Angeles ONLY Michelin 5 star rated chef, and he definitely proved himself on the night we visited. I highly recommend Sona and give it 5 out of 5 stars.

I celebrated my birthday at this suspiciously five star rated restaurant and I must say that I (and everyone else in my party) was thoroughly disappointed! The menu was totally lame and unoriginal. There was absolutely nothing creative about the six and nine course prix-fixe menus. We had the six course menu and the first dish brought out was inherently only "a dish," save for the tiny speck of food centered in the plate. I'm serious one would need to bring a magnifying glass to see the portion. I don't even know what the dish was exactly but I think they were trying to recreate the stuffed zucchini flower, which was absolutely bland. Then they brought out some sashimi which at this point they introduced gender specific dishes. I was served seared ahi-tuna with apple compote. YUCK!! Then they brought out baked cod with miso sauce (wow I've never seen that before). This was followed by venison which required the consumption of copious amounts of water due to the ridiculously high sodium... Read more

I spent some serious time researching a restaurant to take my boyfriend to for his birthday... Sona really talked themselves up and had a lot of press to back them up. We are both serious foodies and the chef was rated "most creative chef in LA" so I figured it was going to be an incredible night. I was also hoping for a very romantic classy atmosphere, where we would be wined and dined properly, getting all the attention we are paying for. The service was absolutly unacceptable for an establishment rated at 5 stars. We were basically ignored the entire time, empty plates lingering for 15 minutes, each coarse taking way too long to arrive. Bread would arrive and then the butter would follow 5 minutes later. NEVER once asked if we would like another glass of wine and NEVER once asked how everything was. I actually was so bothered I tried for five minutes to flag a server down to cancel our deserts and bring us the check and I couln't even get the attention of a busboy. The place was... Read more

Sona is a fine dining, special occasion, destination restaurant. This is not a place you go for a casual kick back meal. It is not a bistro and it certainly does not try to be. Totally different genre. This is a place you go to have an other worldly experience with food, not grab a bowl of pasta and cruise for hot guys. Dthstar ... you think the servers there are dressed like FBI agents? Seriously? You must not own a suit. Their atire is entirely appropriate for fine dining .. I can't imagine what you showed up to dine in. I also wonder about people, like yourself, who are so incredibly insulted by the use of good manners and the appropriate and respectful use of the english language. That amazes me to no end. Not very good commentary on today's society I guess. Then again anyone who spells because as "cuz" wouldn't appreciate. Sona is a place for a cultured and adventurous palate. I highly recommend doing the tasting menus. That is how a restaurant like this is intended to be expe... Read more

the decor reminds you of a nicely-manicured contemporary manhattan bistro. the servers are dressed as secret service agents and none of them ever smile either, and they only think they know more about the dishes than you when in fact everything they described about a particular dish you asked about turns out to be totally false. the only thing 'intriguing' about the place is perhaps the 'clean contemporary' ambience & the occasional hot gay couple strategically seated near other noteworthy straight couples here and there. they tried to impress w/ the menu, but when they say 'black pepper flavored ice cream,' they don't mean it by any mean! it turns out to be just plain old vanilla ice cream w/ vanilla bean specks- this is 1 of the things we asked our severs about and he assured us it really IS black pepper flavored ice cream (as we hoped for, cuz THAT'S something worth trying!)... anyway, he lied. we had 8 things on their menu and wasn't impressed at all. either it was too salty or to... Read more

Let?s be honest, we were pretty disappointed! This restaurant doesn?t live up to their 5-star ratings or the prestigious John Beard Foundation Award given to Executive Chef David Myers in 2004. Initially, we thought that the zen-like atmosphere was nice and the staff was professional until we sat down. The place is just too tight and far too noisy to enjoy fine dining. During our main course, we noticed (it was so apparent) that the table beside us received the ?real service? compared to the rest of us. These three young ladies had the staff (including the chef) over service them. It was annoying and unprofessional. During this whole time our waiter disappeared. Be warned! The entrees are TOO SALTY. Order plenty of sparkling water to wash it down. For those of you with heart problems might want to ask them to ease up on the salt! Why do the French always over season their food?? Their Menu was typical and boring. Why serve Churros as a complimentary dessert? This isn?t Magic Mountai... Read more

My husband and I went for our anniversary. The staff was wonderful and they had gone so far as to customize our menu with a 'Happy Anniversary' at the top. We both ordered the 6 course tasting menu. It was simply good. If it were for the food alone, I'd actually give it three stars, but the positive experience with the staff pushed it to four. This 'good' dinner would not have been disappointing under normal circumstances, but when you are paying $400 for a dinner for two, expectations are set higher for an exceptional experience, which was not what we had. We also had to pay an additional $50 each for opotional the inclusion of truffles on one of our courses. Which seemed like a tacky sales pitch to me. The price tag of our dinner warranted the finest ingredients as it was; we shouldn't have needed to pay more. Sadly, the chef's use of the truffles wasn't that exceptional either. One more small annoyance - a fine dining experience shouldn't feel crowded - but this one did. ... Read more

I went with a couple of friends for the first time the other night and too me, it was just a little above average. I gave it 3 stars becasue I loved the wine. The food was delicious, but very very small portions which makes sence that they stuff you with bread. After every dish the size of a domino, the waiters would come around with a huge basket of bread. So, since we had the 6 course meal they came around 6 times. Thats too much bread to handle. And if you dont eat it, you leave hungry. Dont get me wrong the food is great but not what I expected. I am going back soon, this time I will order an entree and see if i have better luck!

Phenomenal food and superb service. The execution of the 6 course meal was flawless. The food was inventive, presentation elegant, and oh the taste! Divine! Excellent, friendly staff that met all of our needs without ever needing to ask. They even handed my fiance a little bag of goodies from the patisserie across the street and wished him a happy birthday on the way out. My only detraction was that it was a tad loud in the restaurant. Dinner for 2 (6 course tasting menu for each, 1 glasses of wine each, sparkling water for 2 + tax and tip) was $320.

Great atmosphere, but large plates and quarter-sized food does not do it for me. We spent $690 (for two) and were still very hungry! Confusing menu lead to an increase in our bill...never add truffles to your food (it was $70 per shaving per person). Bottom line, don't waste your time and money at this restaurant.

This is one of my all-time favorite restaurants for exquisite fine dining. Food, service and wine are all impeccable. Truly one of the best restaurants in town. David Myers' cooking is sublime. He really offers something special. The wine list is amazing, and the cocktails are very good as well. They use all natural ingredients and everything is hand-crafted. Get the 6 course tasting menu and let the chef do his thing. They will often do a "dual" tasting menu, where if there are 2 people then you each get different courses. Or the 9 if you are really hungry! Desserts are good as well. The only downside is that it's a little starck inside. This is not a fireplace/view type of romantic experience restaurant, but if you love good food it really doesn't matter.

The food at Sona is incredible and probably beats out Table8 and Grace. Everything is great except that the service is just a bit too pretentious, even as the promise not be on their website. Far too many servers for a small dining room, especially when dining on a Friday night and seated at one of the tables in in the middle of the room.

Celebrated my 30th birthday here and was TRULY amazed. Did the 9 course tasting menu and was not dissappointed once. Every course was a new adventure: Kobe, venison, wild boar, blood-pudding...and great wine pairings too. The absolute BEST espresso I have ever had. Was stunned , impressed, and as soon as the pocket book recovers, I will be back. Most expensive dinner to date, and worth every penny. What memories are made of and what make life worth living.

Simply the BEST restaurant in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Food, Service, Ambience....no detail was left unattended to. A bit pricey, but worth every cent.

Had dinner here a couple of times with my boyfriend. Totally blown away each time. Great tasting menu and desserts! Amazing precise, and friendly service. Decided to stop by with my girlfriends on a Saturday night to show them the great bar. Previously a girl had made me a great blood-orange martini. This time we were served by the hottest bartender in L.A. Seriously!! Imagine Taye Diggs with a British accent. OMG! So charming. He improvised some amazing drinks, from fresh ingredients. I have got to hire him for my next party. He then talked us into a cheese plate. This really cool guy turns up with the cheese. So funny and so knowledgeable about every aspect of the great selection of cheeses. You simply have to experience this place for yourself!!

Had dinner last nite. After seating in LA traffic for about an hour and half which i found out was the norm in LA. I was about to strangle someone. I waited at the bar for my friend. The bartendar really know how to make a great cocktail with all those fresh products and more importantly he really know how to make us feel at home. It was so nice to seat and reflect on the day and have a great cocktail. It was a great start. As we walked into the dinning room, it was very simple decorated and made feel very much at ease. The wait staff was very professional and warm at the same time. They really took care of you and your needs. The food looked beautiful. The sweet breads and lobster risotto was excellent. No better way than to have great food and great service to make your week day blah to go away. Only if i could afford this everyday.

very good food , the tasting menu is creative and suprising at time , the wine list is very well balance

We dine at Sona on Friday nite at 9:00 p.m which was on the later side. Could not get a earlier reservation and to our surprise Sona was still a pack restaurant until about 1:00 a.m. It was a viberate atmosphere for a fine dinning restaurant which we really enjoyed. The staff was beyond helpful and caring. They made us feel welcome and as if we were sitting in our own home. We order the a la carte menu which I had the risotto and the duck. The risotto was cooked perfectly and duck was so juicy. My friend had the snapper which was moist as well. Great food and service. It was nice to see such young crowd at a fine dinning restaurant.

I had dinner here last night and it was the ultimate dining exprience I've had! We ordered the 9 course and everything was just amazing! Their kobe beef melted in my mouth, fish cooked perfectly and definitely woke up my palette! The service was welcoming and every staff knowledgable. The best dining experience I've ever had in LA!

Hade dinner on wednesday. We tried the tasting menu. It was delightful. The raw fish course was tremendous. The meat was prepared perefectly. The wine pairing was outstanding. The service was surprisingly friendly. I thought that we would get snoppy want to be actor but we were wrong. They were very knowledgeable and very accomadating. We asked for a orange soda which they did not have. But our surprise, ten minutes later the orange soda had appeared. Someone ran to the store to pick up the soda for us.That is going above and beyond.

My boyfriend and I had dinner there last thursday. We ordered the 9-course tasting menu for $169 each but turned out to be a total disappointment. Our bill came out to be $400 plus. The raw fish was fairly-good, but the snapper tasted way too fishy. The squab was disgusting, it had no flavor. The kobe beef was too fatty and there's nothing on the side to counter the fatty flavor. I couldn't even swallow it and the rest was finished by my boyfriend unwillingly. Each of us got 3 desert courses and desert is usually something I look forward to but my mango soup thing was too sweet and it tasted like cough syrup. I had just one bite of my next desert and i gave it all to my boyfriend coz it was just not tasty. My boyfriend's peanut ice-cream was also awful. I can't believe a restaurant received such reputation would mess up on the deserts. I would not recommend anyone to go to sona for this price and this kind of food quality. Tasting menus in providence and ortolan are only $125 a... Read more

Had dinner there on Memorial weekend. We did the a la carte menu. Great food. The chef sent out a Hamachi belly course for us to try. It was devine and melted in your mouth. Now I know what that saying really means. The sweat breads was outstanding. The duck was prepared exactly as it should be. It had a perfect crispy skin and the breast remain moist. Great job! My partner had the snapper. Moist and not overly cooked. It was truly devine on the palette. The service was exremely welcoming. Everyone had genuine caring attitude towards our dinning experience. We really appreciate that the staff really cares if you are really enjoying yourself.

To be fair the food was excellent. But it fell short of expectations for a restaurant of this caliber. The service was dissappointing other than the back help and the bread lady that were hustling. Main course plates sat on the table for a good 10 mins when we were done eating before anyone came back around.The main waiter was waiting on more tables than he should have been at an establishment like this. I would not go back and would head to melisse instead in a heartbeat. Not one of the top restaurants in LA in my opinion...

The boyfriend and I were here last Saturday evening to celebrate an occasion. Really, my only real peeve about Sona was that my reservation was for 530pm and they literally did not open the door until 530pm, after insisting that if I was considering doing one of the tasting menus, I might want to start early because the second seating was going down at 8pm. (And they would otherwise rush us?) We got there and had the dining room to ourselves- beautifully tasteful decor done mostly in black and white. We inquired about the tasting menus and wine pairing and after finding out it would cost us an additional $125 per person (a little steep in my opinion) for the wine pairing, we almost decided to go with just a bottle of our picking when the server told us we could get half, roughly one ounce instead of two. Thinking that we were there for the food rather than the wine, (and didn't want to be too drunk down the road to taste anything) we opted for the half. In all honesty, I think th... Read more

Been there twice this month. One with clients that are restaurant people. They love the food and were blown away by the service. The tasting menu was sublime. The service was great and very professional. Every details was taken care of. Second time, I was with good friends who just wanted to have fun. To my surprise, Sona can be a fun atmosphere as well. We had a great time with the staff who were full personality and wit. Two very different experiences. Good job on pulling it off.

My wife and I had dinner here last night and had the best time. The food is well thought out, outstanding taste with beautiful presentation. The service staff is delightful and knowledgeable. Wine pairing with our tasting menu was perfect! If fine dining without the stuffiness, this is it!

I took my difficult to impress San Franciscan foodie parents here on the Friday after Thanksgiving. After reading 3 or so articles in national wine and food rags I thought this place would be on par with the French Laundry or Per Se. Mais non. The decor was reminiscent of a 90210 dermatological spa office, and the wait staff hovered to the point of being obtrusive. It didn?t help that the wine we brought was on the wine list (for $975). The food was seductive, but the obtrusive service and ice cold atmosphere made me question the humungous tab. I had one shot at showing the folks LA can match SF when it comes to culinary excellence, butI think I might have missed the target.

and I can say without a doubt: it's the best restaurant in LA! The food is AMAZING! Chef David Myers' passion and love for what he does is contagious! I always take my family and friends there when they're in town! It's always a great experience, and if you don't have a good experience, let someone there know that night because they really do care about the guest!

The food -- from the parmesan crusted breadsticks to start through till dessert -- is amazing. The staff is unbelievably accomodating. The chef will specially prepare something for you, if you have particular dietary needs. The dining space is unassuming (to put it nicely -- they could do a little more in this department but once your dinner arrives, you won't even notice). Sona most rivals the finest dining establishments in New York, where most in LA can't measure up. I take all my out of town guests here.

Sona is a really neat place to take your friends. It is a classy establishment with a unique blend of California/Asian type of foods.

We were seated promptly and immediately our waiter came and offered his service. The sommalier was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed the wine he recommendated very much. We tried the prix fix menu and it was sooo delicious. Each dish was explained thoroughly by the server. Even though the portion was not big but my boyfriend and I were full by the end of the night.

I just had dinner at Sona and we did the tasting menu. The food was perfect. I actually tried the antelope and it was surprisingly great. They brought an array of different dishes that was full of flavors and looked stunning. The cheese plate was done well.The service was the best of all. Our server was great and extremely acommadating. They made us feel like we were the only guest in the restaurant eventhough the place was packed. Extremely packed! Sona took care of the little detail in their food and service. The best meal in LA by far!!!!! Love the service team!!!!!!

a friend and i had a wonderful time at this restaurant. the ambience is great, the service is great, the food is ok. we had the 6 course tasting menu and it was good because each person at the table gets a different dish (and you can still share). so i ended up tasting 12 dishes. the food was ok, i thought, but not spectacular. i particularly enjoyed the crab with tuna and the scallops. the desserts were fine although the soup-y chocolate dish was "interesting." my main beef is the addition of the shaved black truffles with the savory dish. they warn you that it is an extra cost, which is good -- but they don't warn you it is $65 per person on top of the price of the tasting menu! c'mon! it can't be that expensive considering they just put a smattering of shaved truffles -- and they don't even do it in front of you (like some good restaurants do!). that being said, i am glad i tried this place - the service was fine, but the food was not spectacular and definitely NOT worth ... Read more

What can I say? Sona exceeded all of my expectations! I found Sona on citysearch and after reading all the great reviews decided to have a pre-christmas dinner here with friends. We each ordered the 6 course tasting menu with wine paring (be advised that the wine paring is actually $89, not $55 like it says on the website). Highly recommended! The food was exceptional and complimented the wine perfectly. We were all thoroughly impressed with the attention to detail and flavors of the food. It was just exquisite! The wait staff treated us like royalty and were very knowledgable. The place has a nice ambiance, though does get noisy with the poor acoustics. It was honestly the BEST meal I have ever had in my life! Though the portions were incredibly small, I had enough to eat. Next time we will order an entree. It is rather a bit overpriced for what you get as we ended up paying over $250 a person with tip. But it was definately worth EVERY penny. I recommend Sona for any special occasion... Read more

Absolutely incredible! My hubby and I are big foodies (he is a sommelier) and we were completely thrilled in every way with Sona. The rare restaurant that can combine exciting, unique food, exquisitely executed, with FLAWLESS service and a warm, inviting vibe. We had such a wonderful evening here - waitstaff were knowledgeable, attentive without being overbearing, and the food was simply to die for. Wine list is excellent and staff is knowledgeable about pairing with the menu. The foie gras was a standout, and their desserts are some of the best we've ever had (Can't recall the exact name of the dessert - but it was a coconut-rum beignet...heavenly!!). A terrific special occasion spot for those who love creative food executed beautifully. We will definitely be back!

Came in on Saturday night. It was packed. We waited at the bar for a couple of minutes and had a couple cocktails. The bar had a great vibe. It was a pleasure to wait there. As we sat for my birthday dinner, they had a special menu prepared for me. A nice touch. We did a la carte. The food was amazing. Our waiter was amazingly friendly and helpful.

The ambience and the attentive service were out of this world, but I think it just stops there. As recommended, my friend and I ordered the tasting menu. Boy, was it a HUGE disappointment or what?.. Not only the waiter was naming the wrong ingredient for the dishes, but the food itself was? bland. There was nothing special about the main course, and the desserts were just a deal breaker for me. My ?mango soup? tasted like cough syrup, and my friend?s chocolate cake looked and tasted like from a frozen box. There was nothing memorable that night about the food. The best part of the meal that nigh was the cheese bread stick. Since it was the Thanksgiving weekend I went for dinner, maybe Chef Myers was out of town?

We started @ the bar. Great cocktails!!! Service was very attentive and friendly. Food was amazing. They take care of very little details of our dinning experience. We had the tasting menu which I was still a little hungry afterwards and the server was nice enough to ask if I might still be hungry and the kicthen brought me out another course so that I could be satisfied. Great eye for detail. No charge for the course and we just wanted you to be happy. I was told. GREAT JOB!!!

Food is good... also good for people watching. It actually gets really loud and hectic. The time I was there, there were people going from one table to another, greeting out loud across the room. The wait staff is okay.. The restaurant itself gives a home-like feeling... especially the bar...

Great dinning experirence. The whole package was there. Food was stunning. Service was attentive and extremely friendly. Drinks at the bar was a nice starter. Been there twice in one week. Visting from New York. A lot more energy on saturday(I love it)! If you do not not like a super crowded restaurant then come on tuesday. Tuesday was full as well but not as noisy. Best overall restaurant in LA!!!

I always wanted to try it out and I took the opportunity of my birthday to do it. Everything turned out to be excellent - food, service, ambience.... It's also a perfect restaurant to bring overseas visitors. I had Lobster Risotto, Duck Breast and Chocolate Tart which were all perfect. My husband extremely enjoyed his Foie Gras and Beef Tenderloin. Even the coffee seems to taste better although it's a bit pricey - $9 but it's more than enough for two to share. The only downside is that the restaurant is not too spacious, ceiling is low so it becomes very noisy plus there seems to be too many service staff who keep floating around the restaurant and it makes the place very crowded.

This place is definitely trendy. I like the atmosphere, and the service is really good there. The food could be a little better. But overall it's good food. They have a great tasting menu, that I would recommend. The managers are really hospital here, and people went out of their way to help with anything I asked for. This restaurant is romantic, and chic.