Chef Melba’s Bistro

Best piece of fish I’ve ever had. Period.
The whole experience was good if not great. Nickel & Nickel chard was the perfect beginning to an epic meal. The oysters and shrimp cocktail (different yet perfect) as the start and ending with a fall off the bone lamb shank we mere highlights to the sole. Which was as I stated was the single best fish dish ever. Simple, elegant and beautifully cooked… this piece of sole was fantastic. Mashed potatoes were heaven.
I also loved seeing the Chef working in the open kitchen, she sets the tone and pace for her own spot and it shows! Great service by everyone on the staff. From walking in to walking out, smiles everywhere. Parking is a challenge down here, but there is a big structure a block away. But, try the street first.
Really great spot we are lucky to have in the South Bay. Well done by all!!!
Where have I been?

Phenomenal food. Dined here for New Year’s Eve and had the salmon and crab meat, and my friend had the duck and gnocchi. Superb food, friendly service and all with a view of the kitchen! P. S. Definitely try the chocolate box!!!

Went there for dinner with a business associate and his wife. He is a regular there and was warmly greeted by Chef Melba and the staff. Service was excellent, but when my food arrived (pork chop), the chop was barely warm. I did take a bite and the flavors were awesome. I decided to go ahead and eat this wonderfully flavored, perfectly cook chop, albeit barely warm. When the server came by to ask how everything tasted, we all said that it was excellent, but I went on to mention the rather low temp of my chop. The server offered to «take it back and put it on the grill to warm it up:. I told her that would then overcook an otherwise perfect chop and instead of offering to re-​cook the meal, she shrugged her shoulders and said she was sorry for the temp of the food. Note that the veg that was served with my chop was steaming when my plate arrived.
We ordered dessert, also wonderful. No comp on dessert or the coffee I had for the chop being warm. A bit surprised that the only solution from the server was «throw it back on the grill» and no attempt at a comp on coffee or dessert for the error. It’s not a cheap place to eat, so it’s even harder to understand this lack of customer service.

Words can’t describe this establishment. EXCEPTIONAL food and dining experience.
You walk into the restaurant and you walk into Chef Melba’s personal Kitchen. Chef Melba is hands down an absolute gem. Sweet and bubbly and one heck of a Chef.
Her butterfish is absolutely to-​die-​for along with her Mac’n Cheese… Gumbo, NY Strip Steak, Tuna… you get my hint :)

Hands-​down one of the best meals that I’ve had in a while. The ambience is intimate and quaint. The service is gracious. The food is flavorful and fresh.
The chef knows how to run a restaurant by conversing with guests while maintaining the kitchen.
%100 boss lady! Love it! Highly recommended.

CHEF Melba has a great restaurant with a very attentive staff. I enjoyed all element of this meal and dessert. The Pork Chop had the right mixture of spices and smokiness. The While rustic fish was amazing as well as the blazing mushrooms. I will return soon to get the table next to the kitchen to see the Chef up close work her magic…

Cute place. Small but comfortable. Good selection of wines and a short, but good, menu.
Great fish options, on the pricey side. The service… not bad but could be better.

Great restaurant. One of the best lamb shanks ever. Loved that Chef Melba took time to compare recipes. A definite location I will return to.

Chef Melba’s Bistro is still a true gem for the South Bay. This is an update to my prior review and CMB has earned another star. Her menu is still creative and inspired. But since my last review, I’ve been several more times and in those visits… the service, I’m glad to report, has been top notch!
We had a reservation for 4 at 7PM on a Friday. The place was packed but we were seated right away. Our server, nice looking young man, was attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. We started with oysters and her AMAZING Blazing mushrooms! AND grilled pretzel rolls! I had the butterfish because is so DE-​Lish, my friends had the lamb shank and my husband had the NY steak. Everything was prepared to our liking and seasoned to perfection. What I love the most about going to Chef Melba’s Bistro is having a front row seat to the kitchen. It’s just fun to watch Chef and her team navigate around each other in her tiny kitchen! There is some street parking but also a parking garage a short walk from the restaurant. Chef can accommodate small parties so don’t let the size of the place keep you from planning a special event! My department hosted 10 of us for a holiday dinner there last year and it was cozy for sure… but we all loved it.
Provecho!

Best restaurant in Hermosa Beach! Unbelievable flavor and great service. Be sure to get a reservation, because Melba’s fills up quickly after 7. Highly recommend this restaurant.
Update: Last meal at the restaurant was not even close to being as delicious as it has been in the past. The oysters we ordered were pretty foul. The grouper was tasty, but the vegetables it came with were plain and did not go well with the fish.

My mother and I have been here twice now. We don’t live in the area but have visited Hermosa twice.
We couldn’t remember the name of this place but searched online trying to figure out what it was. When I finally came across it we immediately made a reservation for our first night in Hermosa.
It is a small restaurant, very clean and simple. It’s surrounded by windows on two sides so that it’s super light. You can also see the kitchen which is super awesome. We sat at the same table both times.
The food is amazing. Honestly, the two entrees I’ve had there (sole and butterfish) are a couple of the best meals I have ever had.
Our service has always been great as well. The waiters know what they are talking about and how to remain attentive without being intrusive.
The cobbler is also very good – the flavor changes based on the season I’m assuming, but the two we’ve had were both delicious.

My wife and I celebrated our wedding with a party of 14 at Chef Melba’s. We made reservations about a month ahead. We chose Chef Melba’s based on Unilocal reviews and the place being close to our hotel.
On the day of the event, Chef Melba had everything set up on-​time for our arrival. To make things easy for the large table, her staff suggested that they picked a variety of appetizers for the group. Not only was I glad that they made warming up the party a lot easier, the appetizers were amazing.
Several of the guests including my wife had the lobster special which was absolutely amazing. I had the halibut which was cooked perfectly.
We picked out a white wine which they kept flowing through the whole dinner. Finally, we closed out with several delicious dessert plates. They were all notable, but the chocolate bag deserves special kudos.
Special thanks to Chef Melba and her staff for a memorable dinner on our wedding day. Chef Melba’s is easily one of the best restaurants in Hermosa Beach. We will definitely come back!

Lovely posh food in an intimate setting! Been here twice now and will be back to try the other items on the menu. The chef makes every plate look like a little painting! What I like most is the smaller portions and overall healthy feel for fine dining.
For some reason I keep forgetting about this place. Maybe it’s because it’s so suitable for anniversaries that I don’t go for ‘regular’ dinners. Well this time I had a VIP guest from out of town and was glad I remembered this little gem of a restaurant.
Our waiter Cody had great suggestions for appetizer, entrée, dessert and wine. Which we all ended up ordering. The mushroom starter is spicy! You can order sweat fresh baked bread to come with it so You can soak up all those tasty juices. The butterfish was delish. So pretty! And the veggies were super crisp and fresh. Dessert was a chocolate dish with fresh berries. It was nice! Although the other chocolate dessert on the menu is even better.
The reason I’m not giving five stars YET is as follows. We made a reservation at 630 pm and I was surprised we were only the second table on a Friday evening. We were seated at the window near a support beam. For some odd reason this table has a tremendous local draft. It was so bad our candle blew out. Also the tablecloth and napkins were flapping in the breeze. No other tables had this problem. I gently commented on the cold draft twice and although the waiter mentioned he turned down the air conditioning I would have preferred to have been given another table. I put my scarf and jacket on for the entire meal :(
I’ll will be back however never again at that table lol.

I came here last night for a birthday dinner and was pleasantly surprised by this hidden gem. Walking into the restaurant I was not expecting much since it is so small. The food was amazing. My party started off with a half dozen raw oysters. They were fresh and mild. Just how I like my oysters. They were also very reasonably priced for the quality, $ 3 each.
Entrée: I ordered the butterfish and was blown away! I am usually very hesitant about ordering fish because it is usually dry and over cooked. The chef clearly knows what she is doing because the fish was so juicy and cooked to perfection. I would definitely recommend ordering the butterfish!
Dessert: My friends and I have a love for an Australian dessert known as pavlova. It is nearly impossible to find in LA. To our surprise, this spot has it and it was amazing. Definitely try it! You won’t regret it.

Went here for my bday dinner and the food was exquisite… appetizers to entrees the seafood was delightfully presented and tastes amazing. Really enjoyed the Thai Coconut seafood broth!

Chef Melba brings back elegant cuisine where delicate flavors are perfectly balanced with their more boisterous partners and where texture is the absolute creation of the cooking technique. Located just a stone’s throw from beach, this intimate bistro has a strong following. My first inclination would be to attribute my most enjoyable dinner to the food, then maybe the location and the ambiance, or maybe the service… oh then there is Chef Melba herself! I then realized it is the perfect blending of all these factors. Chef Melba (the restaurant) is billed as New American, however with Chef Melba (the person) at the helm, the food reflects her Latin heritage and yet the dishes are still true to their classic roots.
We started with a ½ dozen Oysters on the Half Shell — Buttery small oysters served with both a classic horseradish cocktail and a Mignonette dip. We also had a bowl of Clam and Mussel steamers — oh how I wish I had some Chinese rice! Chef Melba’s twist to this dish is her Thai coconut broth. Served with amazingly soft and mildly sweet grilled rolls, it was so good that when the shell fish were gone, I kept the broth to finish off the rolls.
Then there is the Loup de Mer Whole Roasted Fish — This is a meal size sea bass roasted in a blend of herbs in a slightly sweet sauce. Oh, I had to look around; it is not often that a restaurant in this part of town will serve a whole fish, head and all! But Chef Melba did and boy did she pull it off. She roasted the Loup de Mer till it was slightly brown with tender crispy skin; the fish was perfectly moist and buttery soft on the inside.
My main entrée was the Black Angus New York Steak. Steak is one of my passions and I am very picky about how it is cooked and seasoned. Too much herbs and spices and the flavor of the beef is lost. Not enough and you just have a cooked piece of meat (albeit an expensive one). Chef Melba found that perfect balance. The steak was cooked just the way I liked it, well seared on the outside and medium rare on the inside. The seasoning complemented and highlighted the fresh Angus beef letting it danced on my palette while the flavors kept tempo. The steak was pre-​sliced in the kitchen and sat on a bed of fresh mash potatoes and asparagus.
Next time? Most definitely the Pibil Adobo Lamb Shank!!!

Food was amazing, ambiance was quaint and welcoming. Staff was helpful, patient professional, but jokes asides, the food will bring me back. Fyi, im a 5 hour plane ride from this place!
Definitely worth it!

The food is always fantastic! Must say, if you haven’t been, you will truly enjoy this little gem of a restaurant. Charming environment, fun people working, and as I already mentioned the food is phenomenal.
The Butterfish is to die for! The chocolate bag is a must have, and the apps are all fantastic.
Definitely one of my favorite places to enjoy some amazing and fresh seafood.
Will be a frequent for myself, family and friends.

Had dinner here last week with a big group of friends and everything we ate was delicious. We started with their fresh pretzel buns (I could easily eat a dozen of those yummy little nuggets). We had the mushroom appetizer… dip said pretzel bun in the sauce, which has a nice little kick to it. Beet salad was good. The fish and chips are great for sharing as an appetizer – the cod was fresh, moist and very crunchy as were the freshly made side of chips. I had the butterfish entrée – very delish as well. Lightly seasoned on a bed of bok choy and green snap peas in this buttery cream sauce. For dessert, I snagged a few bites of the hubby’s dark chocolate basket… must save room for my own dessert next time. Can’t go wrong with fresh berries, dark chocolate, creamy mousse (may have been ice cream but can’t remember) and a passion fruit sauce to top it off!
Great food, great service and will be returning to this little neighborhood gem.

As a resident of Hermosa Beach I have driven past this restaurant several hundred times but never stopped. Imagine my surprise when I found out a work event which I was required to attend was being held here, of course I was stoked did not hurt that I did not have to pay=)
I arrived shortly before the larger members of our party who arrived in a chauffeured party bus. There is no valet and limited street parking, I was lucky enough to find a space directly in front of the restaurant. If you are planning your trip here for dinner on the weekend remember that the nightlife of Hermosa is only a few blocks away and parking fills up fast. If no street parking is available looking for the parking structure located right next Starbucks which always has spaces available.
From the moment I walked in the door the service and ambiance was simply amazing. This restaurant is a tad on the smaller side which gives you that home feel. The kitchen is open view to the guests in the restaurant which really gives a great vibe and the aroma is mouthwatering.
All of our guests finally arrived and it was time to eat. Despite being attached to the hip to a large group all guests were allowed to order anything from the menu which was nice because I eat zero seafood. I do not support eating seafood and was stoked to see there were plenty of other options to choose from.
For a salad I elected to go with the Tuscan Kale Salad (quinoa, tomatoes, chia seeds and a Citrus Vinaigrette) this was amazing. I also had a few bites of their Greens Salad (toasted pepitas-​fancy word for pumpkin seeds, carrots, cucumbers & grape tomatoes) which was equally as good.
Entrée you are given the option of seafood, pasta or beef, I went with the beef. I order the Tequila Braised Short Rib in a Mestiza sauce and a side of vegetables. The beef was cooked slowly and perfectly. The meet literally fell off of the bone.
For dessert I could not pass up Chef Melba’s Signature Dark Chocolate Bag which is filled with passion fruit mousse and fresh berries, simply amazing!!!
If you are a drinker and enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, Chef Melba’s Bistro has a pretty extensive wine list. I read on the menu that they even allow customers to bring one bottled of wine with no corkage fee on Sunday’s only!!!
Chef Melba’s Bistro offers take out service and even does catering.
If you are in or around Hermosa Beach and looking for fine dining look no further than this restaurant. I could easily see myself coming back here again.