Mélisse Restaurant

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Santa Monica Institution, Reimagined

Mélisse began as Chef Josiah Citrin's lifelong dream and grew into one of Los Angeles's most decorated fine dining addresses. Citrin, who grew up in Santa Monica with a catering mother and a French grandmother who cooked family meals, moved to Paris after high school to work in traditional Parisian kitchens before returning to California in 1990. After years cooking at some of L.A.'s most respected restaurants — including Wolfgang Puck's Chinois on Main and alongside Joachim Splichal at Patina — he launched Mélisse in 1999 to critical acclaim. The original restaurant held two Michelin stars for years and earned the top spot for American-French cuisine in Los Angeles according to Zagat.

A Restaurant Within a Restaurant

Today, Mélisse lives on in a striking new form: a 14-seat backstage dining room tucked inside the larger Citrin restaurant at 1104 Wilshire Blvd. It is an intimate, immersive experience where kitchen and dining room become one. Chefs and sommeliers guide guests through 18 courses together, and the wine program has earned the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence — a recognition that reflects the seriousness with which the team approaches every pour.

Chef/Partner Ken Takayama, who has been part of the Mélisse kitchen since 2001, co-leads the experience alongside Citrin. Takayama's path was anything but straightforward — he was rejected twice before earning an extern position, eventually rising to Chef de Cuisine through persistence and dedication. His background spans Japanese technique, French discipline, and California instinct, and it shows in every plate.

Eighteen Courses Rooted in California

The tasting menu draws ingredients from farms stretching from San Diego to Napa Valley. The sample menu speaks to the kitchen's range: Miyazaki Wagyu with sake lees and hot mustard; Santa Barbara Spot Prawn with white asparagus and Seville orange; Shinkei-jime Vermillion Rockfish over Sumidaya rice in a kegani broth finished with duck liver fat; and a composed "Finley Farms Carrot" dessert with miso, dulcey chocolate, and coffee-cardamom. Global references — yuzu, ponzu, wagyu, kombu — are woven into a format that remains grounded in the French-American tradition Citrin has practiced for four decades.

The Broader Experience at Citrin

For those not seated in the Mélisse room, the adjoining Citrin restaurant — one Michelin star in its own right — offers both à la carte and prix fixe menus in a warmer, more relaxed setting. The Citrin bar runs a "Glass Off" happy hour with dishes like Egg Caviar, Lobster Bolognese, and Dungeness Crab Risotto alongside a full cocktail list, available to walk-ins on weekday and weekend evenings. The two concepts share a philosophy — Citrin calls it "In Pursuit of Excellence" — whether the occasion is a spontaneous bar seat or a full Mélisse tasting.