Muse in Santa Monica shines with youthful charm, serving vibrant French-Italian dishes in an intimate, art deco-inspired space with stellar cocktails and service.
"A USC undergrad launches a fine dining pop-up in 2022. Two years later, his first restaurant opens next to Giorgio Baldi. We’d tell you what we’d done by 24, but it wasn’t that. Muse’s backstory is impressive, but it’s the polished confidence of this upscale French spot that surprised us. The chic Art Deco space is sexy and intimate. The smooth, boozy cocktails with vermouth and amaro are elite. Then there’s the food: ambitious dishes that, while not perfect, are fresh and interesting, like braided brioche that crackles like a croissant, juicy veal bonbons in a pesto-y sauce, and an herb-crusted rack of lamb we’d put against any in town. Who’s behind it? You’ll probably meet him. The young chef touches every table with the confidence of a floor manager at Le Bernardin." - brant cox, arden shore, sylvio martins, cathy park
"Picture a fancy French spot next door to Giorgio Baldi with sharply dressed servers, tableside dessert trays with chocolate tarts and tiramisu, and an eccentric chef who greets every guest personally. No, we’re not describing some faded hotspot that Demi Moore and Emilio Estevez went to in 1985. We’re talking about Muse—a restaurant run by a group of friends in their early 20s that goes all in on glitzy flourishes of yesteryear and makes them feel entirely of the moment. Muse’s backstory would make for a great made-for-streaming movie: A USC undergrad and his roommates launch a popular dining pop-up on campus in 2022, and a few years later, they’ve opened a lavish restaurant with Art Deco touches one block off PCH. It’s a wild story that informs every aspect of the place. On any given night, one roommate might be helping with valet while another pours white negronis at the marble bar. In lesser hands, a grand production like this could feel like an amateur cosplay, but the friends run the front-of-house with the grace of someplace that’s been humming along for decades. photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp Even if you were oblivious to its youthful backstory, Muse delivers a dining experience that’s refined and intimate, the kind of place that warrants getting dressed up and impressing somebody important. You’ll sip boozy amaro cocktails in booths with fluted felt walls, watch the Palisades old guard glide in with diamond broaches, and eat fussy nouveau French food that might seem dated if it wasn’t so delicious. Not every dish is a hit, but the ones that do impress grab your attention in presentation and flavor. That includes a braided brioche starter that crackles like a croissant as you rip it apart, roasted beets topped with a wavy beet crisp that looks like something Dolly Levi would wear to a bar mitzvah, and a spot-on rack of lamb bathed in tangy jus. If at some point you wonder who is behind all this, you’ll meet him. Whether he’s describing the showstopping St. Honoré dessert or how the lobster risotto was his favorite thing to cook for his friends the morning after a party, the young chef pays a visit to every table with the confidence of a chief steward on a private yacht. Feel free to ask him if he's still taking roommate applications. Food Rundown photo credit: Jessie Clapp Cocktails A good bar goes a long way at a place like Muse, and the cocktails here are so silky we’d make a trip just for a drink. The menu is heavy on boozy stirred concoctions that make use of herbal liqueurs and eau de vie. We love the Di Volpe made with apple brandy and two types of amaro, and the Calliope, their take on the white negroni with orange blossom and dry London gin. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Brioche Feuilletée Your first indication that Muse did its homework on classical cooking. Each crunchy woven loaf arrives with the kind of detail you’d expect from a croissant up the street at Petitgrain Boulangerie. Sometimes they're not listed on the menu to avoid the kitchen running out in a matter of hours (they're popular). But just ask. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Veal Bonbons Along with the brioche, this is the other must-order from the first section of the menu. The golfball-sized veal bites are fried crispy outside and extremely juicy inside. They disppear quickly—which is why our only complaint is we want more than three per order. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Roasted Beets This is what happens when you send a solid plate of beets and goat cheese to RISD. Does the beet-infused crisp add much to the dish? Not really. But it looks great and you’ll hear plenty of “oo’s and ahh’s” from the table. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Saffron Risotto As explained by our server, this was one of the original dishes from Muse’s USC pop-up. It’s a fine risotto, but for $65, we were expecting more oomph from the lobster tail and gremolata. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Rack of Lamb This dish reads like something from a 2003 issue of Gourmet magazine. Then it arrives and looks like one, too. But then you’ll slice into the tender, evenly cooked meat with a flavorful herb crust and realize maybe 2003 was onto something. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Dessert Even if it means skipping an appetizer, do what you need to and leave room for dessert. All your options are presented tableside on an opulent tray, each one more beautiful than the last. You’ll likely freeze with indecision. Start with the stunning caramel-glazed St. Honoré, pause for dramatic effect, order the chocolate tart, take another pause, and then throw in the tiramisu for good measure." - Brant Cox
"An easy way to make yourself feel like an underachiever is hearing Muse’s backstory. This gold-tinted restaurant in Santa Monica is run by a 24-year-old self-taught chef who started the concept as a pop-up while studying at USC. Muse has a stylish, Art Deco dining space and serves a French-Italian menu that features lobster pomme souffle, heirloom tomatoes with comte fondue, and rack of lamb à la Provençal." - sylvio martins
"Muse debuts on Friday, August 16 in the H.wood Group’s shuttered Mason supper club with European fare in an intimate modern Art Deco-laced room. The space will be filled with handpicked art that seats 35 plus another four at the bar. Khayami will be collaborating with seasoned industry professionals, including Juliet chef Jason Gonzalez and Matthew Rogel, previously of Felix Trattoria, who will serve as general manager and wine director. One glance at the menu shows classics from France and Italy, with heirloom tomatoes and a Comte fondue, a lobster pomme souffle topped with caviar, and brioche puff pastry for the table. The team will also prepare veal bonbons, eggplant cappelletti, a wild-caught fish of the day with beurre blanc and herby tarragon pistou, and a Provencal-style rack of lamb. The menu’s only Southern California-flavored curveball is the hamachi with yuzu olive oil and Calabrian chile coulis. The a la carte menu is divided into four sections, allowing diners to choose their own adventure within its staple categories. Though prices are not listed for the current menu, a spokesperson says diners can expect to spend an average of $125 a person. Rogel’s bottle and glass selections include Italian, Spanish, and French winemakers. Gelland designed the Au Soleil cocktail with vodka, saffron, and clarified apricot. Khayami’s former roommate David Gelland is the bar director and he developed a concoction titled the Barbarossa that uses mezcal, Brucato Orchards Amaro, Vermouth di Torino, and cacao. Muse will also rotate art exhibits. For the opening, visitors will notice work by Catalan-Spanish painter Joan Miró. Marc Ange Design Studio designed the space, lighting, and furniture. By September, Muse will also offer a 12-person private dining room. Muse is open Wednesday to Sunday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m." - Mona Holmes
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