Benihana - Santa Monica, CA

Review summary

1. S

   Serena

   Unspecified1 review

   3.0

   Dined today

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Our reservation was not honored and we waited over an hour
   

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2. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Los Angeles2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined today

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   My reservation was at 6:15pm, I checked in at 6pm and didn’t get seated until 7pm. That was the only negative thing I experienced over all. The host seemed like he was under a lot of stress he was unapproachable. Our server Faith took our order right away and she was very fast but seemed to have a little attitude when asking for things but other than that the chef Ivan was great he was funny and outgoing.
   

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3. PS

   PelinS

   Las Vegas1 review

   3.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Place was really cold, service was good however taste was average.
   

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4. J

   Jason

   Las Vegas2 reviews

   4.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 3

   Food was excellent, but waited 25 minutes at front room with a reservation. They had the a/c blasting and the front door wind draft. The entire restaurant had their coats on.
   

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5. OT

   OpenTable Diner VIP

   Los Angeles1 review

   5.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The service was wonderful and food was delicious! Thank you!!
   

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6. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Francisco1 review

   2.0

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 2

   The steak was too raw and the chef forgot the cook one of the courses so we had to tell him and wait until the end
   

   Benihana - Santa Monica, CAResponded 6 days ago

   Dear Guest! Thanks for the review. We're sorry to hear about the issues you encountered during your visit to Benihana - Santa Monica, CA. We always aim to deliver a great experience, and we regret that we missed the mark this time. We take your feedback seriously and will address these issues with our team to ensure they don't occur in the future. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again and provide a better experience.
   

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7. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Los Angeles1 review

   1.0

   Dined on March 9, 2025

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   We arrived, no one ever came to seat us. I called restaurant from front area asked if we could go to bar/lounge area. She said yes We went up there and no one showed up to take our order. I called the restaurant again and asked if anyone was working in the bar/lounge area, she said she was not sure but I should try to wave someone down and ask for assistance. Lol so we left
   

   Benihana - Santa Monica, CAResponded 6 days ago

   Dear Guest! Thanks for visiting us and sharing your experience. We're sorry to hear about the inconvenience you experienced. We understand how frustrating it can be to not be greeted when you arrive, especially when you're looking for a place to eat. We also apologize for the confusion about the location and the delay in service. We appreciate your patience and understanding, and we're working to improve these aspects of our service. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again in the future.
   

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8. A

   Alejandra

   Los Angeles1 review

   1.0

   Dined on March 9, 2025

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   Very bad experience, the waiter was new, he didn't know anything, he was the same as me, visiting the place for the first time. The cook kept touching his face and kept cooking without cleaning his hands. We wanted to order more food because the waiter made a mistake, the cook didn't want to cook any more for us. They were charging us much more than half, the food was very good but everything else was a very bad experience.
   

   Benihana - Santa Monica, CAResponded 7 days ago

   Thanks for visiting us, Alejandra. We're really sorry to hear about your experience at Benihana - Santa Monica, CA. It's clear that we didn't meet your expectations and for that, we sincerely apologize. We always strive to provide top-notch service and it's disappointing to hear that we fell short during your visit. Your feedback regarding the knowledge of our staff, cleanliness of the kitchen, and pricing is valuable and will be used to improve our services. We hope you will give us another chance to make it right. The Management Team
   

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9. J

   Jerry

   Unspecified2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 2, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Had a great date with my girlfriend and it was her first time. She said how amazing the food was and the experience
   

   Benihana - Santa Monica, CAResponded on March 3, 2025

   Thanks for the review, Jerry! We're thrilled to hear that you and your girlfriend had a wonderful date at Benihana - Santa Monica, CA. It's great to know that you found our food amazing and the experience delightful. We strive to make every visit a memorable one for our guests, and your feedback is a testament to that. We look forward to welcoming you back for another memorable dining experience.
   

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10. O

    Oleg VIP

    New York City5 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on February 28, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1

    Horrible undercooked food. Filthy place. Smells horrible. Waiters are demented forgetting things. If your cook is Alexis get up and ask for different cook. The kids were sitting at the table and he was barely speaking. The guy is very slow and couldn’t do any of the tricks other experienced cooks did. He couldn’t do the volcano and threw it into the trash. We did not fully eat food fearing for poisoning of undercooked raw fish meat. He couldn’t grill vegetables either. It is like a small child was cooking. See photos of barely fried vegetables.
    

    Benihana - Santa Monica, CAResponded on March 2, 2025

    Dear Oleg, We’re sorry your experience didn’t meet expectations. We take food quality, safety, and service seriously and will address your concerns with our team. While chef experience levels vary, we appreciate your feedback and will use it to improve. We’d love the chance to make things right—please reach out to us directly. Best regards,
    

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