| Santa Monica |
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Planet Raw by Juliano and Ariel 
 based on 24 member reviews
609 Broadway Ave, Santa Monica California
90401
310-587-1552
Type: All Raw, Vegan-friendly, Organic, American, International, Gourmet, Beer/Wine, Juice bar, Take-out
Info: Fine raw food restaurant. Except for bee products in some items, food is mostly vegan. Dine indoor or al fresco on the patio or front sidewalk. Has outdoor seating. Accepts credit cards. Open Mon-Thur 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 10am-10pm. Price: Moderate.
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| "Great Evening Out"
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My Rating |
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3 |
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Posted on: Saturday, September 26, 2009 |
Review: Had a date night here and had a great time! The ambiance was amazing, the food was fresh, the service was adequate but friendly enough. I think people complaining about the price forget the value of fresh, organic food. I think our server temporarily forgot about the drinks but no biggie. The food wasn't mind-blowing, but still really good. Definitely worth a trip back to try a few more dishes.
Pros: Ambiance * Freshness * Friendly Servers
Cons: * * |
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| "Juliano's is Alive!"
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My Rating |
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6 |
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Posted on: Monday, September 14, 2009 |
Review: This place is a close second to my favorite raw food restaurant. I had the lasagna and apple pie. WOW! If you are within 50 Miles of this place it is a must do.
Pros: Outstanding Food * Service is top notch * Hey It's Santa Monica
Cons: Not \ * * |
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| "Beautiful Food, Abundant Attitude"
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My Rating |
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4 |
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Posted on: Friday, August 21, 2009 |
Review: This restaurant is set in the shabby chic motif. Open ceiling, lotsa artistic designer touches; Love it. The food selection is wonderful, very beautifully prepared and presented, a signature of Juliano. I agree with the other posting, the service has serious attitude. Hey, all I want is good service and a wonderful meal. Service was fair, I found the flavors to be a bit conflicting in the dishes. Pricing is a bit expensive, to go with the attitude throughout. I hope next time they cheer up!
Pros: great menu selections * beautiful presentation *
Cons: Lotsa Attitude * Fair service * |
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| "Julianos Santa Monica"
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My Rating |
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2 |
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Posted on: Sunday, August 02, 2009 |
Review: Staff was unpatient and unfriendly. Every time I went felt like I had to kiss ass and always made me feel like I was a bother when I ordered. I was always nice and kind to them all but even Juliano and Ariel were not friendly and looked unhappy to be there. You would think when eating clean you would be happy and happy spiritually. Food was ok, some food and smoothies I will say are very good. Just very small portions and way overpriced. To make your own smoothie came to 17.00 dollar for a small cup! Not including dinner. They should also state when there are specific nuts in what meal. Should be a requirement so it makes it easier to order because of a few but allergies not only for myself but for other people who are allergic to a certain nut. Parking is convienent.
Pros: Parking * Food was overall good *
Cons: Overpriced * Small portions * Unpatient/Unhappy staff |
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| "Creative Cuisine - Recommended"
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My Rating |
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31 |
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Posted on: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 |
Review: Two friends and I ate at Juliano's Planet Raw restaurant today. We all had been here a few times before separately though a long while back. Our past impressions varied (good and not so good), but we were eager to give it another try.
Today was a nice sunny day, so we sat in the back patio area. We took a while to examine the menu, and our waitress was very patient with us. All the other staff (waitress and kitchen people) were also very gracious with us.
The prices are average/typical to Santa Monica sit-down dining, not expensive not cheap. The fact that it's pure veg and organic is worthwhile to me.
I had a Chai smoothie which was an interesting blend of berries and chai spices topped with bits of walnut, cacao, goji (very tasty - I especially enjoyed the topping bits).
For appetizers, we shared the Spring Rolls, which had interesting wrap and filling accompanied by a creamy sauce (attractive, okay taste) and the Bruschetta which was olives and baby tomatoe halves over a savory nut cheez on top of cracker/bread (rich, delightful, but salty for my liking).
For main, a friend and I shared the Thai Salad (very delicious dressing, nice greens, avocado) and the Monster Wrap (many flavors in a nori wrap, filling, tasty, spicy).
Overall, we all enjoyed our meal. The presentation of the food was artful, attractive, and colorful. The portions were good (fair), and the taste somewhat complicated and very interesting though a few things a bit on the salty side (I usually eat low salt at home).
I definitely would recommend Juliano's Planet Raw to anyone interested in gourmet raw food cuisine.
Pros: friendly service * beautiful and flavorful cuisine * fair prices
Cons: gossip about owners * * |
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| "Miss..."
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My Rating |
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8 |
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Posted on: Saturday, April 11, 2009 |
Review: I have been to Juliano's Raw a few times since I have gone raw. Peculiarly, their menu indicates that they don't use Agave, Carrots, Kiwi, Bananas, Dates, Pineapple, Navel Oranges, and several other foods, citing that these items contain disaccharides. You do your own research. I did mine, and I don't feel that the presence of disaccharides in these foods merit their omission from our RAW diets. If you maintain a balanced Raw+Vegan+mostly alkaline diet, you WILL have a strong and healthy small and large intestinal tract to overcome indigestion. I tried the Hot Cacao (which for some some reason WAS actually hot, way abover 118 degrees). I was expecting a RAW Cacao drink you know. Since it is a RAW restaurant. The jalapeno poppers were OK. But the red dipping sauce in the middle of the plate needed salt. We asked (3) different waitresses for salt. It took literally 12 minutes before it was brought to our table. Big no no. I tried the fat cheeze melt next. It was pretty good. But didn't merit an $11.09 price tag given its portion size. Had the chocolate bliss balls which were good. And topped off my meal with their 'best ever cheeze cake' which came almost frozen for some reason (had to wait several minutes before being able to sink my fork into it). The best item I had which I failed to mention, was the strawberry smoothie. It was very good. I noticed a pervasive use of buckwheat on the menu. Word of caution: avoid - at all cost - any buckwheat cracker or any item on the menu containing their buckwheat crackers. It tastes awful. The looks, the texture, and the taste of their buckwheat cracker is repulsive. In summation: This is why RAW restaurants have such a bad stigma. RAW restaurants do NOT have to be 'hit or miss'. Moreover, the vibe of the restaurant is VERY L.A. Very cliche. Too trendy. I think people patronize this restaurant because its trendy, and because people want to say they have eaten there. I definitely don't think that someone can ever gloat about having a really delicious lunch or dinner here. I highly doubt it. It was probably my last visit to Juliano's. I definitely would not recommend this restaurant to one of my friends. Sorry guys!
Pros: Questionably Vegan (use of Honey) * RAW (except for near boiling temp Cacao) * Strawberry smoothie
Cons: Horrible tasting buckwheat crackers * Service * |
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| "Juliano's Raw"
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My Rating |
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19 |
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Posted on: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 |
Review: Really delicious raw vegan food. Just make sure to request agave instead of honey in some dishes. Definitely worth the price.
Pros: * *
Cons: * * |
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| "AN HONEST REVIEW AFTER MANY MANY VISITS -"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Sunday, March 15, 2009 |
Review: My wife and I have been RAW for years and have eaten at every RAW place in So. Cal. We have eaten at Juliano's RAW regularly over the years and have a very clear picture of the place. While we like the food we have disappointed by the inconsistent quality - example: we LOVE the chocolate shake, but 50% of the time its watery and less sweet... We love spring rolls - but the other day I ordered them and they were small and one of them had NO filling it ! We have gotten used to the VERY high prices and realize (because we by nothing but organic food) that the cost of raw materials is high, but the portions here sometimes border on insulting (and sometimes not) - again, inconsistent. We are baffled by the way that Juliano and Ariel (his partner & wife) continuously ignore us and have never so much as said hello - this after hundreds of visits. We wonder why they linger in the store with stoic long faces looking as though they just hate life as opposed to being friendly and cheerful host like we encounter at EVERY other raw restaurant. Several times we have made eye contact and they look away without even smiling or nodding. Also, once we overheard Juliano give a terrible review of Au Lac (a superb raw place in OC) that was totally inappropriate. Au Lac is totally superb, consistently great, awesome prices and portions and has VERY warm friendly service (particularly world famous chef Ito who is very humble and personable - he often gives his regulars free samples). Lastly, once we left our credit card there and after calling them they promised to keep it safe till we could return for it. Several days later we came for it and it was gone - we discovered that someone had tried to charge 400 dollars on it !!!! Juliano made no attempt to make up for this and was rude to us on top if it all. He didn't even apologize !! rather he said he would cooperate if we wanted to get the police involved - a sincere apology and a free dessert would have done the trick. in summation: there is no doubt that arial and Juliano are expert chefs and have a good thing going... if they could get it together as host/spokespersons - be consistent with the flavor and portion - and make the prices less outrageous they would be a PERFECT restaurant.
Pros: The food. * *
Cons: bad service * price/portions * |
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• I concur with everything you say in your review Jbella213. I second you lauding Au Lac, and have also experienced stellar service at their restaurant. I really hope that Juliano and Ariel are reading these reviews because these reviews are coming from the very people that are spending money at their restaurant and lining their pockets. Oh, I also failed to mention in my review, certain items which were on display for sale at Juliano's; colored disco lights??? What gives?. response by Hugo
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| "JULIANOS RAW"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Friday, February 27, 2009 |
Review: Very impressive to say the least. Casual vibe yet deliciously gourmet dishes. Fast service, reasonable prices and easy to walk in for a table or to get take out. I love this place and would highly recommend it. They believe in eating desert first here which is fun and try their blood drink if you're into juices or even if you're normally not.
Pros: Lots of choices of the menu * Positive, chill, progressive atmosphere * Good prices ($7-10 entrees)
Cons: * * |
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• "Fast service?" LoL. You definitely work there!. response by Hugo
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| "Not too bad"
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My Rating |
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6 |
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Posted on: Sunday, January 18, 2009 |
Review: This place is pretty chic- smallish portions for biggish prices. The food is not really all that good, either. I cannot suggest Au Lac strongly enough if you want delicious raw food :P But, this place is better than some (118 Degrees).
What's good? I had the Fat Cheez Melt which I think may be one of the best dishes. I was very happy with it. Has raw things one it that taste just like mayonnaise and ketchup. Tastes like a burger. I sampled the pasta fresco, and it wasn't that good, but I really don't like zucchini. The people I was eating with complained the salad was overdressed, but I liked it fine- not super delicious, but good. The dessert drinks, though, were -great-! The chocolate shake and the mocha shake were really, really good.
Most of the desserts aren't completely vegan, though, most of them have honey in them, and if you get the shakes you have to ask for agave instead of honey, because they normally put honey in things. So, not 100% vegan as it claims to be. A bit pricey, and the portions are a bit small. But, we sat next to Alanis when we went here, so I guess that counts for something :P
Pros: Good drinks * Some items very good *
Cons: Not 100% vegan * Pricey * Some dishes suck |
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| "Not sure what is vegan"
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My Rating |
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4 |
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Posted on: Friday, August 08, 2008 |
Review: I have the recipe book and a lot of items contain honey. The waitstaff didn't seem to know which items contained honey. I also don't eat soy so no Nama Shoyu, liquid aminos or miso for me. Again, blank looks from the staff. The restaurant is commonly referred to as being raw vegan but because of the honey is not. I went down the street to RFD for some truly vegan food.
Pros: * *
Cons: Not sure what is vegan * Not sure which meals are soy free * |
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• I think honey is a personal choice that some vegans choose to eat. Also, it's hard at Juliano's to know much about the food when you first start working there, there is no training, so if you are new to raw foods it takes a little while in order to be able to help people without asking the kitchen(and even harder if you don't speak Spanish.) I think nama shoyu is the only soy product used in the restaurant.. response by chalyse
• Funny I found Real Food Daily's food to be bland and definitely soy. Most "vegans" I eat (and many raw foodists who eat no dairy meat eggs and only eat 100% raw) still eat honey. Juliano explains in a little pamphlet there why they use the honey candles and to me (even though I eat honey) which foods had honey in them. Sorry it was not a good experience for you (It wasn't for me but for other reasons) but still WAY better than RFD.. response by brainyblonde
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| "Eel Sushi is good!"
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My Rating |
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304 |
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Posted on: Thursday, June 26, 2008 |
Review: I have to admit I'm not a fan of raw food restaurants, but its a fun novelty (INSULT! j/k) for me every once in a while. We went to Julianos for some raw sushi! Its basically fat rolled in nori with mustard on it, but the "eel" roll was tasty. The rest were sort of repetitive. They serve honey there so I wouldn't call them vegan. I had some wine based drink w/o the honey... vomit! However if you are into raw or just want to experience it this place is really nice, you can sit outside and enjoy a nice evening. Don't order the bottled water because their filtered water is really good and free!
Pros: * *
Cons: honey * fat * sugar |
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| "Great Food! Great Service! Definently Coming Back"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Friday, May 09, 2008 |
Review: My friends and I just had dinner at Juliano's for the first time the other night and had a wonderful meal. None of us are raw foodists but had heard so much about him and the place we decided to check it out, and we sooo glad we did! We started out with soup and salads, I had a seaweed soup with avocado that was so rich and delicious and spirulina salad with fresh herbs we also shared zuchinni fries, kale chips and spring rolls! it was all so good that we barely had room for our entrees, but couldnt stop eating it was so good! I had lasanga with macadamia nut cheez, I couldnt beleive it was raw! After all that we just HAD to get desert, which was just as amazing as the rest of the meal. We split the Orgazmatron which was a kind of like a pastry with fruit and nuts and truley lived up to its name. I will definently go back to this place. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was really relaxing with so many great smells! I would go here with my husband for a romantic dinner, but it was also great to go with in a group, so much to share!
Pros: excellent food * interesting cuisine * friendly staff
Cons: * * |
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| "visited once, unsure about a return"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 |
Review: I went in to only have dessert & a beverage. Their brownie was very small and covered with sour fruit. Their macadamia nut milk was tasty, but the serving was too large. They were expensive, and not what I would serve to anyone as it was served to me.
Pros: * *
Cons: * * |
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| "Not as bad as the reviews say"
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My Rating |
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7 |
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Posted on: Monday, March 17, 2008 |
Review: We read the review before we visited.
Yes, it is a couple of dollars more than other raw eateries in the area.
Yes, the portions are smaller (we only ate desert here).
Yes, the staff was not as polite as they should have been.
But, the food tasted great and the menu is huge.
We will eat here again, but not for a 3 course meal.
Pros: variety * taste *
Cons: staff * portion size * |
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| "Pleasant & Transforming"
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My Rating |
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6 |
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Posted on: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 |
Review: I have been to RAW quite a number of times and have taken the uncooking class twice. While no place is ever perfect, I find RAW to be quite pleasant with the wait staff personable, knowledgeable and the food amazing. They portions are not big. They are just the right size which affords you the opportunity to try a few different things like dessert, soup, salad and an entree. This is a place where you get what you pay for; natural, organic and healthy food prepared unlike you have ever tried it before in your life. This is a transforming experience. You go home knowing and feeling that you did something good for yourself. If this is a new experience for you, and you wish to educate yourself a bit, try the "uncooking class" which Juliano holds on the first Saturday of every month. This is a 3 hour course that provides you tremendous insight and understanding to theories behind eating raw food and you see how simple it is to prepare if you wish to attempt it at home occasionally. In addition to seeing it made, you will taste it and walk home with a copy of the recipe. Every month he has different recipes for class. Amongst my circle of friends, I am the only raw foodist. I have taken at least 20 - 30 of my friends there and while this isn't for everyone, everyone was amazed at the flavors, presentation and the food combinations.
While reviews are good to read, keep in mind they are only reviews. Life is about experiences and everyone should experience RAW and make their own opinion.
Happy Eating!!
Pros: Quality food * Explosive tastes * Great presentations
Cons: Slightly noisy * Tight seating * Awkward flow |
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| "disapointing"
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My Rating |
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54 |
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Posted on: Monday, December 03, 2007 |
Review: I finally got to eating here after many times in SF. I should have saved my money and gone to Real Food Daily (my favorite restaurant in the world). The food was mediocre, even the desert wasn't that good, the portions were small, and it was expensive. The blood drink however was good. But seriously --- save your money and go to RFD. I believe they have one raw dish, but if you are just looking for vegan, seriously go to RFD!
Pros: the blood drink * *
Cons: expensive * small portions * food not good |
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| "Not what I expected :("
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My Rating |
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19 |
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Posted on: Saturday, November 10, 2007 |
Review: I suppose I've been spoiled by raw restaurants in Florida, but when I went back to California (used to live there for 8 years) I figured this would be the best raw food ever. I was disappointed. I did like the soups and the "blood drink" (forget the exact name, but admit that was good) but the entrees and desserts (I even went back a second time to see if it would be better) weren't up to par. The raw version of the burger that my friend got wasn't too tasty. The sushi rolls were so so.
We ate two deserts (usually the best part of the meal right?) but neither were that great. They weren't especially nice to us either (though at least Juliano did say hi) I give it 2 stars and am willing to try it again only if in Los Angeles and very in need of a raw meal out... but won't hope for too much. I'll probably stick to a soup and salad :(
Pros: soups were good * servers were polite * liked outdoor seating
Cons: entree wasn't that good * * |
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| "Incredible food, great prices..."
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Monday, October 08, 2007 |
Review: I just returned to Juliano's after reading the amazing reveiw of LA Weeklys, Best Of LA, and I have to say it exceeded my expectations. As the review said, the prices have been completely lowered, and the quality has remained top notch. The staff was lovely and I can't wait to go back. I took my boyfriend, who is a meat eater, and he said if all raw food tasted this way, he would easily convert...
Pros: taste * quality * price
Cons: * * |
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| "delicious food!"
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My Rating |
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5 |
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Posted on: Monday, August 27, 2007 |
Review: I don't quite understand how there are so many negative reviews here! I recently went to Juliano's for the first time, and I was very pleased. The place was busy, but that's because it was Saturday. The decor is beautiful, the service was friendly, Juliano said hello, the music was just right, there was a wide variety of menu options available, and my food came out wonderfully. I had the pasta w/meatballs and one of the chocolate desserts, and it's the best raw restaurant food I've had so far. You can eat indoors, outside in the back, or out front by the street corner; choice is always a plus! I highly recommend it!
Pros: lots of seating * large menu * affordable prices
Cons: * * |
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| "Snobby service, small portions and great lattes"
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My Rating |
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5 |
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Posted on: Sunday, July 29, 2007 |
Review: [edited - see Terms] The prices were fair until I saw the portions (75% of the plate was covered in mixed greens as a way to make portion look larger, LAME). I loved the spring rolls and the latte I ordered and also my sister in laws strawberry shake. The other stuff wasn't anything special and if I go back I will just get the latte and spring rolls. Worth a visit to see Juliano wearing insane bell bottoms. I'd still rather go to Real Food Daily down the street.
Pros: the lattes are awesome * my water was good *
Cons: staff sucks * over priced * baby sized portions |
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| "Inconsistent"
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My Rating |
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21 |
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Posted on: Tuesday, January 02, 2007 |
Review: A few days ago I ate here and was truly impressed. Prices have come down and all of the dishes we ordered were beautifully presented, fresh, and delicious.
However, if today's lunch was my first experience I would not return.
I must state that I understand that this cuisine is very labor intensive and I do appreciate that Juliano personally shops at the local farmers market to buy the best ingredients.
Today I ordered a couple of the very same dishes which we had last Saturday,.. pumpkin tortellini, spring rolls, and the pumpkin sushi. Tortellini came out today looking and tasting like 4 stale potato chips, hard and crispy (rather than soft and slightly chewy). Spring rolls tasted ok, but the size of the plate and the rolls appeared to be half what it was the previous time, also with little presentation. Sushi was ok, but left an uncomfortable after-taste.
Perhaps Tuesday is just a bad day to visit, as the big market in on Weds., or maybe as the kind server suggested, their are different food preparers working on different days. Nonetheless, the discrepancy in quality was extremely disappointing to me. I was thrilled when this place opened in Santa Monica, as I live locally. My first 3 visits during their early months I had a similar experience of inconsistency which upon my visit last Saturday I thought had been sorted out. Sad to find out I was wrong. I'll give it another try before I make a final judgment.
Pros: Lower prices-reasonable * Gourmet Raw Santa Monica * Local Ingredients
Cons: Inconsistency * * |
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• Looks like they've decreased the pumpkin tortellini appetizer from 6 pieces in November '06 to 4 pieces in January '07.. response by groovyvegan
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| "Shocked and Delighted - NEW CHANGES at Juliano's"
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My Rating |
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296 |
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Posted on: Saturday, December 30, 2006 |
Review: A while ago I had written about a bad experience here, about how the servers had ignored me and that everything was outrageously expensive (main dish each $30+). Well, to my complete suprise, that was NOT the case today. Immediately upon entering the restaurant, our party was promptly greeted by 2 waiters who lead us to the al fresco patio in the back. On our way, I looked into the kitchen that was divided by a glass wall, and it looked clean, orderly, and had a display of interesting colorful ingredients. When the waiter brought us the menu, and I was once again utterly surprised to see that there was a new design (more organized) and that prices had reduced significantly!! I thought that maybe with the decrease in prices, the portions would be small. So we ordered a wide assortment of dishes. In yet another surprise, the portions were very fair. My tastebuds tingled with delight with each bite I took. There were so many interesting sauces and flavors, ones I hadn't not tasted before. As I was still eating, I was already thinking about what I would order for the next time I come back! It's funny to think how I used to avoid this place like a plaque, but now, I LIKE it and want to recommend it highly. My husband and mother-in-law both agreed that the food was delicious. I highly recommend: pumpkin tortellini, apple tortellini, spring rolls, pumpkin "salmon" sushi, kleem smoothie. WOW.
Pros: beautiful presentation * innovative & unique * great value
Cons: none * * |
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| "Beautiful, delicious AND quite pricey!!"
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My Rating |
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6 |
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Posted on: Monday, December 18, 2006 |
Review: A beeeeeeeeautiful and fresh-smelling place to eat!!
Great food presentation! I love the "Alien's Blood", "Raw n' Roll", and the "Pizza". Unfortunately, the pizza is only about 2x3 inches in size and cost almost $15!! You need about 4 just to feel like you've had an appetizer!! But still, the food IS good, just pricey...
I've been there when the staff was friendly and actually DID acknowledge my presence but, then, two other times, SOME of the staff members were friendly and patient.
The food taste PERFECT (5 cows) but they need more costumer service training so I'll give'em 3 cows...
Pros: DELICIOUS!! * Great food presentation * healthy and guilt-free
Cons: $$$$ * tiny portions * sometimes rude staff |
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