Orsolya D.
Yelp
Los Angeles isn't short of impressive locales: be it the beauty of nature, fantastic architecture, impressive art or gorgeous restaurants - we have it all! When it comes to the 'gorgeous restaurants' part of that list; there are certainly many to choose from whether for a hot date, celebrating a birthday or professional achievement or simply treating yourself for being alive. One of these places is Santurai in the Hollywood Hills/Burbank cusp. Named LA's "Most Transporting Restaurant"; Santurai deserves the accolade so let's be transported together...
Santurai is located on Forest Lawn in the back lot area of Warner Bros and Universal studios near Griffith Park making it an unexpected retreat especially as it is connected to a tennis/racket club with a parking lot populated with people with gym bags. But this brief discomfort is worth it when you feast your eyes on the beautiful mansion/almost castle-like exterior of Santurai. The lobby which boasts high ceilings, tile, and a grand piano immediately drops jaws but trust me - this is just the beginning!
If you aren't already impressed, you will be once you see the dining area. Santurai has both a patio area and various indoor rooms (the outdoor patio is adjacent to the tennis courts so I would suggest interior for full ambiance) and is so gorgeous that I can't choose the proper verbiage to do it justice. Mediterranean arches, neutral colors, a fire place, booths, tables with rattan seating, French doors, windows galore, exposed beams and bricks... it is an interior design HEAVEN! Sadly, the waiter informed me that Santurai is being remodeled soon from head to toe. What?! WHY?! IT IS MAGNIFICANT! I don't see why you would change something so stunningly appealing but maybe it is becoming even MORE glam? We shall see...
The menu at Santurai is Mediterranean-inspired and isn't overly extensive (one page, front only) and is admittedly high-end so be prepared to spend moolah. The wine/cocktail/spirits list offers much more in terms of selections if that's your thing. Everything on Santurai's menu sounds elegant but the only bummer for this Celiac gal is that there are few dishes that are gluten-free. BOO!
Despite this, my dining partner and I were able to make some choices. For our wine we chose a bottle of Paitin Barbesco from Italy ($120) but we were sadly informed that they were out. However, they suggested an equal in substitution with a discount. The "It isn't available" theme continued as a couple items on the menu weren't available either (and for the record, we were the very first guests and arrived to an empty restaurant so it wasn't at the end of the evening). What is going on here?!
For our meal, we chose Steak Tartare as a starter (grilled sour dough crostini w/ gruyere cheese, filet mignon, chives, shallots - $26) while my dining partner went with the Diver Scallops (applewood smoked bacon, little potatoes, lemon - $24) for his main dish. As for me, I went with the Whole Grilled Branzino (Melted leeks, fennel & dill emulsion, charred lemon - $43).
To begin, the wine substitution was fantastic and a wonderful choice: I didn't even miss our initial selection. But it is the food that was pure art. Honey, these dishes belong in a museum! And the flavors? Good lord, they were perfection! The Steak Tartare was served in a bowl with no skimping on portion size and topped with edible flower petals. It was divine! I could eat this every day and not grow tired of it. I even took a bite of the cheesy crostini as I couldn't refrain from its gooey-goodness despite my Celiac. The Diver Scallops (two jumbo scallops) came in a hot skillet surrounded by flowers and four little potatoes. I could say the portion is small but this is expected at these high-end places. The scallops were buttery-soft and even the potatoes were heavenly. But my Whole Grilled Branzino is where it's at! Don't worry the head isn't present (although the tail is) and was some of the best fish I've ever consumed. The leeks were tasty and caramelized and the emulsion was a great pairing. Exquisite!
Every single staff member at Santurai is at the top of their game being both friendly and chic but not stuck-up. This place genuinely has great service. Extra shout out to Sam (I think his name was) because he's a cutie!
Although Santurai is not perfect (very expensive, unavailable items, hardly any gluten free choices); it is a MUST-TRY as it is more than dining; and is an entire experience (which is why I still give it 5 starts). Go right now to see it for what it is or wait until after the remodel but either way: GO!