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Kimera
Categories: Restaurants American (New) Nightlife Bars Lounges American (New), Lounges [Edit]
19530 Jamboree RdIrvine, CA 92612
(949) 261-1222
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Wed 5:30 pm - 10 pm
Thu 5:30 pm - 11 pm
Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 2 am
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Validated, Valet
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- DJ
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- Yes
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
353 reviews for Kimera
Review Highlights
"One of my new favorite places for Happy Hour."
(in 143 reviews)
"there's a fire pit and it's real cozy."
(in 33 reviews)
"The free valet parking is convenient."
(in 12 reviews)
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352 reviews in English
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Review from Elizabeth O.
Tustin, CA
Updated - 1/18/2012 1 photo
I keep going back because this place is THAT good! This time for dinner. I am always surprised at how ingredients I usually shy away from (in this case, beets) can taste amazing with the right preparation. Needless to say, their Goat Cheese Bruschetta with roasted beets and smoked prosciutto was simply divine. Their Fettuccine Pasta wasn't bad, either.
I would say that Kimera has the right mix of free valet, tucked out of sight location, plenty of dimly lit corners for shenanigans, great outdoor areas, excellent food, and plenty of other indulgences to keeps everyone happy.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/7/2010
They have redesigned their menu to a small plate concept and it rocks! I have always loved their… Read more »
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Review from Sonya T.
Anaheim, CA
Updated - 2/5/2012 5 Check-ins Here
This happened while I was outside on the patio with my gfs
Me: I'd like 4 lychee martini's please
Waitress: Okay. Would you like to keep an open tab or close it out?
Me: I'd like to keep an open tab just in case we order more.
Waitress: (reluctantly) ohh..okay, i'll bring your drinks right out
About ten minutes later, she comes out with our martini's, and then she says...
Waitress: Can I get one of your guys' credit cards to keep on hold...just in case you run out on us or something?
Um...what is wrong with this bitch? She could have just stopped at "Can I have your credit card on hold." Joking or not, that's not what you say to a customer. You're working at a rather nice lounge, and you don't know how to talk to people? She came off as if she didn't trust us. She knew the guys in the group we met up with too. We met up with a very large party for a birthday out in the patio where the bonfire was. A bunch of us are regulars and we usually all keep open tabs. Later on when we eventually paid, I saw that her booklet didn't have anyone else's credit cards on hold. For some reason, she just kept ours.
Also during the night, one of our friends came up to us, and said, "You know who that is?" And I said no. And they said, "That's YURI from KABA MODERN." and I was like oh..really? I didn't notice. I watched America's Best Dance Crew a few years back, but that was when she was fit...so I didn't recognize her tonight.
Anyways, rude girls with no customer service skills should be working elsewhere. Go dance off the weight you gained. She must be new, or I never notice her even though I'm a regular.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/5/2011
Been here twice. The first time was on a Friday night after 10pm. Really sophisticated decor and… Read more »
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Review from Eric C.
Aliso Viejo, CA
2/3/2012
We went on a Saturday night at about 9 PM and, as we were escorted to our seats, we looked around at all the empty tables and chairs. This place was definitely bigger than what it looked like from the outside. We were seated in a section of the restaurant that had much more patrons....about 30 people were at tables. We also saw two groups there for birthday dinners.
The interior decor was OK...I think they tried to combine urban, modernism and a touch of eastern flavor to the decor. Our server was pleasant, efficient and gave good service.
I would give the food a B-/B and comparable to Nordstrom Cafe. In all honesty, I thought the food was a bit over-priced but I guess you're paying for other things besides food when you come to a place like this. There is also a bar section before you enter the dinning area, and we noticed that by 11:00 PM, the local young, yuppie crowd were beginning to gather around the waterhole. You know, the same crowd you would expect to find at Urban Outfitters.
Bottom line: We probably would come back but only if we were invited guests of a birthday party. This said, Kimera i probably not a bad place to go for lunch if you are trying to impress a potential customer from out of town. -
Review from Khat S.
Irvine, CA
1/24/2012
Love Kimera!! My experiences have always been pleasant. My girlfriends and I love going here on a Friday night after a long week of work/school. They have a wonderful outdoor fireplace that makes this place cozy but fun...Their wine and margarita pizza are my favorite combos.
Great vibe & ambiance....Always a nice spot any given night but if you want to go to socialize Friday nights are best. -
Review from King J'aime B.
Los Angeles, CA
1/13/2012
Did happy hour (3-7pm), got there at 4:30pm, the lounge filled up pretty full by 5pm.
Had the skinny fries (4 stars), calamari (3stars) and sausage pizza (5 stars - awesome value, left overs togo), Caipirinhas (tastee) and Mojitos.
Free valet parking. Just tip the valet.
I will be back. -
Review from Peace S.
Irvine, CA
12/29/2011
I had a birthday dinner here with sixteen close friends about a month ago. It was a great experience. I had a blast! The staff was very accommodating. Four of my friends arrived forty-five minutes late and the servers quickly added another table, with smiles and a helpful attitude. We went on a Saturday night and it wasn't crowded. Later in the night, there was a DJ in the bar/lounge area and we danced the night away. The music was awesome and he took our requests.
As for food, I only had the macaroni and cheese but it was tasty. I tried the mango mojito and regular mojito and from what I remember, both were good. Overall, I had an excellent birthday, thanks in large part to Kimera. -
Review from William M.
Irvine, CA
12/31/2011
My experience here was pleasant!
I especially enjoyed the skinny fries (refers to size, not calories!) and the goat cheese bruschetta. The beef rib sliders were disappointing...I don't know what happened to the shallots and sage. Drinks were fine. Service was adequate.
There's a lot of potential here. Perhaps Bayside and Bistango took a while to gain some consistency. I'll go back...maybe not right away, but they deserve a return trip. -
Review from mar t.
Irvine, CA
12/24/2011
If i could give them zero star, I would. We were there for my friend's 30th bd and there was about 20 of us and we recieved the worst service ever. I would never ever go back here and I wont ever recommond it. Oh did I mention that this place is usually empty so you would think they would give you a good service, but hey NO. There must be a reason the place is dead. We ordered pizz and they brought it without plate and silver wear. I had to go get i myself. Can you imagine that???
So please dont waste your time and money, and dont go to this place, because you wont be treated right. -
Review from Connie T.
Chino Hills, CA
1/21/2012
Very enjoyable Saturday night. The food here was very good. Our party shared the Chicken Curry sliders, burger sliders, hummus, mahi mahi dinner, a dinner salad, and the baked hot chocolate dessert -- delicious. The Chicken curry sliders were perfectly cooked, not too dry, and the curry mayo was just right. The burger sliders were the only disappointment -- kind of dry, blah, and not much flavor. The mahi mahi on the bed of spinach was excellent -- moist and flavorful. The hummus was very tasty and the waiter was accommodating in bringing a little more bread for it. The best part of the meal was the hot chocolate dessert -- probably because I love chocolate! Only regret is we only got one and I had to share. Next time I want my own;). Overall a very nice dining experience.
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Review from Jeena E.
10/15/2011
Kimera can basically kiss my ass.
I think that is the second time I have used foul language in a review and the first time ever as an opener...
Having thoroughly enjoyed Bistango, I figured Kimera would have been a lock as they are also part of the DiningAsArt venues concept. The menu seemed interesting even though I saw that the reviews from the more prolific Yelpers were varied, mainly for questionable service. I figured I would roll the dice and request a booth for 8pm via Opentable, which was accepted.
We arrived 5 minutes early, noticed that the place was creepily quiet for a Saturday night, checked in and the hostess attempted to seat us at a tiny table on the far side of the almost empty restaurant. I asked her what happened to the booth reservation, to which she said she had no idea. As we headed back to the host stand I noticed one of the booths was being vacated. We spoke with an older gentleman at the host stand, I assumed this was the floor manager.
Indifferent Manager: "Sorry we can not honor your request these people ahead of you requested the next open booth.".
Me: "I made my reservation this morning, the request for a booth was clearly stated in Opentable on the very same reservation.".
Indifferent Manager: (blank stare) "I am sorry we will not honor that request".
Me: "Incredible. Fine, we will dine elsewhere.".
The end.
I would have most likely taken the other table in the event that the place was packed and they at least pretended to attempt to address the situation, but the restaurant had at least 40 empty tables and more importantly, it was evident that this guy could not care less about customers. I am not willing to encourage this kind of management and will vote with my dollar elsewhere.
I was able to score a table at BlueFin and had Chef Abe's incredible Sushi instead.Listed in: The Bubble, Lovely Libations, The WTF's.
Comment from Ross M. of Kimera 10/17/2011
First of all thank you for sharing your feedback regarding… More » -
Review from Terry S.
Newport Beach, CA
1/11/2012
Not sure how this place is still open. Food is horrible- drinks are horrible. And it is super expensive. No thanks.
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Review from R B.
Huntington Beach, CA
1/9/2012
The food at this place was GOOD, and so was the service. That's my lazy opinion =)
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Review from David v.
12/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here with my bunch of my gf's coworkers and their significant others a few Saturday's ago for some drinks in the bar area and found the place to be crawling with d-bags. I don't think I can hold that against Kimera, but the place just seems to attract that kind of crowd. Its probably because of the location being next to businesses on the Newport/Irvine border. You get a huge influx of young people blowing cash they are making at their first job trolling for the ladies. Not saying that is bad, but you get a lot of people with attitudes constantly starting shit. In the course of one evening here, I have seen 3 "incidents" start both in the joint and in the parking lot all because the youngins are trying to impress. This place gets a huge pass in my book.
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Review from Crocodile e.
Culver City, CA
12/4/2011
Terrible service at the bar with complete morons working there. They allowed somebody charge a bunch of drinks and ultimately gave my credit card away to somebody else, who apparently looked just like me. It was an Amex with my picture on it too. When I spoke to the manager, he says it happens all the time because we (asian) all look alike. So then, I asked why they didn't check for ID if they weren't sure who the CC belonged to. The bartender chimed in by saying there was a picture of my face on the CC. I started getting dizzy from their stupid comments so I just walked away, and being asian, I did not leave them a tip.
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Review from Daniel T.
Irvine, CA
9/21/2011
With a name like Kimera I was really expecting something more...unique. I mean, the name itself suggests interesting, fusion, upbeat, modern. But I was kind of disappointed when I walked in...granted it was lunch and there was nobody there, and the music was kind of low so I had to listen to kitchen work and servers freaking out and being spazzy.
The ambience here is pretty average, just another restaurant with nice decor but awkward wait staff. I swear, the guy who took my order would not stop talking...I just wanted a tomato and mozzarella salad and he kept going on about how amazing it was. Seriously, it was tomatos and mozzarella, chill.
Besides awkward staff and boring atmosphere, I'd say this place is a nice little hidden gem near the Google office. The starters were enough to fill me up and keep me feeling full, but light. Don't get me wrong, I still wouldn't come back here regularly or anything, but I guess if there's nothing else I can think of I can just go down the road and come here. -
Review from Viet T.
Garden Grove, CA
9/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been at this place a couple of times, mostly for their happy hour and I wish I can recommend a drink. All their specialty drinks may be using special liquors and flavors that really drive the amount of calories up but lacks in anything that really stands out from what I've been able to try at various dive bars around the area.
The happy hour prices are not exactly "happy hour" friendly prices, however considering that it's in Irvine near the Google building, I guess the price is appropriate for the area. The shoestring fries and the calamari was execeptional especially if you want to munch on something with your drink. The dipping sauce for the calamari has a nice spicy kick to it which is unexpected and definitely welcomed.
Besides that, I wouldn't say that this is a go-to place, but nonetheless a nice place to take a date out to the outside fire pits and be a bit romantic (if the weather permits). -
Review from Kelly C.
Irvine, CA
Updated - 12/20/2011
Update: I made reservations on open table, but then sat in the bar so I didn't get the OT points. I would have sat in the dining area I guess, but there was NO ONE in the dining room...not 1 person. The bar smelled horrible by the serving station so we moved to a table further out, the food was just ok, service was slow. I won't be going again for dinner, drinks, maybe.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/7/2011
Love this place. The food is great. Have only sat in the bar the handful of times I've gone. Had the… Read more »
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Review from Sheila K.
12/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here on a Thursday night and it was pretty dead. Location seems out of place, but the space here is pretty big. Would return here again, if it wasn't so busy all the time.
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Review from Lisa S.
Menifee, CA
7/28/2011
Kimera is a cute & comfortable place to go for a drink. It's surrounded by the sea of businesses & industrial buildings. There is a restaurant in the back and a covered patio with hip, cushy seating. A few large tv's have the different games playing and the service is best (and cheaper) at your table.
There is valet parking and validated (free) self parking. The gal at the bar when I went was a bit on the slow & clueless side, and this place does have the air of being designed for an industrial space. But for grabbing a drink with a friend or a casual date, it's a safe bet.Listed in: So-So, Happy Hour!
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Review from Lady V.
Irvine, CA
We were waiting, waiting and waiting for a waiter that would even ask us for our drinks. They seated us and somehow they forgot about us. Although the waiter was apologetic after I complained vehemently, but it's too late they just ruined my evening.
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Review from Steven C.
West Dennis, MA
9/14/2011
Bad service.
Dined here recently on a work event. It was a Monday night and there were only three tables seated. The first mistake was bringing us 4 chowders that were for another table. You would have though that directly saying to the waiter, "I didn't order that" would be a signal to not put it in front of me. Another server did the same thing 10 minutes later.
We ordered California roll and calamari before dinner. They were average. I ordered the short ribs for an entrée. The meat was dry, polenta was mush and the demi glaze was way too salty.
A disappointing meal. -
Review from Vanessa N.
Anaheim, CA
8/23/2011
Review for the lounge only.
If you are coming here for cheap drinks & good bar/lounge food, then you may be in luck. Seeing that I was neither drinking or eating, I can't really say much about food & cocktails. Although, I did have a sip of the Lychee Martini and a Mango Mojito. Standard sweet girly drinks with a $9-11 price tag.
Ambiance is very "OC" (think Mesa except less trendy and not as dimly lit). The music would get loud and then soft and then loud again. Ugh. And the sitting area, soooo weird. How are people supposed to sit on that leather booth/bench when it is SO wide but leaves such a narrow space in between the bar and the bench. Service was friendly and they put up with a large group of unruly, drunk peoples so I cannot hate too much. Not really my scene but I can appreciate that there's free valet and it's a decent place to grab a drink.
Happy belated Kchin! -
Review from James L.
8/14/2011 1 photo
I'm not really into the clubbing scene so when I found out we were going to check out a lounge for a friend's birthday, I was more excited.
This lounge was the polar opposite of a club. Spacious, no cover charge, no lines, decent music, casual dress code, and drinks averaging around $10 with a serious kick. The munchies are also a nice welcome to your evening.
All in all, it definitely served its intended purpose. No complaints from me. -
Review from Katie S.
9/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
When I was 16, I had a friend who said she wanted to grow up and have a fusion restaurant. When I questioned her about the details of her business plan, she said she would make food like mint soup with peas. I laughed heartily and mocked her, you incompetent fool, fusion is when you combine cuisines. Then I said I was going to fuse a martini and go to bed. This friend has grown up and has found gainful employment outside of the food service industry, but clearly someone with a like-minded dream didn't have such a wise friend to mock her out of an odd fusion menu like Kimera.
This is perhaps the oddest menu I have ever seen outside of a Nevada brothel (and that is at least cohesive). With that said the food is half-way decent, the drinks are expensive, and word on the street is that happy hour is good, well for super chic Irvine. The highlight is the tuna tartare. -
Review from Tiffany O.
Carson, CA
8/3/2011
Decided to come here for drinks after the OC Fair, so you can imagine how underdressed my friends and I were.
Despite our lacking attire they seated us near the beginning of the bar, and some of us had to share seats. The people around the bar area seemed to be an older crowd - 30s and up I'd say. Our waitress at first seemed a bit rude but once she got our drink orders she was nice and helpful.
I only tried the "Asiana" Martini ($9) per the waitresses' recommendation. It had a sweet first taste and a bitter after taste. It was good, but not something I'd want to try again.
The music was loud and the place emptied around 11:30ish, which is a bit early if you ask me.
It's nice, but I wouldn't frequent the place. -
Review from L E.
Tustin, CA
1/7/2012
Celebrated and hosted by 30th bday here last yr and my guest had a great time. The food, ambiance, and staff were wonderful! That being said I contacted them to host my Christmas work luncheon. My staff absolutely loved this place! I also frequently come here for their happy hr which is a great selection!
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Review from Joyce C.
San Diego, CA
8/17/2011
The fries are so yummsy! They're served in these little fryer baskets and sprinkled with cheese, parsley, and dreams. Which are also a key ingredient in the cocktails. I don't care for the bartender's sometimes brusque demeanor and conspicuous frustration but I enjoy the food and the space.
The first time I came here, my sister ordered a lychee martini which was
good and STRONG, and a beer, which was dericious. I got a lemon drop. We had such a GOOD TIME, I think.
On my second visit, a gross old man received the most awkward, tentative, and under-inebriated lap dance from a not-young Asian woman less than fifteen feet away. My friend and I couldn't look away, it was so tragic and repulsive. Two girls sat nearby as unwilling participants, shooting them hateful looks and trying to enjoy their drinks and not be grazed. The DJ in the corner struggled to maintain control of volume. Maybe something was wrong with the speakers.
On my third visit, my friend ordered the caipirinha, which she LOVED and we got the sausage pizza. Thin, crisply crusted, and flavorful. -
Review from Claudia Z.
Orange, CA
8/22/2011 1 photo
I hosted my birthday party last year in the outside fireplace area. On an April evening, it gets a little chilly to be outdoors, but the fireplace and heat lamps kept us comfortable. The events coordinator was super helpful in helping me plan out the menu, and the staff brought out food in waves so it felt like we had a never ending flow of pizzas and appetizers to munch on. Everyone had a fantastic time, I would definitely host more parties at Kimera.
Kimera has a very good happy hour, and they used to have a 50% Mondays on dinner entrees, not sure if that's still going on, but what a deal! The ambiance here is terrific for any occasion. The dining room side is more quiet and artistic, great for a family dinner, romantic date, or business meeting. (Kimera is situated in a business plaza right next to the Google building, busy place for business lunches). The bar/lounge side is trendy and fun, can get a little loud sometimes, on weekends they have a DJ sometimes, feel free to get up and dance! Serves food on the bar side as well. And of course, there's the private sections for larger parties with private servers, highly recommended if you have a group of 10+. Parking is FREE! Self park in the parking structure of the business plaza, remember to bring your ticket for validation. Or free valet at the door.
The menu changes quite a bit, my favorite dish was a pork chop with polenta that sadly is no longer on the menu last time I went. The NZ lamb chops are super tender and tasty. If all else fails, the rustic pizzas are a sure win. -
Review from ben w.
The Good: Wow, this is one sexy place. It has a LA vibe like the Geisha house. Went around 9pm for some food and to hangout. They have a parking garage in the back and they have free valet parking(didn't use it, I think you have to have the ticket validated). The food was okay and not really overpriced like I thought it would be. Kitchen closes at 10pm so factor that into your night out.
The Bad: Um....the only thing I would ding this place would be the food. I thought it would be better. I did just get a pizza and for like $12 it was large but not really a standout. Others tried the braised ribs, which was dry and the salmon which I heard was pretty good.
The Ben: I love the OC. Nothing but beautiful people here. Rachel, our waitresses was super cute, she looked a bit like Giada de Laurentiis. The other one was cute too but I didn't get a good look, it was pretty dark in the dinning room. Great place to take a date, just don't get caught looking. -
Review from Joseph C.
Las Vegas, NV
11/29/2011
A very quaint, hidden gem in the Irvine business district. Goat cheese, proscuitto, and beet appetizer is terrific. Braised short rib w mushroom and polenta was fork tender, and the flourless chocolate cake for dessert changed my life. They even had a DJ after hours. Great spot!
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Review from Thuy T.
I went here for a friend's surprise bday. The interior was very nice. Bar was big, free valet and even live DJs playing.
This place is okay. I didn't try the food because it was a bit pricey but being in Irvine I guess it was normal. The drinks were poured VERY heavy here so I was very happy but I don't think I would come back. They didn't have Blue Moon Beer. Which usually would make it or break it for me.
They do have happy hour on weekends which is very surprising but its only on well drinks and house red and white wine. No Happy Hour on food which REALLY sucks. I think if they had HH on food I would come back here for events. Sorry Kimera. Maybe in the future when you change your HH menu? -
Review from Trish F.
Irvine, CA
1/5/2012
Been here on a weekday both times and the food really isn't bad. Waitress took a little longer than necessary but overall a good experience.
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Review from Rho L.
5/2/2011
Kimera is a fairly decent lounge to just...well...lounge. Good sized bar, free valet (woot), and a relaxed ambiance where you won't feel like the male patrons are trying to steal your oxygen.
The outside area with the fire pit and comfy couches was situated really well. It would have been my preferred spot if it weren't for all the smokers. We, however, sat ourselves at the bar so I could catch the hockey game and order some grub. Service was quick, although our bartender seemed a bit preoccupied with the regulars.
Now the mushroom and truffle oil flatbread pizza... A-fucking-mazing. I would come here just for that menu item. Maybe even two. I would love to try a few other items off of their menu solely because I really enjoyed the flatbread. Expectations set high. -
Review from atie p.
4/13/2011 2 photos
I came here with a good friend of mine for Valentine's Day dinner (late review? oopsie!) It was quite nice since they gave me long stem rose.
For the fixed dinner, they gave cold soba salad(?) it was just okay, but the main dish that I got was lamb-chop. I have to say, it was pretty tasty. I mean, it wasn't like WOW, but it was good, like satisfied good but you won't be thinking about it in bed (I know, who thinks about lamb chop when they're in bed?)..
But the best part of dinner was the dessert. It was like a chocolate fudge cake, (see picture) it was DELISH! Now, thats something to think about tonight when I go to bed. -
Review from Nina H.
Los Angeles, CA
No offense, but I thought this place was going to be dbag central. I did go for an early dinner, so the restaurant was pretty empty and the service was good.
The quality of the food actually surprised me - I was expecting mediocre, uninspired dishes. But everything we ordered, I would eat again. Especially the crab cake and truffle pizza, yum. Granted, I probably will never go here again, but it's a decent establishment. -
Review from Frances C.
Anaheim, CA
11/21/2011
Not bad. Very high end. They say it is small plates, but kinda expensive for small plates. The soba noodle salad was the best especially with the shrimp. OTW, it was just OK.
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Review from Andrew K.
Aliso Viejo, CA
7/7/2011
Kimera, a king from the Kingdom of Buganda, (Thank you Wikipedia), naturally must have been schizophrenic to inspire such a weird spot for lounging and dining.
I'm a total cleft chin with this place, split right down the middle. Its in an office park so the location totally sucks but they have free valet parking.
The decor totally weirds me out but both times I have been there the servers have been nice and did an excellent job. So the ambiance was balanced to say the least.
I came here on a recommendation that they had an awesome charcuterie bar only to find out they stopped doing that for the time being. Why would you ever stop having a charcuterie bar?
See what I mean. Its a 7-10 split.
I had their Tuna tartare, a flat bread pizza and their Kimera burger for lunch and by all means I was impressed with the food.
For dinner I had the braised short ribs and thought they were just mediocre.
Nothing could really push me to one side or the other, if you live in Irvine I would say you should be a regular. If you don't live in Irvine, don't bother its not that great.
What's that Aaron Eckhart? Yes, those were all cleverly disguised references to your chin. -
Review from Kimmy W.
Lake Forest, CA
7/25/2011 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
For my 24th birthday I decided I'd outgrown most of the college bars my friends and I frequent and decided I should probably class it up a bit so I chose Kimera to have my birthday drinks at.
My actual birthday fell on a Monday which was more of a blessing than a curse because we all headed over to Kimera after work and the all-night happy hour was awesome.
The entire place was dark and mysteriously beautiful and because we were a pretty good sized group, we kind of took over the whole outside where we were able to order delicious fries, goat cheese something something and many, many interesting and delicious martinis!
We had a great time and the gorgeous fire pit we sat around both kept us warm and was incredibly beautiful. The only downside was the closing time: 10PM but its really completely understandable seeing as its in the business district of Newport.
Wish it was open later but I looooooooooved everything else.
Just go~ its lovely! -
Review from Megan L.
Walnut, CA
4/30/2011
This was my first and only time setting foot on this establishment. I'm not going to be talking about the food, prices, nor drinks because I was too disgusted with the customer service to be willing to spend MY hard earned money here.
My boyfriend's friend works at the bar and invited him to come over, so he took me and a couple of his friends along. I knew that Kimera is a bar, but I wasn't planning on drinking since I'm not a drinker anyway. I figured I'd just meet his friends and be a good sport about being designated driver if necessary.
So after we parked at the structure and made our way over to the building, I noticed a shady-looking man who was glaring at us outside the first entrance. At first I thought he was going to point a gun at our heads and demand a ransom, but I immediately dismissed that thought when he barked that we were to move and proceed to the other entrance. Okay, so he's just a rude security guy, not a member of the mafia; let's call him "Mr. Dodgy."
We went over to the second entrance and was not greeted, but detained by yet another security guard, and unfortunately this one didn't speak very much English. After asking him the same question a few times, we figured out that this was the entrance to the bar. One of our friends and I are 20, so we tried to ask him if we would even be allowed inside. He still didn't understand us, so we just handed him our driver's licenses and tried to make light of the situation. He looked up from our cards and pointed us back to the first entrance, and gesticulated that we were not allowed inside the bar entrance. Fine, that's understandable - we were willing to wait in the dining area.
So the two of us went back to the first entrance to get a table for everybody. The second security guard called out to Mr. Dodgy to let us into the dining area I'm assuming, because they were speaking another language. So he let us through and I asked the host for a table for two. He informed us that the dining area was actually closed (huh?) but we were welcome to sit in the lounge. Confused, I verified with him that you had to be 21 and over to sit there, and reiterated to him that my friend and I were NOT eligible. However, the host assured us that we could sit there until midnight. Okay, I guess the night hasn't been ruined yet.
Wrong. As soon as our bodies turned in the lounge's direction, Mr. Dodgy rematerialized and barricaded us from the lounge with as much breadth his body could afford and asserted that we were not allowed inside. I replied serenely that the host just told us we could go in there, then turned around to get the host's attention at this insubordination.
Simultaneously, another guard had walked up to the host and they muttered between each other. The host looked flustered, straightened up and apologized, but we were actually NOT allowed in the lounge. I could tell that he was trying to find a nice way to tell us that we don't belong here. Fine again. We'll wait outside and leave as soon as my boyfriend was done saying hello.
At this time, my boyfriend met up with the friend who was working there and they were able to get an exception made to open up a table in the dining area. While we tried to work out what was going on amidst the conflicting directions, Mr. Dodgy was trying to make himself heard, so I gave him audience. However, I regretted being polite enough to listen to him, because all he told me was:
"Are you going to eat here or are you going to leave? I'm supposed to be watching outside and I have to be here because of you."
What the fuck. I put up with them dividing and shuffling us around, smiled, and gave them the benefit of the doubt. Yet because I'm underage, I'm given the ultimatum? We already had an exception made to get a table to dine here so that you could still make some money off of us, but if Mr. Dodgy was going to be so adamant against having my business, then he will have none of it.
If the Kimera staff got their shit straight between their clueless staff and rude-as-fuck security thugs, they might have had at least 4 more paying customers tonight. By the way, it's Friday and the building was pretty empty - for good reason! -
Review from Thai N.
Irvine, CA
1/2/2012
They have the absolute best tacos, fries and thin-crust pizza! I love this place.
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