Cicada

Cicada is a breathtaking venue that we knew would host our dream wedding from the first time we viewed it and met Adelmo. But the professionalism and quality of the staff and service is what made our wedding a perfect day. When it comes to the stressors that occur with wedding planning and the day of, you want your chosen professionals to be cool, calm, and collected. Adelmo is clearly a highly experienced professional who not only put us at ease, but performed at the highest level of excellence. This included saving us money when some outside vendors insisted on last minute changes, accommodating our every need on the day of, and running the smoothest possible wedding from start to finish. My groom and I decided to sit out of cocktails to have a moment alone and got to watch the Cicada crew turn over the ceremony space into the reception room. It was a sight to behold as they seamlessly transformed the room into our dream wedding space while bringing us endless food and beverage and ensuring our contentment. We felt like our personal enjoyment and comfort was their first priority. Additionally, the food is incredible and we are still receiving compliments on every dish and appetizer. Our guests not only loved the food and the gorgeous space, but repeatedly complimented the stellar staff and service. We also worked with manager, Richard, for our tasting and on the day of and he also was a pleasure to work with and was a large part of the high quality of our experience at Cicada. We can’t thank them enough! more

if you complain about cicada restaurant, it's because you're just not a jaded hollywood rock star. it's cool. go here with friends to feel like you're filming an episode of hbo's entourage. c'est chic! more

Cicada Restaurant, was wonderful... Everyone I was with enjoyed their meal. Also the coffe was to die for. I will definitely go back when I am in the area. more

My girlfriend and I came here on Valentine's Day and had a wonderful time. The ambiance as we walked in was lovely as we stepped back in time. All the art deco and the trio playing as we were seated just set the mood very nicely. They seated us and gave us a sheet telling us the different movies/tv shows/commercials that were filmed her which was interesting. I totally was in the same room Brad Pitt was at one point ;) more

A great place for a meal, especially if you have a big group! A relaxed but still nice atmosphere and delicious food. more

Great place for a drink with a date, a few friends, or even a small party. Nice atmosphere, something a little different than most places in the city. Drinks are reasonably priced. more

Great outdoor dining space..It's much bigger than we expected and was quite busy. The Appetizers were really nice. more

Delicious food! Excellent service! will come back again!! more

Simply amazing. Words can not help here. Just make a reservation and go with your favorite person. more

I went to my cousin's wedding at the cicada restaurant. It was a great event. This is a great place for a party or just dinner. The food is great and worth the price and the bar upstairs is great! Pros: Example: best croissants in town Cons: What are the drawbacks? more

I went to the Sunday night show at the Cicada Club to see Richard Halpern's Roaring Twenties Revue. First, the food. I recommend the scallop and risotto appetizer. It was a wonderful combination of flavors and textures. For the entree I enjoyed the lamp chops. Cooked just right -- juicy and and delicious. Second, the entertainment. This night featured Halpern's 1920's era band with a fantastic dance number by special guest Chester Whitmore (one of the top tap dancers in the country). Later the Cicada Club's elevator boy Kid Watson performed a surprisingly good dance routine. Quite a few people were dressed in 1920's attire that added to the atmosphere. You really have to see this for yourself. Nothing like it. Great fun. Pros: Great food, unique venue more

Last night was hands down the worst Cicada club event I think I have ever been to. There were problems aplenty. First off, the singers were both horrible, Ginger pretending to be Betty Boop, each song was more annoying then before, not a big fan of the male singer Johnny something or other. Where does Maxwell DeMille find these people? Karaoke bars? Was he drunk when he hired them? I hope the restaurant didn't have to pay too much to hire them. I don't have any real thoughts about Maxwell DeMille unlike the other posters, but I can understand their feelings against him. The man never speaks to anyone and spends most of the event in hiding in dark corners. Why run a night club when you have a fear of being social? If had to pay, I would have wanted my money back. The restaurant which used to be great on service is also slipping. Our waiter was as clueless as it gets, not professional at all. The two stars goes for Cicada's management which is always professional. more

This place needs a lot improvement. Where do I start? 1. Poor singers/bands who can't carry a tune who screech and wail into the poorly hooked up sound system 2. Maxwell DeMille who is arrogant and cold;he couldn't be bothered to speak to anyone. 3. The general deadness of the place. Instead of another act coming on during the band break, DeMille puts on maudlin recorded music on a loop 5. Maxwell DeMille's annoying nasally voice. 6. The announcer's annoying voice 7. The fact that no new ever comes to the club to preform. 8. The fact that Maxwell DeMille needs to announce that they are broadcasting through the world on a webcam (how is this vintage?) 8. Slow service at the restaurant 9. Pricey cocktails. Pros: Nice art deco interior/furnishings Cons: Maxwell DeMille. more

Cicada club used to be great, Maxwell De Mille simply does not care to greet his customers, the ones that are paying his salary. He is very aloof and almost antisocial. His last big band night was a HUGE disappointment. He needs to hire more professional acts. All of the singers and bands that have come in really had me and my friends yawning. I think Maxwell has tried to liven things up a new announcer, but all of his efforts really have bombed. Last week was particularly bad with the always boring Jennifer Keith ( I thought another singer was going to be singing but I guess she canceled), and the screechy blonde Christine. The 1920's nights are all the same, not worth going to anymore. more

Having read some of the recent reviews on here I am perplexed. Were my wife and I watching the same show that some of you were? We have been fans of the Cicada Restaurant musical nights for some time now, and we have had the pleasure of being able to watch the recorded shows on the internet before we actually made it into the place live. Our favorite is Richard Halpern without a doubt as his shows are the most lively of the series and he really seems to know how to put over the true spirit of the 1920s. Since coming into the club in-person, my wife and I are always greeted by Richard himself during some point of the evening as he makes his way to each and every table of guests, we noticed. We love his song choices and he has often asked people for requests, which he honors, if not on stage, but in subsequent nights. We even saw him sing a request acapella at a table near us, and the lady whose birthday it happened to be, was thrilled to say the least. We love the food at Cicada too and have recommended the place to several of our friends who have shared our opinion, and have received nothing but the finest feedback from them about the musical nights and Richard and the entire dining and show experience. Five stars absolutely. Pros: Richard Halpern, Janet Klein, the vintage music nights Cons: Not enough show nights! more

Last weekend I took my fiance to Cicada Restaurant for our 2nd anniversary. From the minute I walked in I got the impression that no one knew what they were doing. The food was decent but I felt like I was paying for the ambiance which is WORTH IT! The macambo salad was good but I cannot call the filet mignon a ""filet. ""Think Black Angus...? For $32 + I expect a lot more! Especially a HOT plate because when I got mine it was cold. By this time I had already given up. The band looked to all be more ""seasoned"" performers which is usually a good sign. ""Jenny and the somethings"" was OK enough but nothing to write home about. The whole show kind of put me to sleep except for a hot blond named Christine who came up. Her voice was so annoying and shrill that I felt my veins begin to pop out of my head. The crowd was older and not very happening to say the least. You call this a ""club?"" I think it would be a good place for a quiet lunch or business meeting. Pros: ambiance Cons: sunday more

Firstly, I'm giving two reviews here. One is for Cicada as a restaurant in general and one is for, ""Maxwell Demille's Cicada Club."" Pros: beautiful place- a historic legend! GREAT FOOD Cons: Maxwell Demille's Cicada Club- SUNDAY more

Cicada is a great restaurant, sure the service maybe a little slow, but I know they have just hired some new people. The food here is great, I love the mocambo salad, the bolognese pasta with the filet mignon and the lobster pasta. The seafood dishes are also really great. People say how pricey Cicada is, but I have been to many restaurants in LA that are a lot more. If you don't have cocktails and desert, you can keep the bill down. I don't know why so many people are knocking the 1920's nights, I think they are a lot of fun, maybe if Richard's Halpern's show is too much like it is every time, maybe go to differently themed nights so you get a little variety. I really love getting on the dance floor and doing the Charleston. I was there when the comment about Mather was made and I really don't think that Maxwell meant anything insulting by it, I actually didn't notice anyone getting mad about it, but maybe there were some people who don't think the same way I do. I also don't think he ""sours"" the experience at the club, he is really under a lot of pressure to put on a production and have it go exactly right and I think that is a lot of responsibility for him. more

Went here for the Cicada club event, it was a slow night because of the Oscar Night, so why wasn't the service faster? Good food, but it might be cold by the time they get it out to you. Good choice of cocktails, so-so music, I have been to the 1920's style night before and it really wasn't much different then anything else I have seen there before, like the last poster a bit disappointed by Mr. Demille's choice of bands/singers for this upcoming year. Agree that Mather should get up on stage more and wasn't too keen on the joke Demille cracked about her. Does not bode well for his image. I wish Demille would get some better acts, someone should do a 1920's night besides Richard Halpern, he's great, but does the same schtick every time and its getting a bit old. Will be back in a few weeks as I am not into any of the upcoming singers for the coming month. more

I used to spend a lot of time at Cicada and dropped off going for a while, now have started going again. Not much has changed, which is the problem. Went to Richard Halpern's 1920's review last night. There is nothing wrong with Richard Halpern, but I for one would like to see other people at this 1920's event, Richard seems to do the same songs every time. ""Maxwell Demille"" has gone from being kind of a novelty to somewhat unbearable. He really has no talent in front of a mic. He really made a lot of the customers angry last night when he cracked a very unfunny joke about his coat check girl ( who is by the way both very beautiful and VERY talented).This made a lot of the Cicada regulars mad because Mather who has more talent then all of the other female singers combined. more