An outstanding evening - great food, excellent, informative & fun Server (Thanks, Maria!). Nice vibe. Cozy space. Counter is fun. AND - who would have ever imagined we'd try “Orange Wine” (don't be a chicken like me - it's actually a whole new experience) ?. Really nice.
MelB
The service was amazing. Our server was alone for the first half hour, it was crazy busy and she never showed any sign of irritation. She was very attentive to detail with a smile on her face the entire time. The food was outstanding. We really loved our pasta and olive oil cake dessert. But highly recommend. Next time we are in that area for a show we will be back. 
Lissette Bencosme
Wow. Amazing in every way. High end pasta joint with delicious food. Everything we had had us licking our fingers. Love the aesthetics, love the wine and the service was pretty good. The vibe is perfect for a casual date night, it’s not super fancy and the food is aimed to please the foodies of LA. High end food low key hipster vibes. Open late for dinner service
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Cheese Board
Ayoosh K.
This is a fine Italian restaurant, painted all pink in the fashion district. The food was outstanding as I got to try the Branzino. They have a large selection of wine, which I hope to get to next time. Service can get long as it gets busier but the food really makes up for it. Affordable pricing compared to other fine Italian dining.
RRLA
Before a concert just around the corner at the United Theater on Broadway (formerly the Ace), my friend and I enjoyed a great dinner at Mona. We both ordered and really liked the lumache alla vodka pasta. I think the dish would have been better with an option to add meat, but even without that, it was delicious. The venue is small and our Russian waitress was charming. If you're in the neighborhood, I recommend going here. There's a parking garage across the street.
Beverly L.
Great food, great service. We met the owner. He was definitely interested in our dining experience. Which I loved. We def will be back!
Sarah M.
FOOD/DRINK: The pasta is good! The cacio e pepe could've used some salt and wasn't quite as creamy as I'm used to (though this might be preferred if you're looking for something a little less rich), but the pomodoro was actually really good (it seemed more similar to a vodka, which was a pleasant surprise). The pasta itself is fantastic - perfectly al dente. Has a lot of options on the wine list. SERVICE: A+. The waitress was really great with telling us about which options had meat snuck in (the vodka pasta dish does, it just isn't listed on the menu), and which wines were natural (since we were trying to avoid that). I really appreciate when staff volunteers information that customers would want to know / would affect their orders but don't think to ask, so it was a pleasant experience. The food came out quickly. AMBIANCE: Such a cozy little spot, great for date night since it's so intimate. More of a casual vibe. Noise level is good, nothing too crazy. Has lower lighting. Wouldn't come here with a large group, there doesn't seem to be the space.
Maria L.
service and food is sooo good and yummy you won't regret coming here !! will be using for all my birthday celebrations from now on
Usi M.
Great service and delicious foods and wine. The bathroom has neon lights I would definitely come here again
Ricardo S.
MONA LISSAAA! Jesus what can I say? This place is very small, hidden and very deceiving. We had driven by this spot twice and skipped it. I'm glad we stopped by and sat down and tasted their amazing pasta! We got their Casarecce pasta and another pasta, I forgot the name of it, and let me tell you ! One of the best pastas out there! You can tell they care about their pasta! Very flavorful, very unique, one of my favorite out there! However! I can't say the same about their appetizers. They charge as much as the famous Bestia, but the appetizer seem very flavorless, not worth what they were asking for. If they can get their appetizer matching their price they're asking for, they'll be competing with the like of Bestia and I can assure you this will be an easy 5 star restaurant! Make sure you try it. You won't regret it.
Such a cute spot. Food was tasty- nice and fresh and a good portion. Service was friendly and personable, I was just in and out for a quick bite myself and I'll definitely be back :)
Brian J.
Had such a lovely experience on Valentine's Day at Mona. Sara was such an important part of the experience. She was welcoming and an overall delight! Food was delicious and the environment was quite charming. We were called in advance regarding the prefix menu - so other comments on here about that not happening are untrue. Possibly because that person booked last minute online, either way we were informed thru a phone call about a week prior. We did notice lots of guests being rude to staff which is extremely disappointing. If you are going out on Valentine's Day and aren't prepared for a small wait with the LA traffic and an overall busy restaurant then just stay at home. Don't take it out on this charming little spot. Looking forward to going back to Mona for another delicious meal!
Kevin
Two words: pappardelle bolognese.Go right now and get that. I went about a year ago, and I still haven't found better bolognese sauce in LA.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alex Kennedy
Great pasta.
Henry O.
Decided to check out Mona Pasta Bar for Valentine's Day since it was walking distance from where I live. I had a reservation at 8:15 pm, but got there 5 minutes early. The moment you walk in, the setup is very odd. It was hard to determine who the host was (if there is a host) and had to flag a waiter down. We waited about 10 minutes, which is fine, but the initial experience to start was off. I think this is not a logical setup as I think the restaurant should look to setup a small host table outside to check in guests. It's weird as people started coming in that they were waiting inside. With the limited space, I felt bad for people sitting next to the door because people would just hover either confused who to check in with or were just waiting for their table. A host table outside and having guests wait outside would really help. Moving to the service... we got seated and waited about 10 minutes. We had to flag a waiter down to give us menus. The reservation we had didn't mention a pre-fix menu, but the menu only had a pre-fix. I didn't mind given Valentine's Day, but also felt like this should have been mentioned to me during the initial check prior to the reservation (which never happened). We ordered the Calamari and Brussel Sprouts. Both were just okay. Nothing very special about either dishes. Critique would be the batter for the calamari could have been better as it was falling apart. For the salad, ordered the Caesar Salad. Again, it was just okay, but the croutons on top actually were seasoned nicely and provided a good texture. For the main, got the Cacio e Pepe and Whole Branzino. Pasta was again, just okay... same story... and the Branzino was actually cooked nicely. The slaw that came with the dish was a bit too salty and acidic for my taste. Lastly, for dessert, got the Olive Oil Cake and Tiramisu. Cake tasted good, but again, just okay. The Tiramisu was a complete miss. It tasted like melted chocolate and it came in the same cup used for water. Not very appetizing if you ask me. I get the restaurant is fairly new and has some areas for growth, but I think the issues can easily be fixed if you 1) put a host table outside and keep guests outside 2) have 1 server assisting customers at the bar and 2 servers assisting customers on the floor. For the size of the restaurant, having 4 waiters/hosts and the service to be this slow and not organized is a bit confusing. The food is not memorable and I'd only come back if it's half empty or I am nearby and starving. I do think this restaurant can be better, but I think that's up to management to make the necessary changes.
An outstanding evening - great food, excellent, informative & fun Server (Thanks, Maria!). Nice vibe. Cozy space. Counter is fun. AND - who would have ever imagined we'd try “Orange Wine” (don't be a chicken like me - it's actually a whole new experience) ?. Really nice.
The service was amazing. Our server was alone for the first half hour, it was crazy busy and she never showed any sign of irritation. She was very attentive to detail with a smile on her face the entire time. The food was outstanding. We really loved our pasta and olive oil cake dessert. But highly recommend. Next time we are in that area for a show we will be back. 
Wow. Amazing in every way. High end pasta joint with delicious food. Everything we had had us licking our fingers. Love the aesthetics, love the wine and the service was pretty good. The vibe is perfect for a casual date night, it’s not super fancy and the food is aimed to please the foodies of LA. High end food low key hipster vibes. Open late for dinner service
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Cheese Board
This is a fine Italian restaurant, painted all pink in the fashion district. The food was outstanding as I got to try the Branzino. They have a large selection of wine, which I hope to get to next time. Service can get long as it gets busier but the food really makes up for it. Affordable pricing compared to other fine Italian dining.
Before a concert just around the corner at the United Theater on Broadway (formerly the Ace), my friend and I enjoyed a great dinner at Mona. We both ordered and really liked the lumache alla vodka pasta. I think the dish would have been better with an option to add meat, but even without that, it was delicious. The venue is small and our Russian waitress was charming. If you're in the neighborhood, I recommend going here. There's a parking garage across the street.
Great food, great service. We met the owner. He was definitely interested in our dining experience. Which I loved. We def will be back!
FOOD/DRINK: The pasta is good! The cacio e pepe could've used some salt and wasn't quite as creamy as I'm used to (though this might be preferred if you're looking for something a little less rich), but the pomodoro was actually really good (it seemed more similar to a vodka, which was a pleasant surprise). The pasta itself is fantastic - perfectly al dente. Has a lot of options on the wine list. SERVICE: A+. The waitress was really great with telling us about which options had meat snuck in (the vodka pasta dish does, it just isn't listed on the menu), and which wines were natural (since we were trying to avoid that). I really appreciate when staff volunteers information that customers would want to know / would affect their orders but don't think to ask, so it was a pleasant experience. The food came out quickly. AMBIANCE: Such a cozy little spot, great for date night since it's so intimate. More of a casual vibe. Noise level is good, nothing too crazy. Has lower lighting. Wouldn't come here with a large group, there doesn't seem to be the space.
service and food is sooo good and yummy you won't regret coming here !! will be using for all my birthday celebrations from now on
Great service and delicious foods and wine. The bathroom has neon lights I would definitely come here again
MONA LISSAAA! Jesus what can I say? This place is very small, hidden and very deceiving. We had driven by this spot twice and skipped it. I'm glad we stopped by and sat down and tasted their amazing pasta! We got their Casarecce pasta and another pasta, I forgot the name of it, and let me tell you ! One of the best pastas out there! You can tell they care about their pasta! Very flavorful, very unique, one of my favorite out there! However! I can't say the same about their appetizers. They charge as much as the famous Bestia, but the appetizer seem very flavorless, not worth what they were asking for. If they can get their appetizer matching their price they're asking for, they'll be competing with the like of Bestia and I can assure you this will be an easy 5 star restaurant! Make sure you try it. You won't regret it.
Restaurantji Recommends
Such a cute spot. Food was tasty- nice and fresh and a good portion. Service was friendly and personable, I was just in and out for a quick bite myself and I'll definitely be back :)
Had such a lovely experience on Valentine's Day at Mona. Sara was such an important part of the experience. She was welcoming and an overall delight! Food was delicious and the environment was quite charming. We were called in advance regarding the prefix menu - so other comments on here about that not happening are untrue. Possibly because that person booked last minute online, either way we were informed thru a phone call about a week prior. We did notice lots of guests being rude to staff which is extremely disappointing. If you are going out on Valentine's Day and aren't prepared for a small wait with the LA traffic and an overall busy restaurant then just stay at home. Don't take it out on this charming little spot. Looking forward to going back to Mona for another delicious meal!
Two words: pappardelle bolognese.Go right now and get that. I went about a year ago, and I still haven't found better bolognese sauce in LA.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great pasta.
Decided to check out Mona Pasta Bar for Valentine's Day since it was walking distance from where I live. I had a reservation at 8:15 pm, but got there 5 minutes early. The moment you walk in, the setup is very odd. It was hard to determine who the host was (if there is a host) and had to flag a waiter down. We waited about 10 minutes, which is fine, but the initial experience to start was off. I think this is not a logical setup as I think the restaurant should look to setup a small host table outside to check in guests. It's weird as people started coming in that they were waiting inside. With the limited space, I felt bad for people sitting next to the door because people would just hover either confused who to check in with or were just waiting for their table. A host table outside and having guests wait outside would really help. Moving to the service... we got seated and waited about 10 minutes. We had to flag a waiter down to give us menus. The reservation we had didn't mention a pre-fix menu, but the menu only had a pre-fix. I didn't mind given Valentine's Day, but also felt like this should have been mentioned to me during the initial check prior to the reservation (which never happened). We ordered the Calamari and Brussel Sprouts. Both were just okay. Nothing very special about either dishes. Critique would be the batter for the calamari could have been better as it was falling apart. For the salad, ordered the Caesar Salad. Again, it was just okay, but the croutons on top actually were seasoned nicely and provided a good texture. For the main, got the Cacio e Pepe and Whole Branzino. Pasta was again, just okay... same story... and the Branzino was actually cooked nicely. The slaw that came with the dish was a bit too salty and acidic for my taste. Lastly, for dessert, got the Olive Oil Cake and Tiramisu. Cake tasted good, but again, just okay. The Tiramisu was a complete miss. It tasted like melted chocolate and it came in the same cup used for water. Not very appetizing if you ask me. I get the restaurant is fairly new and has some areas for growth, but I think the issues can easily be fixed if you 1) put a host table outside and keep guests outside 2) have 1 server assisting customers at the bar and 2 servers assisting customers on the floor. For the size of the restaurant, having 4 waiters/hosts and the service to be this slow and not organized is a bit confusing. The food is not memorable and I'd only come back if it's half empty or I am nearby and starving. I do think this restaurant can be better, but I think that's up to management to make the necessary changes.