• CLOSED: Madeleine Bistro

  • (27)
    20

    Closed

  • White Vegan
Vegan
American
Organic
Juice bar
Beer/Wine
Catering
Gourmet

In addition to the a la carte menu, this all vegan restaurant also offers fresh pressed juices and organic & bio-dynamic wines from around the world. Parking in the rear or on street. Location is between Optics By Serge (with yellow awning) and Medcare Supply stores. Reported closed to HappyCow.


Venue map for Madeleine Bistro
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27 Reviews

First Review by JJJones

·X·

Points +17544

Vegan
26 Jun 2012

Madeleine Bistro

My bf made reservations here for my birthday and confirmed Friday reservations with a female employee. We drove all the way up to Madeleine's from Santa Monica during traffic (so this took a long time) only to find that the restaurant was closed. My bf was let down and upset because he confirmed the reservations for Friday with an employee. Normally I wouldn't write a review because of this, but this was a pretty significant birthday and this was a huge let down. Be sure to double, or even triple confirm, reservations and times they're open with different employees. Thank goodness Follow Your Heart was near by, but it certainly wasn't the fancy meal my boyfriend wanted to buy me for my birthday. I will never attempt to go to Madeleine's again after this, total let down.

Ape Wonder

Points +72

Vegan
22 Jun 2012

Love this place but...

This place is all about the food. I love the food it's innovative and very delicious. But do they give you grief if you walk in without a reservation. Every time I've gone the place has been dead. Multiple empty tables. But you go in when they open and don't have a res they start looking around the room as if they were scrambling to find you a seat amongst there empty tables. I usual do have a reservation simply because the future of this place always seems to be hanging in the balance. But the give me a break with the emotional tyranny.

Pros: Fantastic food, Never packed

Cons: Staff can have an attitude, Under threat of closing, Been under threat for years now.

Chia

Points +3635

Vegetarian
13 Feb 2012

Creative Vegan Food

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

I've eaten here several times over the years. Mostly of the times we've enjoyed our meals, though I was a bit taken aback to see the raise in prices... a sandwich for $14? A dinner main entree for $18-20. I guess that's not so bad for fine dining in LA, but we are vegetarians and vegans who watch their wallets.

It's fine dining with white table cloth, and the head chef is usually always around to supervise the kitchen, which is nice.

The dishes I've tried: the beet tartare (good), the club sandwich (greasy), the nori rolls (good), the rosemary seitan entree (okay), brunch omelette (tasty), chickn and waffles (good), mac n cheese (decent), the oyster dumplings (greasy), chocolate souffle (good), and a few others.

It's all vegan, and the food presentation is very nice.

Pros: creative cuisine, all vegan

Cons: ventilation could be better

happycowgirl

Points +5631

Vegan
08 Nov 2011

My Vegan Dream Come True

Madeline Bistro is the kind of restaurant that you go out of your way for. I'm so happy this place exists on the planet and I can't wait to eat here again.

The food was exquisite. The organic coffee with soy creamer, french onion soup, reuben sandwich, Thanksgiving pre-view meal and a to-die-for chocolate souffle with vanilla ice cream. All highly recommended. This is a 5-Cow chef!

The wait staff was extraordinary. We were greeted warmly and given attentive but not overbearing service. Our water and coffee cups were never empty. The flow was perfect with beverages, soup, entrees then dessert coming out in perfect timing. Flawless service.

I loved the atmosphere. It's the type of place where you can feel comfortable if you're dressed up or if you're in jeans. It hints toward upscale but it's not pretentious. Most importantly, they got the spacing right on the tables. Often restaurants with small dining areas will try to pack in the tables which makes for an awkward dining experience when you can hear every word the table next to you is saying and vice versa. Not here.

Madeline Bistro reminded me of Green Zebra in Chicago only Madeline has a better menu, chef and atmosphere. To the owners of Madeleine Bisto, my only request is that you open a restaurant in Chicago so I can eat here all the time.

miss-mischief420

Points +94

Mostly Veg
27 Sep 2011

BEST EVER

i could only come for lunch and they served me dinner. this is the best veg food I HAVE EVER HAD. eat here before you die. seriously.

Pros: quality, ambiance, service

Cons: menu changes, parking/hours, expensive

Meemite

Points +34

Vegetarian
22 Mar 2011

Food is Great

Madeline Bistro is similar to being in NYC. The food is great and presented beautifully. The vibe is relaxing but energetic at the same time. I have not had anything on the menu that wasnt great.

Pros: excellent food , great service , great presentation

Cons: a bit pricey

redhedtatgrl

Points +137

Vegan
18 Feb 2011

Amazing Valentine's Dinner

We got the 6 course dinner they offered for Valentines weekend and everything was amazing! I highly recommend going here for a nice vegan dining experience. Great place for date night. You must order "twix" for dessert.

Pros: excellent food, friendly, unique dishes

SharonaLA

Points +41

Vegetarian
09 Jan 2011

Delicious but expensive and small portions

Many people like this restaurant, and it is fancy at night. The portions are small and it's more expensive than many nearby ethnic vegetarian options.

Veganismo

Points +59

Vegan
06 Nov 2010

Needs new management

Like most people, I like the food a lot but think that the location, service, and portions do not warrant those outrageous prices.

There is another problem, which is much worse, and that is the management. Last year, my wife and I (both of us are vegan) were planning our wedding. We loved the food at Madeline, so we wanted to have our reception there for 40 people. On the website, they have a section on 'catering your special event', so we were thrilled.

My wife emailed many times, and left phone messages, neither of which was ever answered. We got a little nervous about that, so after a week or two we actually went down in person to talk to the owners. We waited a while and then Chef Dave came out. He was very nice, and we had a pleasant talk about a few of the details and were told that his wife, who actually runs the business, would be giving us a call. Dave had never heard of us, nor our many messages, and the best he could come up with was that his wife had been busy with the kids. Not exactly what I want to hear from a supposed high-dining restaurant who is supposed to cater my wedding.

So, we did later get a call from Dave's wife, and talked for a few minutes. She emailed us a very vague menu and quote with nothing specific on it, with a note that she would be calling us. No call came. So, we emailed back asking for the specifics. No reply. We called and left more phone messages. No reply. We emailed and called some more. No reply.

Skip to the end: We had our wedding almost a year later, and did the reception at another restaurant. We still have not heard back from Madeline. Shockingly unprofessional.

It seems to me that with the mishandling of the business, they throw away tons of money. And to compensate they just raise the prices to the breaking point. Whatever it would cost to hire a new business manager would come back to them ten-fold.

Pros: Best Vegan Food in LA

Cons: AWFUL management, tiny portions, Outrageous prices for portions/location

Veganismo

11 Oct 2012

vegangirly1234,
I have no ill feelings toward Molly and Dave. This site is dedicated to judging restaurants, and all I did was explain my experience. They totally dropped the ball and left me and my wife in the lurch for our wedding reception. I don't see how it is judgemental to bring that up in a review that might be read by others looking to have their own catering done by MB. After my experience with them, I can't possibly see how you can defend them by saying they "contact every single person!" THEY NEVER CONTACTED ME and I count as a single person, don't I? What information do you have to prove that they contact every person anyway? You could only know something like that if you work for them, in whcih case your review is too biased to count for anything.

Veganismo

11 Oct 2012

While I'm at it, I did go back to MB recently to give them another shot. The food was great, BUT...
The restaurant itself is not being taken care of. The floors were so dirty it was unvebelieveable. You could see black dirty footprints ALL OVER the floor. This was weird because we were the first people to eat there that week (5pm on Saturday). It is as though nobody cleaned it all week. Also, the side wall of the restautrant, which has nice photos haning on it, is painted a greenish color. Well, at the height of all the chair backs, there is a huge long band of stripped paint which has come off the wall, presumeably from being scratched by the chair backs. It is a huge gash, running for 10 or 20 feet, showing with white drywall underneath. I can understand how this can happen, but the presentation is just awful. It looks like a construction site. There are also tables which have a wood booth on one side. Well, the veneer is chipping off in places. The restaurant also seems to have some kind of "office" ceiling, which is unattractive. Next time you go to MB, go near the big window and look where the window meets the ceiling at the front of the restaurant. Totally filthy with dirt and grime.
None of this affects the quality of the food, which is very good. But how can you put up the pretense of FINE DINING and OUTRAGEUOS PRICES when you keep the resurant looking so shabby? It's insulting to the clientele.

happycowgirl

22 Feb 2013

Interesting to read your review. I had a similar encounter. I'm in from out of town so this was my first experience with Madeline Bistro. I called to make reservations and rec'd a msg that says, "If you'd like to make reservations, pls leave your name, # and requested date and time and we'll get back to you." 24 hrs passed and they didn't get back to me. In my msg, I left my name & said my phone # twice. I requested a time then said if that time is not available we'll take any time they have open. In other words, it is not possible that they didn't get back to me b/c they didn't catch my # or b/c they were unable to accommodate my request. It was not a good first impression.

I called back later when the restaurant was open and a friendly staff member easily made me a reservation. Long story short, Madeline Bistro, if u can't return ppl's calls it's best not even to offer the "leave a message" option. Better yet, what about using opentable.com to accept reservations?

vflowers10

Points +30

Vegan
16 Oct 2010

Madeleine Bistro

Great Food, Great environment, great customer service. This place is awesome and close to my house. This is where you can go and get a gourment vegan meal, dessert, drinks and much, much more. I wish they were open at least five days a week. Oh the chef prepares his own protein fresh daily. It is not frozen.

Pros: Excellent Food, Healthy Food, Friendly Staff

Cons: Pricey Sandwiches, Small Portions, Not Open Enough Days

MrsVeganPizza

Points +234

Vegan
22 Aug 2010

Insanely Good

All I can say is crazzzzzy good! I've tried the Bigger Macque, and Fillet-No-Fish as well as the French Onion soup. The soup was quite good, while the sandwiches were truly amazing! We stopped by here after going to WorldFest earlier this year as it was less than 10 minutes away. Must go! You will not be disappointed.

Pros: Crazy Good Vegan Food

Cons: Pricey, May need quarters for parking

Tigra220

Points +10447

Vegan
13 Aug 2010

Upscale Vegan Eatery

I went specifically for the Phillet No Phish sandwich (minus the vegan cheese), & it was good. I also got their donuts, which were melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The next time that I'm in L.A. I'd like to venture back their way to try more of their menu items.

Pros: Good vegan creations

Cons: easy to miss if unfamiliar w/the area , not the cheapest tool in the shed

Ohkamp

Points +140

Vegan
31 Jul 2010

Best vegan restaurant in the country

I've had the pleasure of dining here so many times I have lost count. It surpasses meals I have had at other top American restaurants such as Candle 79 or Millennium. The presentation is always spectacular. The servers couldn't be nicer. The chef is an artist who is constantly developing new items, each one better than the last. I can't recommend Madeleine Bistro enough for a fine dining experience. Brunch is equally as good as dinner and both are worth checking out. Their prix fixe menus on holidays are very expensive but worth experiencing at least once. Recommendations: Everything. But especially the Red Beet Tartare, the Bigger Maque, the Mac and Cheese, any of their soups, etc etc etc.

Pros: Everything

Cons: Price

Colinski

Points +109

Vegan
21 Jul 2010

High end vegan dining

I see a lot of complaints about the price, and yet it seems comparably priced to non-veg bistro dining, if not cheaper, so I don't see what the fuss is about. It's worth every penny for a special dining experience. It's not a corner joint you go to once a week (well, not on my salary). But if I want to impress someone, this is the place. A friend brought me here once for a birthday dinner, and it was me and five 20-something omnivore guys. They were all apprehensive about a vegan place and yet all walked away satisfied. The fried chicken is a crowd pleaser. I have had amazing breakfasts here as well as dinners, and I recommend Madeleine highly for a hot date, or brunch the morning after. ;)

Pros: High quality, Delicious

Cons: Pricey, Parking not ideal

forcor

Points +27

Mostly Veg
24 Jun 2010

Pricing themselves out of existence

First, let me say that I've been going to Madeleine Bistro ever since it opened. I must have eaten there at least a dozen times over the years. David and Molly Anderson are very nice people and David is a truly great chef. But their policy of constantly raising prices for their food - without a corresponding increase in service quality, atmosphere, or exciting new menu items - has soured me. My wife and I went here a few weeks ago and it was $100 for two people. Without drinks. That $100 went to two appetizers (delicious vegan mac & cheese, but $13 for a small plate? Sorry, folks, you don't get away with that price when Veggie Grill now serves up equally good m&c for $3.50 a serving), two mains, a shared dessert, and tip. And from my standpoint, when you're spending $100 for dinner for two, that's "special event" territory. And for that price, a couple could have a wonderful vegan meal at Inn of the Seventh Ray, or Akasha, or even Street - with drinks. All places with vastly superior service and more ambiance than Madeleine's sad little Ventura Blvd. storefront, which was nearly empty on the night we went - a sign that more and more people may be taking their business elsewhere. David and Molly, a note: Your food is incredible, but you're not good businesspeople. If you're not pulling in the number of customers you desire, the answer is NOT to cover your costs by jacking up prices to an insulting degree, while offering totally average service and menu items that are no longer new or challenging. If you want to fill your restaurant, lower your prices and get some professional servers. Make a meal at Madeleine a true experience.

Pros: Delicious food

Cons: Prices are now a ripoff, Inattentive service

Petesternz

Points +1429

Vegan
20 Apr 2010

Don't forget about brunch!

We couldn't make it out to Tarzana for dinner, but we did get the benefit of Sunday brunch - and it was amazing. The menu alone almost made me cry, as the vegan options were almost unheard of. Beignets? Crispy, delicious cinnamon donuts with compote?? Fantastic! We also loved the tofu eggs benedict and the phenomenal French toast with vegan whipped creme. The one complaint was the coffee, which was poor. Otherwise, this was a first class brunch. A little pricey, to be sure, but worth the trip.

Pros: Great food

Cons: Poor coffee, pricey

sabri

Points +90

Vegan
18 Mar 2010

Excellent food

I have been to this restaurant after many weeks of reading reviews, so I had great expectations. Started with French lentils salad which was really delicious, my friend had the clam chowder which was really good, but nothing to do with clams, then we got the famous red beet tartar, really good! and tofu scallops, excellent! I think the best part were dessert: chocolate souffle and creme brule. They were to dye for! This could have been a great experience, unfortunately the service was lacking. We were the only table the waiter was serving and it took him more then 5 minutes to come and take the empty plates from our table, same thing for the dessert, we asked for 2 dessert, he said the souffle would have needed about 15 minutes for cooking, OK, but when we received it, it took him about 5 minutes to serve the brule, so we were forced to share desserts, we didn't want to. The worst part was seeing him talking with a waitress and texting on his cell while we were waiting for him to take care of our table. The restaurant is pricey and I can understand it because of the food, but for what I pay $100 in two, I expect a better service!

Pros: Food, Decor

Cons: Service

Shalex4

Points +36

Vegan
31 Dec 2009

Really good, but a bit over priced.

I took my friend there for his birthday a few hours ago and we had an overall good experience. The service was good; he remembered to bring the complimentary birthday ice cream. The food was delicious and some of the dishes are very hard to find vegan, but the portions were definitely too small considering the price.
We ordered the Macaroni and cheese, which was good. It is one of the rare vegan mac and cheeses that doesn't have a nutritional yeast taste. It was a nice change of pace, but it wasn't that flavorful. The "bacon" on top was really good! It was a ridiculously tiny portion.
We also had the fish-no-fillet which was a normal sized burger. That was very good, it was light, crispy, and had tangy tartar sauce. MMM!
We got the large portion of the Asian tacos. They were amazingly good, though a bit oily. Using wanton skins for the taco shell gives them a really interesting texture. They are pretty small though.
The deserts were SOOOOOOOOO GOOOD! The creme brulee was just the right size because it was so rich. Where else can you get vegan creme brulee? The chocolate souffle far exceeded my expectations of what a vegan souffle could ever achieve in lightness and creamyness. That alone would be worth going.

Pros: Desserts , Service , Quality

Cons: Price , Portions

joseykitson

Points +44

Vegan
23 Jul 2009

Excellent but small portions

Excellent food! Great desserts! The portions were a bit small but totally worth it!

SonjaCPA

Points +5270

Vegan
08 Jul 2009

Our favorite restaurant

Madeleine's is easily our favorite restaurant. Since we don't live close by, we generally just go for special occasions (brunch or dinner) and we have never been disappointed. The chocolate souffle is to die for. How does Chef Dave do it? The cheese plate is no longer on the menu, but it had smoked gouda. Smoked Gouda! I get the mac and cheese each time, but the red beet tartare is excellent as well. The rosemary seitan with crepes is amazing. The chicken-fried seitan is great comfort food. We can't rave enough about this place. Unbelievable vegan food. We'd be broke if it was closer to us.

Pros: the best vegan food, nice atmosphere, chocolate souffle

procrastinasian

Points +269

Vegan
03 Dec 2008

My favorite restaurant

I've been to literally dozens of vegan and vegetarian restaurants and Madeleine remains my favorite. I haven't loved every item I've eaten there, but I've had many more amazing dishes than run-of-the-mill ones. My favorites are the macaroni and cheese, tamales, red beet tartare, chicken and waffles, oyster mushrooms, breakfast omelette, and the donut. We've celebrated many birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine's days, etc. at Madeleine and always leave satisfied (if a little poorer). The one drawback is definitely the cost.

Pros: Innovative excellent food, good ingredients, good for special occasions

Cons: Expensive, Not the greatest location

alyssa

Points +111

Vegan
29 Sep 2008

Super Souffle

Finally, a restaurant that serves upscale vegan food in the Valley! My BF and I celebrated our anniversary here on September 13th. We came with big expectations and even bigger appetites. Like a lot of people, we almost drove past the place as their already dark sign was not lit up. We walked into a candlelit room that appeared to have been converted from an office space. My BF thought it could benefited a bit from a designer's touch; perhaps some drapes and lighting fixtures. We could tell, that they had made an effort, however. On to the food. We were very impressed with their organic wine list and happily ordered a bottle of Sofia sparkling wine from the Coppola winery. Next came bowls of french onion soup and the cauliflower bisque. Both were tasty, but the french onion was the favorite at our table. We then split both the macaroni and cheese appetiser and their signature lemon-rosemary seitan for our entrees. We were blown aware by how much the mac and cheese sauce reminded us of gruyere -- amazing! The roasted veggies that came on the side were very fresh, with the flavor of an outdoor barbeque. The seitan was juicy had a fresh lemonly flavor and the creamy asparagus crepe that accompanied it was a triumph! It would fool a carnivore any day. We were having so much fun that we ordered 2 desserts to share. While the bananas foster was sinfully delicious, the chocolate souffle had our eyes rolling back in our heads. How do they do it? Seriously, it was one of the best souffles I have ever eaten, vegan or not, and I've eaten many. One last note: for those of you who are a members of Aadvantage Dining, we ended up with almost 400 fequent flier miles, as a bonus to our great meal. We'll be back for brunch!

Pros: delicious food, friendly service, good organic wine list

Cons: decor, hard to find

gr8vegan

Points +2359

Vegan
05 Dec 2007

Best formal vegan dinner in la

Madelines is a great place for a birthday / vegan date! You've got to go there with an empty stomach! You MUST get appetizers and dessert!

Cons: location

verdant1

Points +31

Vegan
31 Oct 2007

Very good

Being from the San Francisco Bay Area, I was fortunate to have Madeleine Bistro recommended to me by someone local to their area. I was more than enthusiastic about this experience. The food was excellent, the service was excellent, and the price was certainly reasonable for this great experience. Two thumbs up. It was a high point of my trip to Southern California, and I will make it a point to return some day soon.

Pros: excellent food, good service, ambience pleasingly calm

Cons: difficult to find address from outside

marla5575

Points +107

Vegan
12 Sep 2007

Overrated

I have eaten here several times and can't really rave about much. For an average of $30-40 per person it isn't all that great, just fancy. The beet tartare is very good, as is the chicken fried seitan, but the pu-pu platter (asian tacos) isn't very good and the cheese plate and truffled mac & cheese are tiny. The bananas foster split dessert is ok. The creme brule is disappointing but I recommend getting a side of chocolate sauce with it - that made it better. The risotto is good, but the italians do it better. I dare say it - Real Food Daily is better.

Pros: organic, gourmet, ambience

Cons: inconsistent service, too pricey

kyvegan

Points +88

Vegan
30 Jul 2007

the best thing about living in los angeles!!!

Sometimes I wonder why I live in Los Angeles. During these moments of crises, my friends only need to remind me that, if I didn't, I couldn't eat at Madeleine's. This is enough to make me all doe eyed and lovey dovey about my adopted city again. Madeleine's is beyond amazing. If you are visiting Los Angeles, this is a MUST SEE. People will tell you that you don't want to go all the way to the valley to eat. They are wrong. I have eaten at great vegan restaurants all over the country and this is one of the absolute finest. In fact, their chocolate souffle is reason enough to visit Los Angeles in the first place. The menu is incredibly diverse and brilliantly creative. I have never tasted vegan cheese that is so delicate and flavorfull or that has such incredible texture. And as for the deserts--there isn't even room in this space to explain how amazing it is to be a vegan and get to experience creme brulee again. Absolute perfection! Special recommendations: the country fried seitan. It is the yummiest of comfort food. And they will give you extra vegan gravy upon request!

Pros: Breathtaking deserts, Super friendly staff, Creative menu

JJJones

Points +16

Vegan
11 Jun 2007

Madeleine Bistro has it all!

Madeleine Bistro not only has spectacular food, but a great selection of organic wines and beers as well. The servers are all very knowledgeable about the food and are extremely pleasant as they help you out. I've eaten there probably 25 times since they've opened, and the food is always excellent. They have great sandwiches for lunch,(cajun caesar, chicken club, bigger maque) the Sunday brunch has a great variety of healthy and delicious items (fresh juices, ultra light waffles and bignets), and the dinner menu is always changing to include some innovative new dishes to go with the staples (chicken fried seitan, raw primavera, asian tacos). The deserts are incredible and the new souffle is a chocolate lovers dream come true. An overall great dining experience every time!




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