Matteo's Reviews

Dining here is always a pleasure. It's reassuring to know that it has retained it's high standards and continunes to meet them.

Do it.

What a pleasure to be able to go to dinner with friends and actually be able to hold a conversation because the noise level was non existent. Remember when you used to be able to do that? You still can at Matteo’s! Not only that but the food was really good and their prices were reasonable not off the wall ridiculous. We all had their chopped salad and I believe it was the best I’ve ever had! I had a dish with gigantic scallops and large shrimp with a spicy tomato sauce and opted for pasta instead of veggies because I had the salad. Very good choice. My husband had the chicken and said it was delicious and our friends had another pasta and loved it. So glad we rediscovered Matteo’s. We will be going back!

Been there a long time. Former hang out for the rat pack...still has the old hollywood vibe. Red leather banquettes, great food, totally great place. Even the parking lot attendant will exceed your expectations. They got it together these guys. Been doing it for a long time.

I had a really enjoyable time here....I found the staff to be very good...I like the place itself...I had a very enjoyable meal her...everything was cooked just right....so knowing who use to eat here often I had to try it while I was in town and I'm glad I did....if you like Hollywood history and good food stop here....

Matteos is overrated and mediocre/average cuisine. For the price point they could do better. Seriously, there are better Italian Restaurants in Los Angeles. Think twice before coming here...

It's a shame when a place I used to enjoy and go to several times a month becomes a thing of the past. It's day has come and gone. We experienced a drab, dull, dead, dark and musty/ old smelling place as we truly wanted to revisit my fond memories. Granted it was a bit early and the place was empty. We asked to see the menu at the door upon arriving and it's no great shakes. Too bad and so very sorry. We left and actually went right next door to their annex: A Touch of Hoboken. Familyish style, more informal, cheaper prices with an adequate menu. Service is just ok, food ok and for a quick decent eatery, we'd return.

this used to be a serious place i went to sit down and i was told new ownership and boy did it show food was overcooked and stogy and the menu went from orginal to awful when in LA give this a wide berth

Had dinner with a group of friends here on a Thursday night and the place was fairly empty. My friend who suggested we dine here said it was Frankie Sinatra's joint back in the day so I expected a crowd (Thursday is the new Friday, right?) and great food. Well, there wasn't much of a vibe to the place, it was rather quiet. We had a very good server who was super professional especially when he had to inform us that this Italian restaurant might be out of Campari. The food wasn't memorable, it was average. I had the shrimp and scallops diavolo which should be sitting in a nice spicy sauce. There was very little heat to the dish but the shrimp were a good size. We split some appetizers that were decent and had some good wine that was recommended by our server. If you enjoy some wine and cocktails with your dinner you can expect to spend quite a bit on your meal here. We had a good time but can't say the food added to it but it didn't hurt either.

We have eaten here many times and love it! In a town filled with busy, hip hot spots and crammed fast food joints of every kind, it is wonderful to have a go-to place like this. Even at the busiest times, we have never felt the staff was too busy to get us exactly what we want and they always seem to find us a table, even without reservations. It is such an undiscovered gem, that during the week, it is often very easy to get a table. The food is not the usual American Italian pizza, pasta and more of both. The menu is a thoughtful compilation of many items that are prepared deliciously. The Ceaser salad they serve is the best in LA, if not the USA. The dressing has just the right touch of tart flavor without over powering or souping up the lettuce. The salmon with tomatoes (a frequent special) is a meaty salmon steak in just the right mix of fresh cherry tomatoes and garlic (not enough to make you unkissable). The fettuccine on the menu too is a regular repeat item when we go. Also, if you do not need a meal, but rather a nice quiet place for a drink and a light bit, the bar is perfect and the bar menu includes fabulous fish tacos.

Wonderful dinner for four. The chicken on the menu looked great, but it had a number of sauces, etc., that 1 guest couldn't eat. So they prepared the chicken as she requested, and it was delicious. I had the veal osso bucco which was also excellent. The other guests had pasta dishes which were also prepared properly and tasted great. The service was impeccable, and not overbearing, but was very prompt. The water glasses were constantly filled. Surprisingly, the cost of the meal (without liquor) was very reasonable.

My family has been coming to Matteo's for years and love it. It's a comfortable place to sit in big leather booths where everyone can hear each other talk. The setting is classy, as the Rat Pack used to come here regularly in their day. We came here on this last occasion to celebrate my father's 85th birthday in a private room off of the bar area. It was exactly what we wanted for the occasion, yet could not seat probably more than 15 or so comfortably. We enjoyed our cocktails beforehand and many of us chose the Moscow Mule, which was delicious. You can order individual dishes or family style. Matteo's will prepare it how you want it. You can always rely on the quality of the food and service here. For more information, see my full review on http://belgianfoodie.com/family-celebration-at-matteos/

We had read some so-so reviews about Matteo's but decided to give it a try. We were so pleasantly surprised. This is an excellent restaurant, nicely remodelled, with good service and very good food. We ate with another couple and sampled salads, multiple appetizers, pasta and veal dishes. Eash was prepared perfectly. The standouts were the warm cauliflower, veal marsala and the veal chop. It's worth the extra $6 to order a side of pasta because it's perfectly cooked with an excellent sauce. They had a special Easter desert that's prepared by a neighborhood woman and it was superb. We're definitely coming back

If you are looking for AMAZING food from pasta to veal to lamb, don't miss Matteo's. Fabulous old school, you will expect Sinatra to walk in through the front door.....as he did for many years!The service is fabulous, you are never left asking for a thing, atmosphere is great, drinks are great...we met the Chef outside in the parking lot and talked to him for about 15 minutes before entering the restaurant....what a guy! Told us about the specials and asked what we felt like eating before he started to recommend what to have. I have been going here for about 20 + years but have not been back for the past 12 years. Nothing has changed and it was wonderful to see that.The veal chop was out of this world, the lamb special for the evening was beyond belief! Make a point to visit this restaurant for an old world feel and fabulous food.

I want there with a friend. We first had a drink at the bar. This is nice way to discover the quiet upper class atmosphere of this restaurant. I had pasta with sea food. The seafood was generous and very fresh but the sauce was tasteless. Something was missing. The tiramisu was closer to cheese cake than a genuine tiramisu. Overall, this is a pricy restaurant for an average food quality for European standards the atmosphere is charming and worth a visit.

Things were bleak right from the start. After being seated some time, we had to ask for menus and then we had to ask in addition for the wine list. Food was disappointing. A request for salad dressing on the side was ignored. Risotto had to be returned because it was inedible due to too much salt. We rejected the offer of a replacement. The eggplant parmigiana tasted mainly of oil. Ditto a chicken dish. When the bill came, the risotto had not been charged but one glass of wine had been overcharged. All was quickly rectified but the whole evening was not a pleasant experience. Pretty expensive for indifferent food and very poor service. Do not recommend.

We were on a "Sinatra" focused tour in Hollywood/LA. This is the restaurant they chose for our group dinner. So we did not get to order off the menu. Lovely salad was served first. The entree choices were Chicken Parmesan or Spinach Ricotta Ravioli. I had the chicken - it was very "traditional" and quite tasty. The ravioli looked very nice and was well liked by those who had it. they went out of their way to prepare something for my vegan husband which looked quite delicious. Cheesecake for dessert was nice. We sat upstairs in the yellow room that serves private parties. Overall it was quite nice. Nice wine in the downstairs bar. This was appraently originally owned by his childhood friend from New York (it has changed ownership). Apparently Sinatra also frequented the Smoke House which is kitty corner to Warner Brothers Studios.

Matteo's claim to fame is that Frank Sinatra, in his heyday, frequented the restaurant. The restaurant feels like it's been living off that fame ever since; the food's overpriced, the decor is outdated, and there's really not much else to say about it.

Matteo's is an old hang out of Frank Sinatra and Elvis so the restaurant comes with a lot of history. Four of us went for dinner one Saturday night. Valet parking is available.The restaurant was only about half full. The food was excellent, the service polite and professional , however the wines were quite expensive.My disappointment with the restaurant was the fact it is very dated looking with a solemn atmosphere, lacking vibrancy and energy .It had all the airs and graces of a restaurant from a bygone era. If you are a foodie and can ignore the lack of ambience, you should love this place.

My fiancée likes fine Italian dining and this one fits the bill. Very classy since they did the remodel. Food and service are both great.

I used to frequent this restaurant a lot. I recently returned for the first time in a while and was disappointed. The menu seemed a lot smaller and while some of the old dishes were still offered, some in our group could not find anything to order. Nothing about the restaurant or menu would encourage us to return. Service was weak.

Enjoyed a meal with family at this long standing eatery. Food was good but service was lax and often we were ignored and place was not very busy. Accommodated special requests for some of the dishes due to diary restrictions. Sorry that service detracted from what would have been a nice meal.

A step back in time! Excellent classic Italian food in a beautiful setting. Comfortable booths,romantic music and quiet enough to talk!

We came to Matteo's several years ago during a vacation with our two young children. I was intent on eating here because of its history, but wasn't at all sure we could make it work with the kids. We decided to try an early reservation and my husband dropped me off to make sure we weren't going to regret it. Upon entering the restaurant, it was clear that it was adult old school and I thought - ummm no. This isn't going to work. The maitre de asked me if he could help - I explained myself and said I had wanted to dine there because of the history - Sinatra, Garland, etc, but with little ones I didn't want to bother the other diners. Well he couldn't have been nicer, insisted that we keep the reservation, assured us we were welcome and then proceeded to provide us with the best dining experience we had in our 10 days in LA. The food was fantastic, they seated us In prime booth, made special dinners for our children, took them to observe the train and told them the history, made my husband and I excellent drinks to enjoy :) ... Treated us like royalty. It was a very special evening and though its been 5 years, we still talk about that evening and are looking forward to our next visit in 2015. Love you Matteo's!!

I hate to give away my age, but I first ate at Matteo's as a UCLA student in the late 1950s. Sixty years later I still enjoy returning. The food and service remain better than many. The room itself is attractive and romantic, the noise level is minimal. This is a pleasant place to sit, eat , drink, and talk.

Matteo’s offered a murder mystery NYE dinner and we thought it would be something different to try. My husband and I had a nice time. It was a lovely and interactive group. Food was served between “scenes.” I had the butternut squash ravioli which was good and my husband had the sea bass which was also good. Would consider returning for dinner on a non event night to further explore the menu.

After hearing about Matteo's from TMZ I really wanted to see where the stars eat. I wasn't dressed up at all, I was wearing jean shorts and a t-shirt. The maitre d, couldn't have been nicer. He welcomed us and told us the history of the restaurant. Told us Larry David filmed an episode there etc. The food was good, but not excellent like I had expected. Considering it's upscale it wasn't terribly expensive. A seafood pasta dish was $25. I wouldn't go there again to eat but I'm glad I went there for the experience. I would recommend you go atleast once. The food was good but, I guess, not as exceptional as I thought it would be.

Excellent food, excellent service, the staff is lovely. It is a step back in time. There is an old electric train that runs by the bar. The booth Frank Sinatra used to eat in is still there with his portrait above the seat. Lovely place. The Chef is Italian and he is excellent - highly recommend!

Family style seems to be the way to go here. Best italian I've had in a pretty long time. Decor is very mature but the red and leopard prints give it a warm flair. Will definitely go back.

Comfortable and quiet Been that way for yrs! Used to be too crowded but easy to book now Valet aprking reasonable rates

This was my first visit, but my wife used to come here as a child over 30 years ago. It's completely "old school" in almost every way. Many people may not know but it was sold 14 years ago and their is a new chef, so the menu has been updated. I was expecting an old school experience all the way, including average food and wine, but I was COMPLETELY surprised. We both ordered seafood dishes and it was some of the freshest I've ever had. The sauces were traditional but not as heavy as I expected, which allowed the flavors to come through. In addition, our waiter knew exactly which wine to pick. A great pairing. Service was wonderful and prices for both food and wine were well below expected. A refreshing change from most places in L.A. Even though Matteo's isn't technically on the highest end of restaurants, I gave it 5 stars because I had absolutely no complaints and, for the price and service, it is way above most in its class.

This place has a great old style. Darker ambiance with deep booths all around the perimeter of the restaurant. A cute train running around the ceiling in the lobby bar area. Food is quite good as was the service. The waiter was friendly and chatty but almost too personal, bordering on unprofessional but it didnt bother us too much.

We are italian and rated this as a a fantastic italian dinner. Great food and great value for money. The head waiter is super helppful and he will tell you the original stories of the original Brat Pack. The table that we ate at was Lucille Ball's table which was pretty cool. The toy train that runs above the bar was built by Frank Sinatra. It has a back door that is unobtainable by the press so lots of famous people eat here. This was one of our best dinners in LA.

a wonderful dining experience, living in texas, we miss good family style Italian food, the food was wonderful, clams, mussells, pasta. Excellent service and the host was so friendly , he was very happy to tell us the history of the restaurant and rat pack stories, highly recommended and we will visit again on our next trip to LA

I didn’t think I could find a restaurant as bad as jean George but mateos in Westwood fits the bill. If you go there be prepared to Ask for everything two or three time More bread three times More butter two times Another drink two times then they use club soda not tonic ask again The salad uneatable My wife’s pasta the worst ever She asked for arribiatta and gets tomato sauce Pasta under cooked couldn’t eat it My mother in laws fish too salty How does this place stay in business

Great table and superb service. Meal was great with split pea soup, and meatballs with pasta. Great dessert selection.

We ate an early dinner but there were others there too There were white tablecloths but dim lightingThe pasta was authentic and the veal chop also very good Prices are reasonable staff pleasant

My wife and I and three friends had dinner reservations on a recent weekend night. Started out fine...few drinks at the bar, brought to our nice table, great, so far. Then the fun began. Our waiter, who we understand has been there quite a while, seemed as though it was his first night at Matteo's. He began by telling us about the "specials" on the menu, which none of us had interest in. Next, we ordered appetizers. A soup of the day, and some Caesar salads. It was a VERY long time for the appetizers to arrive. We questioned the waiter as to the long wait, and he responded that until we ordered our entrees, he couldn't bring the appetizers! Say what!!! With that bit of "first-time-for-that-one", we quickly ordered our main course. I ordered a steak that came with potatoes and vegetables. As I wasn't in the mood for veggies, I asked if I could get a side of pasta instead. "Of course, sir"... "OK, then, I'd like pasta with tomato, basil and garlic"..."No, problem, sir!" Great!! On to the next guest. She asked for pasta with a little olive oil, "and can they had some broccoli to that?" "I'm sorry, we don't have any broccoli this evening"" "Well, if you have asparagus, please add that", "Yes, that we can do". Proceeding to the next guest, "I'll have veal piccata, and what vegetables does that come with?" "That will be served with broccoli", Whaaattt??? Ya gotta be kidding!! After waiting again, for an extremely unreasonable amount of time for the meals to arrive, the manager comes to the table and apologizes for the long wait. He's not sure why the food isn't here yet, but, will go and find out. He surely finds out. The dishes are served: I have pasta with marinara sauce that's flooding the steak, my friend has the broccoli in the pasta. Another guest, who ordered a salad, with the dressing on the side, finds it tossed with lots dressing! Of course, I ask the waiter, "what happened to my pasta with checca?" "Oh, I'm sorry sir, that will be an extra $10, if you wanted it that way"...Well, I'm sorry, you didn't explain that when I ordered, and no thank you, I didn't want marinara sauce on top of over cooked pasta, but, I'll keep it... as I'm not gonna wait any longer. And let's not forget about the coffee cups. Three cups of coffee were ordered at the end of the meal. When 's the last time you ordered coffee, and it was served in cups that were the size your kids used for tea parties with their dolls? It was a joke. They had to refill the cups about 5 times, just to get more than 2 little sips at a time. And that also goes for the martini glasses - looked like something that would be used for a vodka tasting course!! So...we all agreed we will not be returning to Matteo's. Take your money and spend it at another Italian restaurant that has it together and serves food to grown-ups!

I came here last night with some business colleagues for dinner after working all day. When I got here I was very excited as I really like old school places. From what I heard Frank Sinatra and many other celebrities used to frequent this place. We were seated privately in the wine room and it was a very comfortable room and we were all enjoying ourselves. We ordered the baked clams oreganato that were not that great as well and the zucchini flower. I was steered into trying the lamb chops milanese which was the special and that was not good either. I really wanted to like this place as I like the charm and the old style room and decor were cool. I suppose the reason the restaurant was empty might be due to the mediocre food. Maybe it was an off night.

Old school ambience went there not really expecting food to be that good but surprised by quality of all I ordered. Filet mignon the best cooked and best cut the veggie lasagna heaven the terrific pear tart and most importantly the coffee just regular awesome.

The food at Matteos the atmosphere and the service are all outstanding. This is a popular place for celebrities to dine at even Sinatra use to dine here as well as other members of the Rat Pack. Matteos has been around a long time it is quiet and layed back low lighting but not stuffy.