Dialogue

Hidden within a Santa Monica food court lies one of the most extraordinary dining experiences Los Angeles has to offer. Dialogue isn’t your typical upscale restaurant—it’s a tiny, unassuming space that requires booking online and prepaying for your meal before you even step through the door. But don’t let the unconventional setting fool you. What awaits inside is a culinary journey that challenges everything you thought you knew about fine dining.

The 21-course tasting menu here is a masterclass in creativity without pretension. Each dish arrives as just one or two perfectly crafted bites, allowing you to fully appreciate the chef’s vision without ever feeling overwhelmed. Expect the unexpected: a papaya salad with burnt lettuce that somehow tastes of peanut, followed courses later by steak draped in burnt onion sauce. The menu plays with themes and connections, weaving flavors together across courses in ways that surprise and delight. Even the desserts break convention—think chocolate bars, playful fruit roll-up interpretations, and sugar-coated carrots.

What sets Dialogue apart from other tasting menu experiences is the warmth of the service. If you sit at the counter, the chef himself might be serving your courses, and the entire team radiates genuine enthusiasm for making your evening memorable. There’s none of that stuffy fine dining attitude here—just passionate people excited to share incredible food and thoughtfully selected wines that complement each course in unexpected ways.

This is the kind of place you save for truly special occasions, when you want an evening that feels like an adventure rather than just another expensive dinner. The wine pairings are essential to the full experience, with selections chosen specifically to enhance and connect with each dish. You’ll leave having eaten and drunk things in ways you never have before, and that’s exactly the point. Bring a designated driver and prepare for a meal you won’t soon forget.