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WARNING: DO NOT ENTER!

2 Posted on 02 / 19 / 2013

I'm not sure which restaurant you all are referring to, but surely not this establishment. I went there with three of my friends, and it was one of the worst experiences I've ever had. The service was slow (understandable), but they were out of ingredients (and did not know ahead of time, making my friend wait an additional 45 minutes for her dinner after having to re-order), and the waitress we had was completely rude. The only upside was the food, but only slightly. The cost out weighs the food itself. Overall I'd say find somewhere where they appreciate your business and don't waste your money or time here.

Cons: Wait staff is rude, Over priced, Small portions

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Which Restaurant Are People Reviewing

5 Posted on 08 / 01 / 2012

This Is The Best Vegan / Raw / Restaurant I Have EVER Eaten At.

The food is absolutely incredible! To die/live for! It looks amazing, tastes outstanding, and when your'e done eating it you feel estatic. I have never had a bad meal there. It's incredibly consistent, and every component is dialed in to a tee.

This is a Health food restaurant, yes they do use honey istead of agave and I absolutely love that about Planet Raw. I hate when agave is the only option which is almost always the case, agave has no health benefit. Juliano doesn't use bananas or any other hybridized fruits or vegetables.

I must say I have only one complaint, it's small and it is almost always recurring in restaurants, I imagine because they are hard to staff. The food highly outweighs it. The servers can be "strange" at times. That and they have this strange relationship with the kitchen, sometimes one server can get something one way, and the other server can't because the kitchen workers don't like them. Other than that, I have zero improvements to even recomend, even the hours are incredible. I think they are open till midnight on the weekends and are open early enough for a late breakfast everyday.

If you want healthy food, this is the healthiest restaurant I know of, anywhere and you won't know it by the taste.

The cheezy kep, nachos and chocolate shake are my favorites.

Pros: Best Food Anywhere, Healthy and you feel amazing after, Dazzling Presentation
Cons: Staff can be strange, There's only one location, I don't live close enough to it

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Amazing!

5 Posted on 06 / 20 / 2012

Awesome eats.

Pros: Outdoor seating, Unique store
Cons: Pricey

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Original raw cuisine

4 Posted on 03 / 30 / 2012

I had read about this place on happycow, and here's my Planet Raw review.

Over the years I've eaten at Planet Raw several times and have had mixed experiences. My first tries were so-so, though the last 2 meals here have been good.

The food prices are average, not out of the ordinary for dining in this part of Santa Monica (high end). It is creative raw cuisine, in a very nice part of Santa Monica.

The presentation is incredibly attractive and colorful, like art. And the different sauces used in the food is pretty awesome. Eating this food is like an extraterrestrial adventure for my taste buds.

I like the pumpkin tortellini, apple tortellini, spring rolls, pumpkin "salmon" sushi, kleem smoothie, and there is an delicious chai smoothie with goji berries and cacao nibs garnish.

Yes, I agree that Juliano is a controversial figure, but I don't care. I never see him there anyway. If you are curious about or like RAW food and you are in the Santa Monica area, definitely give it a try. At least once.

Pros: original raw cuisine, nice location, good food

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Decent

2 Posted on 10 / 22 / 2011

For my overpriced, scant meal, it was decent. The presentation was great. Most of my meal was the salad the put on the side. I ordered the lasagna and I was still hungry after. The pumpkin ravioli was good. Overall, it was not worth the price. The seating was cramped and it was full of people with their nose in the air.

Pros: presentation, location, freshness
Cons: honey? (not vegan), too expensive, cramped

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False advertising. aka Lying.

2 Posted on 10 / 12 / 2011

Ate here a few times before I ordered tea and was given a side of honey. I asked if that was indeed honey and our server informed me that the only sweetener used in the restaurant is honey. I asked if there was a vegan option and she said no. At this point I was confused because I thought this place was vegan and I didn't have to worry about what I ordered. The menu has no marks or key to indicate what has honey and what does not yet the word 'vegan' is everywhere. I am not a purist and I am not trying to wage a "war on honey" (their words, not mine) but I personally don't want to eat honey and would appreciate some indication on the menu so I can avoid it. I also would appreciate all the "ALL ORGANIC RAW VEGAN LIFE ENERGY" banners to be taken off their menus and their website since that is a lie/false advertising/misleading. And why can't we have a raw agave option again? I contacted the restaurant via email with my concerns and the replies were beyond arrogant/rude/insulting - when all I wanted was clear labeling. Why is Trader Joe's better at labeling their vegan products than a celebrity chef? Luckily Better Life Cuisine is down the street. It's cheaper, lacks the rudeness, and is actually vegan. It's a shame because the food was stellar and I didn't mind the pricing.

Pros: Delicious
Cons: Rude, uninformed staff, not vegan, tad pricey

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Santa Monica raw

4 Posted on 09 / 02 / 2011

Solid raw cuisine. Excellent quality. Was there a couple of years ago so I don't recall the specifics.

Pros: Good food, Healthy cuisine

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Used to be ok good now just plain bad

2 Posted on 08 / 14 / 2011

I'd been there on many other occasions but now the place looks as if it's dying. It's not fresh and alive but dead, not crowded and a bit stifled. The food tasted the same. Wait staff kinda rude and not super knowledgeable. Won't be back again.

Pros: none
Cons: really dead, food not great, wait staff kinda bad

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Won't be going back any time soon

2 Posted on 08 / 10 / 2011

The food was good but overpriced, the portions were small and the staff came off as very snooty. Don't think I'll go back.

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Nice but dont think I be in a rush to go again

2 Posted on 04 / 13 / 2011

The restaurant was ok, there was seating inside but it was so cramped and dark it didn't feel very inviting. It was a beautiful day so we chose to sit outside. The hostess who sat us didn't seam thrilled about our presents and asking to be seated out side. Kind of odd might have just been her personality.

The menu was nice yet the prices reflected a meal that should come with a much higher level of service and ambiance.

The food was good and the plating ok it just wasn't worth it.

The service was friendly enough but again at the price. I am vegan and enjoy raw food but this restaurant really wasn't worth it for me.

If someone were to take me there I might suggest another place in the area. Not that I wouldn't try it again I just wouldn't be up to paying for it and really wouldn't want for someone else to treat me to it unless they insisted we go there.

Pros: they have food? , the company I was with, The outside seating
Cons: The value, The inside seating

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Raw delight

5 Posted on 03 / 23 / 2011

On my venture to check out raw cuisine, I decided to try Planet Raw. I truly did not know what to expect. I tried new things each of the 6 times I visited and everything was delicious, except I did not care for the spring rolls. The macho nachos, zucchini fries, kelp pasta, and chocolate mouse are my all time favorites.

Pros: delicious, location, parking
Cons: pricey

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Great Food / Ify Service

5 Posted on 12 / 19 / 2010

Juliano is brilliant in his knowledge of food as medicine and I'm so thankful for the information he shares about his innovative findings through his experience with food. You feel like you're beiing nourished through and through eating this stuff.

I hope that in the future Juliano finds a way to staff the restaurant with people who carry the same integrity as the food. Servers truly wishing to grant good service would be a great addition. Patience, invitingness, etc.

Pros: Excellently nourishing food, Healing food, I feel my body get stronger every time I go
Cons: More care, goodwill from waitstaff would nice

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Planet Snob

2 Posted on 06 / 02 / 2010

Despite the horrible service, my husband and I eat here fairly often because we just LOVE certain menu items (Macho Nachos, Cheesy Kelp, and the Endive appetizer). As long as you stick to the menu, and avoid the specials (which are usually around $18.95 - $23.95 for no more food than you would get for $12 on the menu) the prices are generally higher than most, but OK. We have always been of the opinion that the quality of the food made up for the absolutely terrible service and ambiance. As for the service they get two big thumbs down and a big ol' :-PpppPppppp There is ONE helpful employee there. Her name is Chalyse and you will recognize her by her cute platinum blonde bob, facial piercing, and her SMILE (the only one in the whole place who is friendly and helpful!). If she isn't your server, I'd get up and leave and try again later. Seriously. For your health, don't let anyone else serve you. We were there on Sunday and Ariel, Ariana, and Ally were working. Ally was our server. Ally and Ariana were busy stuffing their faces on the floor, using the wine rack by the register as a table, taking huge, unladylike mouthfuls which caused them to have to use their fingers to get all of their bite into their mouth all while facing those of us dining there, and then licking their fingers. They were doing all of this in between running food to tables, and they DID NOT WASH THEIR HANDS between bites and running food! Juliano didn't care or didn't notice. He's too busy being pretentious to care about silly things like hygiene and good service. To top it off, we then saw Ally wipe her nose with her sleeve while talking to customers at another table! Not to mention she was dressed in daisy dukes, 4" wedges, a tank top and a sweater. Not appropriate server-ware at all. On another occasion, Ariel was serving us. She never once noticed when our water glasses were empty. We'd sit for what seemed like ages trying to get her attention to ask her for more water. Then she saw some friends of hers on the sidewalk through the side door and ran to the door to call after them to come see her. Then she and Juliano and their friends stood around several inches from the tables and gabbed while she continued to ignore her tables. As far as the vegan issue, they are not 100% vegan. They use honey. From what I've been able to learn, it's only in the desserts, smoothies, shakes and kale chips. Smoothies & shakes can be made with agave.

Pros: Yummy!
Cons: Pretentious, Poor Hygiene, Expensive

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Great Evening Out

4 Posted on 09 / 26 / 2009

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

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Juliano's is Alive!

4 Posted on 09 / 14 / 2009

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

3 Posted on 08 / 21 / 2009

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

2 Posted on 08 / 02 / 2009

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

4 Posted on 06 / 17 / 2009

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...

2 Posted on 04 / 11 / 2009

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

4 Posted on 03 / 25 / 2009

Really delicious raw vegan food. Just make sure to request agave instead of honey in some dishes. Definitely worth the price.

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AN HONEST REVIEW AFTER MANY MANY VISITS -

3 Posted on 03 / 15 / 2009

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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JULIANOS RAW

5 Posted on 02 / 27 / 2009

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)

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Not too bad

3 Posted on 01 / 18 / 2009

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

2 Posted on 08 / 08 / 2008

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.

Cons: Not sure what is vegan, Not sure which meals are soy free

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Eel Sushi is good!

3 Posted on 06 / 26 / 2008

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!

Cons: honey, fat, sugar

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Great Food! Great Service! Definently Coming Back

5 Posted on 05 / 09 / 2008

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

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visited once, unsure about a return

2 Posted on 03 / 25 / 2008

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.

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Not as bad as the reviews say

4 Posted on 03 / 17 / 2008

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

4 Posted on 01 / 09 / 2008

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

2 Posted on 12 / 03 / 2007

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 :(

2 Posted on 11 / 10 / 2007

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...

5 Posted on 10 / 08 / 2007

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

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delicious food!

5 Posted on 08 / 27 / 2007

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

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Snobby service, small portions and great lattes

2 Posted on 07 / 29 / 2007

[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

3 Posted on 01 / 02 / 2007

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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Beautiful, delicious AND quite pricey!!

3 Posted on 12 / 18 / 2006

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