Last month, six of my college friends got together for a co-ed mini-bachelorette party in L.A. Â My friend Kara L. was organizing, and she stayed in the Angeleno Hotel, which I now know is the identity of that one cylindrical building off the 405 at Sunset. Â We gathered there to get drunk before and after dinner, and had a really fun night.
Along the way, we made a stop at West Restaurant at the top of the hotel. Â It was almost empty and we got a long table with comfortable couch seating to ourselves. Â The atmosphere was decent, loungey with a nice view and apparently a good happy hour - I came too late to catch it, but a few of my friends got some food and drink here in the afternoon.
I just had one drink here, since I didn't want to get sick, and it was fair enough. Â I ordered the rye old fashioned, and it came with a lot of little ice cubes that melted fast and diluted the whole thing. Â Not bad, but I make better at home.
I wouldn't go out of my way to come back to West, but it was a fun place to stop for a drink at the end of the night. Â I'd recommend it for a drink if you're staying in or around this hotel.
I do love the view and happy hour at the bar and lounge section, so I invited a friend to meet me there for brunch on Sunday.
After standing at the host stand for a few minutes without anyone acknowledging our presence, a member of staff came along, used the computer and walked away without even looking up or smiling at us. Â Hmmm.... how weird, the service here is always great. Â We were eventually shown to our table at the window with an incredible view. Â
The service throughout the meal was very slow, Â it even took 15 minutes to get our credit cards back when we paid at the end. Â The food here is excellent, delicious, fresh and well presented but the service let them down badly. Â There were no more than five or six small tables seated at any one time so it's not like they were busy. Â I looked around a few times and there were other guests doing the same thing, all looking for a server.
I hope that this was a one off experience, as I consider this place a best kept secret. Â Happy hour here is consistantly excellent so I will give the restaurant one more try.
I recently discovered this place thanks to Yelp. I've driven by thousands of times and always thought it was a rundown apartment complex lol. Great service, excellent views. I would suggest you go at night, the 405 isn't so pretty in daylight, it causes me more stress just looking at it, but at night...so many pretty lights to look at, its almost hypnotic, especially after a few strong drinks : ). I've tried the stuffed quail, a salmon dish and skirt steak, the stuffed quail was great, the salmon and skirt steak I probably wouldn't order again.
Review Source:This restaurant has been through many iterations since I first dined there about three years ago. I'm not sure about the number of head chefs who have cycled through, but for a while it seemed like there would be an entirely new menu every time I showed up.
The last two times I've been (over the course of the last 4 months) the menu has been much more consistent...and also consistently good. Â I like to call this place a hidden gem, because even though it has a very prominent location, not many Angelenos seem to even know about it. Â The view is great, which makes it an awesome place for a special occasion.
Happy hour is great too. Â The location is really convenient for people coming to the Westside from the valley who don't want to fight surface-street traffic on Sunset, Wilshire, or SM blvd.
Friends and I came here on a Saturday night for dinner. West is a beautiful, intimate, restaurant/lounge that sits atop of Hotel Angeleno off the 405 fwy. When dining here day or night, make sure to request for a table by the window for the best view of the city.
Must order when coming here are:
-Braised short ribs
-Crispy egg bacon jam
-Stuffed quail
-Sunchoke soup
Everything we had was amazing. The chef did a fantastic job executing each dish.
Our server, Sam was great as well. He was very knowledgeable with the wine list and was super friendly.
A group of us have breakfast at West every other Friday. The view from the restaurant (17th floor of Hotel Angeleno) is phenomenal. And the location is great for everyone because at the 405 and Sunset it sits at the crossroads for everyone from the South Bay or San Fernando Valley who is crossing through the westside. The prices are the most reasonable to be found in any westside hotel and valet parking is free at breakfast with a restaurant validation. They won't bother you once they have served you so if you are in a hurry be sure to tell them at the time you place your order.
Review Source:Date night at this place was great, not too crowded, beautiful city lights view and great food. Music wasn't too loud so I could hear my self talk, which is always a plus. Trendy spot but it didn't feel stuck up. The ambiance was relaxed with a cool hip feel.
I had the beet/hearts of palm salad for a starter it was delicious, light yet substancial, tangy but not bitter, it was delish. I had the fish for main, yummy served with what was called some Italian veggie but really it was just green cauliflower, haha....both were amazing, my husband had scallops for starter and steak for main, he loved it.
We ordered the crumble for dessert and shared, it was ok, it was more like a healthy version of crumble made with oatmeal and chewy stuff and the fruit was tangy.....I like the crumble that is sweet with chunks of crumble on the top........but the ice cream made up for it, we even asked for an extra scoop and we got 2 :) Next time we go I will order something chocolate, you can never go wrong with chocolate, right?! :)
Our server Carlos was great all his recommendations were spot on, will definitely go back again for another date night or even with the girls, it was that kind of place, you could bring anybody and eat well have good conversation over a great meal, yum thanks for a great night West Restaurant and Lounge :)
You can't beat the view at West Restaurant and Lounge. Â The building is iconic as all of us Angeleno's have passed it a billion times in our life.
My wife and I actually were at The Angeleno for a meeting and decided to stay for lunch. Â The service was excelent. Â Our server Emilio, attentive, did not crowd. Â Great suggestions. Â We had the Flatbread for an appetizer, amazing. Â My wife had the tomato bisque and a seafood salad. Â She mentioned that it was phenomenal. Â I enjoyed the very nice Chicken Pesto Club. Â Great place for lunch meetings, dates and evening dining which we have done in the past. Â Location is perfect. Â Right off the 405 at Sunset. Â Venture inside this building you've drivin past your whole life during your horrid commute through the pass. Â Thanks Hotel Angeleno and West.
Come for the great views, but not for the food.
We came here to celebrate a special occasion. Â We had the chef special - it was not worth the $$$ price. Â Our soup was too salty, the beet salad had no flavor, and for the main course my husband asked for his steak to be rare, but it was overcooked. Â We mentioned this to the waitress a few times, but she just apologized but didn't do anything about it. Â The only good thing was the dessert. Â They were not even busy that night. Â We won't be coming back...
Went to the lounge portion of the restaurant to celebrate one of my friend's birthday. She always chooses fabulous places to host her bday functions, so I came in expecting all the frills. I must say, West offers smooth digs for hanging with friends. We got to sit at the window on the penthouse level and watch the sun go down-- good times. Glad I went to Happy Hour, because I can't see myself spending the regular prices on the small portions, but for happy hour--yessir!
I tried the buffalo lollipos, the West sliders, and homemade chips--all were very tasty. My friend ordered the short rib sopes, and she was pleased--all $5 each.
Service was hit and miss. It was a large party so I'll give the server a pass. :)
Next time I'll come for some quiet time with the bf and really take in the view.
My boyfriend and I live in the area and love the fact that this place has an amazing view of the city. In any case, if I could give this restaurant a zero I would, the services was horrific, all the way down to the valet. To top it off the food was horrible. I've worked in the restaurant industry for many years and I'm in hope this place gets taken over by people that know what they're doing!! This place could really be the hit of the town with a view like that! Hopefully they'll wise up and revamp the food and the staff, throw a big reopening party and redeem themselves. I'll be back for the view but I'll sit at the bar and order a drink.
Review Source:AMBIANCE/ENVIRONMENT: it's a very cute pleasant ambiance, romantic, and great view of the Westside and 405 freeway, especially in the evening; good place for a date and special occasion.
SERVICES: good
FOOD: not the best food, it's decent. you go there for the ambiance.
RECOMMENDATION: $17 parking in 2010, don't know how much it is now. but I recommend this place for a date night, with a new girl or old couples.
Oh boy....I truly hate writing bad reviews, but I have to voice my experience since it was such a BIG day planning a Valentine's Day date for my wife (We have 3 little kids and don't get to go out very often - so this was very important to both of us.)
Starters....view was very nice as was the hostess and waitress....it was literally the food that was so bad! We ordered cocktails in the bar/lounge and a few appetizers (Sliders were a solid choice, but the ceviche was fishy and the popcorn that we expected to be "fancy" literally was stale and bland.) The Mojitos we drank were tasty though.
As for the dinner we had the Valentine's day package and mixed up our dishes so we could try a bunch of things. The Lobster Ravioli was fishy to the point we both took one bite and pushed it away. The potato oyester soup was similar and we couldn't take more than a couple of bites. Shockingly the Chocolate Mexican tart for dessert (which I am a HUGE chocoholic) was so hard and stale...I took one bite and that was it.
For the money (about $150 for the couples package) I wasn't expecting a 5-star meal...but I was expecting decent view that when combined with the view and the rest of the night I planned would've made for a great experience.
Instead the dinner became a joke where we had to laugh it off....my wife may give me an "A" for effort - but it was very upsetting to me to disappoint her on such a special night.
My friends & I met here for dinner and drinks. (Five of us total). The food was really good. I had the skirt steak with mashed potatoes & asparagus. I enjoyed it tremulously. However, our waiter (Sam) didn't know much about the menu. At first he told us the popcorn was no longer available - however when he returned he said it was still available. Then I asked about two special cocktails on the drink menu he didn't know much about either.
I ordered the skirt steak special & asked Sam if the potatoes had a caramel glaze & he said that it did not. That the taste was from the steak. (again a true testament that he dd not know the menu at all). The potatoes & steak taste quite differently.
In the middle of taking our dinner order he walked away to talk to incoming guest.
I don't want the review to take away from the beautiful view & great food. However the service was mediocre & when dining at a fine restaurant you expect impeccable service.
Lastly, as we were standing in the hall to leave & closed out our bill the service came out front & asked if everything was okay with the service. This was probably motivated because the tip was NOT what he was expecting.
Valet parking is $7. So plan ahead.
As with many other Yelp reviewers, I wish I could divide up reviews by both food and service.
Let's start with the service which I would give a FULL 5 STARS since that was the highlight of the meal the other night on Monday. I can't remember our server's name but she was wonderful and so accommodating. We were seated by the windows to see the beautiful view, but they were actually emitting a lot of cold, so she promptly re-seated us in a warmer section of the restaurant. She was friendly, efficient and helpful with recommendations. The hostess was also very friendly and greeted us warmly and promptly upon arrival.
Now for the food which I unfortunately have to give 2 STARS only. Bread was ok. It would have been good if it was fresh and warm out of the oven, but it was cold and a bit stale too. However, the big disappointment for me was the main meal. I ordered a duck entree which was $29. The duck itself tasted just of duck. It was cooked well enough, but it was just so bland. It was accompanied both by sauces and some vegetables. The sauces really didn't do much to improve or enhance the flavor of the duck, and the vegetables were overcooked and flavorless as well. Also, for $29 for just a duck breast, please serve it with a healthier portion of vegetables and prepare them well. It was the MOST over-priced duck that I have ever ordered.
And as bad as that was, don't even get me started on the spinach. I was already balking at ordering a side of spinach at a WHOPPING $10, but I really wanted some greens and figured that at $10, it would probably be a good healthy portion that I could either share with the table and/or take home as leftovers. Instead It was about 3/4 cup of spinach served in a small side dish bowl about the size you'd find in your local high school cafeteria. The flavors were ok although it was kind of watery, but for $10 I expected a far more generous portion. For $10 I could buy enough to eat off of for 2 weeks at my local farmers market, and could have prepared it better myself.
So, 1 STAR for the entree and side that I ordered, but 2 STARS for my friend's polenta which was outstanding and also a generously sized portion.
This is my 3rd time eating here (my first time reviewing), and the 2nd time I have been EXTREMELY disappointed by the value of the food. It's definitely worth it to come here for drinks only and to take in the spectacular view, but you are far better off heading a bit further west and finding a bit to eat in nearby Brentwood.
I would definitely go back! The staff was very nice. The waiter didn't let me sample the wine before pouring it, but that's okay because it was very good! I had the pino gris. OMG, If you go here, you gotta try the crispy egg with bacon jam! so yummy! Also I had the loup de Mer which was PERFECT! Fish was white a flaky combination with great light, the skin was crisp, and the thinly sliced potatoes were also really good, there was a very tasty sauce with truffles that it sat on. mmmmm. I wanted to lick the plate!
We had dinner at 6pm on a Sunday and it was pretty empty, people slowly started coming in around 7:30ish.
There is also a great view of the city because the restaurant is on the top floor.
I would totally come back here.
Came here to have diner with my friend.
First the [place was not too busy.
We wanted to sit by the windows with view to the city but been told that other table were reserved.
Lie for m the reception girl.
we were sat by the window with view to the wall and little view of the city.
Our server was OK, did his jib right rying to sale his Lobster.
The so called "Charcuterie" should not be called that since it is not a French charcuterie,
the filet was tender and done according to oour request.
The overall service was ok and for the price, I think it is pricey for the food and service being served and offered.
Hope this review will help them to improve on their quality of service and part of the food menu being offered.
Not recommended at this time.
I booked reservations at West last weekend for a birthday celebration and was so looking forward to good food and service, but alas, it did not deliver.
My first visit at West was for a CMYE event where we were treated to a 10 course tasting menu. It was pretty damn amazing and the crispy egg was off the charts.
However, last Saturday, the food was short of impressive.
I had been raving about the crispy egg forever to my friends and was so disappointed to find out that it was no longer on the menu! WHAT?! Apparently, they switched chefs, and I guess the egg was his signature dish. *sad face*
So, we asked the waitress what she recommended and she said the loup de mer was bomb, which is European seabass.
It sounded good, so 4 of us ordered it.
And what a letdown!
Loup de mer with ratte potato and truflle: Presentation was boring, skin was on, and it just looked like it was slapped on there without care. I didn't think it had much flavor, so I switched my dish with my bf's.
Beef fillet with red wine onions, gem lettuce, and short rib ravioli: This is the dish I swapped my fish for. It wasn't much better, but at least it had more flavor. Beef was too chewy for me. Presentation was whatevers.
Hanger steak with English peas, tamworth bacon, and twice baked potato: Best dish out of the 3. Beef was cooked well, and the peas were a nice touch. Presentation looked more appealing than the others.
My friends had mixed reviews on their dishes, but the overall consensus at the table was blah. No flavor, cold cheese for the cheddar cheese brûlée, and too expensive.
On a positive note, the pear-tinis are delicious! Sweet with a nice pear flavor. At $12 a pop, they are totally worth it, albeit a tad small.
In terms of service, it seemed our waitress was lacking in experience. She was nice enough, but she kept forgetting people's drinks, not filling water glasses, and she charged us for the "free" popcorn that we got for checking in on Foursquare and Yelp.
Considering each popcorn was $8, and we got 4 of them for the table, that's $32 extra that we had to pay.
Also, she mentioned valet parking would be free for everyone in the group since I had a "preferred" diners card, but it wasn't.
In fact, the valet guy was pretty rude about it and wouldn't even give me my card back until they pulled my car up. Wtf. So, everyone else in the party had to pay the $7 charge.
Please have the valet and the servers coordinate to make sure this does not happen again.
We did get a 15% discount off the food bill (not alcohol) because of said card, but it was still pretty expensive for the quality of food we received.
I wish Chef Matt was still working here! Had I known he left, I probably wouldn't have dined here.
3 stars overall for decent service, good views, tasty drinks, and subpar food.
PIX- <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FS3qD60&s=f3da9c313e76a97aea4b4f1c347070f3faeee5179d9c157d07eeadec9242791a" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/S3qD60</a>
First time here last Saturday. Impressive view but can't say much about the food!
Had:
Cheddar Cheese Brulee - cold runny cheese eaten with asparagus? Sounded weird and tasted weird.
Wild Mushrooms Salad - Bland bland and bland
Gnocchi - Â Great sauce but gnocchi was really mushy, like eating boiled potatoes
Lobster Mac n' Cheese - Loved the Indian spices, but only 3 tiny pieces of lobster for $28? I'll pass.
Popcorn - We got this for free when we check-in via Foursquares. Found out later that each bowl costs $8.00!!!!!! For popcorn??!! WTH????
Service:
I don't think our server was well trained or experienced. My Shirley Temple was flat, so she took it back, 15 minutes after I asked for my drink, she tells me that they were out of grenadine? She kept forgetting our drinks, taken the free popcorn off of our bill and forgotten the discount. She was nice and I don't believe in treating any service personnel so I felt for her.
Overall, not so good food and too expensive.
After coming back here for lunch the other day and enjoying the daytime view, I am torn.
First off, they offer 1,000 Open Table points, even at lunchtime, which is a rarity, so that's a huge plus.
Then they offer free valet at lunchtime, another plus.
If you've ever been here before, you know it's on the top floor of the Angeleno Hotel, so the view of the city and the hills is stunning at any time of day or night. Â Obviously also a plus.
The menu is moderately priced and has market fresh seasonal produce that changes. Â Nice, mostly a plus too. Â The food is pretty good here - definitely better than you'd think for a hotel restaurant where the view is awesome (usually there's no need for good food, because the view still draws customers).
However, between my last visit and this one, the small portion sizes and so-so service is what takes the shine off the penny and knocks a star off from the last time.
We had:
Steak Frites - requested to hold the frites and give me asparagus with hollandaise instead. Â The steak portion was cooked exactly as I ordered, but it was really small. Â And the seasonal asparagus' stems needed to be trimmed of a few layers of woody outside stalk - they were way too tough for market fresh veggies. Â The hollandaise was creamy but way too spicy.
Cobb Salad - this salad looked pretty good. Â It was a big portion, and my friend liked it.
Our server, while polite and efficient, felt more like a busser than a server. Â Lacking warmth, more like an order taker. Â We were having a blabby, very leisurely lunch, and he tried to take my friend's salad away a few times while he was still working on it. Â It was pretty clear we were happily enjoying time there and there were plenty of other tables available so we weren't hogging space. Â We definitely got the feeling we were being rushed.
We also didn't realize that we needed a validation for the valet, which servers usually offer. Â Luckily we had the receipt when we got down to the valet, and they honored the free service.
It's not like the service is bad, I guess I just expect more from a restaurant with such great ambience, in this boutique hotel.
Even with those negatives, I'd still come back to enjoy the view and get my OT points - I just might need a snack on the way there or on the way home.
Farewell Foie Gras! My friend and I came here to indulge in a 7-course foie gras dinner to start bidding adieu to one of our favorite foods. Such a bittersweet occasion to enjoy such decadence knowing we won't be "allowed" to have it soon!
Dinner started with an amuse bouche of sunchoke soup with foie gras and truffle. We both wished we had bigger spoons! It was deliciously rich and creamy.
Next up was the corn custard with shaved foie gras and candied corn (SO good!), followed by a foie gras parfait with peanut butter, strawberry jam, Â and brioche (also good, though could've used a bit of salt).
Then came the duck menage a trois - confit leg and foie gras gel with curried duck skin and pickled cherries. Such a yummy combination of flavors and we loved the flavor of the crispy duck skin.
My preferred style of foie gras is seared, so I was delighted when the next dish was the souffle - seared foie gras on a bed of sweet potato mash atop a seared scallop. Heavenly! And beautifully presented. My fave of the night.
Chef Woolf had come by to check on us a couple times, and just as we were starting to get full, he came out again to give us a little pick-me-up: a shot glass filled with sorbet, whipped cream and Pop Rocks!
This was to prepare us for the next course: beef fillet with foie gras ravioli and sauteed morels. This was the first dish for which I couldn't clean the plate because I was getting so stuffed! But the goodness of this dish was not lost on me. The fillet was really flavorful and the ravioli generously stuffed with foie gras.
We managed to squeeze in some dessert before our gigantic bellies had to be rolled outta the place: roasted peach with foie gras ice cream and rhubarb crisp. Yum.
Overall, very satisfying. Enjoyed the food, the service, the ambiance. Any place where the server is willing to put up with the diva demands of my friend and me regarding our bourbon cocktails (we had an uber high maintenance moment *sorry*), gets good marks from me! And of course, the same goes for any chef offering a foie gras tasting menu with such variety and passion.
Absolutely amazing!
Going to the West just for the view over the city of L.A. is so worth it! Â The view is amazing! Â This for me was a bit different for me...I'm a good girl with an appetite! Â But for my first experience in fine dining it was very good. Â I ate out of my typical comfort zone, and really enjoyed it! Â The atmosphere is nice, the server and staff was very nice. Â At one point the Manager came out and introduced himself he told us about the new chef and the new things he is doing with the menu. Â After we ate he came back to see if we liked the food! Â Everything was good...appetizer, main course, and the desserts! Â It's a definate must go!
Finally got myself to take the one hour drive back to West Restaurant & Lounge for a romantic evening with my honey and it was well worth the drive! Â The manager (Mr. West) and the chef (Chef Woolf) made us felt so welcomed and we left the restaurant feeling so stuffed since all the food was sooo GOOD!
The cocktail "Across the Universe" was definitely one of the drinks that left a great impression when I had it the first time I was here last time. Â I had to have my hon try it and she concurred!
We got reservations at 7pm and we were seated promptly in a window table when we arrived. Â We started off with the Crispy egg appetizer and it was as delicious as I remembered the first time I tried it. Â It was lightly breaded on the outside, oozing with the creamy yolk on the inside. Â Combined with the bacon jam that came with it, it was just a delight in your mouth! Â
We also had the Braised Pork appetizer compliments of the Chef! Â The pork was sandwiched between two crunchy potato patties with bits of apple on top. Paired with the sauce that had a hint of horseradish and mustard, it was a good mix of different flavors in the mouth.
For the entrees, we had the Lobster Macaroni and the Short Rib. Â The melt in your mouth Short Rib was impressive! Â It had just the right amount of fat and meat to make the dish moist and succulent. Â The cheese in the Lobster Macaroni was not over powering and there were chucks of lobster with every bite! Â Definitely a must try!
We were so stuffed by the time we finished the entrees that we decided to skip dessert! Â But Chef Woolf was at it again and gave us a free dessert that consisted of berry smoothie, vanilla ice cream and rock candy! Â It definitely seal the deal for us to have food coma on the drive home! Â Hahaha...
Mr. West was informing us that the Spring menu would be out next week! Â We can't wait to bring some friends the next time around to give it a try.
Crispy Egg with Bacon jam? Insane in the Membrane
I've had the pleasure to taste most of the menu and am pleased with almost everything I've had...although i'd skip the scallops. Â The shortribs are ridic, the lamb is deliciously seared and seasoned, and the stuffed quail is tasty. Â
While the food is yummy, I think the view kinda steals the show. Â Definitely worth getting a window table.
My only peeve is the portions are kinda small, so if ur hungry make sure to get an appetizer and maybe even dessert :)
This would make the cutest date place, just saying...
This is my new favorite restaurant!
After attending a Yelp event at West, I decided to come back to the restaurant to dine with my boyfriend. Overall, the food and service were superb. All the dishes tasted great and they were all plated beautifully.
We ordered the Crispy Egg, Short Rib, and Hanger Steak. When the waiter came out with the Crispy Egg, he also brought out a plate of Braised Pork, compliments of the chef! The crispy egg was served on top of arugula and bacon jam. The egg was fried to the point where the outside was nicely crisp while the yolk remained creamy. The bacon jam was amazing--I liked it so much that after eating the egg w/ the jam, I spread the remaining jam on my bread (can't let it go to waste!). The pork was tender, and the crispy potato and apple mustarda that came with it added contrasting textures and flavors that worked well together.
When the waiter came out with our entrees, we had yet another surprise. Along with the two entrees we ordered was the Loup de Mer! I noticed right away that there were small slices of bacon on top of the fish, which was on a bed of potatoes. I took a bite of the potatoes and instantly tasted the truffle oil--yum! Between our three entrees, I ended up liking the Loup de Mer the most. My boyfriend, being a meat lover, liked the Hanger Steak the most. Both the steak and short rib were cooked perfectly. The polenta that came with the steak was creamy and went well with the steak. I also liked the parsnip puree that came with the short rib, which was so tender it melted in my mouth.
Although we were stuffed, my boyfriend and I decided to share a dessert. We ordered the Salted Caramel Tart, which had a really nice blend of sweet and savory flavors. It was a nice end to a perfect meal.
It was too bad we couldn't get a table right next to the window (Note: Request a window seat when you make reservations), but the view was still nice from where we were sitting.
The entire staff was very friendly. Our waiter made good suggestions to us, and checked on us often. Even the general manager and chef stopped by to greet us. The staff at this restaurant really know how to take care of their customers.
Parking is valet only, but if you have a preferred guest card, you can get valet for free. On top of that, you get a discount on the food you order at West. The restaurant was generous and added the discount to our bill on top of the coupon I used.
The general manager mentioned to me that a new menu will be put out sometime next month. I'll be sure to go back to West and try out their new dishes!
I was introduced to West at an amazing dinner CMYE a  couple of months ago.  Aside from the huge, delicious meal they gave everyone a BOGO entree card as well as a preferred guest card, so when I realized the entree card was about to expire, my bf and I hurried in.  I'd been raving about West since the event so we were both looking forward to it.  We checked out the happy hour first; I admit I was disappointed it was only well drinks ($7) cause I was hoping for a discount specialty cocktail, plus we stood for 15 minutes waiting for the bartender to make the rounds to us...  But then we went straight to our table and everything was wonderful. Â
Crispy egg appetizer was as excellent as I remembered (had to send my first one back cause it was overdone, which our server, Adrianne, gladly exchanged) and we had the braised pork with apple mustard appetizer as well, also delicious. Â For an entree I ordered the short rib and he ordered the lamb, I don't care for lamb in general so I can't comment on it but we both adored the short rib. Â At this point I was stuffed so we passed on dessert.
Here's what I really like about this place - the owner, Jeff West, really cares about his restaurant and turning its old Yelp rep around. Â He was on the floor the entire night visiting every table and chatting with bar patrons. Â Even Chef Woolf was out and about. Â For me, this makes a great impression and it's one of the reasons I'm more inclined to return.
We made our way to the lounge after dinner to take pictures of the view and Jeff approached us again to ask how our meal was. Â We talked a little about the drinks they have, and he mentioned that his bartender invented a drink based on orange Creamsicles and offered to have us try it. Â How can we say no? Â We watched Johnny carefully craft the Dreamsicle, explaining all of the steps, and indeed it was incredible. Â I encouraged them to put it on the menu, I hope they do - I would definitely order it again.
I still have a free valet and food discount card, we will be back! Â They are really trying to leave their low-review days behind them, so give them a chance! Â West is a romantic place with a great view, a good spot for a special occasion.
I came here this weekend to take advantage of the Yelp Drinks! happy hour specials. I was also lucky enough to have a preferred guest card from the last CMYE here, so parking was free! I had such a wonderful experience here at the CMYE dinner, that I was excited to try it again.
We ordered one of each of the drinks offered half price.... the Spiced Almond, Across the Universe, and Dark and Stormy. The Across the Universe was a lot boozier than I remembered at the CMYE, but still had that fresh burst of berry flavor. Both of our favorites was the Spiced Almond (amaretto and Bacardi Oakheart). My date got just as excited about it as I did, and we agreed that it was the best. Those drinks were only $6, and we were having such a great time that we ordered another round of each. Hey, half-price just means we can have double!
The atmosphere, I think, is what makes this place something special. It's a beautiful lounge with low lighting, comfortable, plush seats arranged to take advantage of the views, and cozy booths for privacy. It feels upscale, and the perfect place to take LA visitors, but also has such a casual, comfortable vibe. The sweeping view is probably the best on the Westside..... who knew that the 405 could be so pretty to look at when you don't have to be on it? We lucked out and came on a night with a great live jazz band. The singer danced with anyone who wanted to and invited people (mostly women!) up to dance for the last few songs, and everyone seemed to be having a great time.
Can't wait to go back again for dinner!
The view is one of the best on the Westside, but the food is the reason I will be back again and again. Presentation is stunning and the flavor combinations are insanely wonderful - Chef Matt is a genius!
Excellent Dishes:
Crispy Egg
An appetizer NOT to be missed! I can't seem to stop raving about the crispy egg. Oh my goodness, I am obbessed with this crispy egg dish. It is the perfect meld of savory and sweet - the bacon jam... Oh My God, that bacon jam! A delicate, crisp exterior on a soft, perfectly poached egg; break it, the yolk encompasses the fresh arugala in the most unique combo of flavors and textures, a modern interpetation of breakfast in my opinion. Achieving such a crispy outside and runny center is a true art, wow. Matt needs to jar this bacon jam and sell it - I would put it on anything and EVERYTHING.
Beef Cheeks:
This dish makes me cheeky! Another sweet and savory appetizer to wet the appetite just right. Meat is tender, braised beyond perfection with a crunchy potato-chip like haystack, atop a tender apple hash in a light mustard sauce. Absolutely stellar all around! Will be ordering this again.
Goat Cheese & Roasted Baby Beets
This simple dish was one that I order frequently, and West did very well. The cheese is what blew me away! The goats milk wedge was like BUTTER, drizzled with a tart beet caramel. The roasted baby beets were sweet with a mild citrus essense. Ideal balance of flavors - another wonderful savory/sweet appetizer I completely fell in love with!
Cauliflower:
Wow, who knew califlower could taste so freakin delicious. Cooked to the ideal tenderness, with a bit of crisp to the endges. The raisins gave this dish the right dose of sweetness, while roasted pine nuts delivered a rich, smokiness and a little crunch. What a great and healthy side dish.
I have tried other noteable dishes at West including the Brentwood salad. This is great for lunch and made with the seasons' vegetables and fruit - basically what ever is freshest from the Santa Monica farmer's market. It was served with fresh spring mix, persimmon, apples, and I added chicken. The salad was huge and overall, it was pretty good. The chicken was a tad overcooked in my opinion, and difficult to cut through, but we found that the bacon jam (from the crispy egg) went very well on the chicken. We were happy with this discovery and smeared the savory jam on each bite of chicken, making sure to every bite contained a slice of fruit and greens. Yum.
I really love this place for both lunch and dinner. Next on my list - breakfast! Can't wait.
I went here to celebrate a friend's birthday. Â I really don't see what the big hoop-la is about this place.
Yeah, it's fancy... but that's about it.
The food was decent - nothing to get all crazy about. Â Most of us tried one of the fish dishes, and it was okay. Â The fish could have been fluffier and the skin crispier. Â I did enjoy the beet salad though...
The biggest turn-off about this place was the service. Â We were a big party, so they sat us at one end of the restaurant, where we were somewhat sectioned off from the rest of the restaurant.
It took a long time for our servers to bring us the items we asked for. Â Once we finally get it, it was a long time after that until we saw him again. Â
THEN, when it came time to pay the bill, it just got worse. Â There were a few individuals in the party who arrived early and grabbed some drinks at the bar. Â Then there were a few more who had to leave the dinner earlier than the rest of us. Â When they were leaving, they went to our server, explained the situation, and asked if they could pay for their portion of the meal (along with a little extra to cover the birthday girl's meal). Â However, when we got the final bill, nothing was pulled from the bill. Â When we asked them what happened, they told us that the couple who left earlier only paid for their bar tab. Â When we called to clarify, the amount they left would have given the restaurant close to $100 in tips!!! Â
FOR A BAR TAB???
Ridiculous... Â
It just put a greatly unnecessary ding on the night. Â They need to up their service, learn some math, or REALLY up the food quality.
The question we were wondering , is the food as good as the view.
The answer is Yes.
We started with the braised pork, it was delicious, very tender pork bursting with flavor served with crispy potato, apple and mustarda, the only problem was we wish we had more.
Crispy Egg is out of this world, a fired egg ball served with bacon jam, the jam is so good I wanted to lick the plate.
Heirloom Tomato salad was served with different tomatoes and served with the best burrata cheese that I had.
We shared two entrees.
Short ribs and Lobster macaroni.
The Short Ribs were so tender no knife was necessary. It melted in your mouth.
The Lobster Macaroni was filled  lobster and a delicious Parmesan cheese sauce.
Great service.
Great view.
We will be back soon.
I guess I was pretty generous last time for my review...
Let me tell you... The current yelp review does NOT reflect the current food and services!
New Chef Mathew Woolf, Amazing former model + Hollywood Celeb Restaurant manager and the whole new staff of servers completely revamped this restaurant.
I am definitely coming back disguised in wigs and mustache to see if they are going to serve me the same superior food and services as I received this week.
Incredible dining experience period.
Went here for dinner with my boyfriend and we really enjoyed ourselves! Â
The food and service were both fabulous. We shared the quail, short rib, foi gras, crispy egg, and lobster mac and cheese. Â The servers were very attentive and the restaurant manager was extremely friendly. Â
I definitely look forward to going back!
This meal was by far the best i've had in a long time! i was so impressed with every dish and I had many! The seared foie gras was wonderfully smooth and decadent. I also loved the beet and warm goat cheese salad, pure perfection! The stuffed quail with brussel sprouts is also a must-have as well as the crispy egg and the pork cheek! Trust! Oh, and the cocktails are divine. I loved the berry-tini with mint, so refreshing and tangy with fresh mint and fresh muddled berries! Be sure to order the chocolate dessert with caramel ice cream if you are a choco-holic like me!
I never imagined that this restaurant would be so exceptional and it is def worth the drive from Weho!
I can't think of a better way to enjoy the weekly 405 traffic jam than from the 17th floor lounge at West. I had the pleasure of dining here with some friends here last night and was blown away.
The hosts (Jeff, Jessica) really went out of their way to make the whole experience feel personal and special. Huge props for chef Matt for taking this place BEYOND dineLA level (seriously 11 course tasting menu?!).
Get the pork cheek and the crispy egg. Both are bomb dot com.
I wish 0 stars was an option, or even negative stars. Â This place has a fantastic view, and the food is not too bad (even if overpriced). Â But that is the end of anything good I can say about this place.
We went there with our office for the Xmas party/lunch. Â 6 people, 4 from the office, and 2 that we never interact with beyond the phone or email. Â The meal was OK, and everyone went home.
But 24 hours later, all 6 of us had terrible food poisoning. Â The worst I've ever had (I'll spare you the details), but suffice to say I didn't sleep that night, and was knocked out for the next day, unable to digest even water.
When I called the manager, a week later, he offered to pay for our bill and possibly give us a gift certificate. Â I told him that I was not particularly interested in taking everyone back to a place that poisoned us, and that he had cost our office a day of productivity (never mind Xmas Eve). Â With that, they referred us to their insurance, who rejected any claim and blah, blah, blah.
Anyways, long story short, they make you sick, then offer you more of what made you sick to supposedly make up for it. Â Never go here, never, never, never. Â If only you could eat the view, then maybe this craphole might be worth a damn. Â But unless you are impervious to food poisoning, or enjoy a restaurant duck responsibility for illness they caused, I'd avoid it.
I'll make this an easy read:
Food: Worth every penny for the taste, the portions are a little bit too small. But hey, most high-end restaurants are known for that, so whatevs.
Service: We went on a Monday night, the place was empty. Our server was kind of around, but it took us 2 hours to get through dinner so you do the math.
Atmosphere: FREEZING! I was wearing pants and a sweater and I was SO COLD the whole time. Â My husband even said it was cold, and he never says that. We also overheard some ladies a few tables over asking the manager about the oddly low temperature, and he said ,"Feels fine to me!" and laughed it off in a kind of douche-y way. Â
** Snarky Observation: How is this a jazz/blues lounge? The music was this new-agey lounge music (to the tune of the XX) Are the kids calling this jazz now-a-days? Just wondering.
Anyway, nice place for a nice date. Â Food is REALLY good. Â Just don't have any plans after dinner because you're gonna be there for awhile, and bring a jacket.
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