(keep reading to learn what happened)
Season: 3 | View All Season 3 Episodes
Original Episode Air Date: March 4, 2010
Lido di Manhattan Address: 1550 Rosecrans Ave Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Episode Recap
Lido di Manhattan was a Manhattan, California restaurant featured on Season 3 of Kitchen Nightmares.
Though the Lido Kitchen Nightmares episode aired on March 4, 2010, the actual filming and visit from Gordon Ramsay took place much earlier in July 2009.
It was Kitchen Nightmares Season 3 Episode 5.
In this episode of Kitchen Nightmares Chef Gordon Ramsay takes us to Lido di Manhattan, in Manhattan Beach, California.
Soon after his arrival, we meet the owner, Lisa Hemmat, a 28 year old USC graduate, who purchased the Lido di Manhattan restaurant when she was 23.
At first the restaurant was successful, but now the restaurant lays empty most nights and may not be open for much longer.
These troubles are why the Lido di Manhattan Kitchen Nightmares episode exists.
When Gordon Ramsay arrives he observes a full parking lot and wonders why the restaurant is struggling.
Gordon meets Lisa and is astounded at how young she is.
Lisa discloses to Gordon that she has not changed anything since she purchased the restaurant five years ago, not even the decor or the menu.
Gordon then sits down to order off the menu, he orders the baked eggplant roll, ahi tuna tower, and the chicken tortellini salad.
The eggplant roll arrives and Gordon instantly spits it out of his mouth on the first taste, claiming that the eggplant is microwaved but somehow still crunchy and raw.
The tuna tower arrives next and it’s really not much better.
Despite the restaurant claiming that the tuna is fresh, Gordon can tell that it was definitely frozen – he ain’t falling for that stuff.
Last to arrive is the tortellini pasta salad and Gordon is informed that it is not homemade.
Upon tasting it Gordon finds that it is rubbery.
Never one to beat around the bush, Gordon Ramsay then confronts the staff members and tells them that their food is horrible.
Beyond the horrible food, the restaurant’s bar manager is also Lisa’s romantic flame.
Damien, her boyfriend, was originally a server but was eventually promoted to bar manager, which obviously causes some drama and conflict.
Later that evening Gordon arrives for an evening dinner service.
He finds out that the POS that Lido di Manhattan is using is outdated and can’t keep up with the job, as they are over 30 years old.
This contributes to causing missed tickets and orders that are never made by the kitchen.
If and when the customers do get their food they aren’t too happy with it and immediately send it back with complaints.
Gordon then inspects the walk-in and freezer and finds out that the tuna he ate earlier was made days ago.
Gordon also finds an incredible amount of dust above the food cooking areas in the kitchen.
Gordon is so disgusted and concerned for the customers health and safety that he demands Lisa to shut down the kitchen and stop sending food out.
It does seem a bit contrived given that dust seems a lot less bad than what we’ve seen on other Kitchen Nightmares restaurants…but I guess Gordon just has high standards.
I mean – dust seems a bit less serious than mold and spoiled meat and stuff.
After the dust incident, an upset Lisa runs to the bathroom to cry and isn’t seen for the rest of the night.
Gordon then gives her an assignment of five major things to change within the restaurant.
Gordon then comes in to observe how the restaurant operates during a dinner rush, and Gordon informs Lisa that she did well in the kitchen that night.
However, he also warns her that her two chefs are lazy and may bring her down.
The chefs names are Luis and Arturo Martinez and both of them have worked at the restaurant for over 18 years.
That night Gordon and his team give the restaurant a makeover, opening up the restaurant by removing the dividing wall.
New seating was also added along with new china, curtains, and lighting.
Gordon rebranded the restaurant as a wine bar which will lead to a new type of clientele.
Gordon also has a new halo POS system installed and the staff samples the new menu designed by Gordon and they all love it.
The restaurants don’t have to pay for anything for the renovations, so it’s likely that the new POS came from a sponsor of the show.
The night of the relaunch, Lisa is in the front of the restaurant, as tickets are piling up quickly with customers waiting up to 30 minutes for their food.
Gordon observes that the kitchen is not communicating properly, and it takes an hour for the food to start leaving the kitchen, but it is sent back for various reasons.
After a chaotic night, they somehow managed to turn it around, and the relaunch night was a total success.
At the end, Gordon Ramsay says that he can’t wait to come back.
Spoiler alert – Gordon Ramsay does come back to Lido di Manhattan, and I’ve embedded a video of the Lido restaurant Gordon Ramsay revisit below.
So was the Kitchen Nightmares Lido di Manhattan episode a success?
Keep reading our update to learn what happened next and if this Manhattan, CA restaurant is still open in 2023 and beyond.
Lido di Manhattan Update - What Happened Next?
Now that we’ve recapped what happened on the Lido Kitchen Nightmares episode, let’s answer your most burning question.
But first – a small spoiler alert.
Of all the restaurants that have been on Kitchen Nightmares, I would say that Lido di Manhattan is one of, if not the, most succesful.
Given that introduction, you can probably guess the answer to the first question…
Is Lido still open after Kitchen Nightmares?
As of 2023, Lido di Manhattan is still open and serving customers in Manhattan Beach, CA.
What’s more, Lisa has expanded the services at Lido di Manhattan to include catering and private dining.
You can learn more on the Lido di Manhattan website.
Here’s what the entrees from the Lido di Manhattan dinner menu look like to give you an idea of the prices:
And then here’s what the Lido Manhattan Beach location looks like in the most recent picture from Google Maps street view:
Lido di Manhattan reviews after Kitchen Nightmares
Next, let’s take a look at some reviews for the Lido restaurant and bar.
Overall, Lido di Manhattan has a four star rating on Yelp, a 4.5 star rating on Google Reviews, and a four star rating on TripAdvisor.
Those are pretty good ratings, which suggests that customers generally like the restaurant.
Let’s take a look at a few examples reviews that were written after the Kitchen Nightmares Lido restaurant episode…
5 star Yelp review from January 2021:
I saw this place on an episode of Kitchen Nightmares and I just knew I had to give it a shot!
I ordered the vodka pasta and it is the best pasta I’ve ever had, and I’ve been to Italy!
The dessert was definitely my favorite part: the chocolate walnut tart!!
It looks like there’s hardly any chocolate but you really get the flavor when you bite in and it’s super delicious!!
I can’t wait to bring my boyfriend here for a date when Covid is over!
4 star Yelp review from September 2013:
I stepped out of my comfort zone and ordered the “Lidos Famous Vodka Pasta” it was amazing!
The service was great and their wine bar was awesome!
After I had left my friend mentioned that this place was on “Kitchen Nightmares”.
Who would have thought?!
I would recommend this place to my friends and family.
5 star Yelp review from June 2017:
I heard about this place from Kitchen Nightmares.
It did not disappoint.
I must say I was expecting it to be all hyper active like the show but tbh I realized that it was better that not too many ppl were there.
I ordered the sausage pasta.
It was beautifully cooked and very good the margueritah flat bread was so good
Honestly id come back but it is a lil pricy but man u definitely get wat u paid for.
Worth going if ur chef Ramsay fan or if ur a fan of quality food
5 star Yelp review from March 2022:
I’ve come here for a few work events and dinners and we love this spot!
A close colleague of mine has become a regular here in part because the staff are extremely friendly, professional, and always take great care of us, which I can definitely attest to.
We usually opt for the spicy vodka pasta, which we’d highly recommend, but this time I switched it up and got the fresh crab & angel hair pasta and was NOT disappointed.
We also ordered the tomato soup as a starter this time, and all agreed it was delicious!
Overall, while there are a few negative reviews here and then, Lido di Manhattan generally seems to be doing very well.
That’s great to see!
What happened after the Lido Kitchen Nightmares episode?
After the Lido Kitchen Nightmares episode aired, Gordon went back and revisited the restaurant about a year later in the Revisited #5 episode from season 4, which aired in March 2011.
This is the same episode where he visited Le Bistro and Anna Vincenzo’s.
In the visit, we find out that Lido di Manhattan’s business is up by more than 20%.
What’s more, Lisa also fired Damien as the bar manager.
They also added some new dishes that were inspired by Gordon Ramsay.
You can watch it in this YouTube video – the Lido Gordon Ramsay revisit part happens around the 8:00 mark (though there’s a long recap before that):
Brennan Taylor visits Lido di Manhattan
If you want another view at what Lido di Manhattan is up to after Kitchen Nightmares, popular food YouTuber Brennen Taylor filmed a video where he visited the restaurant in 2019.
This video also includes an interview with Lisa, including some of her behind-the-scenes thoughts on the Lido Gordon Ramsay visit from the original filming.
It’s a good watch if you want to see Lido di Manhattan now and catch up with what Lisa Hemmat has been up to.
What happened to Lisa from Lido di Manhattan?
As of 2023, Lisa Hemmat is still he owner of Lido di Manhattan.
If you look at the Lido di Manhattan website about page, you’ll see her listed under “Meet the Owner”.
Here’s a screenshot:
In 2017, she also opened a second restaurant with her partner called Playa Hermosa Fish and Oyster.
It’s located in Hermosa Beach, California and has generally good reviews on Yelp.
If you want to connect with Lisa Hemmat, you can follow her on Instagram.
She has a kid and a dog and generally seems happy – congratulations to her on all her success.
Final thoughts on Lido Manhattan Beach
As I mentioned earlier, the Lido Kitchen Nightmares episode is one of the most succesful from the entire show.
Not only is Lido di Manhattan still open, but it’s thriving and expanding.
What’s more, Lisa has opened another restaurant that also seems to be doing well.
You can’t ask for much more, so congratulations to Lisa, Gordon, and everyone else involved in making Lido di Manhattan a success!
If you want to see updates for other nearby California Kitchen Nightmares episodes, you can check out our updates for Zayna Flaming Grill in Redondo Beach, Nino’s restaurant in Long Beach, and Burger Kitchen in Los Angeles proper.
Thanks for reading!
More Information
https://www.yelp.com/biz/lido-di-manhattan-manhattan-beachhttps://www.facebook.com/LidoManhattanBeach/
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Last updated: 2023-04-15 04:55
An outstanding success story!
I forgot to add: Lisa is HOT!
Definitely is beautiful.
Gordon seemed truly proud when he revisited Lisa. She had embraced his mentorship and went with it. Some of these restaurants are too far gone to save but she simply needed the training.
Absolutely.
One place that deserves to still be open, yes all she needed was bringing down off that princess train and slightly humiliated but look what has happened now, turned herself right round and probably given Gordon some fond memories of why he did the show to begin with and of course made her parents proud that she no longer relies on them 100% all the time. So well done staff at Lido and keep doing what you’re doing.
Really proud of you at Lido Lisa and her hard working staff. Good job being done to be proud of. All the best for the future
Helen & Colin (Cheshire, UK)
Well done Lisa !
You are an example of true strength and the intelligence to adapt and change.
With the Olde Stone Mill from Season 1 now marked as “Closed” this restaurant is now the oldest Kitchen Nightmares restaurant still operating.
Yes that’s correct. I would say Lido di Manhattan is one of the most successful Kitchen Nightmares episodes overall.
Interestingly, Le Bistro (which aired right after Lido di Manhattan in Season 3) is also still open:
https://realitytvupdates.com/kitchen-nightmares/le-bistro/
Something fake about her personality. Never liked her. However, glad that she is one of the very few success stories.
I felt just the opposite about Lisa. I thought she was Extremely genuine and So willing to learn and apply what she’d learned. I sensed a very strong work ethic and a determination to overcome all of her challenges that Gordon placed on her. I’ve never met Lisa, but I feel extremely proud of her. She just needed some guidance and direction from someone like Chef Ramsey to catapult her to success.
Great Job Lisa!!
We’re all So proud of you.
I don’t have much to say about this one, Lisa’s success is self explanatory. However, I did notice something in her biography on the link that is worth noting says no one but me. At college, she co-ordinated after parties for visiting musical acts including The Black Eyed Peas. So she deserves credit for surviving torture to become a successful entrepreneur. Want proof? She withstood catering for this person:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CMA2iF6RuXk
I haven’t watched passed le Bistro, but I wonder how helpful it was for a onsultant chef to stay on after Gordon left, and if that has anything to do with the success? Would more have done well if that was a regular scenario, or did he truly believe in this one to try it?
In the video with this two Youtube-Guys she sais, that the consultant chef was more or less the key to her success, especially by showing her how a kitchen should function and by helping to create the REAL new menu, because the one Ramsay left her with wasn’t really practical. The show itself had created a lot of chaos and regulir customers wasn’t happy about it.
Does anyone know if she fired the chefs that walked out?
With BOTH of those subpar Chefs walking out the way they did I would have Fired them on the spot, and Never rehired them. When you have a job to do you finish it, you don’t walk out when the going gets tough. It comes down to character, and integrity and neither of those two guys had Any!
I was wondering the same!
This is her facebook page. In addition to owning two restaurants, she is also a realtor and President of the Manhattan Beach Rotary Club.
Her most recent home sale was for $1.5 million, which means her commission was around $45,000.00. Quite a great entrepreneur!!
https://www.facebook.com/lisa.hemmat.5/ is the link.
Kitchen Nightmares looks like is coming back this fall I hope he revisits this restaurant. That would be cool