A classic Old Hollywood/New York-style entertainment venue in every sense, the club itself is designed and sized after a classic Cabaret theme - a small intimate setting only holding about 65 people max, and has played host to an incredible range of talent for decades, from up-and-coming performing/singing artists to seasoned professionals and legends in the entertainment business, in music, theat
er, stage, Broadway, film and television. Dinner is served nightly from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm. All shows/performances begin at 9:00 pm. The kitchen closes at 9:00 pm, although more closer to 8:45 pm to get ready for the show, preferably so nobody is eating when the lights go down. There is a performer cover charge (most vary between $10- $20) + a $14 drink minimum. Call for Dinner Reservations - best reservation times are 7:00pm, 7:30pm, and 8:00pm. When having a main entree dinner, you are reserved a table in the main room, and the 2-drink minimum is not in effect. Please note in your call - your name, how many will be in your party, and your best contact number for call-back. You can also just come in for the show and not have dinner, but there is no reserved seating or guarantee. First come, first serve. Whatever seating is left available after ALL dinner reservations are in, including the seven seats at the bar, are open. Also, please feel free to call and let us know that you're just coming in to see the show only. It helps on our end. For show and drinks only, it is recommended to arrive at the club sometime between 8:00pm - 8:30 pm for the increased possibility of a seat available, whether it be floor or bar. Arriving anytime after the 9:00pm show start, you will still have to pay the cover charge and 2-drink minimum no matter how late you arrive after 9:00pm. RESERVATIONS - 818-383-6832 or 323-467-7444 Dinner Reservations will receive a phone confirmation. Show Only reservations will not receive a phone confirmation. Thank you! PLEASE NOTE that because we are a small room with limited capacity, it is of utmost importance that patrons take responsibility for their dinner reservations seriously. To call in and reserve dinner reservations say, for example a party of 4, 6 or 8 people, and only half your party shows up, and we don't receive a prior notification courtesy call 24 hours in advance, you will be assessed a plate charge for every person in your party that does not show up for their reservation. This requirement allows the club to potentially call back others that were turned down due to over-capacity, where they can be reserved a seat or table that has now become open and available. This procedure not only helps the club, but also benefits the very performer you're coming in to see, as lost cover charges will also be made up. Communication is key for each and every evening of entertainment at The Gardenia to be a win-win for everyone. PARKING - Parking is street parking only, around the club on La Brea, Santa Monica Boulevard including right in front of the club after 7pm, and just East of the club on Sycamore. The street down further is Orange, but we would not recommend this as at times the parking signage of hours has changed and have some restrictions that may not be easily understood. And even though we can't advise, the parking in the shopping center directly across from the club where the Chase Bank is has never posed a problem so far, after several years. On the other side of LA Brea on the corner there is a parking structure, but you would have to check the closing hours and if there is a charge to park there. FOOD MENU
We have a FULL BAR - Cocktails, Wine and Bottled Beer
DINNER MENU
APPETIZERS
Crab Cakes
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Shrimp Cocktail
Caprese
SALADS
Caesar (small)
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
Greek Salad
(A refreshing ethnic salad with mixed greens, feta cheese, olives, hard-boiled egg, tomato, cucumber, green peppers, and stuffed grape leaves, served with our zesty house dressing)
Santa Fe Salad
(Chicken, corn, black beans, cheese, tomatoes, tortilla strips on Romaine with an Avocado ranch dressing)
ENTREES
Beloved Meatloaf
Grilled Fish of the Day
Shrimp in Lime Ginger
(large prawns poached in a refreshing sauce of lime and ginger)
Brown Sugar Pork Chops
(pan seared cooked in a butter brown sugar with fresh sliced apples)
Chicken Picatta
Penne Puttanesca
Traditional Italian Lasagna
SIDE ORDERS
Baked Potato
Sliced Tomato
Toast
Vegetable Du Jour
DESSERTS
Our dessert menu is varied and changes frequently. Our server will acquaint you with today's selections. Usually a variety of flavored Sorbets and cakes. For Tuesday Open Mike nights, we have a slightly shortened version of the main dinner menu available, but includes the following not on the main menu - Pastrami Sliders, Cheeseburger Sliders, Chicken Quesadilla, and Flatbread Pizza
COVID UPDATE - Full Explanation
Whereas earlier in the COVID pandemic the circulating alpha and delta variants were more deadly, the virus has now mutated and evolved, and the current circulating omicron variants are not only less deadly, but the population that remains has acquired more immunity, and more legitimately effective medical treatments are now available, to the degree that social interactions currently are no longer fraught with the same potential for disability and mortality as were experienced previously. We have been following infectivity and mortality statistics closely, and these have been essentially stable (and continue to gradually decrease) since March, with the average daily deaths from COVID in Los Angeles County numbering only 5 as of 9/6/22. (Compare this with 44 average daily deaths on 7/27/20; 281 average daily deaths on 1/12/21, and 88 average daily deaths as recently as 2/4/22.) There was a tiny “surge” to 8 average daily deaths on 8/5/22, but so far there has not been an increase in average daily deaths since school started in late August. We are accepting all reservations, all guests, and all performers and musicians, without respect to vaccination status. (We were further encouraged in this decision upon learning that the “proof of vaccination” requirements have recently been lifted on Broadway in New York as well.) We continue to expect that any customer with symptoms such as runny nose, achiness, new cough, or fever will stay home. And of course, as has been the case for many months, any customer, performer, server, or musician who chooses to remain unmasked does so at his or her own risk. We will not function as “mask police.”
In the interest of the health of our customers and the general public, we continue to encourage the unvaccinated to become vaccinated, and the vaccinated to receive the upcoming bivalent booster, which affords additional protections against the Omicron B4 and B5 variants. We remain hopeful that that the COVID virus does not mutate further and become more virulent. If it does, we reserve the right to reinstate whatever “proof of vaccination required” policy may make sense at the time. We thank our customers for accepting the difficult decisions we have made throughout these trying times, and during out first full year of re-opening when full vaccination proof requirement was in place.
