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Vibey wine bar for dinner and drinks.
Too crowded and food is extremely overpriced.Truffle bolognese - really great.
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We all know Wally's is pricey.
Yet we all keep coming back. The ambiance (sometimes a little too loud) is vibrant and gives energy. The food is extremely high quality (lots of fresh truffle) and the few dishes I have had were perfectly done (try the carrot cake dessert). I hate that you guys take my money but I love it too.
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The steak tartare and grilled octopus were amazing!!!!
The steak tartare and grilled octopus were amazing!!!! Truffle fries lacked truffleyness :( I've been here several times and overall had good experiences. The only thing is that the hostesses at the front gives attitude to every customer - this is also the case for Beverly hills. I love Wally's but it does affect my dining experience there. I have no other complaints except for the fact that they're always busy so make sure you get a reservation before coming!!!
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I was in the Santa Monica area and met up with a friend.
We decided to check out Wally's. When we arrived, we were greeted by the host and we were quickly seated.The ambiance was popping for a Friday night and the place was packed.Sarah was our sever was Phenomenal!!!!!!! Her food recommendations were on point! We decided on the pizza, and it hit the spot!If you are in the Santa Monica area, make sure to check out Wally's and ask or Sarah! She is the best!!!
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Still a huge fan of Wally's Santa Monica, but there has
Still a huge fan of Wally's Santa Monica, but there has been some slippage.First, the dessert menu that defined late night sweets went from 5-stars to 2-stars. They need to up their game with a pastry chef, as the lack of a good dessert menu has resulted in a reduction in my evening entourage attendance. Where we used to come every 2 nights, we now come once every 10 days (though my wallet is thanking me).They've replaced their truffle lentils with a new truffle risotto (literally use the same serving plate). This risotto is INCREDIBLY decadent. It's rich, delish, and rivals my favorite truffle bolognese. I rank this as probably my #1 truffle (affordable) dish in Southern California.Unfortunately the lentil dish is no longer, but I've been informed that you can still get it at the Beverly Hills location.The crowd has changed a bit. While it used to be classier, the popularity of the place has led to a massive influx of younger, wanna-be hipsters and well-dressed deer-in-headlights millennials. I don't mind it, but now I request seating in the back of the restaurant, where it's quieter, and still very enjoyable.I do want to shout out their baby kale salad. It's SO GOOD you won't want to share!PLEASE GET THAT DESSERT MENU UP TO PAR!!!!
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Came here for a drink after having dinner next door and I
Came here for a drink after having dinner next door and I ordered the espresso martini. It was surprisingly good to me, because I'm picky about espresso martinis. I feel they are sometimes way too strong but this one was made with the perfect balance of coffee flavor with a hint of creaminess and just the right amount of alcohol. I thoroughly enjoyed the drink, this being the first time I finished an espresso martini! I'd give Wally's 5 stars but I was disappointed in the service. Not very attentive or polite in my opinion. Granted we may have caught our server on a bad day but still, I was a little annoyed with how long it took to get the check. Overall, great espresso martini made here!
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SuperKnowledgeable and they ship out of state! Needed rare
SuperKnowledgeable and they ship out of state! Needed rare Japanese whiskey and they didNot disappoint! Thank you so much for your recommendations! They have a HUGE inventory'
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The wait staff, food, and wine were fantastic but our party
The wait staff, food, and wine were fantastic but our party received so much attitude from a hostess that it ruined our experience. She was rude to us from the moment we walked in.
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Two stars for a beautiful venue and ambiance.
But the service was poor, and they don't offer samples / tastes of the wine. When we walked in some of the staff looked me and my friend up and down like we didn't belong there. Our server, and the person that delivered food were not friendly at all. Pretty pretentious vibe
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M S. on 12/09/2022
Food is fine. Waitstaff and somms are great. Hosts will kick you off your table and/or not seat you quickly even if there are empty tables. Very sceney and judgy.
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Do not purchase wines online. Horrible experience
If you want to buy a wine on Wally's website, Good luck! I wanted to buy 2 bottles of wine they showed on their website. Unfortunately and inexplicably, their system did not let me complete the transaction. The following day I called customer service. They transferred me twice until I was able to talk to Melinda, a new hire without experience. She was navigating through their system while talking with me. She said would call me back because she needed to confirm the wines were available. 4 hours later she called me back and told me that only 1 of the the wines I wanted to purchase was available. She indicated the system was not updated but she had verified the other one was available. After 35 minutes on hold waiting her to process the transaction, she came back to me twice to ask my credit number, then I spoke to Marissa, who said the transaction was completed and that per my request, the wine would be transferred to their Beverly Hills location to be picked up. They charged my credit card. Today, I received a call from Melinda indicating that the wine "was not available" that they would refund my credit card. She indicated there was a miscommunication with the Beverly Hills store. This is the worst experience I have ever had. I purchase wines all over the country, form different retailers online and in person and so far the experience with Wallys customer service was horrendous. I spent so much time to try to buy a couple of bottles of wine. Do not buy from them. There are many retailers that will really care about their customers.
Loved the whole experience. Food was marvelous and the wine was wonderful. Service great and the actual inside of this property has such a great ambience. Was recommended by the hotel concierge, would highly recommend myself.
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The ultimate wine deli experience in santa monica.
Found by accident - not TripAdvisor.! On a side street in santa monica the most amazing collection of wines and spirits displayed excitingly as a restaurant backdrop. Coupled with an extraordinary deli for charcuterie and international cheeses. Even better there are street tables in the sun and shade where the deli and more- try the endive and apple salad - are available creatively presented. The staff is excellent and knowledgeable. Warm welcome from marcelous and at a very busy time excellent service from Jeffrey. 3 lunches there and food for the plane. Would love to duplicate in London!!
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Beautiful setting and yummy drinks and food! A little bit
Beautiful setting and yummy drinks and food! A little bit pricy and definitely loud but fun for a work happy hour or a first stop with friends. Had the spicy margarita and it was 10/10 in addition to some charcuterie and a bottle of wine. Will definitely be coming back.
Extremely large selection of wines to dine in or take home. The food and atmosphere is very good. Probably better than Beverly Hills location which has an amazing customer service.
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The best wine bar in the area! Let's break it down:SERVICE:
The best wine bar in the area! Let's break it down:SERVICE: 10/10 absolutely great service every time, and on all fronts from host staff, to waiters, bar tenders and food runners.WINE: 10/10 amazing selection of wines. Sommeliers are available to give recommendations and they have always been friendly and fun in my experiences.FOOD: 10/10 remarkable! Even if you take the wine away from this place, their food alone is worth trying! It's been incredible every single time at Wally's. Steak tartare - great flavors, beautiful presentationSteaks - superb execution! Highly recommend Ravioli- delicious and well executed, cooked al denté, light and not heavy or creamyCheese board and charcuterie - absolutely great! Presentation is 10/10!! AMBIANCE: recommend indoor seating, because the interior of this place is beautiful, with wine bottles, dimmed lighting. The outdoor area has heaters but it seats on Wilshire Ave which is a busy street. You can see sunsets from here but I think indoor seating is much better! Reservations are not required.
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Great wine selection to drink there and to purchase for at
Great wine selection to drink there and to purchase for at home! We always drink and shop while there best way to do it! Fun spot for a good charcuterie board too!
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Very nice atmosphere but SUPER expensive.
I'm not a big wine-o so I probably and appreciate it as much as others
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You know you're getting quality coming to Wally's.
Do yourself a favor and try everything on the menu because you can never go wrong with what their creations. Love Wallys!
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I came in today to purchase 5 bottles of wine for a gift
I came in today to purchase 5 bottles of wine for a gift and the GM, Fabricio, quickly stepped in to assist me in finding the specific types of wine I wanted. He was super friendly and made me feel relaxed as we talked through the different wine options. He spent nearly 20 minutes with me to help me and he knew up front I wasn't buying expensive bottles - so it clearly wasn't about trying to make a big sale. He even had one of the other workers help me carry the bottles out to my car around the block (he was also super nice!). It was a lovely experience and I look forward to going back!
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This message is about below standard of care service at
This message is about below standard of care service at Santa Monica location. We had our waitress come by and tell us we could each get a small tasting of the wine we were going to order. 2 of our party ordered 2 small tastings of wine each, she took that order, left, then the manager came about and said he's not going to give us any tastings. You having staff misrepresent to us what they will give you, this is unacceptable and just so disappointing to see from a wine bar that purports to claim a great reputation. I used to come here all the time because I live nearby, but now I won't.
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Joshua S in their wine sales checkout was extremely helpful
Joshua S in their wine sales checkout was extremely helpful is seeing that multiple different orders of wine were delivered timely and effectively to all parties. So grateful for Joshua and all of his help! Very appreciative.
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Wally's definitely did NOT live up to the hype.
The assortment and massive wine inventory was impressive. However, the food and service left MUCH to be desired. Even the seating is uncomfortable and not very inviting. So...the meal. My Negroni was perfect. (Yes, I ordered a cocktail at a wine store.) The burrata starter with watermelon, heirloom tomatoes and basil was great. However, it all went downhill from there. The salad was a huge, radicchio-filled disappointment, as was the pizza. There was barely any cheese on it and the temperature at which it was cooked was way too high. The crust was dry and crunchy. Too hard to even chew in some parts. We didn't finish it. The waitstaff kept bringing food orders without any plates for us to eat it on. The bill came out to $200. For a starter, salad, pizza and drinks. Not worth it AT ALL. Such a disappointment.
Great for lunch with excellent wine selections. Wonderful atmosphere surrounded by the bottles of win. Excellent service.
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After being close patrons and friends of the staff at
After being close patrons and friends of the staff at Wally's Santa Monica for years, we were thrown out of the restaurant by the GM, Fabricio Nocilla for raising concerns about terrible service and subpar food. This new GM was so unbelievably rude and unprofessional. He claims he is a "leader in true hospitality from the heart." With no ability to lead and his recurring theme of throwing out patrons from the restaurant, I can't imagine this person will stay at Wally's much longer. My family and I have decided never to return to the restaurant. With that choice they will lose many more patrons. Fabrizio you are a true detriment to the Wally's brand. You should be ashamed of your behavior.
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I've been a repeat customer at Wally's for years and have
I've been a repeat customer at Wally's for years and have always enjoyed the food, atmosphere and the staff. Friday mid afternoon, I had the very unfortunate experience of being thrown out with family and friends. We came to this restaurant to have an enjoyable dinner but instead experienced slow service and inedible food. We had soggy burgers, over oily fries, ordered appetizers and didn't have any plates to eat them with. Then, we simply asked to speak with the new manager Mr. Fabrizio, we were friendly and introduced ourselves as we are Wally's regulars. We explained to him what was going on and he disregarded everything we said. He wanted to comp our meals, which is not what we wanted. The issue is the service and the quality of the food. He took it personal and it was not, we simply just wanted to have a great dinner at the restaurant that we've always loved. Mr. Fabrizio was nothing but rude, unprofessional and did not apologize and believes that comping meals will solve every problem. I was truly saddened by how terrible this experience was and I will not be returning due to the lack of professionalism and care for their customers.
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Its with a very heavy heart that I write this review.
Wally's Santa Monica used to be our favorite restaurant in Los Angeles. It served as a refuge where we could forget about the stress of Covid-19. In the last two years we've made close friends with many staff members including the previous GM, Mina. For years when we walked through the doors, we were greeted by hosts and seen not only as patrons, but as family. Unfortunately a change in management has forced many staff to leave and with that change came a new GM, Fabrizio Nocilla.This Friday April 1st at 3:00 my husband, my office manager, my nine year old son and I went in to have an early dinner and unwind from a hectic work week at my medical office nearby. We took a table in the front of the restaurant and were greeted by a nice server who we never met before. In fact, despite the poor service, every waiter and busser we encountered seemed concerned and kind. Unfortunately there were many missteps during that service. Half of our table received drinks while the other half waited endlessly. We couldn't toast each other to a nice evening until our big rocks had melted. We ordered five appetizers and mains. Half of the appetizers came out without plates and we had to chase down our server. Our burgers came out so soggy that we couldn't hold them in our hands. The temperature on the French fry machine was too low thus our fries were soggy. We then received more appetizers after receiving our main courses without plates or silverware. We had three plates of untouched appetizers and drinks on the table when we called over a server to let her know of our concerns. She and our waiter both suggested we speak to the manager.Out came Fabrizio Nocilla. I could tell right away that he intended to fight with us. I attempted to diffuse the situation by introducing ourselves and our family. I let him know of some of the issues we were having. But as soon as I mentioned that the restaurant has taken a turn for the worst with the new change of management, he saw red. Fabrizio clearly took this as a personal attack. He refuted everything I said instead of listening to our concerns. He was like Vesuvius ready to blow. He promptly cut me off and said the entire table is comped and asked us to leave the restaurant. Yes...we were thrown out of Wally's Santa Monica for complaining about the food and the service. I said "are you fkng kidding me?" That was all the ammunition he needed to justify throwing our family out of the restaurant. My nine year old son was so embarrassed that he cried in the car. On my birthday last year, the entire staff at Wally's Santa Monica pitched in to buy me an expensive bottle of Mezcal. I was sitting in Jean Georges two weeks before this. A few months prior I was at Enoteca Pinchiorri (a three star Michelin restaurant in Florence)...I have never been in this situation in all my life. Fabrizio Nocilla is everything wrong with the hospitality industry. His behavior on this day has not only ruined my commitment to the Wally's brand, but it has turned me from an apostle for the restaurant to an apostle against the restaurant. I have introduced no less than 500 patients to Wally's. When this type of event occurs, it spreads like a cancer. I'm not a famous rapper, but I am a person who is influential in the community. I can't imagine that Christian Navarro knows what's going on here. I feel that staff may not speak up because they are afraid they'll be fired. Just today I was mentioning this story to my dear patient and friend who turned me on to Wally's in the first place. She stated she had the same experience two weeks ago. While renting the upstairs room for a private dinner costing more than 10K, she had a minor discrepancy about the bill. Fabrizio Nocilla refused to waive the erroneous charge and instead threw out my friend in front of her entire party. Two years ago I dropped a letter on Mina and Christian's lunch table. The previous Yelp review is verbatim what I wrote in that letter. That letter used to hang in Mina's office on the wall. With the new change of management I'm sure it was taken down. I'll spend my money elsewhere.
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I don't actually drink at all so when my coworkers
I don't actually drink at all so when my coworkers suggested that we head over to Wally's which is a wine bar, I was a little concerned I'd feel out of place.The inside is very impressive with racks of wine displayed within glass cases. There are a lot of communal high top seats on marble tables. They didn't have anything quite long enough for our party and we had to sit at two separate ones.One of my main reasons we came here (other than for a real happy hour) is for the Wood Oven Baked Brie! The apps here aren't cheap but they all feature premium ingredients so it's kind of understandable. The brie is served on a toasted French baguette and topped with three levels of truffle. A truffle honey, truffle butter, and shaved truffles! It's really not a lot to split between 4 people so you might want to get 2 orders. Very, very tasty though as long as you like truffles!
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So I am so disappointed in the service and follow through.
This not a serious wine store and i may end up having to sue them. Left messages and still no resolution. I ordered 2016 futures in 2017 that has yet to be delivered. Spent thousands with no delivery. I got an excuse from one manager when i confronted them in store (because again they don't return calls or emails) and as this was pre covid the only excuse they could serve was about the tarifs on French wine. This is the store for anyone with so much money they aren't bothered whether the wine will actually show up. The store staff are friendly and try hard but it is hard not to question the integrity of management.