Gardenia Restaurant and Lounge

This was THE worst service and experience I’ve had in a while. I came here with my fiancée and two others to support their teacher who was performing. (The people who hosted the event were great). The waitress/​hostess was incredibly rude the whole night! Never have I ever experienced such a rude server. We had never been here before and weren’t sure how the minimum worked. She was not helpful and treated us like she didn’t even want to assist us. I’m honestly shocked she has a job in customer service. I don’t know where an attitude like that flies but NEVER will I EVER recommend anyone to this place unless that woman is gone. YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT WE WERE AT MCDONALDS. If I had her name I’d give it but she worked tonight, Monday may 9^th 2016 in the evening.

I went last night and was blown away by the service and the atmosphere — Nicole was running the place with a smile on her face! The food was fantastic, and we were treated to an amazing performance by Dom Thomas. Don’t let the negative reviews on here sway you from coming to Gardenia; it was a true old-​school nightclub experience, and a very positive experience for myself and the party I was with.

I felt rude, leaving the way I did, but my blind-​mobile was waiting to take me home and I was late getting out for it, and I thought I would be stranded, but the driver was gracious enough to wait. But I got caught up in the atmosphere, and the beautiful hospitality, and Kari is such a gracious host and great singer. It’s a family-​style atmosphere and the music is wonderful. The house pianist is wonderful! –Legallyblindguy (Vince B.)

We had a very pleasant and fun evening last Thursday. A group of 13 of us went to hear Helene Smart, an unknown cabaret singer from Seattle, who was in town for a one night stand. Our dinners were all good, the service was friendly and they were accommodating about getting our large group seated as close together as possible. You wouldn’t go out of your way to have dinner there, but the chance to hear music in such an intimate setting was delightful. We were very pleased.

I rarely give reviews but i could not let this pass. its never a good feeling when you go somewhere and feel taken advantage of.
i Attended an event at this establishment last night. i should have heed the signs when i drove past 4x looking for the place. once i parked and got to the door i wondered if the place was actually open, no lights, letters from the sign were either missing or hanging. the place definitely does not look attended to. once i entered we were asked for reservations which they could not find because the answer machine says leave a message for reservation and you will be called back. 3 messages were left 0 callbacks were given. they seated us anyways.
this was the worlds smallest overpriced menu. nothing on the menu looked appeasing so i choose something i thought would be fail proof, shrimp cocktail. when my ordered arrived i couldn’t identify it. it was 4 medium sized shrimp with slices of tomatoes on a bed of lettuce covered in mayo sauce. i genuine response was «WTF». the table seated next to me laughed and stated «yea we were greatly disappointed as well». and to add service wasn’t anything to brag about.
we watched the performance which was entertaining but definitely not worth the value. when the bill arrived at the end of the performance my date was livid. he couldn’t believe the outrageous amount for 3 disgusting appetizers and a poor performance. he exited the building to breath because he was so pissed. after returning 10 – 15 min later. we settled and proceed to leave. before we could make it back to the car he had to return to the establishment to let them know the entirety of the night was absurd, he spoke with more then half the patrons in attendance, they all overwhelmingly felt the same way. the management tried to accuse us of being hard to please.
we were greatly DISAPPOINTED and will NEVER attend another event at this establishment. not only that, we will NOT recommend this place to anyone, and strongly discourage anyone from going here ever. i can understand how their still in business.

After reading all the terrible reviews we were pleasantly surprised by our visit here tonight. The food is not very good, but that’s not the reason to come here. It was a great, old-​fashioned night club experience! What fun! The martinis were good, the green salad was fresh and crisp. The rest of the meal was bland… BUT the show was great and our waitress Nicole was friendly and accommodating. We will definitely go back again.

Terrible customer service. The female waitress was rude to customers. Yelling at them to not stand near the bar or even sit at empty tables. Would not come back here again.

F***** horrible hostess/​waitress she needs to get her attitude straight up not to be rude with customers!!!

Great little club as far as atmosphere goes, great bartender. So-​So, a little pricey, small portions food. But the management is horrible. We made reservations on a recording in the phone, and at the last minute 2 of our party dropped out, and although the club sold out the manager informed my friend she was charging him a $ 30 «show» fee. To make a long story short… I won’t be returning.

Restaurant will not answer phone… fear they may be out of biz… anyone have any info? They were still in business a few months ago but if they won’t answer the phone, may not be now.

I wish negative stars were an option here.
I’ve come to see a couple friends perform here. We were all really excited because the venue was small but cozy and nice.
Food: PRETENTIOUS. So expensive for undeserved quality.
Service: BAD — lazy, the owner was rude as well. He kept interrupting the show to yell at people. VERY UNPROFESSIONAL.
The lady who greets people when they come in: i don’t know if she is the hostess or waiter, but her attitude was horrendous. You’d think they would want people to come! Not sass them away.
The only time I liked this place was when I could finally leave it.

Haven’t been to the Gardenia for years, so I was skeptical after reading some of the reviews. As we were there to see a friend perform, we decided to make a night of it and just had dinner beforehand. If you are going to a jazz club for fine dining and exquisite presentation, this isn’t the place. Few clubs are. If you’re going for the music and happen to want dinner beforehand, do it. The food was very good. Two of us had the rib eye, one had the salmon, and the other the game hen. No complaints really. No, it didn’t look beautiful on the plate, but it wasn’t unattractive. Sort of like how you’d serve it to guests at home. Steak, potato, green beans. Here you go. Enjoy.
Yes, it’s overpriced. But welcome to the world. If food is your prime concern, eat somewhere before the show. If it’s okay for your meal to serve as the backdrop for music and conversation. The Gardenia is worth It.
Now to the service: People have complain in some of these reviews about service being bad. The night we were there the service was amazing. One waitress for the whole room (sure another server would have been nice), had a smile on her face the whole time, was pleasant and never kept anyone waiting. She was great. Again, if you are expecting Michelin quality treatment, go somewhere else.
For the right act, we would definitely come back to the Gardenia. Good food, good music, nice night out.

Amazing singers at the open mic on Tuesdays. check the calendar for weekend performers who sell out the place. yes there’s a cover, every club with live music has one in LA! But here the cover goes to the artist 100% not some booker, promoter or production company. The pastas and crepes are great. Also order a Cosmo when Kyle is bartending it’s the best around. People find ways to complain about every place, even the new trendy gastro pubs that won’t last. This place has charm and has stuck to the old school Hollywood way. With tons of actors, ooera singers and Broadway performers there’s a reason it’s been open 33 years… have some respect! When a singer or performer make me cry, that is a good thing. Can’t wait to see more, I drove by the place for years so happy to discover this hidden talent chest.

If there was a way to give 0 I would. While I appreciate the owner’s valiant effort to keep the supper club genre alive, he fails. The food is AWFUL. No way around it. For example, my food was still frozen and the «shrimp cocktail» was four medium size shrimp, pretty raw, lukewarm with a squirt of ranch dressing and no cocktail sauce. The building is dilapidated. The capacity is 80 persons, and that’s pushing it. If you have a friend performing there, as I did, then you are stuck. But just sit at the bar. Seriously. Don’t eat there. To top off the night, the AC wasn’t working where I was seated, and the bathroom wasn’t that clean. Sad to say the supper club is a bygone era… sigh.

Food was akin to leftover TV dinner, and that’s being generous. Average entrée over $ 25.00. Cover charge is $ 15.00, and though it is stated, and was verified by servers on three occasions that the cost of cover is included in the dinner, such is not the case. It is an additional charge. Still unclear about the additional two drink minimum.
Unfortunately, in order to get seats, you must reserve for dinner, with a total bill for two people amounting to over $ 125. And when questioned about the discrepancy over cover charge, we were met with bold face lies.
My advice, if you still want to go, pay performer $ 15 directly and don’t leave tip.
Whatever happened to customer service, quality and integrity? Buyer beware…

I agree with other reviewers that the Gardenia is a special place and of a dying breed. The energy and support and joy of life in the place makes it well worth the trip.

Echoing AlpiMarziG review.
One of the last Clubs in LA that help the artists by providing a platform and pass on the full cover charge, Kudos for them. for that !
The Gardenia is lucky to get some very talented acts to help fill up the room and there somehow the appreciation to the business brought by the said artists following brutally stops.
I would differ in my scoring on the following :
The menu is pretentious price wise and with the description for the items (the composer of the menu must also work for the airlines to tempt you with an appetizing description of the fare). The prices commanded by the club do not reflect the quality or any creativity for the food served. I will stay at the bar and consume my 2 compulsory drinks next time…
The shape of the club forces the waitresses to go by the artist back and forth through the act… Little thinking for the artist who has brought business there…
The cherry on top of the cake was the well advertised fact that no flash photography or videography were allowed. So far so good. A point that was quickly repeated by the waitress. An individual came tapping on my shoulder just telling that a regular camera was not allowed at all. (turned out he was the owner, no introduction, just repeating that it was forbidden).
A new placard with the house policies should first be posted at the door. And better yet, a different way to address the paying guests would definitely have been better appreciated.
I would rather give the $ 100 + value of our check (including the cover charge) directly to the artist that night than to an unappreciative owner .
I hope that someone near the Gardenia reads these reviews and take them as hints of what works and what does not work and need changing.
The artists need a room like the Gardenia, not the attitude and lack of care showed by the owner.

The Gardenia is special. Try to go into it understanding that it is one of a few left of a dying breed. Is the food amazing? No, it’s not amazing, but it’s tasty. Is customer service the top priority? Nope, but they’re good and honest, and while they may show that they’re tired or busy, it doesn’t mean they’re going to take it out on your food or your drinks or your bill later. Is the interior new and super stylish? No, it’s loved and broken in, but not broken down. It reminds me of a new fabulous nightclub in New York in the ’80’s… And why that has to be a bad thing to some of these reviewers is beyond me! It’s kitschy and awesome.
This is a nightclub, in the old tradition. The cover charge goes straight to the performer. God bless them!- Los Angeles is notorious for not paying it’s performers. So thank you, Gardenia, for taking care of the talent that keeps your doors open. And how do they keep the doors open? By bringing in guests who buy food and drinks. That keeps them OPEN, SO THAT THERE IS A PLACE TO GO to hear this type of performance.
The regulars are warm and fun, the open mic is always surprising and filled with laughs and smiles, professionals and amateurs alike.
Just accept it for what it is and you’ll have a great time.

First impressions are everything, as I am sure a lot of people would agree. When I called in for some information about the restaurant, the man, I’m assuming the host, who answered the phone was far from polite to a new customer that was only trying to help their business out.
This man, far from being a gentleman, was not yelling, but he did have his voice raise at me, for no apparent reason and that’s a big no no in any hospitality business. While raising his voice to me he expressed that he is very busy right now with reservations and cut our conversation short (hung up on me) when I was not even done with our conversation, no no number two.
I am one that can understand the stressful environment of a restaurant. Coming from a family who owns restaurants and personally working in restaurants for over 6 years the customer should never feel that anxiety that the employee is feeling. You go to relax and enjoy a nice evening.
He did not present his name to me, strike three, (smart on his end) which is probably for the best because then it would have been easier to target him with a complaint to the manager or owner. My advice to that unnamed «stressed» man is get out of the restaurant business if you cant handle it.
I will definitely not be dining there and will make sure everyone that I know hears my story and makes sure they choose not to dine there as well because if the greeter acts that way, who is to say that the serving staff is not that way either.
Every restaurant knows that word of mouth is their most powerful marketing tool. I am sure that not everyone has this kind of experience there at Gardenia, but non the less it was an experience that happened and it should not have.
Through all this I’m sure some of you are wondering well what did you say to make him upset… I said absolutely nothing to escalate the situation. Just wanted some basic info that he did not want to give me. He took a message but I am almost sure it wont be going to whom I would like it to. Hope no one else encounters this man on a Friday night.

A rare intimate venue to hear old standards.
The room only seats about 50, so you’re really close to the singer and musicians.
Exceptional quality shows the two nights I went. I’ll certainly be back.
Tip: Skip the food. Service is so-​so, but this place is a rare jewel despite its shortcomings.
Go for the entertainment – it’s great.