Craig’s

Food and service were fantastic! I rarely give five-​stars, but this was as close as it comes. I ordered the Lamb Chops, medium and they were fantastic. The waiter was attentive and I never felt rushed (although it was a Friday night and it was packed). For dessert, i ordered the Butterscotch Pudding. It was out of sight! My wife and Kids ordered Steaks and they were happy. I would strongly suggest you visit.

Went to Craig’s last night and I can see what all the fuss is about.
I had the scallops over mushroom risotto. If your familiar with risotto you know how hard it is to get right. It’s either slightly too hard or slightly too soft even at the best of places. Over the years I’ve found one or two places that make a fabulous risotto and still dream of the risotto Mark Straussman from Campanga made me back in the 90s while we were choosing what to make for his food segment.
So after 20 years of searching and sending back plate after plate when the waiter insisted their risotto was delizioso, I finally found a risotto not only worthy but is a must have. Craig’s risotto will melt in your mouth at just the right speed. Paired with just he right amount of mushrooms and peas it is a wonderful compliment to the generous scallops that are golden brown on the most outside layer and the perfect shade of white on the inside.
Next on the list at Craig’s will be the Truffle Bolognese, can’t wait to see how that compares to a chef or two I used to know.

We had the best experience at Craig’s. From the host to the server and all the staff treated us with nothing but respect. This place is a virtual lock to run into a Celebrity — if you’re into that kinda thing. Otherwise, it’s very LA. It was a cool, diff experience for us being from NYC.
The shrimp, rib eye & chicken were all cooked to perfection. We will def be back next time we’re in LA. Just Be prepared to spend $ 200 – 250 on dinner for 2.

Your experience will probably depend on what time you dine here.
The People Magazine subscribers eat here at 6:30pm with the rest of the folks from places like Peoria, IL. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s a whole different ball game as the evening progresses.
The celebs typically come (and they do come!) at 8pm or later. On one of the nights we were there, we were standing shoulder-​to-​shoulder with: Russell Simmons, Gayle King, Davis Foster, «Big Head» from HBO’s Silicon Valley, Clive Davis, Dr. Paul Nassif (from Botched and from RHBV).
How is the food? Very average and overpriced.
Would I come here for the food? No way!
Would I come here for the celebs? Probably.

This review is for takeout only. The ribs were excellent and the quality seemed high. Ordered several different things; my favorite were the ribs. Chicken paillard also tasty.

Food is amazing. Service is great. This is a true LA scene. Every time you go you will see paparazzi waiting outside for celebrity sightings. Also the bar has a really big social scene.
The food is fantastic. It’s more conifer food. I highly recommend the meatballs and pigs in the blanket for appetizers. For entrée you must get the honey chicken. Lastly for dessert a meal at Craig’s is not complete without the chocolate pizza. If it wasn’t so hard to get a reservation I would just got for the chocolate pizza. It’s that good!

I finally tried Craig’s last night! This has been on my list for eons and a good friend suggested we go for dinner. I had heard some mixed things about the place but my experience was definitely a good one.
We arrived at 7:30pm and were offered a table in the back or the option of waiting for a table in front. I opted to be seated immediately. I really do not think there is a bad table in the restaurant.
The first thing to hit our table was their bread basket. The thin garlic bread might be my new favorite bread in LA. We ordered the fried calamari and crab cakes for the table, and both were solid.
For mains I had the spaghetti with clams, but also tried the other entrees at the table: lamb chops and spaghetti squash. The food did not disappoint.
Chocolate bread pudding for dessert needs a side of vanilla ice cream. Butterscotch pudding was creamy and sweet.
It’s an interesting crowd and a great place for people watching. It has a great energy and would be good for a date or a group.

Fantastic ~
We unfortunately had to have reservation at 6:30 instead of the wanted 8pm because we are not a VIP nor a celebrity.
The meals and service were great.
I enjoyed the cioppino and the wife had the chicken parmigiana which both excellent.
The maitre ‘d cake to our Table around 8:15 and asked if we’d move down 2 tables for their VIP to have our corner table. He offered a drink and dessert so we moved 10 feet down and enjoyed a chocolate pizza (dessert) and a few glasses of wine and port on the house.
The ambiance is cool, casual. Loved the bar area although we didn’t get to stay and have a drink that night. Perhaps next time?

my favorite restaurant in LA. great waiters/​waitresses, and amazing food. even though it’s pricey, i don’t feel like i’m wasting money coming here. my favorite is the truffle pizza and mac and cheese. i literally almost shed a tear eating the truffle pizza. for dessert, i highly recommend chocolate pizza.
one negative aspect of this place is the paparazzis outside.

We started out at the bar for cocktails while waiting for our table. The blonde bar tender is not doing the restaurant any favors here! Let’s leave it at that! The drinks are good and strong enough. The vibe is busy and loud.
The restaurant caters to A listers and can be rude if they don’t know you as a regular or big spender! Interesting to watch. Disappointing since I was excited to try this restaurant for so long.
Seated in our booth a must at Craig’s to be comfortable. The server was very friendly and attentive unlike the upfront staff.
The garlic bread served at your table is so amazing! The best thing they have by far!
Ordered some fabulous wine for dinner.
Started off with the ceasar salad nothing special about it. Not bad but not great either.
Pasta boulengese with truffles. The sauce is meaty and would really be delicious but the truffle after several bites over powers the dish. If you love truffles this may be your favorite.
Spaghetti and meatballs. Good meatballs but the sauce was thin and plain.
Shrimp Diablo very spicy but good. You have to like spice alot for this dish.
The chocolate bread pudding is the popular signature dessert. I found it not that special!
Valet parking out front $ 10. They gave us chocolate chip cookies to go! Really good!
Over all I found this place to be highly over rated! We have too many truly 5 star places one can go instead!

Obviously when you come to Craig’s you’re bound to see at least 4 celebrities, while waiting for your table. Paps are always outside the main door looking and taking pics of even you when you walk in. They must assume it’s a free for all. Anyway, our party of 6 had reservations for 9pm on a Thursday; and showed up from 9 – 9:05. We waited around at the bar for about 30 minutes if I remember correctly before being seating towards the back of the house. I did get approached by two gentleman who ended up buying me a Moscow Mule and a beer while was incredibly sweet and nice; another reason why I love living in LA. I did valet and it came out to 10 bucks for the evening, we left around 11:30pm.
Onto the food; we started off with salads and calamari; both very good; although they ran out of the oysters. Four of us had steaks, one had pasta, and one lamb chops. Most of us asked for medium preparation and the chef did a fantastic job cooking theirs to perfection but I definitely had a medium well to well done steak. I didn’t want to bother waiting for another steak as the meal would have taken forever to finish if I received my plate so late; but, I ate it regardless; its $ 42 for Kobe of course I would eat it. Bill came to around $ 650 minus the drinks at the bar.
Phenomenal evening celebrating a friends wedding. Will be back. Thanks Craig’s!

The MOST OVERRATED restaurant in LA! We started our experience with cocktails at the bar. The Amazonian Barbie bartender was the WORST, RUDEST person I have EVER had the misfortune of being «served» by. I have news for you blonde, your a bartender, your job is to serve drinks, your not splitting the atom.
After waiting 45 minutes for our 8:00 reservation, we left.
This place is far more interested in its image than taking care of its clientele.
We walked down the street to Cecconi’s and had a WONDERFUL experience! No reservation! The whole vibe was warm and inviting. A stark contrast to Craig’s!

Upon reading all the reviews, I called about 2 months before my trip to make a reservation. I was told they only make them 30 days out so I waited and called back exactly 30 days out and was only able to get an 8:30 on a Tuesday. Wouldn’t have been so bad except they didn’t seat us until 9:30.
Last night was the night. We found a meter across the street so we were able to skip the valet, although at $ 10 it’s reasonable. Paparazzi were all situated right in front. I checked in and the male host was sort of short with me. Took my name and then left me hanging awkwardly with no mention of how they would find us or when the table would be ready. It was very busy and cramped so we found a spot to wait. They only have a one person bathroom, which I’ll never understand. It was nice but unattended and lots of wet paper towels and the like on the floor. We checked back once and were told just a few more minutes and then a half hour later when we were the only people left waiting the host came by and said he had been looking for us earlier. There’s no way because we didn’t move from our spot and the restaurant is small but oh well.
The wait wasn’t awful because of course we saw celebrities. Angie Harmon was in a front booth, Nick Jonas was in a booth in back and Courteney Cox came in while we were waiting. It’s 100% clear that celebs get the best treatment, followed by their regulars. Us «normal» folk are definitely pushed to the back of the line, but I expected it. The industry people all walk back and forth between each other’s tables, hugging and talking to each other. You can tell everyone knows everyone else. Finally at 9:30 we were shown to a table in the back.
Our server Amy was so sweet and friendly. She treated us great. Bread basket was amazing! There’s 2 kinds. My mom and I started with the Green Goddess salad and it was fantastic. My husband got the Margarita pizza, my brother got the cheeseburger, my mom got the butternut squash pasta and I had the truffle pizza. We had a few substitution requests and all were done perfectly and without complaint. I think if we had eaten earlier we would have had bigger entrees and maybe some appetizers but it was so late (11:30pm on our internal clocks) that we went for smaller items. We did find room for their famous chocolate pizza at the end. Big enough for 4 to share and it was SO good.
Bottom line: get a reservation but still be ready to wait. Pretty much everyone said you’ll see a celebrity no matter when you go. Food was amazing, service was good but be prepared to be forgotten for awhile unless you’re in the industry.

If you are looking for the following things you will LOVE Craig’s:
1. A great place to people watch!!!
2. A great place to see famous people (literally almost a guarantee)
3. Fabulous Food and Wine
4. You must be ok with waiting– even if you have a reservation
5. Be prepared drop a Bill… or two… or three just depending on how much you enjoy the fabulous wind!
Loved this place! I came for my birthday and loved everything about it– Very LA… if you want a better idea about what to expect, please check out our video from the evening:

Finally got a chance to try Craig’s, first off our food was great. Everything was delicious and service was great!
Craig’s is dimly lit, very old Hollywood. Seems like a older crowd, made reservation and when we arrived we were seated right away.
We started off with some drinks, which were perfectly made (pretty strong). We ordered some oysters, they had east coast oysters (which i prefer) they were sweet. We also ordered the Grilled Artichokes and Beet Burrata, both were delicious.
For our meals we ordered
Cioppino– full of fresh seafood, it was enough for 2 ppls to share. Broth was savory, I didn’t think it was too spicy. Still tasted great!
18oz Prime Rib-​eye, bone in– Best freaking steak I’ve had in awhile, meat was cooked perfectly, very tender, seasoned well, and that steak could feed 3 ppls. I have leftovers for couple of meals.
Jalapeño Creamed Corn– I loved the kicked to this creamed corn, delish!
Mac n’ Cheese– I didn’t get to try it but my party said it was pretty good.
We also ordered dessert, key lime pie was good but not great.
If you’re in the area, give it a try.

The intimate and old age American restaurant on Melrose!
Pros: the layout is very cozy and makes you feel right at home. The ambiance is great and usually very upbeat mood and atmosphere. The food is great. Highly recommend the calamari, meatballs and the mushroom pizza! Great restaurant bar for a weekend visit. Be sure to book way in advance for the reservations fill up quickly. The outdoor façade /​adjacent wall is also great for a group photo once the night is complete. Overall highly recommend.
Cons: while I enjoy the layout, I also did not appreciate the lack of large booths. So for a party of 6 two of your guests will be awkwardly sitting in chairs outside of the booth. What really keeps me from giving the venue a higher star is the very odd and bad encounter we recently had during closing hours. We repeatedly were rushed by our server to order as the kitchen is closing. This is always a pet peeve of mine as why have guests come in if you can not serve at a restaurant. More importantly our server made us feel very rushed and ultimately we all collectively felt that the venue turned up the AC to make the restaurant colder in attempt to get the last few tables to leave the venue (at midnight)…even though it had listed open hours for another 30 minutes, till 12:30 am.
Novelty: a unique American upscale restaurant bar with a great ambiance… a little better service and a few upgrades to seating and décor would make this a 4.5 star venue.

What a good dining experience! I came here with a client the other week and I must say, I lived up the hype.
I got the only reservation left about a week before at 6pm. A little earlier than I would have liked. Parked on the street and paid the meters that stop at 8pm (2 hr meter… perfect timing!!) We were promptly seated in an almost empty restaurant. I was initally disappointed thinking it was a bust and there wouldn’t be too much people watching but as we made it through our meal, the restaurant filled up and was quite literally packed by the time we left at 7.45.
We started with oysters on the half shell. WOW, their horseradish is good. Fresh and will clear up your sinuses quick! The oysters were so fresh and some of the best I’ve had in a while! We also got their regular bread basket and man, are those little flat bread pieces addicting!
As for the meal, I ordered the truffle pizza (duh) and my client ordered the petite filet. We ordered sides of the jalapeño creamed corn and brussel sprouts. The waitress was so kind to ask my client if she wanted the side of bleu cheese ravioli that accompanies the steak. When she said no, she was able to sub in any side at no extra cost. I love that! So, we also ordered Parmesan truffle fries… another duh!
The pizza was so truffle-​y and delicious. It comes on crispy flat bread. Really good! All of the sides were really good by favorite was the truffle fries. Nice and crispy, just like I like them! My client said her steak was cooked perfectly and finished every bite!
Finally we did dessert, chocolate bread pudding. It was good but it doesn’t hold a flame other bread puddings I have had like the one at Perch. Good enough though that I had a handful of bites. (Something that I wouldn’t crave in the future.)
By the end of the meal, we had spotted Meg Ryan and David Spade.
Overall a good time, fun to go and people watch or catch celebs! I’ve be returning!

Elegant, yet casual. I enjoyed having dinner here. It was my first time, but my friend is here often. First thing you’ll probably notice is the paparazzi outside. It’s a very popular place for celebrities to dine. It’s dark inside the restaurant, and the blinds will often be down to ensure privacy for the guests.
We started off with iced teas, and some delicious garlic flavored bread was brought to the table. We continued with the crab cakes and calamari. Both are delicious, but the the calamari wins by a hair. The crab cakes have a lot of flavor so I would recommend trying these as well. For my main course, I had the chicken parmagiani. There was a lot of cheese on it, which makes me love it even more. However, the cheese was a bit overdone and tasted burnt in some areas.
Our server was very attentive. She checked on us frequently and she had a few other guys helping her. She was also waiting on several other tables.
Parking is limited on the streets. You probably won’t want to waste your time driving around looking for a spot. It’s easier just to valet the car.

Our go-​to place for homey, reasonably indulgent comfort food.
In spite of its claim to fame as a go-​to for the Hollywood jetset crowd, Craig’s still gets it done where it matters most. The food here is delicious, portion sizes are great, and the service provided by the staff has a genuine, friendly feel.
Here’s our feedback over the course of multiple visits:
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— The vibe here is decidedly chic and unmistakably LA. Expect to see diners at neighboring tables making quick glances across the room, as if everyone’s in a constant state of sizing one another up. (Personally, I don’t mind, especially since people-​watching is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine…)
— It’s quite fun to see how Craig’s slowly begins to inject a bit of personality into the room as the night goes on. If you’ve got an early dinner reservation, expect to hear the usual laid-​back ambient dining music; however, those with later reservations may be treated to a soundtrack consisting of throwback Kanye tracks and some Cam’ron!
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— The attention to detail that characterizes Craig’s begins with the complementary bread basket — which can be provided gluten-​free upon request! My girlfriend has a gluten allergy, so it’s awesome to see that Craig’s accommodates patrons with dietary restrictions.
On top of that, the balsamic vinegar-​basted flatbread that they serve is dangerously addictive. It’s warm & crisp, with a slightly chewy interior, and sets the tone for all-​out feasting.
— Although we’ve been trying to cut back on our calamari intake (all in the name of weight loss!), we like to make a special exception when it comes to Craig’s version. The crunchy calamari pieces are well-​breaded but not overly oily, and they’re served with slivers of pepper (jalapeño, I think) that provide a welcome contrast to the crisp pieces of squid. The cocktail sauce that accompanies the dish has a nice tangy flavor, and does a solid job of clearing the nostrils!
— I’m a fan of the various burrata dishes served at Craig’s. In addition to their delicious Heirloom Tomato Burrata, Craig’s also serves a Beet & Burrata Salad that truly emphasizes the earthiness and creaminess of its namesake ingredients. Give this dish a try if you happen to visit on a night that it’s being served.
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— If you’re only going to be ordering one dish from this place, however, you should definitely go with the Honey Truffle Fried Chicken. The chicken itself is surrounded in a fantastic crust that lends a welcome crunch, while the honey truffle glaze provides both a nice woody aroma and a sweet honey flavor that balances out the rich fried chicken. It’s this dish that first comes to mind whenever I start daydreaming of Craig’s, and it’s worth every last penny.
— Although the Honey Truffle Fried Chicken is served with accompaniments of Mashed Potatoes & Creamed Spinach, you might as well go all in and order Craig’s Mac & Cheese. This gooey, breadcrumb-​topped take on the classic side is served ready & piping hot in a cast iron skillet.
— Another solid entrée selection would be the BBQ Baby Back Ribs, which are served fork-​tender and by the full rack (none of this half-​rack BS). If you’re not ashamed to dive in to a messy platter of ribs in the midst of the bougey West Hollywood crowd, then definitely order this dish. It won’t disappoint.
— Dessert at Craig’s is just as polished and as satisfying as the rest of the experience here:
The restaurant offers a selection of Crisps, with a different variety being served nightly. While the Rhubarb Crisp is a bit too tart for my liking, I would definitely recommend going with the Blueberry Crisp if it’s available. The crumbly topping and bubbly fruit filling are warm & relaxing — quintessential comfort food. Also, the crumble topping used to coat the crisp can be provided gluten-​free, much like the bread baskets! How rad is that?!
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— As I mentioned above, the service at Craig’s is better than your run-​of-​the-​mill restaurant experience. During our first visit, we forgot to bring cash to pay for our valet, and our server was gracious gave us $ 10 out-​of-​pocket to cover our valet expenses. Embarrassing? Yes… but we made up for it by returning her generosity with an equally generous tip on our bill!
— Visits to Craig’s always make for an interesting experience, being that you’ll never know just whom you’re going to run across.
One particularly memorable moment from a past visit involved a patron arriving via Escalade limo, sprinting toward the restaurant with one hand shielding his face and about 2 – 3 paparazzi in hot pursuit…
**Paparazzi storm after unknown guy**
Me: «Who was that?»
GF: «Oh, that was Nick Jonas!»
Me: «He’s still famous?»
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Long story short, give this place a go. It’s a guaranteed good time.

I’ve been a fan of Craig’s since they opened and since I grew up on DanTana’s there’s a great familiarity on the «Old Hollywood» feeling when you walk through the door. (Mostly because Craig, the owner, was the maitre d’ at Tan Tana’s) The food is excellent and the service unparalleled.
Something they have that Dan Tana’s didn’t in an *entire vegan section* on the menu. As a vegan, this is something I cherish because it’s a truly great place where vegans and carnivores can agree without feeling like they’re making any kind of sacrifice.
They have several different kinds of bread. A foccacia type bread with no adornments, a garlic bread (that I believe includes honey and is apparently addictive like crack) and a gluten free bread which is covering all bases.
The pizza is to die for and they have both vegan (sausage) (yum) and non (you name it, they have it from mushroom truffle to buffalo wing (are you kidding?).
The Vegan Chicken Parm and the Spaghetti Squash Primavera are my two standbys and if I’ve ben working out enough that week, the Spaghetti Bolonese is heaven. (Tip: they also make the bolonese sauce vegan and gluten free if you ask)
For starters I usually get the Chop Salad with no cheese and it’s almost as good as the La Scala chop (but sorry, they have that on lock).
We had the Jalapeño Corn last night which has cream so I didn’t touch it but it seemed to get a lot of love since one of my friends had to swat my other friend’s hand away from the dish because she kept stealing it.
For dessert we had the vegan coconut ice cream which was HEAVEN. (And additionally they have all kinds of vegan desserts.)
As for parking, there are meters if you get there early, but you’re competing with Gracias Madre so not a lot of spaces. However they do have valet parking where you’ll be greeted by valets and TMZ.
It’s on the loud side so if you prefer quiet this is not your place, but if you like a fun see-​and-​be-​seen spot with consistently excellent food, this is it.