Came here a while ago and it was so memorable. I needed to remember to leave a review. The duck…read moremole, ahi tostada and sweet potato taco were standouts. I wish they would improve their bar menu with some more thought out cocktails that match the vibe, but for food and service they are 5 stars across the board and I'll definitely be returning. Owner and chef are very kind and deserve so much success!!

Went here on a Thursday night without a reservation and still got seated right away. The tuna…read moretostada was amazing! My girlfriend had the ceviche, which was also delicious. We shared the mushroom taco and honestly wished we hadn't--because it was so good, we wanted one each! The drinks were great too. The staff was friendly and helpful, and the ambiance inside is low-lit and moody, which makes it a great spot for a date night. Definitely coming back to try more of the menu!

It was really nice to sit outside, I was concerned it would be too hot but the shrubbery gives…read moreshade and it was a perfect climate despite being a hot day. We had some Gorgonzola Dolce which came with toasted almonds, toasted bread and a fig jam. Then we had a pizza with anchovies, Calabrian chilli and olives Dessert was a layered, green (pistachio), chocolate and a pink (can't remember if strawberry or raspberry!) covered in a dark chocolate shell. All the food was delicious and service was friendly and attentive. We will definitely be back. My only advice is the parking which is validated and therefore free or way cheaper than the nearby lots is a bit tricky to find! We circled a few times till we worked out how to access it but we found it in the end!

Been here before with my wife. Menu is good not great. This…read moretime we went on a Saturday night, and the restaurant was less than half full. We had a reservation but it was unnecessary. We ordered an appetizer and an entree, plus drinks. The drinks were served promptly. The appetizer took more than 45 minutes to arrive, with no word on the entree. I politely explained I was no longer interested and preferred to leave. The staff was very pleasant and accommodating. However, I would have much preferred to have eaten the food that I ordered. By the time we had left after waiting over an hour for our meal, there were few places in the area that were open to find a meal. Overall the staff was very apologetic, but I for sure will not be returning to this location, especially given the extremely high prices requested for below par service. I would not recommend this place to anyone, as there are many more restaurants in the area offering better menus and far better service.

Pijja Palace had been on my radar since it first opened and I was fiiinally able to go on a recent…read moretrip! And thank the lords that I went with a group so we could try a bunch of different bites~ I will start off by saying that I truly cannot understand some of the haterade or strong dislike comments that talk about lack of flavor because genuinely every dish we tried was flavorful and overall pretty darn delicious. The spice level was actually a bit high for some of my friends but really hit that perfect mild-moderate heat for me. We ordered the dosa onion rings, piri piri fries, paneer parm sandwich, the bbq wings (for my omni friends), the malai rigatoni, and the green chile chutney pizza. We were hungry as a group of 4 but I will admit we had a few bites left at the end that we could not finish. Honestly everything was delicious but the standouts were the piri piri fries and the paneer parm sandwich. The fries came out hot, crispy, so well seasoned with both ketchup and raita dipping sauces; ugh I can't help but love a good potato! The paneer parm sandwich was such a thick, indulgent slab of fried paneer with melted cheese and chutney, chef's kiss would absolutely get again. The dosa onion rings were so true to their name because you could absolutely taste the dosa batter on the outside; it was a tad difficult to bite/cut but otherwise also very solid. The mango chutney that it came with hit and this is coming from a girl who usually doesn't like sweet chutneys. The green chile chutney pizza was sooo tasty; good fusion between a classic pizza and I love green chutney so could it get better than this? We tried both alcoholic and N/A drinks and they were delicious! The tandoori spritz was A+ imo. The interior is bright and it's fun to really hit a sports bar with such an eclectic fusion of foods. It was interesting to see the variety of sports they had on each TV too. Even with the small comment on service below, this place deserves a 5/5 and I would totally return. Prices are very fair for quality, esp in this economy. Service was...interesting. Friendly overall, checked in on us when first items were dropped off, but not again. When we were ordering, we wanted to be mindful of portions/quantity so we asked for some guidance and were essentially told "well I don't believe in restricting myself and you guys are all adults so you should order what you want." Totally understand the energy and intention, but did find it rather unhelpful as we were visiting from out of town and had no place to store leftovers. I understand the role of server when it comes to upselling, but it was a really strange interaction when we were already ordering quite a bit.

It is arctic cold in here! Maybe our table is right below…read morethe vent. The bar seemed a bit warmer. The tables are so close together in the dining room you'd can feel the person next to you exhale on one side, On the other, a woman with a terribly affected glottal stop voice was piercingly annoying... not a problem of the restaurant, but the fact she was so close she could eat off our plate was dismaying. $29 for macaroni with a bit of lamb in it was flavorful. A bit of crunch from what seemed like tiny bits of pickled carrot. The $27 Green Tiki masala pizza just seemed like a slightly more flavorful sausage pizza with a crispy parm crust. The onion rings at the table on one side looked good. The soft serve ice cream at the other also looked yummy. Don't come here if you are looking for a healthy meal with nutritional value. But if you want a snack while watching a game, there are so many screens to choose from. A happening bar scene, but won't be back for the food.

Walked in with no specific expectation and now walking out with a happy stomach and plans of the…read morenext trip out here. Known to be the sister restaurant of Bavel and Bestia, so viewed with high regards, but tonight's experience has hit it way out of the park. Honestly been to the other two restaurants some time ago, but in my opinion Saffy's without a wink of doubt ranks #1 Inside there is a pretty large size bar with full service. The other side of indoor space provide seating that looks to accommodate about 25 people. In the back wall you have the rotating meat cooker (which has thick chicken fat and tomato on the top that drizzles down the side of the meat keeping it buttery and juicy. Next to it is the wood fired grill and oven where the magic happens. Food was phenomenal! Ordered the wood fired shawarma plate which is served with a good portion of thinly carved lamb and Wagyu beef, and pickled onions with sumac sprinkles that you wrap into two large warm pita breads. The platter is also served with a creamy pomegranate tahini with red ajika, amba, laffa, and tomatoes that you mixed well together before dipping the wrap into it, providing the perfect seasoning to the whole dish. Just incredible! The grilled lobster skewer was also fantastic. Six solid bite sized lobster meat that's perfectly cooked over the wood fire and seasoned with green harissa. Served with a dash of lime juice and Serrano lime yogurt. Phenomenal! Also a must order! The Peruvian scallop Crudo was also spectacular. Four clam shell servings with pearl white scallops that were marinated with green zhong citrus sauce, cilantro and chili oil. Chef's kiss! Went with the nonalcoholic beverages tonight, but noticed there were interesting cocktails on the menu. Will try them next time. Giving them 5 stars!

The quality has gone downhill, and like others said, the price really doesn't make sense for what…read moreyou get. They also nickel and dime on top of the base price of dishes. For example, if you get one order of skewers ($44) you get one side of tahini, one pita and one side of chili oil. If you get a double order of skewers ($88 - exactly double the price), you still get one side of tahini, pita and chili oil. If you want a second tiny side of chili oil for example they will charge you another $3. So if you order 4 skewers instead of 2, make sure you say you want two separate orders otherwise you will be shorted on the accoutrements. Greedy, greedy, greedy. We used to be regulars, but never again.

Local favorite. Delicious food, beautiful architecture and design, and knowledgeable and friendly…read morestaff. I have eaten here multiple times and the mainstay items are delicious and I'm always excited to see the seasonal variations.

For some odd reason, a lot of Italian spots have seemingly cropped up overnight in Echo Park and…read morethe greater region. Out of sheer luck, my best friend decided to chose this spot for our girls' night dinner, and we have decided on consensus that we savored every bite of our meal. We started our meal with the absolutely delectable focaccia erbraica, a cinnamon roll looking starter bread with olives, currant and a generous sprinkle of rosemary and salt. It came with a pad of homemade honey butter and a dab of olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. It was so umami and paired with the butter seemingly melted in our mouths. We also countered that carb bomb with deliciously charred broccolini with walnuts and a squeeze of citrus. Highly cruciferous veggies should only be grilled based on how fast we cleaned our plate. As for the entrees, the plates are meant to share, but I skipped lunch and ate my own bowl of mafaldine short rib pasta (yes you read that right). It was so hearty and satisfying. As a kid, I loved stealing the cooked lasagna noodles and eating them by itself when my mom would make lasagna, so having it on my own bowl of pasta (in the form of mafaldine) gratified my inner child. The short rib was so tender and it was perfectly sauced. I could have eaten another bowl. My friend ordered a steak and a rigatoni alla carbonara, and while I didn't try the former, the latter rigatoni was so delicious as well. For dessert, we ordered the tiramisu, and luckily the last one of the night. It had equal parts espresso soaked cake and cream, and it was the perfect sweet note to end our epically delicious meal.

Our wedding anniversary was on a Monday this year, and I suggested checking out Vandell after a…read moreboozy dinner at SQIRL. Matt B. thought we'd had enough to drink, but I pressed my case: we'd heard Vandell was hard to get into, but how busy could it be at 9:30 on a Monday night?--and besides, wouldn't it be nice to visit our old neighborhood on our anniversary, maybe walk by our old place?--come on, honey, just one round. I prevailed, and ultimately, we were both right. The nightcap was unnecessary and detrimental to our health, or at least our wellbeing the following day. But we had a good time at Vandell, where we had exactly one drink each before a romantic stroll to our first shared home. The bar was in fact quite busy when we arrived, though there was just enough room for us to get in without a wait. We got what looked to be the last two open seats, at the small L-shaped bar in the back. The space was beautiful, warm and glowy, wood everywhere. It was also bigger than I expected, which, thank goodness for that. Matt and I spent a lot of time on this block of Hillhurst and were trying to figure out what space Vandell had taken over. We asked our bartender, and he said it used to be a Brazilian place. When I asked him the name of it, he told us he didn't know--he only knew it was a Brazilian place because geriatric millennials would come in and talk about what used to be there. He was more polite about it, but we felt very attacked! It is our right as city elders to reminisce about our ghosts. (We concluded that Vandell took over both Tropicalia and Vinoteca Farfalla, and that we were seated at the back of Vinoteca, where we'd enjoyed much wine in our distant youth.) Thankfully, he made excellent cocktails. We got the Peach and the Winter Melon Old Fashioned, which went well together. The Peach was the sweeter of the two, a lovely, fruity drink made with bourbon, Don's mix, whey, orange wine, rooibos tea, and citrus. The Winter Melon Old Fashioned was a smooth mix of rye whiskey, winter melon tea, coconut, and walnut bitters. There were a lot more cocktails I wanted to try on that menu, but I'm glad I didn't peer pressure my husband into staying for a second round. We'll have to go back to Vandell on some other weeknight, possibly right at 5:00. You won't catch us waiting on the sidewalk with the youngsters.

Vandell -- Los Feliz, Los Angeles…read more One of the unique things about Vandell is that the experience starts before you even walk through the door. It opens at 5 p.m., and many of the people already waiting in line know exactly why they're there. My advice: do your homework before you go. It'll make the experience that much better. There's something about that anticipation that creates enthusiasm for a place, and Vandell delivers once you're inside. There is so much attention to detail not only in the cocktails and food, but in the design and construction of the space itself. The long bar, solid wood paneling and warm, intimate rooms are just sexy. Nothing feels overdone. The artwork and little details throughout the space keep everything connected to the identity of Los Feliz and Los Angeles. It feels new, but somehow already familiar. Now, the cocktails. Keep it simple. Vandell will absolutely entertain your cocktail requests, but on your first visit, my recommendation is: go with what's on the menu. Let them show you what Vandell wants you to know. Their cocktail menu is part of the experience. Drinks are organized from lighter offerings to Market Fresh creations and spirit-forward cocktails, and some are deceptively simple by name...Cucumber, Pineapple, Green Pepper, Smoked Tomato, Banana but there's a lot happening behind them. The Smoked Tomato combines mezcal, tomato, basil, ginger, chili and citrus; the Green Pepper brings together tequila, Chartreuse, chili and bell pepper. There's also the house Vandell Martini with gin, dry and bianco vermouth and tarragon vinegar. Don't overthink it. Pick something that catches your eye, trust the bartender and take in the full experience they're trying to give you. There's plenty of time on your second visit to ask for your favorite classic. Then there's the food. We started with the marinated olives...yes, they still have the pits, but they're so worth it. We followed those with the Steak Frites, Cruciferous Caesar and Pork Spare Ribs. My recommendation? The Steak Frites, with the steak ordered medium. The Caesar was super fresh and a perfect complement to everything else, and the ribs rounded it all out. Vandell's current menu pairs the Steak Frites with chimichurri and gives its Caesar a yuzu dressing, Grana Padano and cheesy croutons. And lastly, the service. Exceptional. Our server was knowledgeable, attentive and genuinely invested in making sure we had a great experience. That matters, especially in a place with this much buzz surrounding it. Vandell pulls everything together the cocktails, food, service, atmosphere, artwork and design without ever feeling like it's trying too hard. I can see why Vandell has become one of the top bars in Los Angeles. Come early. Do your homework. Get in line. And once you're inside, let Vandell be Vandell. That's the experience.

This is a gem in the arts district. Bianca Sicilian is absolutely incredible…read more To start- they have a huge patio. So nice to sit outside on a summer evening and enjoy the sound of the fountain and lights. Service is great. Very attentive. Changing plates and silverware for each course. When they didn't have the wine I ordered, they brought out two others for me to taste. (Note- no hard liquor here) Now on to the best part. The food!! Wow. I would come back over and over for the buccatini in a nest. The flavors are incredible. The pizza with the in house made cheese- excellent. And the pasta was cooked perfectly al dente. Great for a couple or large groups. Highly recommend.

Service: Really nice service, I would say 5/5. The staff kept checking in and water was refilled…read morepretty quickly. Ambiance: A romantic, nice ambiance actually. Surprising given their location but they made you feel like you were in a patio space and not next to a random dog park in Arts district. Food: Unfortunately here is where it gets tricky. The octopus was pretty solid but for the price, much smaller than I expected. The pizza was good, would recommend! The shrimp pasta was actually too pistachio than I preferred but feel free to get it if you really like pistachio as a flavor!

Wine bar/ cafe located in East Hollywood/ Melrose Hill area. I can't confidently say that it's a…read moreFrench restaurant, but based on the name and the menu, I would say this place at least leans heavily French. There's a high sense of hospitality as soon as you walk through the door. Everybody was friendly from the people greeting us to the servers. The space itself felt casual, but elegant. When we came in, we had a pretty large group. I felt bad because we really wanted to go, but we had a reservation right before a concert. We didn't want to rush the folks here so we just tried to order as soon as we could. I started with a gin martini that was really well made and it really hit the spot. The food came out beautifully presented and most importantly, really delicious. The dishes we ordered included: - Cheese Plate - Pleasant Ridge Reserve Cheese Tart - Scallop Crudo - Chicken Liver Mousse - Caesar Beef Tartare - Yao Cheng Yams, Gaujillo Sabayon - Tehachapi Polenta, Mendoza Asparagus, Weiser Snow Peas - Grilled Local Black Cod - Steak Frites Definitely looking forward to coming back in a less rushed setting (on my end) to just really enjoy the fantastic food here.

Probs my favorite restaurant I've tried this year as of August 2026! We had the caesar beef…read moretartare, chicken liver mousse, ricotta cavatelli, steak frites, and creme caramel. All the dishes were delicious and all the flavors meshed well when mixing sauces with different items. Steak was thick but somehow still remained perfectly juicy and medium rare, one of the few steaks that I think are good to eat in one bite without cutting because each large piece had so much nuanced flavor per chew. Loved the caesar beef tartare too, and how it was already cut into small pieces! Housemade caesar dressing was hitting with the anchovies, and the sourdough was perfectly toasted. Parking is metered or neighborhood parking, can be a bit tricky but we always seem to get lucky in this area. Service was so friendly and sweet, water was constantly refilled even on a busy night. I love how efficiently they've used the sq footage and even though there are many people dining in at once, it doesn't feel crowded due to the layout. Both bathrooms were clean and we dined in around 8:30 PM.