Naresh’s

So I ate at Naresh’s about 4 months ago and must say that I don’t agree with all of the 4 to 5 star hype. We came in around 9pm on a Friday night and were told that there was about a 20 minute for a table but that we could wait at the bar. We waited for about 40 minutes, finished a glass of wine, and then quickly realized that they had completely forgotten about us. The energetic owner, Naresh, walked over to apologize and we were quickly seated. Now I am always a big fan of personalities at restaurants but Naresh was slightly over the top and not sure if it was the four glasses of wine he took down but he kept hugging me while I was sitting at the table with his armpit in my face. He not only did this once but on three separate occasions.
Now the food was semi okay but felt there was too much garlic on the edamame, the artichoke was half cooked, the pizza lacked flavor, and the scallops tasted cheap. The duck roll up was yummy but was the only thing on the menu that I would halfway recommend.
Maybe it was the Friday night rush, but I would definitely not recommend eating here unless they change the menu.

My boyfriend and I were drawn to Naresh’s because of all of the high reviews. We were not disappointed. The menu looked amazing and we were not sure which plates to order. We finally got some white wine and ordered the prawns, the lamb, chicken tikka and the buffalo mozzarella and basil pizza. All of the dishes were great, but we liked the prawns and the pizza the most. The bartender was really friendly. Naresh came by and spoke with us — SUCH a nice guy!
The ambiance is wonderful — good music, beautiful space, friendly service. I’ll definitely going to be bringing my girlfriends here for a night out.
It looks like Naresh’s might have closed since I wrote up the review in December of 2010.

Naresh’s is a good tapas-​style place without the complications that Main Street usually brings. I’ve never had to wait, whether I’ve come in for a drink or a meal, and my experience has never been short of wonderful. It’s not as fancy, busy, or dark as a Gjelina or Manchego, but I’d say the food is on par.
Most notable menu item for me was the artichoke, mostly because I’ve never tasted such a dipping sauce!

3 ½ stars.
Decided to go visit my friend and Unilocaled around tapas restaurants and found Naresh’s. They had high reviews so thought we would check this place out. The inside is a little small but nice and casual. It was empty when we walked in. The lighting is a little of that romantic red feel. Street parking.
The food. We got a few things that I read from Unilocal were the popular ones.
Chicken Tikka: Only 2 skewers fair size a tad bit burned but luckily wasn’t overwhelming. Their sauce, the mint chutney was very refreshing and paired real well with the chicken. The little mixed salad was good but would ask for less dressing next time.
Crab and Corn Cakes: Personally was my fave. A perfect crunch and a hint of spice. Their orange sauce was real good, I even dipped the chicken tikka in it. Only downside the baby corn cob was drenched in butter, I like easy butter because I like to taste the actual flavor of the corn.
Seared Scallops, two pepper sauce: I was bit disappointed when I saw how small the scallops were. It was baby size and every tapas or restaurant I’ve been to the scallops are always real big. But it was good so can’t complain. Came with flat bread and it had the perfect crisp not to mushy and just amazing with the pepper sauce. Wasn’t too spicy or too heavy.
Tiger Prawns: Good size and great flavor. Basic but still had a light and vinegar taste. Also the mixed salad was good but again too much dressing.
Overall this place was good. Portion size was a little too small for the price. I know its tapas but I still think for the price it was a little short. I recommended going during happy hour! good Indian flavor with a twist. Check it out!

First and foremost, Naresh is a freaking rockstar! He greeted our fairly large party warmly and treated us like we were family. The service was stellar, attentive, and kept the drinks and food flowing til’ we were fat and happy. The back dining area felt more like a private oasis, the lighting the trees, the spacious seating and candle light made it hard for any of us to want to leave. The artichokes were TO DIE FOR, like give me a hundred of those things! I’ve never tasted edemame like Naresh’s, like little salted garlic slices of heaven. I live in Seattle, but bet my first stop next time I’m in Santa Monica will be to see my new friend Naresh.
Big Thank you to Naresh and his amazing staff for making such wonderful memories of my brief stay in LA.

It’s hard to imagine why there is not more people in this restaurant. It’s really good for the price and the location is awesome.
Every time I don’t want to wait in a line I come here and I really like it. I’ve never had a bad meal and the service has always been beyond nice.
If you follow me then you know my authority on pizza is the final authority… this pizza does not cut it… but the rest of the menu is great. It’s not fancy and it’s not busy. The presentations are just average but it’s prepared well.
Honestly, I think if there were more people in the place I would give it more stars.
The Duck Rolls are divine.

Indian tapas meets fusion-​madness.
* Duck roll ups [Chinese chopped-​duck in lettuce wrap] = juicy~ a bit on the saltier side but still pretty good.
* Crab cake & corn = chunky & delicious.
* Chicken tikka & mint chutney [two kabobs] = skewered well, with great chutney.
* Prosciutto basil pizza = fresh basil and prosciutto on thin wood-​oven-​fired pizza… who wouldn’t like the combo?
* Bread pudding w/​whiskey glaze = YUM! The über-​present whiskey glaze was such a nice complement to the sweet, dense bread pudding. Mmm~
Interiors are a bit of a mish-​mash of everything… which to be fair, equally matches their food offerings, lol~ Dark wooden tables, leather-​padded bench-​seating against the walls.
With all the great Unilocal reviews, we were not disappointed by the food, though we were surprised at how few other patrons came to dine on a Friday night (supposedly the busiest of date nights, no?) The owner /​manager came by each table to ask how we enjoyed our meal. Oh and great, enthusiastic service by our waitress, Renee~
WOA:
* Parking lot ½ block west of Main Street (behind Naresh).
* Walking distance to lot of shops or cafes in area.
* Ressies may be optional given the «traffic flow» of the night.

2.5 stars for TAPAS in this almost loungy looking restaurant
the food was a bit expensive for the quality of the food, so i’d come for happy hour if you want to try more dishes
—DUCK ROLL UPS: these were YUMMY & unique, a tad salty, but the only enjoyable part of the meal
—seared scallops: FAIL on the sear, they were soggy…
—calamari: not bad, but for the little amount on our plate it was not worth it
—bufala & arugula pizza: didn’t have that «fresh taste» you’d expect from a pizza like this. kinda bleh
—breadpudding: way too dense… not fluffy or even crispy. whiskey taste is a bit overpowering
we tried to make reservations by phone but no one would pick up! although it was pretty empty so an RSVP wasn’t really necessary

Don’t be fooled by the Unilocal $$ meaning $ 11 – 30 Moderate. This is more like fine dining tapas. Tapas are basically small Spaniard dishes, the best way I explain it to people is… Tapas are like Dim sum small dishes. Usually people get it after that
Location ⁵⁄₅: Great location, even on a Friday night on Main Street in Santa Monica literally minutes away from the pier and the beach. The street wasn’t packed. There was lots to do and lots to eat from Vegan Thai food to live bands. The street was lit up with something like Christmas white lights. Gave it a real urban down town feel. I loved the community garden.
Food ³⁄₅: I tried varies dishes all priced from $ 9+ but remember their really small dishes so about 2 ½ dishes would fill me up. My boyfriend took about 3 ½ dishes. With drinks our bill came out to about $ 110. A little pricy for decent tapas. I felt that it wasn’t really Spaniard. More like Asian/​Indonesian inspired tapas.
— Stuffed Mushrooms: was surprisingly delicious. It doesn’t even look like a mushroom it looks like a brownie with marshmallows on top. The goat cheese and mint leaves complimented the soft crumble texture of the mushroom.
— Calamari: was delicious, I usually don’t like ordering calamari but my boyfriend did and it was perfectly crispy and juicy.
— **Chicken Tikki** skewers were my favorite tapas. The mint sauce isn’t what you think it is trust me best tapas in the place.
— Chocolate panna cotta: Very delicious more like a mousse with strawberry sauce on top. Think of chocolate and strawberries.
— Baby back ribs: very delicious, the meat practically falls off the bone. I couldn’t pin point what kind of dipping sauce it came with. Tasted like sweet and sour sauce with ketchup? I have no idea just that it was delicious.
— The famous duck wraps: were a mouth full I loved the green onion and using the lettuce as a scooper.
Drinks: ³⁄₅ Most of the wine, beers, and draft beers I haven’t heard of any so our waiter suggested a wine. I love red wine so I had a glass of one hope Cabernet. It was definitely delicious with a nice crisp. A little bitter but I like bitter.

I can get a bit claustrophobic in small spaces. This was especially apparent when the stranger behind me felt the need to introduce himself as the guy who’ll be bumping into me during my meal.
Nice stranger. Poor spacing Naresh’s! The tables were also abnormally small and definitely couldn’t fit the 10+ plates we had.
Food was Indian-​fusion tapas. We tried almost all of the HH choices and the majority (samosas, calamari, chicken tikka, ground duck wraps, stuffed mushrooms) were O-​K. I might’ve not had the right appetite or something but Naresh’s left me wanting more. I was thinking about Jaipur’s Indian food the whole time…
The rose martini I had was unique and sweet. They could’ve eased off the cream… but I guess some people like it the way it is.
This place didn’t live up to the hype, Unilocalers!

Showed up on a Saturday night with two of my friends. We found parking behind the restaurant (beach parking) and were good to go. Restaurant is very small, and you constantly are rubbing elbows with someone but it’s cozy. The lighting is a little orange due to the Chinese parasols that are used as light fixtures. We didn’t have a chance to sit at a table, but that’s okay by us. We have just as much fun at the bar.
Our bartender Nelly is awesome. Like she tells us, she’s just like the rapper, only she doesn’t rap, but she’s super fun and mixed us a mean old-​fashioned. We also tried the house signatures: a Rose Martini and a Birthday cake Martini. She also helped make recommendations for dinner and we were not disappointed.
Nelly’s suggestion was to order the duck pizza which has the same flavor profile as the duck roll ups. The pizza is a thin flat bread which is light and crispy. Perfect bar food. It wasn’t too sweet (I’m not a fan of the over the top sweetness) but it was a nice balance, almost like an exception bbq sauce, except it was decidedly Asian.
We then ordered the basil, proscuitto and buffalo pizza. Buffalo is mozzarella made from buffalo’s milk and is super creamy and the only kind of mozzarella available in Italy. Two enthusiastic thumbs up for that extra attention to detail. They also have red pepper flakes for those who want to add a little extra spice note.
The chicken tikka is flavorful and grilled to perfection. Served with a small side of mixed greens, I loved the mint sauce that it was served with.
The seared scallops was tasty too. Thanks to Nelly’s suggestion, we opted to have half pepper sauce and half mint sauce. It was a good way for us to try out both options and decide which sauce worked best. I personally am a big fan of that mint sauce.
And the coup d’gra was the bread pudding. Ultimate in hot desserts. Steaming delicious creamy goodness. LIke a hot tres leches cake, it had a delicious creamy whiskey sauce and the bread pudding was the best combination of steamy, sweet, hot and comfy.
Love this place, it just might be my go-​to place next to Wurstkuche.

I went to this place with a friend and we were seated almost immediately since it was pretty late (it’s open til 2am). The atmosphere is inviting and the décor is great for the size of the restaurant and the tapas style it offers.
After perusing the menu, we decided upon three dishes: the calamari, the corn crabcakes, and the duck roll.
The calamari was pretty standard, though the sauce they served with it was pretty good and a little spicy. The corn crab cakes were also tasty as I always love when anything is paired with corn. Then the duck roll, which reminded me of a mu-​shu style of cooking in a cabbage wrap, was probably my favorite of the three.
After finishing those, we were pretty much ready to go but our waitress who was very friendly said we would be missing out if we did not at least try the bread pudding with whiskey sauce. So at her suggestion we finished with that and were not disappointed. It was very creamy and the whiskey taste was present, but not overwhelming making it the perfect cap to a great dinner.
Overall, the dishes are pretty small so you probably should order two per person so it can be a bit pricey, but otherwise, was a great spot in Santa Monica, especially for a late night snack.

What’s all this hype about the duck rolls? It was really sweet comes on two peices of cabbage and could really use a kick. I really wanted some siracha or something with this. I’d give this place 3 stars solely on food and extra half star for service & atmosphere.
They have a wood burning pizza oven and delicious pizza so I’d say stick with the pizza if you come here. Most of the pizza choices are with one topping, pretty simple. Prociutto basil pizza was yum! Crispy thin crust.
We went during happy hour. It’s not a huge price difference from the regular menu maybe save a buck or two for each plate. The duck rolls, chicken tikka and stuffed mushrooms are all on the happy hour menu. no pizzas unfortunately.
The stuffed mushrooms with goat cheese (you can choose between goat cheese or mozerella) was stuffed with. mushrooms. Very mushroomy. Couldnt they stuff it with something else?
Chicken tikka was juicy and the sauce was good, but again felt like it lacked a contrasting flavor.
The service and atmosphere was great. This place is so romantic! Dim lighting and roses on the table, perfect date spot.

I met a friend here for dinner last Sunday night and it was not busy at all… very casual atmosphere, which I liked.
The server said to order 2 – 3 dishes per person so we ordered 5 total for two girls. which was a LOT. I would say 3 – 4 total would have been adequate, but no big deal because everything was good and it allowed us to try a bunch of different things:
Beet Salad
Chinese Duck Roll Ups
Chicken Tikka
Cajun Shrimp
Bufala Mozzarella/​Basil Pizza
If I had to rank them, that’s the order I would put them in. Everything was good, but I would say there was nothing super special about the shrimp or pizza, whereas the other three were definitely something I would come back and order again.
There’s a nearby lot with meters and also spots on the street with meters, which run until 10 pm.
Make sure you know the address # the first time you go, since there isn’t really a sign outside that says «Naresh’s».
We left after dinner to get drinks, tried out a couple of bars on Main, and ended up right back at Naresh’s for drinks (the other bars were REALLY loud and we actually wanted to talk to each other). Although they were closing early because it was not busy, Naresh said it was okay for us to hang out and order drinks. Thumbs up for that!

As a general rule of Unilocal thumb, I try to only write reviews on businesses I’ve gone to more than once. Whether good or bad, you never know if your first experience at a place is a fluke until you’ve been at least twice. It just seems like good practice (though I do tend to exclude businesses in places where I’m visiting or vacationing and am unlikely to return for that reason, since sometimes those isolated experiences are worth telling about; if that’s the case I often make the disclaimer).
Besides places where I’m vacationing, Naresh’s is an exception to my general rule. Because, in fact, it was *exceptional*. I have only been once so far, but it was the best first impression (and best overall impression, really) any restaurant has made on me in a long time!
Last month I was given the honors of picking a place to celebrate my roommate’s birthday. She and I are both new to LA, and the only guideline she set was that she wanted to spend part of the evening walking around Santa Monica pier. As any good Unilocaler in a new city does when given such a task, I consulted my favorite site and found Naresh’s. Was able to make a dinner reservation earlier in the day for that Monday night. I told the gentleman on the line that we’d be celebrating a birthday that evening, and to my surprise he asked me what her name was. I looked forward in anticipation to whatever they needed that info for!
Upon entering the slightly dim, slightly romantic, slightly swanky Naresh’s, we knew which reserved windowside table was ours by the simple «Happy Birthday Emily!» sign standing up on it. So sweet! By the by, Naresh’s ambiance makes it a good place for first dates, fiftieth dates, special occasions or regular foodie fixes. Inviting, cozy, AND classy.
After we ordered a round of champagne, our server very kindly explained the menu and offered some suggestions. We decided to order four things to share (between three of us). The food here comes out in small plates and is sometimes inspired by a variety of Asian cuisines. The beet, arugula and goat cheese salad was fresh and perfectly dressed. The tender chicken tikka came out on skewers and were served with a delicious mango chutney. The baby back ribs were small but tasty and served with a mint sauce (a couple of us liked the chutney more and ate the ribs with that instead). The goat cheese and sundried tomato flatbread we ordered was packed with flavor, yet light.
While satisfying, we weren’t overly stuffed by those four plates; the staff seemed to read our minds. For dessert, they delivered a chocolate mousse with raspberry sauce in an adorable heart mold (
), on the house for Emily’s birthday (candle and all!). It was delicious and completed the meal and occasion perfectly!
It might have helped that it didn’t seem to be a particularly busy evening, but the service was excellent. The staff made sure to check on us throughout the meal, and the gentleman I made the reservation with (who I can only assume to be Naresh himself) was having dinner with some friends at the bar and chatted our party up for a little while. He was so friendly and nice!
Despite my usual rating system, Naresh’s definitely deserves 5 stars (as good as it gets!) based solely on one visit. I couldn’t have asked for more out of a dining experience, especially since it didn’t entirely break the bank. I’ll definitely be back to Santa Monica to try all of the small plates (especially the duck wraps and kalbi)… maybe for MY birthday next time!

— Locale Destination —
It’s on Main St and Hollister Ave in Santa Monica.
Décor is simple, white and modern. It’s a hip and chilled bar in the cool neighborhood. Street parking is only one hour — watch out not to exceed an hour! Cops are everywhere for ticket.
— Gluttony Expedition —
Stuffed mushroom with goat cheese: Good :)
Chicken Tika: it’s not like an ordinary Tika masala you see at Indian places. Cooked well with good flavors. Chutney isn’t so spicy. Not bad.
Duck roll up: a bit salty but good dish. I wish they put more of napa cabbages. It’s only 2 — not enough :(
— Conqueror’s Deduction —
Around $ 10 /​plate for tiny portion — most stuffs taste good. I guess it’s more expensive than Japanese izakaya. But I still like it. Good tapas.

It’s hard to imagine there isn’t something for everyone at Naresh’s. This is tapas-​style infusion with a mix of pizzas in their wood-​fired oven, Asian-​inspired meats, salads and grilled vegetables, and an excellent bar menu and happy hour.
I arrived before my friends and ordered the Stuffed Mushroom on happy hour special because I was hungry. I’m used to stuffed mushrooms, but no, this was actually one portabello mushroom head over basil leaves stuffed with a savory mix of sautéed vegetables topped with goat cheese. It was good but the best was yet to come.
My next order was the Chicken Tikka skewers. There’s a reason this is so highly recommended. Delicately charred chicken perched atop a bed of greens with a mouth-​watering mint chutney on the side. I couldn’t get enough of that chutney, I started sneaking tastes on my fork throughout the evening. Slightly sweet, full but not overpowering mint flavor, with enough spiciness to leave your lips tingling. Over the juicy and crisp chicken it was an ideal combo.
The pair of Chinese Duck Roll Ups were a great follow-​on to the chicken. Diced grilled duck mixed with a combination of spices piled high on a piece of Asian cabbage. The cool cabbage offset the greasy and rich flavor of the duck. Another Naresh’s hit.
We ordered the Crab Cakes next and let me say the highlight of this dish for me was actually the disks of corn on the cob. The crab cakes are good: crisp exterior, soft and flavorful interior, with a full flavored chili sauce on the side. But I devoured the corn on the cob cut into three rounds. A few burns marked a touch of the grill, but it seems like it was boiled first to soften the kernels so they melt away at every bite with a spicy kick delivered by a slightly oily topping that coated my tongue with the flavor.
We also got a Sun Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Pizza for our last dish. The pizza was crisp and the cheese was creamy, though the Duck Roll Ups and Chicken Tikka are more my flavor.
The Watermelon Juice is hidden in a corner of the menu but it’s a must try. The fresh flavor of watermelon, chilled and refreshing, without being overly sweet.
The interior is bright during the day and intimate at night, decorated with artwork and light fixtures made of paper globes and disks. We arrived before anyone else on a Wednesday evening and snagged one of the window tables with cushions on top of bench seating.
The service was a little slow and inconsistent and they snagged my mint chutney before I finished savoring the Chicekn Tikka or else I might have given Naresh’s five stars.
Great for a date, a quick snack, happy hour, or just to meet friends.

I came here for a friend’s birthday and enjoyed the ambiance! The service was ok, but we did also have a large group. I’m usually a fan of tapas, but I thought the menu was nothing special with limited options. Then again, it is Indian owned versus a Spanish tapas restaurant. For the prices, I thought the portions were a bit small compared to what I am used to back in Chicago!
The food was average to above average, but nothing special! Of the dishes I do remember that we ordered, I did enjoy the Chicken Tikka, Duck Wraps and Scallops.
I will say that the owners were great as the server accidentally dropped my friend’s birthday cake on her way to the table and half of it fell on one of the girls sitting at the table! They provided us with complimentary desserts and champagne! I would have rather had a discount on our bill, but it was too late to ask. And the staff was very apologetic and gracious, so I have no complaints!

It’s a great neighborhood bar… so if you are in the Santa Monica area and want to hang out in a cool lounge with hip jazz music, this is the place. The tapas are a bit too pricey, with 2 glasses of wine, we ended up with a bill of $ 91 for 2 people.
The shrimps in turmeric and spice were good, so were the scallops in the mint chutney. The rolled up duck was too oily and not worth the $ 13 for the 2 pieces. The beet salad with arugula was pretty nice. My main issue with Naresh’s is that for such a pricey meal, I expect to be blown away with the food and I clearly wasn’t. The food was ok but nothing spectacular. Service was pretty friendly though a bit slow at times.
Still, it’s a cute lounge to have a drink with friends… not a place where I would head for dinner. If you are in the mood for tapas, stop by Manchego’s which is a block down on the same street… better tapas for better price!

My friends and I were looking for a good tapas place in Santa Monica. Originally came across Manchego, but they didn’t take reservations. I found this place on Unilocal and it had a half a star better rating so I called and asked for a reservation for a Friday night. The lady on the phone said they normally didn’t take reservations for Fridays or Saturdays but would make an exception. She asked if it was for a special occasion and I told her it was for a birthday.
It was raining and we were stuck in a ton of traffic, so I called Naresh to let them know we’d be late. They were super nice and said it wouldn’t be a problem. We parked on the street — surprisingly easy for a Friday night. When we got to the restaurant, we saw our table with my name and on the other side was a Happy Birthday message. I thought that was really thoughtful!
We ordered a couple of things to start while we waited for the other half of our party. Got the stuffed mushrooms, buffalo mozzarella pizza and the vegetable samosas. They came out fast and were SUPER delicious. After, we ordered the short ribs, the chicken tikka and the duck rolls. They had accidentally brought us out the baby back ribs and we ate it thinking it was our short ribs, but they didn’t charge us. A few orders came out that wasn’t ours — but they were really friendly so we didn’t mind some of the mix ups — it was a busy Friday night. Everything tasted AMAZING!
I ordered the Chocolate Panna Cotta and asked if they could put a candle in it. They also added a Banana Pudding on the house and brought them both out with candles! Both were soooo yummy!
This place is awesome and the service is GREAT! So nice and friendly, very attentive. Some might say a little too attentive, but I’m not complaining.