Tiato

Such a friendly place with good food and a great ambiance. It’s Santa Monica’s little hidden treasure. We have been coming here for years.

Fabulos flavors, lovely environment, especially outdoors.

Good food, reasonable price definitely going back

Looking at some of the reviews below. Totally disagree about the food. Dumpling were delicious! Drinks were good. Yes maybe the service could get a little better. Bartender was not the most welcoming but the rest of the staff was so nice and funny. I am going to go back and give it another try. As of right now I'm going till give it 5 stars until I go back. Beautiful ambiance.

Had two business lunches in a row and both were horrible experiences. Drink orders were messed up and food was very mediocre and tasteless. The place is always short-staffed and the hosts are too inexperienced and helpless. Wait staff try but are overwhelmed. The one star is for the nice outdoor seating.

Came here for the $35 Brunch Friday DineLA (7/12-26). DineLA.com We sat in the lovely garden away from the inside. Even when I walked up to the cashier for my reservation, I noticed it would've been difficult to talk inside bc of the loud music. The garden was serene with lights strewn across the patio and in the trees. I can imagine how beautiful it is at night. Between the 2 of us, we had the vegetarian spring rolls (came out fresh and hot), market salad (loved it bc it was loaded with many ingredients), An's famous garlic noodles with a choice of beef or chicken (prawns would be an extra $15), pork belly banh mi sandwich with salad that was on the DineLA menu at the restaurant, but not on the DineLA online menu. I was looking forward to trying Crustacean's famous An's garlic noodles (same owners) and was disappointed that the noodles and chicken breast were a little dry. My friend thought the noodles needed more taste. My friend liked the pork belly banh mi, but I found the chili oil too spicy and needed to add lettuce to the sandwich. Loved their colorful salads. For dessert, we each had the vanilla ice cream and huge homemade cookies with macadamia nuts and white chocolate (delicious!). Service was attentive. There was some confusion with our server re the DineLA menu, but it was resolved. Street parking or paid parking in a nearby building. I'd come back, but will try other dishes on the menu in the patio.

Ordered the Pho with Crispy Tofu and it was really enjoyable. Flavorful broth, and great atmosphere in the restaurant. It was really nice and even had an outdoor area.

I never knew this restaurant existed. Thanks to the Fall 2023 roll out of Dine LA, I was able to discover Tiato, in Santa Monica. This is a Vietnamese eatery that has an airy and inviting indoor and outdoor dining area. The vibe is very relaxing, the music pleasant and the service exceptional. I sat outdoors for 2 hours, amongst a gentle breeze and calm ambiance of beautiful surroundings. The lunch Dine LA menu is $35 but if you go on a Friday (like I did), it is their Friday Bruch menu for $45. And let me tell you, it was worth every penny. I started with the Ahi Tartare. It came well presented with avocado, mango, shaved cabbage, mint salsa, red Fresno chilies and large chips of puffed sesame rice. Every bite oozed with refreshing taste and freshness. To choose the main was tough. Since I was looking for something different, I opted for the Morning Catch. This consisted of turmeric sole filets, with potatoes, fried eggs, hollandaise and brussel sprout florets. The dish's arrangement and plating was superb (see my picture). The flavors and textures complemented this well prepared item. All the food portions were full size. I took my time, to savor every helping, was never hurried by the staff, and enjoyed every moment of my presence at this wonderful dining establishment.

I really love this hidden gem. Great outdoor area -day and evening. Staff is always helpful and attentive. I've been for events and for myself and have lived the good every time. Rice noodle salad is my favorite but there is food for people who don't particularly love Vietnamese food. Their happy hour and garden nights menus look very good as well. They have little cafe with Togo items-can't wait to try that.

The food is amazing and they have a great selection of wine. The ambiance is relaxing, great vibes and great to wind down after work. The service is superb. I love the different seating options. The heating lamps and the fire pits are great for cold nights. I love thy is place I had the Vietnamese catfish .

I dined in here on a Tuesday at 1pm and was told that I couldn't sit outside, that those were for reservations only and they didn't have any openings. I was there for 1.5 hours and during that time most of the tables outside sat empty so that was very disappointing that I wasn't able to enjoy their beautiful patio. My other complaint was I asked about vegan options and the server told me how to modify one of the dishes (Mama's Wok Noodles) to make it vegan however he didn't disclose that those modifications would add additional costs. The $15 dish cost me $23 - quite the uncharge. I probably would have gone with that dish if those charges had been disclosed to me, but I might have also asked what other options were available. I didn't appreciate the lack of transparency.

I came years back with some co-workers and had a good impression. So I decided to order lunch. They had free 15 minute parking just outside and you can pick up with a $25 minimum order. I ordered the chicken banh mi. This is not your typical banh mi with the roasted chicken and where you can taste the flavors of the grill. But rather, this was a more subtle rendition using white meat chicken breast and lightly pickled vegetables. It's a stark albeit more healthy contrast to the usual. I also ordered the wellness bone broth. Unlike your pho noodle broth, this was very light in comparison with similar flavors. What was great about this was the aromatic fresh lemongrass herb and kafir lime. That's a combo you can't really beat. Finally, I ordered the golden tea latte. They use Harney and Son's tea, which I've become very fond of. I like the subtly sweet tumeric spice blend in almond milk. Overall, it was a great meal, but don't expect the typical Vietnamese flare. We're talking a fusion restaurant here.

What a beautiful place to have a bite with friends or coworkers! Not only is it a restaurant.. it's an event space and a Marketplace! Was able to dine for the relaunch of their Brunch Friday's.. they have bottomless mimosas and other drinks to choose from. I tried the coconut breeze and hubby had the hibiscus drink made with Uncle Nearest whiskey.. I ended up liking his drink better than mine. We had the shrimp spring rolls.. it was a light appetizer served with dipping sauce. I loved that they were served with lettuce that I made into a taco to avoid a mess. Also got the Tiato Deluxe breakfast.. a traditional American breakfast with eggs, bacon, potatoes and pancakes.. the bacon was really tasty! Another menu item I really enjoyed was the Grilled Caesar salad with shrimp.. I could easily order this every time! The show stopper was the Seafood fried rice!!! Yum yum yum!! I loved all the herbs it came with, added a nice touch and flavor profile. The owner Catherine and other staff members were very helpful and nice!

I went to a business event here and wow - so impressed with the food passed appetizers- duck, short ribs , ahi tuna on crispy potatoes, eggplant Buffet - garlic noodles , garlic shrimp, Shaken beef- delicious!

Great space and lovely ambiance. Very mediocre food for garden nights. Spicy fries were soggy with a mayo sauce , the garlic noodles were boring with a sugar coating , tasted no garlic... burger mediocre.... With a very soft bun that collapsed. The margarita saved the day.. Needs a better menu and a better chef. It s a shame that such a lovely restaurant would not have better food. The service was good.

We arrived when it first opened so it was pretty empty but after a couple of minutes people piled in for lunch. We sat outside where there were heaters and a bunch of places to sit down. Our server was super helpful and answered all our questions and even made some good recommendations. The food was good and everything was decently priced! Would definitely recommend to a friend looking for a place to dine.

One of the best outdoor dining settings in LA. Service is good, would go again. Wok noodles good choice

The menu has changed. The food used to be good here, this time around we all thought this place wasn't worth coming to any longer. Will not return. Service was friendly.

So good! Comes out in 10 minutes or less. The broth is classic pho and the beef melts in your mouth.

I came back for more! Great food! Today I had their Pork bahn mi with garlic fries. Very patient staff. My coworker was undecisive, our server gave great choices. I like noticed the patio today, it looked a little different, I like it! Thank you Tiato, see you in two weeks!

Visitinh my daughter in Santa Monica I needed a place close to her work as she only had 30 minutes for lunch. Tiato was across the street so easy to get to. I did not have reservations but was quickly seated. They offer a beautiful garden exterior seating and indoor dining. It was unusually warm and the interior provided a very cool AC respite from the hot sun. I mentioned that I didn't have much time. I ordered the chicken sandwich and ban mi sandwich both with fries. The chicken sandwich was extremely tender and flavorful. The pork in the ban mi was also tasty but the bread a little hard. They were fats, friendly and was able to get in and out in 30 minutes. They also offer a cute marketplace for quick to go breakfast and lunches.

If you're looking to host an event somewhere, look no further! I held my wedding here this past July and I was SO glad I decided to have it at Tiato! I used to live in the area and always wondered what was behind the walls. I took a peek and was astonished to find a beautiful outdoor dining space! I made a mental note to consider it when wedding planning. For my wedding it was also important for it to be outside because of COVID-19 and Tiato was not crazy expensive so it worked with my budget so those pushed it to the top of the list. The other pros that made my decision easier was that I wouldn't have to spend a ton on decorations/florals since the venue is already so gorgeous. And the food sounded/looked amazing. We actually didn't try any of the food before the wedding, but I was confident it was going to be great (spoiler alert, I was not wrong). On the day of the wedding, they made it really easy to drop things off ahead of the set up time. My husband had to drop off the flowers early before he got ready so we just coordinated that with the on-site coordinator ahead of time. I was told when I got to the venue that the on-site coordinator was sick and was actually not there! That was a slight hiccup but the owner of Tiato, Catherine, actually came herself instead! I was so surprised and thankful that she was so considerate to make sure my wedding went off without a hitch even with the slight hiccup. All my guests RAVED about the food! For hor d'ouerves we chose the sliders, potstickers, samosas and one other that I can't remember and didn't get to try. All were delicious. For entrees we chose the salmon, steak, and chicken and vegetarian pasta. Everyone said the salmon was the best! The service was great. The bartenders were fine. All in all I was satisfied with everything. To save money we didn't have a DJ so we were going to connect to the sound system in the restaurant. My wedding planner couldn't figure it out so that was another hiccup since again the on-site coordinator was out and couldn't help us. But eventually they figured it out. My only other comment is that they could've made the parking validation a bit more clear. Some of my guests were confused on who to ask (it was the bartenders). TL;DR consider Tiato for your wedding/event!!

Tried to pick up a Grubhub order today. Absolutely chaos inside the pickup area. No one knew where to direct me for online order pickup. When I get to the correct person, she shrugged and says the food won't be ready until 10 mins after my original pick up time. No apologies. An extended wait time isn't a major issue because, hey, things happen. But the woman who works in this area delivering this information to me, couldn't be less apathetic or rude if she tried. I go where my money is welcome and it's clear Tiato doesn't want these coins! When I spoke to the manager about her attitude, she chimed in and said "I told her she could cancel her order on Grubhub!". First of all, you didn't have this passion and enthusiasm when all this went down, secondly, it's not about cancelling, it's about customer service. When things go wrong, how do people treat you? A simple, "I'm so sorry we're swamped. We'll get this out to you asap!" would have made a world of difference. Eating out is a luxury. Spend your hard earned money with people who care.

My friend and I walked in at 11:14am, there were only two customers sitting in the patio. The employees were having a team huddle in the entrance, we asked if they were open and were met with several response of yes. The host rudely asked us if we had reservation. I said no, do we need one? He said yes, I replied with we're just sitting at the bar, do we need a reservation ( as I look at the empty restaurant), he again rudely responds with Yes. I asked him do you want us to leave, and he began to argue that he's educating us on how it works in the restaurant. He then made us wait over 10 min and when we asked for service he said they were in the middle of their meeting and didn't expect for customers to walk in. I asked for his name twice and he declined to provide it. Extremely confrontational and aggressive.

Great staff that is really too nice for their own good. 0/10 tasteless, horrible food. Never will I return, unfortunately. It's so close to me but other than the ambiance, the place is the worst place to eat by far in Santa Monica.

Really great place for lunch. Trendy casual environment. Plenty of healthy and tasty options including smoothies and fresh juices. The service is friendly and quick. I had a Ruben and dumplings. The Reuben was traditional, but a little different made with Vietnamese ingredients like bahn mi. I try to go here whenever I'm in Santa Monica

sooo good!! service was amazing and eating outside was so pretty! they have healthy options like vegan but all of the meals make you full! we sat outside and there was plenty of seats around us and very cute set up around with plants and gives kind of a rustic farm vibe. Next time I am back in California I will be back!!

Cute restaurant tucked away with all the business buildings! The cutest space with chill vibes. Service was great! They're only open mon-fri with events during the weekends. Happy hour is 5-7 and it's so worth it! We got the following - all really good: - Ahi tartare (2pc only but nice portion) - Corn Fritters - sweet & spicy fries - mushroom tempura - seafood fried rice - garlic noodles (they won't let you add any protein unfortunately so it's good to order something to go with this) - truffle burger - Mama's wok - cookies & banana cream pie

This place has changed a bit since last year. It used to be order then wait for your food but now it looks like you are seated before then order at the table. In terms of food, this seems to be a Vietnamese fusion of sorts. Don't expect anything authentic. The ingredients are fresh and it looks really healthy if you want it to be. I've tried both the chicken and tofu and was satisfied. I usually come here because it's central to all the big tech companies in Santa Monica so I'll be back since it's across the street from my office.

Always a vibe, been going here over 7 years and never disappoints! The best thing in the back cafe is the chocolate chip cookie, a cookie that has gone undefeated amongst the rest in Santa Monica.

Yuck food, yuck price, mediocre service - you're paying for the location Food is either greasy or flavorless. Way too overpriced for the quality of food they serve.

Love the place! Great vibe! The place could be with two tables taken and within 15 minutes, it's packed! It's never disappointing. Their baristas are fast! I went over on Monday during my break, man, exceptional service. For the food, I like their variety. You can create your own plate, they have a salad bar, the smoothies with protein are great. I worked in restaurants for 8 years and it's not easy to please everyone, specially when customers come with limited time or stressed out. You have my business Tiato, I'll come over next for your happy hour.

I have to say the broccolini was phenomenal! The head manager there is also incredible he was super helpful very insightful with wonderful recommendations. We came for St. Patrick's Day and tried all kinds of dishes. The sweet-and-sour fries were our personal favorites in addition to the broccoli! The drinks were fantastic as well! The whole environment the vibe I totally wanna host a future event here in this garden!!

Pretty good Americanized VN food. Salmon was excellent. Had it (well done) with chili broccoli and noodles. All were great. My wife, who is VN, said rice was undercooked, excellent tender beef tho. That explains why no Asians were there (T afternoon around 2:30). Phở and bánh mì just ok. Excellent garlic fries. Tomato soup a little sweet. Relaxing atmosphere. Not very busy, took us a good 10 minutes to get spoken to. Odd. Manager/greater had an attitude like he didn't want to be there. I'll assume it was just one of those bad days we all occasionally have. Waiter was nice and pleasant. Tiato is a VN mint. So they put it in everything. I'd go back

My son and I went to Tiato for DineLA in October. What a beautiful place, inside and out. Food was excellent, can't wait to go back!

Visited here before they had to close again... Absolutely smitten with this place! Discovered the cafe on a walk around the neighborhood so went in and ordered a really good ginger turmeric tea latte - amazing! .. it was expensive but hey support local ya know! I can't wait for this spot to open again and for me to actually try their food on their cute outdoor patio!!

I am so upset that this is my first time ever dining in! I have ordered to go from Tiato a few times since Covid. But today was my first time dining in for brunch. And let me tell you, I am beyond happy. I am so happy with my experience, and I cannot wait to share it with other people. First off, the restaurant is so freaking gorgeous. It is a literally a walk in Garden. So beautiful, with lights and all. Unfortunately I didn't get to go for the night lights, but I can't imagine how it looks like at night time. I love the breeze when you sit down, and it doesn't even matter what he what you're sitting it. The environment is just overall welcoming and welcoming. SOOOO BEAUTIFUL! The staff was great. The bartender, was super friendly. The manager was super sweet. And our server was amazing. Gabriel was the sweetest person ever. He was super fast, super talkative (great thing), and super honest. He recommended us the salmon Benedict, and it was great. I absolutely love his energy and vibe. The food, surprisingly the food was really good. Usually when it's just affordable, and the restaurant is this beautiful, they slack in the food area. But everything was so good. I ordered the Vietnamese ice coffee and it did not disappoint. My fiancé, who came with me, said it was the best burger he ever ate. And that it restored his faith and all burgers. Ha ha ha ha that is kind of cute and funny! Overall our experience was fantastic. I'm glad the portion size, and the prices were very reasonable. I'm glad they have easy parking, and friendly staff. I will definitely be coming back and recommending others. Oh, I just found out they have happy hour. So I would definitely be back more frequently. Love it here!

Let me tell you!! This place has the best burgers ever!! I was definitely impressed. I also did add some an egg on top and that took it over the top as well. OK so now that you know how I feel about their burgers, let me tell you about the rest of their menu. Everything was just really really good. They actually come through all the way. The presentation of the food, the presentation of the servers, the presentations of the restaurant, and the presentation of the restroom. Everything is a 10 out of 10. I know this place is an Asian cuisine, but usually when restaurants say that, they don't deliver. But my fiancé is actually Vietnamese And today she ordered Vietnamese iced coffee, and she said it was good. Trust me she's really really picky when it comes to her coffee. Especially if they're Vietnamese. And she said they delivered. So that's really good to hear because now I get to come back.... For my burger of course. Thank you so much for an amazing experience, and I cannot wait to come back here. Either with my fiancé or solo, I do not care LOL. Oh, and our server Gabriel was amazing. I can tell that he is a delight! We were kind of eavesdropping into his conversations with other guests and he's just one of those people that you want to be around with all the time.. He definitely made our experience even better. Thanks Gabriel!

What a FAB meal! Not too busy, great service, lovely outdoor patio with some fun music, and some of the best food I've had in LA. Whatever they're doing, keep doing it!

What the heck Tiato? If you're going to cancel my reservation give me more than an hours notice. Now scrambling to find a last minute reservation for 5 people. I understand mistakes happen but you knew earlier and could have let me know at lunchtime. Not okay.

We really wanted to like Tiato but I was one of the worst dining experiences we've had in years. The food is not even mediocre, it's not edible. The ahi tuna appetizer lacked flavor and creativity. It was basically just ahi tuna on top of a seaweed cracker. The Mini rueben sliders were 1 bite each and had barely anything in them- a huge disappointment considering the price point. The Orange chicken was probably the worst dish as it lacked any flavor and the chicken was undercooked. We didn't finish the dish because we were afraid of getting food poisoning (which happened anyway). Lastly the "corn fritters" were neither corn nor fritters- they simply served a plate of deep fried dough with small traces of corn kernels. It was greasy and disgusting and we barely touched it. It was also covered in a creamy Mayo sauce- I think this was what made us sick later. The cocktails were terrible too- I even sent mine back and the 2nd one they brought me was even worse. I wanted to leave then and there. Our server disappeared for large blocks of time and when we asked him questions he seemed confused and knew nothing about the food menu. The saddest part is that the ambiance of this place is so cute (maybe even 4 stars!) but the food was beyond awful. I don't know why this place is still open.

Tiato is the sister restaurant of the An family, famous for their flagship Crustacean restaurant in Beverly Hills. But don't confuse Tiato for Crustacean except maybe for the menu pricing. Not sure if it changed because of covid or if it has always been that way, but Tiato is not a full service restaurant. You order from the market like fast food or cafeteria and get a number. You can then pick a table inside or a spot out in the lovely garden patio which is the main attraction of the restaurant. To guarantee a specific dining space, reservations are suggested. The servers deliver your order to the table. Tiato is considered a Vietnamese Asian fusion restaurant. This day at lunchtime, they were out of chicken. That was a bad omen. Anything with chicken added to a dish, was not available. Pho with chicken; not available. Rice Noodle Salad with chicken; not available. Crispy Chicken Egg Rolls; not available. I ended up with the Grass-fed Burger with Fries at Tiato. The Burger was actually pretty good (for $18), but there was nothing that screamed Asian fusion about it. Their food in general is farm to table fresh. Most of their herbs and vegetables are grown in their garden patio. However, others in my group tried the pho which in their opinion, lacked that wonderful Vietnamese spices and flavor you'd expect in the broth. The garlic noodles were described as An's Famous Garlic Noodles and apparently, they were not as good as the ones served at Crustacean and shouldn't have been described as such. There was nothing "famous" about them. Staff and service though were very good and friendly. Tiato probably does a decent business with patrons working in and around the Water Garden business offices. Having lived in Santa Monica for a decade, though, I was surprised to learn that Tiato has been in business for about 10 years. Sadly, now I know why Tiato was never on my radar in the past.

I've been back a couple of times since, and although I still stand by my original comments, I also think that the price of food is comparable to other places, given how much prices have gone up in general. I was served by Jimmy this time, and he was excellent. Every time I've been, the service has been very good to great, and I'd like to acknowledge that. You can get a filling meal for a reasonable price if you pick from the various menu options carefully. Today, my dining companions had the avocado toast and the pot-stickers. The quality of the food was very good, with real chunks of meat in the pot-stickers. The plate was only for 4 pot-stickers, so I shared some of my sandwich (breakfast sandwich) with my dining companion, and that worked out well.

I f#%*ing love this place. It has the most unique food that you can't find anywhere else. The takeout market, drinks, and even ambience are fresh and rustic.

I came here for a b'ness event. Tiato is on Colorado near Stewart in Santa Monica. In addition to an indoor area w/ a bar, Tiato also has a courtyard area. In this case the sponsors of our event had booths and offered beer. The passed appetizers consisted of chicken meatballs, fried lobster sticks, mushroom dumplings, mini caesar wraps, garlic noodles and mini tacos from memory. All the apps were really good and seasoned well. Secondarily, the food served inside consisted of tofu, beef skewers, shrimp, tacos, et al. I enjoyed all of the inside food w/ the exception of the tofu. It was heavy on the shoyu IMHO. The staff on the evening of 9/24/19, deserves a big shout out bc all were attentive & super nice. For example, despite there being trash cans all over the place, the staff was willing to take your trash, so you could continue networking. All went out of their way to be helpful. If you are looking for a cool venue in SM w/ great food and excellent service, look no further than Tiato. The location is really convenient also.

I brought a group of 10 to Tiato for their Garden Nights. I loved the cocktails and the food was delicious. You honestly can't beat this happy hour! The ambiance is cool - big, secluded, patio. They've also got a large indoor space. I can't wait to come back all summer long!

Tiato Kitchen for me is an wonderful night out! Why you ask? Great food, delicious and creative mixed drinks and a diverse and respectable wine list (love my Chenin Blanc!), and an garden dining experience that is one of the finest on the Westside. For all this and good service, Tiato Kitchen and Garden deserves 5 stars from me. Whether you want a romantic first date, a night out with your gal, guy or besties, a special occasion private dinner or event, Tiato checks all of the boxes. They're open for lunch or nights (plenty of heaters) on Thursday and Friday. We now have dined twice for dinner. Make your reservation today to try their diverse menu and experience a fun night out in the garden!

Serving size for the shaken beef seems reduced by half. Garlic noodles have gone up in price at all of the restaurants... I'll continue buying it if they give a generous portion. I guess Tiato Lager is gone forever but they maintain a 4/4.5 star rating with creative flavors, service, and pleasant atmosphere (every location feels like a safe haven from the outside world).

The menu is diverse and delicious. Everything that went in my mouth was scrumptious!! The drink menu is innovative and creative. The atmosphere is gorgeous. Perfect little spot to escape the city! When I walked into the beautiful outdoor dining space I was in another world!!

we went there for a private party. the food was good. place it cute i don't mind going back

This place is amazing! Definitely a hidden gem in Santa Monica. If you're ever looking for a great lunch s pot with very delicious food. It's here, the daily creation combinations are genius and the pork belly banh mi is the best I've had in a long time! One negative, they need better cocktail selections during lunch, other then that great service. I'll be back

It's a very pretty space and a quiet location BUT it feels like an Oracle cafeteria. The staff seemed irritated to see us and there was no table service, just a cafeteria salad bar thing. I peeped at the offerings in the steamy cafeteria windows and the salad bar and it wasn't better than any other institutional location. Don't waste your time.

The perfect spot for a springtime private event! Big thanks to Stephanie, Sergio, Jimmy and the whole service team at Tiato for a successful and fun mixer + dinner we were able to host here. Working with Stephanie to plan it all was a breeze; and her efficiency, friendliness, and style made our teamwork great. Every single server and the bartenders were awesome and every hors d'oeuvre was AMAZING - most especially the lobster corndog lollipops. What an absolute crowd pleaser. Get them. Aesthetics and outdoor scenery was just perfect, an excellent place to hang out with friends or unwind after a hectic day at work. Catering options also had plentiful choices, including really great vegertarian and gluten free options that people enjoyed. If you can, also request Board to Death Charcuterie because the charcuterie cones were beautiful and a more sanitary way for everyone to enjoy it. Really looking forward to working with this team again and having another function here.