Camphor

The best hospitality we’ve experienced in a very long time. Seamless. Thoughtful. And each dish was delicious. Rib eye, a passion fruit salad, deconstructed French onion soup on sourdough. Perfectly fried pomme frites. Generous portions, too. Come hungry. It was my wife’s birthday which I mentioned ahead of time and they welcomed her with birthday wishes, and during dessert brought out a candle and even a signed birthday card. They even noticed she wasn’t drinking alcohol and rightly clocked to bring her over a celebratory mocktail. Next level attention to details, man! Highly recommend you come here for a special occasion. And if you’re going just as two I recommend sitting at the chef’s table so you can watch the kitchen and how on point their operations are. Oh and so many mirrors in the bathroom, I don’t know, thought that was hella cute, too.

We had a reservation for 7 people at 7:30 PM. My husband and I arrived around 7:20, and since he was very hungry, we asked if we could order an appetizer while waiting for the rest of our party. We were told that we could only order alcoholic drinks in the waiting area, which was fine. By 7:30, most of our group had arrived, but one person was stuck in traffic and would not be there until around 8:00. We were told that we could not be seated until the entire party arrived. Again, we understood the policy, so we asked if we could simply change the reservation to 6 people and start dinner. We had a reservation for 7 people at 7:30 PM. My husband and I arrived around 7:20, and since he was very hungry, we asked if we could order an appetizer while waiting for the rest of our party. We were told that we could only order alcoholic drinks in the waiting area, which was fine. By 7:30, most of our group had arrived, but one person was stuck in traffic and would not be there until around 8:00. We were told that we could not be seated until the entire party arrived. Again, we understood the policy, so we asked if we could simply change the reservation to 6 people and start dinner. What made the experience unpleasant was the attitude at reception. It felt less like an effort to accommodate guests and more like an attempt to make dining unnecessarily complicated. We were told that if our 7th guest showed up later, we would have to move to another table and would not be allowed to order any additional food afterward, which already made the situation feel rigid and confusing. We agreed to adjust to a 6-person table since our friend had already eaten and was only planning to join us for drinks. However, when he eventually arrived, none of the earlier instructions were followed—we were not moved at all, and they simply added a chair to the corner of our existing table. From the moment we walked in, the experience felt unnecessarily unwelcoming. Rather than trying to accommodate guests or make them feel comfortable, the reception staff came across as rigid and somewhat arrogant in the way the policies were communicated. The restaurant also requires you to place your appetizer and main course orders all at once. We were fine with that as well. However, during the long periods between courses, there was very little attention from the staff. No one regularly checked on our table to refill water or see whether we needed anything else. As for the food, it was okay, but definitely not sure how they get to Michelin one star. The steak isn't better than a regular steakhouse. unfortunately nothing stood out enough for me to remember or want to come back for. For a Michelin-starred restaurant at this price point, I expected both the food and service to feel more special. I have been to other Michelin restaurants where certain dishes stayed in my memory and made me excited to return, but that was not the case here. Overall: Food: ★★★☆☆ Service: ★☆☆☆☆

One of the most unpleasant and underwhelming Michelin dining experiences I’ve had in Los Angeles. We arrived before the rest of our party, and one of my friends was pregnant and experiencing low blood sugar. We explained the situation and simply asked if we could sit down first and order something small while waiting for the others. They refused. I understand that restaurants have seating policies. But there is a difference between having a policy and having absolutely no sense of hospitality, judgment, or basic human consideration. We were not asking for anything unreasonable. A pregnant guest was physically uncomfortable and needed to eat, yet the response was rigid, cold, and completely lacking in empathy. Things did not improve from there. Our reservation was originally for three people, and when one additional friend became available to join us, increasing the party from three to four, what should have been a very minor and normal adjustment somehow became another ordeal. Instead of trying to accommodate us, the staff made us feel as though every request was an inconvenience. And putting the service aside, the food itself was surprisingly forgettable. We have dined at many Michelin-starred restaurants, and I genuinely struggle to remember a single dish from Camphor that made me think, “I need to come back for this.” Nothing was terrible, but nothing was particularly memorable, exciting, or special either. At this level and price point, “fine” is simply not enough. For us, the food did not come close to the standard we normally associate with a Michelin-starred dining experience. What bothered me most, however, was the overall attitude of the restaurant. The entire experience felt like a caricature of old-school French fine-dining arrogance: as though being allowed to dine there was somehow a privilege bestowed upon the guest, and we should simply be grateful to be in the room. Hospitality seemed secondary to rules, attitude, and reminding customers that the restaurant was in control. A Michelin star should not mean guests are expected to feel honored that the restaurant agreed to serve them. The privilege goes both ways — customers are choosing to spend their time and money there, and they deserve to be treated with basic warmth and respect. Throughout the evening, the attitude we experienced felt dismissive, condescending, and unnecessarily hostile. We were also an Asian group. I cannot say with certainty that race played a role, and I would not make that accusation without evidence. But the repeated hostility and lack of flexibility genuinely left us questioning whether another group of guests would have been treated exactly the same way. For a Michelin-starred restaurant, this was deeply disappointing. Fine dining is not just expensive ingredients, beautiful plating, and accolades. Food should be memorable, and hospitality should make guests feel welcomed rather than tolerated. Unfortunately, Camphor delivered neither for us. We left feeling that this is a restaurant that takes itself far more seriously than it takes the people paying to dine there. Definitely not an experience I would repeat or recommend.

We dined here in March 2025, and unfortunately, the service is what has stuck with me most about the experience. The food was fine, but the service was surprisingly disappointing, particularly for a Michelin-starred restaurant. We waited about 45 minutes past our reservation time to be seated, with no real acknowledgment or explanation for the delay. Once seated, service remained inattentive to the point that we ended up getting up to refill our own water throughout the meal. It may simply have been an off night. There was another table that seemed to be creating some challenges for the staff, which may have contributed to the experience. Still, at a restaurant of this caliber, I would expect the level of service to remain relatively consistent regardless of what else is happening in the dining room. Had this been a more casual restaurant, I probably wouldn’t have thought much of it or left a review. But given the price, Michelin recognition and the expectations that come with it, the overall experience was disappointing.

What a wonderful experience. The people are great..... the food is amazing!

The Thursday Steak and Fries set menu is the best I have had outside of Paris.