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Categories: Wine Bars, Tapas Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: Playa Del ReyTue-Wed. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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The adventure began when I placed the phone call for reservations. No Open Table for these folks. And when I called, the friendliest man with a European accent answered the phone. He provided me the best times to come to dinner based on the entertainment and the crowd, since we were fairly open as to when to have dinner last night.
After making our selection, we got ourselves ready and headed to the quaint little beach town of Playa del Rey. And yes, they have a mini downtown area. :) After reading some previous Yelpers complain about finding parking, we headed out a bit earlier only to find parking immediately. And at 7:45 PM! Very lucky for us.
As soon as we walked up to the host's desk, we were greeted by the same European-accented gentleman with a hug and the warmest welcome I have ever had when entering a restaurant. His smile and demeanor was so genuine that I knew that it was going to be a perfect evening already. He sat us immediately right next to the beautiful and talented Miss Olivia, a singer like no other. I don't quite remember the gifted guitarist beside her, but he was exquisite. The Italian and I love music and we were in heaven. But we digress....
They provided us some complimentary bread and small appetizers consisting of herb butter (yum), lima beans in olive oil, garlic and basil, spicy marinara, and spanish olives. Simple, delicious and bottomless. For drinks, we were offered an all-you-can-drink sangria special of $12. That was a deal! One glass was already $8, so two glasses would have more than made up for the cost already. I chose the pear sangria although they offered a red sangria as well.
We ordered the Paella Valenciana $24 and enough for two, and the Calamari tapa plate. That was perfect because we were sufficiently full. Especially with the never-ending bread and appetizer refills. Phew! You will be full. The paella was delicious and provided generous portions of grilled calamari, plump shrimp and large chunks of chicken. So good! We opted out of dessert, but to our surprise, our very gracious host along with our very efficient waitress gave us a free bread pudding! We were already impressed, but we just fell in love after that final gesture of service!
We stayed for a while and listened to the beautiful, groovy (can you believe they had Maxwell in their repertoire? Awesome!) urban jazz beat. When it was time to go, our host was in the middle of a conversation, but stopped to give us a hug and kiss and told us to come back. And do you think we will be back? Absolutely! Without a doubt!
So if you want a romantic, intimate evening with the one you love, this is the place to go. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.
Aside from the friendly staff, there isn't anything worth yelping about here. Food is not good and completely overpriced. We ordered the T-Bone steak to share and what we received was NOT a T-bone but rather some other cheap cut of meat probably marked down to a deep discount that afternoon. I can definitely tell you it was not a t-bone and it was certainly not worth $30.
Other food was just okay, cheese plate was good, but that's because it wasn't made in their kitchen.
Sangria was bad, and clearly not made with good wine- as it gave my husband and I both a headache within 30minutes... hard to do unless it came out of a jug.
It's really a shame this place wasn't better. Chloe used to be in this location and it was in an entirely different class...
Don't waste your time coming here... I'm sorry they even took the time to prepare our food- it was THAT bad.
We met friends here and I was concerned before we even stepped inside. The space is small (eight 4-top tables and 6 bar stools) and the music was a loud (you don't need to mic a place this tiny), bad, two-person "band" cramming themselves and their equipment up the seats near the bar. From the outside the places just screams "low-rent"; not quaint or charming in any way.
We sat down and ordered wine...they measure the pours by using a marked wine glass pushed up against the wall. I got bread pudding and it wasn't too bad. But I don't know what exactly makes this a "wine and tapas" bar - it's just a tiny restaurant. They only had about eight bottles by the glass, and a limited menu.
We went on a Friday night around 9:30, and stayed for a couple hours. The clientele was old and odd. One family, one table of two couples in their 60's, and a few tables pushed together with girls in their 40's. There was another couple at the bar who looked about 50 and like they lived in a tent on the beach.
As for the decor, I was warned about it (thanks yelpers) and tried to ignore it. It was a challenge...there is a giant red boa hanging in your face at the bar, and looking around the space I saw faeries in the lamps. Maybe I'm not up on my tapas restaurant fashion but I'm pretty sure faeries have nothing to do with it.
Just an odd little place and not that great. I could also see how parking would be nearly impossible - there isn't much street parking available in this neighborhood.
We liked the warm light atmosphere of the restaurant. It was close by to have some tapas and paella, and a glass of wine. It was OK. We were at the beach this day.
Savilla in Long Beach is way better, but we were in PDR.
Warm, cozy-low light atmosphere. Owner is great, staff....and food very good, great wine selection.
Best seats at windows. Im not a Spanish food--Tapas expert, but I would highly recommend!
The service and ambience here is fabulous... very cozy spot in a sort of middle-of-nowhere area between culver city and marina del rey.
We had salmon and lamp chop tapas as well as some excellent wine. They wouldn't let us leave without dessert.
Looking forward to returning on a night when there is live music.
Minotaure tries hard to be a tapas place/wine bar, but fails epicly.
My biggest complaint - we ordered the spinach empanadas thinking we would get the traditional pastry - instead, we got flavorless sauteed spinach on top of crostini bread. And it costs $10?? COME ON! The server said the chef was from Spain, but if he really is, he ought to be ashamed to call that an empanada. To their credit, they did take the dish off the bill and tried their best to accommodate with the free bread pudding.
Aside from that, the food was ho-hum. The dates were good, the tuna tartare dish was OK but chopped very coarsely. The chorizo, eh...
Oh, and don't expect a "wine bar" when you come here. When you ask to taste wine, you ought to get more than 0.00005 oz. in the glass...
At least the host and server were nice, otherwise it would have been a 1-star experience. Needless to say, we're not trying this place again.
Sorry, I really am...
The server was great, the singer was fantastic, but the food...
Not so good. Their Paella = Jambalaya
Hey, let's serve 5 shrimp tapa plate to 3 people!
Hey, we let you taste the wine before you select! Sounds great! Oh, we had to go through 4 to get a mediocre red, which we settled on because we wanted to actually drink it with our dinner.
Free bread pudding at the end was very good, but, I will not be back during my stint in LA.
Perfect date night restaurant nestled in downtown Playa del Rey (we actually have a downtown). The food is plenty for two - my wife and I usually order 2-3 plates and can't finish them. Although we haven't tried dessert, I once ordered their carrot soup as an appetizer and I still have dreams about it - too bad it's not a permanent menu, because now my quest to catch it during a return visit has become almost Quixotic in nature.
The owners are usually on hand and are kind and accommodating.
Parking wasn't the easiest...I just realized I start off half of my reviews this way...maybe I just can't find places.
/meh Chinese
Once inside, my friend and I started drinking wine. A decent selection of wines by the glass, would love it if they had like 40 more choices.
Had the Paella, was really good. Was in a shallow pan, had a semi-crunchy bottom which was fabulous for the texture loving few!
Also had some fish which was alright.
Had a good time!
You're going to want to get hung-up on the decor, which is kind of terrible. I was thinking that maybe, with Halloween coming up, they had a hell-theme with all of the so-red-it-makes-your-head-throb, but I'm guessing not....
However, the food was really good. The stuffed dates were delicious; they have this goat cheese/cream cheese blend on them that is a little piece of perfect. The cheese plate and the spinach/raisen empanadas were both decent, and the tuna emparedado was really good. And, the free bread pudding was the business - caramel sauce that actually tastes like burnt sugar instead of just sugar.
Not cheap, but good food, and actually a pretty good date spot if you can get over the decor. Maybe bring sunglasses?
This place is wonderful. It's like a little sanctuary in the small little heart of Playa del Rey. You feel like you are instantly transported to Spain. Go with a group of friends (but, not too many, it's really small) and order a bunch of stuff off the menu. The bread pudding is a MUST HAVE dessert and the Malbec wine is perfection. The paellas are great, and I love the fig tapas....pretty much everything is great. They also have great live music that adds to the warm and charming atmosphere. The owner is so hospitable and never forgets a face. It is pricey and that is the only thing that keeps me from going more often. Love it!
I really enjoyed Minotaure. It's a small little tapas restaurant in Playa. Perfect for a date night. The service was amazing. We were told the specials and also shown a list of their new wines . The restaurant has a nice atmosphere with soft Spanish music playing in the background (no live music this night).
We ordered the Tortilla Espanola, the Chorizo A La Plancha, and the Paella Marinera. My favorite was the Tortilla Espanola. The Paella was OK but not great. If I return there I wouldn't order that Paella. The three dishes were good enough for two. The portions are a bit small but we got full and didn't finish. They are also a bit pricey but not outrages. The three dish, a glass of wine, and sangria was around 70 (reasonable)
The server asked if this was our first time there. She then gave us a free bread pudding dessert to end our meal. Great time here.
This review is based only on dessert/wine -- haven't tried the tapas yet!
Just as I was getting really frustrated last night trying to find a warm cozy place for dessert/drinks in the neighborhood (and Yelp's search engine was not helpful at all), I came upon a link to Minotaure on another website. We pass by here all the time and had recently taken notice and meant to check it out. The menu I saw online had bread pudding for dessert (among other things, but that's what I wanted!) and a bunch of dessert wines so it seemed to fit the bill for a little post-dinner date on a cold night (no ice cream!).
We really enjoyed our dessert here. Parking IS annoying, as someone else mentioned, but of course I'm too cheap to valet. When we got to the door around 8:45 or 9 pm, the place was packed and I realized a) maybe we needed a reservation and b) maybe they would be expecting us to be ordering dinner (instead of just dessert and a glass of wine). The maitre'd must have read my mind though and asked if we were dining or just there for a drink/dessert -- and was very gracious when we said the latter. There was space at the bar, but also a table opening up and he gave us our pick -- I wanted the table and again, he was totally nice about it.
The bread pudding was SO good. It was in a heart-shape, was just the right consistency and had chocolate, caramel, powdered sugar, and some fruit too. Sounds like overkill, but it was really really good.
Had a nice glass of wine (Mano a Mano tempranillo) and the ruby port, both were good.
Space is cramped between the tables and we didn't get water for a long time or napkins ever, but all the staff was really nice and they even brought us the standard olive/almond appetizer even though we were only there for dessert. I guess I half-expected to be treated poorly for not being there for dinner and I was pleasantly surprised to find that wasn't the case.
I loved the music -- though the music and neighboring conversations did make it hard to have our own conversation...
We really enjoyed our experience -- it was the warm, cozy dessert date we were looking for on a cold night. The tapas dishes looked excellent on our neighbors' tables -- we'll be back to try them soon!
Hearing that the new tapas restaurant and wine bar, Minotaure, opened up in Chloe's old space left me feeling like I found a hidden gem. A high-profile chef, flamenco dancers and over 30 different Spanish tapas every night on the lonely stretch of Culver Boulevard? It sounded promising.
Upon arriving at 7ish, the restaurant was virtually empty save for our party of four and two other couples. The menu of four pages sewn to a thick orange board displayed a variety of hot and cold tapas as well as paellas and salads.
After pondering the menu for awhile we settled on the Ceviche del sol ($13, shrimp and swordfish); Jamon Serrano ($10, antipasto ham, proscuitto, canteloupe and olives); Tuna Roja ($14, ahi tuna with avocados and green chili); Camaron de Coco ($12, coconut shrimp in balsamic and coconut sauce); Banderillas ($10, chicken and beef kabobs in lemon-white wine sauce); and Binuelos de Verdura ($8, feta and mozzarella cheese puff with spinach). Yup, we ate a lot.
All the dishes were eh OK with the favorites being the Tuna Roja, coconut shrimp and the spinach and cheese puffs but the group consensus was that the meal wasn't all that impressive. The selection here wasn't all that enticing and there were many better tapas eateries than this one. Comparing Minotaure to Violet, the portions here were bigger but cost about the same, which is to say still expensive.
OK, the food wasn't blow-you-out-of-the-water good but at least our waitress Leila was nice. Very personable, she offered us her suggestions for which tapas were the best and which wine on the wine list would suit our taste for something full-bodied. But although she was a sweetheart, the fact that she kept us waiting 30 minutes to give us our bill, another 15 to give us change because charging credit cards and cash at the same time "confused" her and offered us a communal cup to share a taste of house sangria amongst ourselves earned her a mediocre tip.
I think the waiting wouldn't have been too bad if we didn't have to sit there and listen to the Spanish guitarist for most of the night. He sat by the bar loudly strumming his guitar with no particular tune except the beginnings of a paso doble song that never transpired. I get it, it's supposed to be "atmosphere" but all the music really accomplished in doing was pissing me off.
Leila told us that Minotaure gets packed on Friday and Saturday nights for the flamenco dancing. Apparently she and some other waitresses dress up as flamenco dancers, while even more guitarists provide the music which gets restaurant patrons up and dancing. It just made me curious as to who shows up here on those nights. Locals? Friends of the owners?
I can see how people could be charmed by the decor, ambience and theme of the restaurant, but when it comes down to it, that's all bull. With more and more tapas restaurants popping up all over the place, you'd have to do more to stand out from the competition than look pretty. Offer a happy hour (Violet at least has 7 before 7), special dining nights, wine flights, something other than more Spanish guitarists.
I wouldn't really classify this as a wine bar, however there is wine and there is a bar. It is better described as an intimate Spanish tapas restaurant with a bar.
I had low expectations after having read the reviews, but I was pleasantly surprised. Our party of four all thought that the dishes were authentic Spanish tapas, which is hard to find. The calamari was great, as was the strip steak special and the seafood paella. The service was also good. They let us linger after dinner, which was nice b/c there's not a lot near there if you want to go for a drink after dinner. And, the wine list was great. I would definitely recommend this restaurant.
I was craving paella. I wanted the paella to taste as authentic as possible with the fresh seafood and meat meshed into the saffron rice.....So I go to Minotaure with my bf. My bf has been to Spain and has had really good Spanish food. The staff was extremely nice. Although we arrived right before the crowd rolled in (so it was pretty much empty), the host told us that all the seats were reserved. We were about to leave then the host finally seated us. Since he was very friendly, I let that whole "not seating us right away" thing go.
Anyway, we ordered the Paella Valenciana, Camaron De Coco, and the Chorizo A La Plancha and Spanish wine. The shrimp and sausage dish was good, but the paella was like Uncle Ben's rice or like rice pilaf. I was very disappointed. I enjoyed the other dishes. The host gave us the bread pudding desert on the house since that was our first time there. The live music was about to begin towards the end of our meal. I would definitely come back if I don't order the paella or if they change their paella recipe.
How happy am I that I can walk to a tapas/wine bar then stumble home? The gods must have been listening to my prayers because they even made sure to have an ample array of vegetarian options on the menu. Huzzah!
My friend/neighbor/co-conspirator Bobbie and I hit up Minotaure just hours before I had to hop on a red-eye to Philly, and we were quite pleased with the experience. As others have mentioned, it's slightly pricey and the music gets a tad loud for such a small space, but there were plenty of us locals mingling and discussing the goings-on of PDR, namely the recent purchase of several lots on Culver and the new businesses that would be replacing the current eyesores. That's what local joints are for -- bringing the community together -- and Minotaure did just that this past Friday night.
When we arrived, we were a little miffed that we couldn't get a seat without reservations, especially since the place was pretty empty at 6:30, but we gladly took seats at the bar since we were in a time crunch for my flight. Not half an hour later, the place was packed, the room buzzing with chatter and the guitarist tuning up. Good to see this wasn't another example of a chichi place holding back tables to make it seem more popular than it is.
My spinach and cheese empanadas were a tad greasy, but the spicy dipping sauce complemented them nicely. I had a hard time deciding between the specials and regular menu items that I'd been eying during my evening walks, but I'm indecisive anyway and am used to narrowing down my choices and having the waiter choose for me. I'm also not usually an eggplant fan but found the berenjena empanizada (breaded eggplant) divine, and I'd certainly order it again. Next time, I want to try the vegetarian paella -- a rarity on menus -- or arroz andaluz.
Service was friendly and, for the most part, prompt, although I think the restaurant might have been understaffed that night, judging by how long it took to get my water. I'm leaving off a star because of the noise level and lack of outdoor seating, which would have sent Minotaure over the top, but I'm not sure if zoning will allow for it.
The Minotaure has become a regular for us in PDR. Frank, the owner, is always very friendly. I've liked all the tapas and I really love the happy hour...a glass of wine comes with a choice of appetizer.
The space is small and can feel a little tight, but I like the atmosphere of a neighborhood restaurant wine and tapas bar with ambiance, without any pretension.
My boss's wife had a party there and the staff and food was great as well. They made everyone feel right at home. The food was great and the service was excellent.
Thursday nights there is a singer/guitarist that are very enjoyable. I get the loud comment made by others but I don't mind it.
If you can get the window table it is a great place to sit and see the street.
Parking is difficult but they do have a valet.
The first thing you'll notice upon entering is the array of rich colors and fabrics that are decorating the restaurant -- including the attractive decorative pillows along the seats against the wall. They lend an immediate warmth to the atmosphere, making you feel as if you instantaneously belong. When you meet the staff, that feeling is amplified. And the longer you stay, the more you feel as if you are at home here. I had decided Minotaure was the kind of small, intimate, neighborhood restaurant I loved before we even got to the endless sangria. There was live music entertainment -- which is typically worrisome in a small room and quiet atmosphere, but which was subdued and pleasant, and a perfect complement to the meal. And then there was the food -- delectable tapas of an array of assortments, all prepared beautifully and nicely timed so as not to overwhelm all at once at the table. The only negative thing I can find to say about this place is that they're closed on Mondays -- giving me one fewer day I can come enjoy the food and atmosphere.
Gracious, accommodating, friendly. But, I can't recommend eating here. Nothing resembles real tapas. In fact, everything seemed more like bar food - fried calamari with ketchup type stuff. Meh.
WOW!!! SO nice to find such a great place within 2 miles of me! The family owned restaurant is such a treat - they cared what you thought of the food, and listened to comments. I was so enamored with the spiced almonds, that Lela brought us another dishful. We ordered the seafood paella Valenciana, empanadas de carne, ensalada verde, sangria, and bread pudding. We thought the empanadas were perfection... until the paella arrived! The sangria was just a bit sweet for our taste, but the bread pudding... THAT was the hit of the evening.
There are only 8 tables until the owner is sure a tapas restaurant fits into the area. Then he plans to open up the other 2,000 sq. ft. That should make it a little easier on Caroline's ears when the flamenco begins :)
I'll be back there in a heartbeat!
Find them at: http://www.TheMinotaur...
I was beyond excited to see this place was coming to the neighborhood. Finally, a local wine bar. Sadly, I moved to Nor Cal 3 months later, but still. I had hoped this was going to be the treat I waited for for 6 years.
we tried this place out when it first opened. I mean first opened. They hadn't had their grand opening yet and didn't even have a cash register up and running yet.
Initially, I was disappointed by the selection of wines and the lack of flights to taste. That being said I'm sure it will improve over time.
The most amazing part of our entire experience was the creme brulee...hands down some of the best I have had in a long time.
Other items to note, parking in this area can be rather tough if you don't know the secret spots, buy they do offer valet on most evenings. Also, the establishment itself is very small, and the bar is also very small. This is much more of a sit down place. But the decor is cute and the ambiance is nice. That is if you don't have a very large and very very loud man at the table next to you.
If I were still in the area I would give it another go.
this was my second time here. this place is a nice and simple tapas and wine bar. it is a very small place with an intimate feel. they have some pretty good tapas dishes to share with friends. went here last week and ordered the salmon, empanadas, chroizo and the dates with goat cheese and walnuts. All were pretty good stuff. the salmon was slightly spicy and tasty. the empanadas were pretty good too. the day i went, the special was a tomato, basil and cheese empanada. the dates with goat chees and walnuts was just like what they said on the menu, could be ordered as a starter or a dessert. they also have a nice wine list. the day i went, they had a special sparkling syrah(?). my friend ordered it and it was very interesting. served chilled and quite refreshing. i ordered the pago malbec and it was awesome! chocolatey and smooth.
I think this place is a little overrated. You get there and you think, "hey, these happy hour prices are not bad." Then you get the portion and you're like..."where's the beef?"
Anyway, the wine was pretty good, not really a selection though. Nothing to write home about. They have no parking and it's a biotch to find street parking.
I think I'll venture out to another tapas place next time.
Frank and Regina (the owners) have an awesome little trendy spot on their hands. Their Happy Hour is fantastic ($7 for a glass of wine AND a tapas!!) and if you haven't tried the coconut shrimp you are MISSING OUT.
Try them out, and say hi to the owners. They're extremely friendly and have some of the best food in Playa!! The best place for a date close to home.
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wow... i'm surprised how Black n White the reviews are for this place.... i guess you either really like it or it is just not your kind of place...
i am one of those who really like it here... it's a small little place with a very intimate feel to it. i am ususally here on a weekday, so i've never really seen it get too busy. sometimes there is acoustic music and singing.... it's a nice touch.
the portions on the food are not real big, but then i think that is what the "tapas" menu is all about. my girl and i usually get 1 or 2 items from the appetizer set and then split one of the entree items. portion size aside, everything we've had has been delicious..... we usually get the chicken empenadas, but after our last trip, i think the beef ones were even better... we've also had some excellent salmon dishes...
the wine list seems a bit short for a place that calls itself a wine bar... however they do seem to stick to a theme of all "latin-country-produced" vints... (spain, potugal, chile, etc...) i forget the name, but i usually get a spanish tempranillo.... and there is a great tawny port for "dessert"...
to sum up, this is a great place for a quiet date-night or a place to have a talk over a glass (or two) of wine....
oh, and don't miss the picasso sketches in the mens room..... cool!!!
Things I love: quaint cute and intimate, great sangria...small enough fruit to eat, love the bread pudding, friendly staff, good food
not so great things: live musicians are just too loud for such a small place and we sat almost as far away from them as you could get, expensive (but which place in LA isn't), tables alittle too close to everyone else. It was like we were eating with the people next to us.
But it is in my neighborhood and I will definately go there again especially for the sangria!
my friend just got engaged, so i took her out to celebrate. i was excited to try minotaur; i had seen it in passing by and loved the cozy burlesque decor.
the meal started off with complimentary bread , dips , nuts and olives. it was a very nice touch. we ordered sangria which was a little sweet, but hey, i love fruit punch. we ordered an assortment of tapas. their empanadas were quite yummy and i also liked the eggplant dish. so note: their non-seafood tapas can be quite satisfactory. HOWEVER, their seafood tapas was something else. t he paella was mushy and flavorless. the shrimps were rubbery and the chicken was overcooked and dry. we also ordered a seafood assortment entree which included fish, scallops and shrimp (maybe i should've known better than to order a seafood trio. that can never be good right??) the fish was bland. the shrimp and scallops were skewered and doused with a cream sauce. i don't know what the point of the sauce was other than to add calories b/c it didn't taste like anything. the shrimp & scallops were not fresh--had rubbery texture and tasted fishy.
it was nice that they gave us a free bread pudding at the end of the night. but even that was overbaked and tough. it was a nice gesture though.
the final bill came to about a hundred dollars, which i don't mind spending if the food is quality. i couldn't eat half of what we ordered so it was a real rip off. word of advice. for the amount of money you spend here, you might as well go to Primotivo on Abbot Kinney which is about the same price, better wine and great food.
uh, no thanks. i'll just say one thing, sliced baguettes shouldn't have anything to do with spinach empanadas. wth? cheese plate was good, but you can't ruin cheese. hostess talked to us way too much. its got a weird vibe all around. maybe that just playa
Playa del Rey, CA
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Redondo Beach
Category: Beer, Wine & Spirits
Playa Del Rey, CA
Category: Nightlife
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
Category: Italian
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Category: Wine Bars
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