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Categories: American (New), Mediterranean
Neighborhood: DowntownLive Latin Music. Print this out and receive a complimentary tapas on Wednesday night!
Mon-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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Most excellent personable service. I brought a close friend here and he fell in love with the food, wine and ambiance. The service was over the top and I was really glad, I made the choice to bring him here.
Kudos to the attentive staff and as always, delicious food. Notable new tapa, the duck confit empanada. I can't quite put my finger on the garnish but this was really good........
If you are in the Downtown area and you have not visited this place, you may need to get your head checked.
Thanks again O!
You know a place is good, when you give it 5 stars. What makes this place worthy is the amount of… Read more »
I had my birthday here this year, and hot damn, it was expensive. We did get two bottles of patron, though, so that might have had something to do with it.
As for the food, everything was delicious. The Wagyu burger has pickled shallots, bacon, and provolone. It was excellent! And the kicker is, it comes with tater tots sprinkled with parmesan and tossed in truffle oil. Mmmm!
Ribeye with chimichurri sauce was good also. I mean, it seems like every place now serves their ribeye with chimichurri, so it was nothing spectacular, but the execution was solid.
Truffled mac and cheese was even trufflier and cheesier than the tater tots (always a good thing!). I was impressed with how much truffle flavor they packed in...they must have used a good amount of truffle butter.
Gnocchi with duck confit, mushrooms, and rapini was a really smart dish! The combination of mushy from the gnocchi, juicy from the mushroom, crunchy from the rapini...the textures contrast very nicely. A perfect dish to have by their fireplace on a cold day!
Cocktails are expensive, but they're done pretty well. Their specialties are all pretty girly, but I gotta say, they were pretty damn good! Over the course of the night I tried the cucumber/mint cocktail, the watermelon/basil cocktail, and the "Savannah" which was pear-focused (probably the best of the 3).
Nice atmosphere, low-key, good times! (Although my bank account is crying)
Went here for a friend's birthday dinner. Overall, was not impressed with the restaurant. If you're going, be warned that you are going to be sitting basically on one half of the lobby of the O hotel. The place is dark and has a late eighties bar kind of vibe. The waitresses are confusing because everybody comes to take your order, no one takes full responsibility over your table and you just grab whoever you can.
The food is pretty nice though for what it is, albeit on the salty side. They truffle mac and cheese was a real hit although I think it's just WRONG to have bow tie pasta for the mac and cheese. You need to do the classic elbow or a twisted elbow. Sorry. The taters - all the rage in most downtown restaurants - were crisp and warm as they should be. The flatbreads were all very salty. The beet salad is not worth getting.
Our group did a lot of the tapas and shared them. Maybe I should've done the dinner as they seem to get better reviews.
The desserts were okay. Decent stuff. Nothing really to write about.
The truffle mac and cheese was delicious. We're not talking about slight truffle flavors that you have to search for. No, it's like they threw a truffle at my face. The pasta isn't overcooked and the texture of the sauce is spot on. Recommended.
Not sure if it's because we had the mac and cheese first, but the truffle tots weren't as successful. The parm tends to stifle the truffle flavors. I still enjoyed it because, hey, it's fried. I was just expecting more.
The rib eye skewers were decent but forgettable. Pass.
Bacon wrapped dates. There's bacon. How can it fail? It can't.
"O' burger. Buns were over toasted, but still a good burger overall. The pickled shallots work well. This is a juicy burger and should be dispatched with knife and fork unless you like sauce all over your hands. Get the sliders instead if you're on a first date. They're more manageable.
Service is attentive though understaffed when we went (Thurs). Prices are a little high.
Note: We found out too late, but Thursday is Tapas night with $12 sangria pitchers. You can also check their tweets @OHotel for more specials.
Some of my very favorite words begin with the letter "O".. so I have to admit I was intrigued, even though I am NOT a fan of hotel bars.
I always picture some divey, cheesy joint with overly tired and distraught bartenders waiting on patrons out of obligation.
An assortment of middle-aged married business men flirting with cocktail waitresses who fend off their advances, you get the picture,..
So imagine my excitement when the O bar resembled nothing close to my mental picture. Sleek with clean lines and dark but inviting atmosphere, the candle lit tables and marble bar
Although I was here for Minty's birthday, I decided to show early and catch their wine tasting.
For $20 and four tastings with wine pairings, you really can't beat it in Downtown. By far my favorite was the Arcadian chardonnay with the watermelon and feta cheese salad pairing, although the spicy lamb sausage was tasty as well.
Far more impressive though was the quality of service delivered and the full menu offered. Our bartenders were fantastic. Attentive and sweet and genuinely interested in what we thought of the wine selection.
Ok the menu. Wow. It takes a lot to impress me and I thought I had seen it all, but honestly one of the most varied and interesting I have seen for a while. Myself, I decided to throw the diet out the plate-glass window and chow on their "The O-Burger" :dry Aged Angus Beef, Cheddar Cheese and topped with grilled onions and bacon. Seriously one of the best I have had in a while. I would love to come back and peruse the rest of this menu with some of my fine Yelpers in the future.
The only minus to the whole night was the loud, semi-obnoxious crowd of Greeks downstairs, celebrating some kind of USC fraternity-related triumph.
I hung up my sorority paddle long ago, so it was a little harder to stomach than it might have been back in 1873 or whenever the hell it was I graduated college. Obviously the bar can't control who comes in, but a little crowd control would have been nice.
Now given, I love me some Minty and if she had said she wanted to have her birthday celebration at the back of a Jiffy Lube with a keg of Michelob and a shared bag of flaming hot cheetos, I woulda been there with bells on.
But I am sure glad she invited us to this sparkley little gem instead.
Happy birthday, girl.
Came here for lunch during DineLA week.
Three of us came to lunch. Two of us ordered from the DineLA Prix Fixe menu and one ordered three small plates and we shared everything.
The restaurant was very empty and there were only a few tables seated the entire time we were there. The service was great and the waitress was very attentive.
The food was very good. I ordered the Cheese and vegetable skewers with the shrimp and grits with chorizo. Both were incredible.
Other dishes ordered were the Vegetarian Eggplant Flatbread, Green Salad, Tater Tots, and Beet Salad. All were amazing.
The deserts were good, in my opinion. Both the ricotta cheese cake and pear tarts were very good.
I would definitely like to try O Bar again.
At any moment, I expected George Peppard and Audrey Hepurn to come strolling in to grab a drink at the gleaming bar of the O Hotel. Classical touches from the early 1960's are expertly integrated in the decor. The lobby of this stylish public house is painted a dark, shiny charcoal gray. Multicolored portraits of musicians past hang in a gallery row along one wall with the bar opposite. I liked these portraits a lot, but they do tend to lift one of that that vintage Kennedy era class that is throughout.
I had come to the hotel that night for a birthday celebration for one of my most illustrious friends, Shauna D. The party took place on a small mezzanine upstairs and a good time was had by all. Here's what I had:
Arcadian Chardonnay - A white-gold wine with a rich, butterscotch taste. Very, very good. I savored two glasses of this.
Pinot Grigio - Can't recall the kind, (I think it began with a B) but I liked it. The single glass was a good encore to the above.
Goat Cheese Flatbread - The spices on this pizza-esque creation performed an intricate dance on my taste buds. Full flavored and pleasing.
Rather than driving, I chose to take the Tube - oops. I mean the Subway - from my posh NoHo residence. The 7th St. Metro stop is only a short jaunt away from O Bar. Other than some fraternity members (and their future trophy wives) that just happened to be there, the clientele is mostly a mellow, upscale crowd. I will definitely be coming here for Happy Hour on some afternoon, when I'm done window-shopping at Tiffany's.
I had my birthday party last Friday. It was the first time I'd been to the O Bar for something other than happy hour. When my friends asked me what sort of crowd it was, I didn't actually know as the DTLA happy hour folks are pretty low key.
Well, O Bar is apparently a fraternity and sorority hang out. When we came in about 10 p.m., there were perhaps 30 guys all wearing untucked pin-striped button downs eating dinner. Then a busload of sorority girls got unleashed upon them. "OMG, I'm like soooo happy to date an SAE guy!" Yes, this was actually overheard. It made very interesting social commentary.
I had reserved the upstairs lounge but the bouncer at the front stairwell wouldn't let us up at first. I had to have words with the guy at reception. I thought we were to have a server but after 30 minutes, I went downstairs to talk to the bartender and he sent up a server. So, I wasn't too pleased with how it was set up especially considering the reservations hostess didn't confirm with me. I had reserved the lounge from 10 p.m. until close. Close being "whenever people left." However, they turned on the lights at 1 a.m. and then people had more or less left by 1:30 a.m. The website states they close at 11 p.m. They really ought to change that.
In any case, a good time was had by all even if prices were a little different from happy hour. A Maker's Mark on the rocks was $11. Yikes!!
I could tell at some point they cranked up the AC but it was still not enough. When you got 50 people upstairs sweating like mad, turn it up! The elevator was also a sauna (not that you could really get upstairs via the elevator- they set it so it doesn't stop on the second floor-- so to get up to Mezzanine, you have to take either the stairs by the front desk or the stairs by the bar).
Overall, I think people enjoyed the swanky upstairs lounge which is all that is important to me. Now if only there was a dance floor.
I've been back several times now for happy hour. It's official, I'm declaring it my fave happy hour… Read more »
Got here and i just didn't like the vibe maybe its the crowd that night. There was a jazz band playing that night and it was alright and again maybe because the crowd who was here are just too loud. Can't really say anything about the cocktails cause i ordered beer. We ordered some bacon wrapped dates which at first i told my friend i'm not gonna have any but when i tried it it was good! Servers are pretty attentive they bug you every minute i don't know if its good or not cause i'm the type of person who will call you if i need anything if not don't even bother asking. I'll be back to try their happy hour but until then 3 stars.
Slowly lick your lips, slightly tilt your head back, and calmly lift your hands in the air, as you vibe to the smooth sounds of jazz being played by the Supa Lowery Bros. on Tuesday nights in the O Bar in downtown Los Angeles. If you're a fan of smooth jazz, and want to dine in a nice venue, well go to the O Bar on Tuesday nights from 7-10pm to hear great jazz music. Not sure how much longer they'll be wowing the crowds, so I highly recommend taking advantage of this free jazz concert while eating dinner.
After receiving an invite from my hometown buddy to come check out this place, I was impressed with the ambiance, music, and staff. This is a sleek urban venue with a casual urban feel. The walls are decked out with paintings of some of music's greatest stars. You may feel as if you're dining somewhere in New Orleans. Everyone in our group was thoroughly impressed with the ambiance, service and, of course, the music. In addition to music, there are tv screens in the back, near the bar, for those that want to catch the latest news or sporting games. In terms of food, I'll say I was content. I ordered the Grilled Ribeye Steak, with fries, and wasn't too thrilled with its presentation. The steak arrived, by itself, in the center of a plate with no adornments, and the fries came in a tall black-wired basket. Personally, I think they could've adorned the steak with some parsley or some type of greenery and/or edible embellishments for the betterment of its presentation. Anyway, the steak and fries tasted fine. Everyone else at the table was pleased with their appetizers and drinks as well. For the price, ambiance, and service, this place serves as a very quaint, cool, and laid-back venue for an enjoyable evening out on the town.
Pretty but unexciting bar in downtown LA. This was the second stop for my birthday drinking night. Tues nights are Jazz nights so we thought it would be a bit more exciting. Mostly, it was just really loud. Not from the jazz band, which was okay, but from the huge table of the band's entourage. The atmosphere was okay, and service was decent. I though the layout was too broken up, because most of the bar just faces a wall or the bar itself, so no people watching. The True Blood cocktail was decent and strong- basically a pomegranate margarita on the rocks. I also wanted to try the Bacon-Wrapped Dates. They were good, but a tad pricey for the quantity. Overall, not a bad place for drinks with a date maybe, but avoid Tues nights and aim for the happy hour that most people rave about.
Damn Anthony! What are you doing to me???!!!!
The O Bar got a new bartender yelpers, and his name is Anthony by way of NY. This guy makes the best mixed drinks with only the freshest ingredients. Seriously. I made the mistake of ordering a glass of red wine on my first round. I really should have let Anthony make me one of his specialties, because on the second round this man made a blackberry infused drink with bitters, lime, and all kinds of freshness that I can't recall. Alls I know was that it was damn good. I love it when a bartender is so in tune with his craft that he can make his customer a distinct concoction, that often times has no name. He served my friends and I individual drinks, made with seasonal fruits, that he developed on his own. This man is an artist!
Will be back to check for Anthony.
This place has it.
Sexy, cozy, nice staff, good food and music.
Where the trend has become simple…
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Great Ambiance! Great Food!
Went for Friday Wine Tasting Night. Its a good deal $20, 4 wines and couple morsels to try with certain wines. My initial pours were a little low, but after giving our Wine Host the look of 'WTF?!?!' she promptly rectified the fill amount. Host was well versed in wines and the art of wine tasting. The wine itself was not average except for the very last one. But im told they're improving their selection..so it will be worth it to check out in the future.
Decided to stay for dinner, had an awesome burger...that i dare was ALMOST worth the price...but the sweet potato fries, more than made up for it.
All in all its a good spot!! check it out....especially the Wine Night on Friday.
Okay... $1 Sangrias during happy hour??? Me likey.
I also liked the food. :)
-Truffle Parmesan Tater Tots - mmmm. Served with a great horseradish sauce.
-Bacon Wrapped Dates filled with goat cheese and an almond - they were good but could use more cheese and I'm not a fan of almonds in them. Vino in the Valley has the best ones.
-Rib Eye Skewers - Very good
-Grilled Halloumi Cheese with roasted tomato and basil - The first bite was eh but as I kept eating it I liked it more and more. Make sure you get the cheese, tomato, and basil in each bite.
-Mexican Shrimp - Really good but have it last because it's cooked with jalapenos. It's cha cha cha spicy! :)
-Grilled Artichoke hearts - Very good. The sauce was good.
All this for about $30. THAT is one good happy hour! On my next visit, I'd like to try the white asparagus, mac and cheese, and the sweet potato fries. :)
I LOVED the decor. Definitely would come here on a date. :)
With the drinks, I guess they change up their drink specials but you can follow them on Twitter to find out what their current specials are.
A friend brought me here last week for lunch, and I had no idea that this old 1920's Heartbreak Hotel had been transformed to a boutique property. Word is that they have fantastic room rates (note to Downtown Travelers).
Stepping into the cool dark interior of the bar was a welcome respite from the downtown heat, and the cool, sleek decor of the bar is instantly warmed up by the exposed brick wall displaying large glossy color photos of everyday folks. It's a great space.
We were promptly served cucumber ice water while we perused the menu which contains a good selection of salads, sandwiches, small plates and sides. I opted for a chicken, avocado and bacon wrap which was incredible. The tender grilled chicken had a faint hint of curry which was a perfect compliment to the avocado and bacon. The soft Naan-like bread their wraps come in are sinfully delicious, great presentation too.
The O Bar affectionately refers to their infamous truffled-parmesan tater tots as "Crack Tots". After one bite of one I immediately had Public Enemy's "Night of the Living Baseheads" on loop in my head. Effective. The tots live up to the name and the adoration of their many fans (one order is more than enough to share).
Overall I loved my meal at the O Bar, and would definitely check them out for Happy Hour especially since they are known to Tweet sweet specials occasionally.
So chic. Gotta hand it to my girl for picking a oober stylish dining destination for our GIRLS ONLY dinner.
O Hotel is such a gem. I hope more boutique hotels pop up in DTLA.
I've been wanting to try the OBar and Kitch and was more than happy to oblige. Especially when they were having HH specials all night ($4 tapas, $6 well drinks and $12 pitchers of Sangria) to get the long holiday weekend started right.
Arrival time from car lot to table :8:01pm
Arrival time of first Vodka Tonic : 8:05pm
Yes, Cakey does NOT waste any time.
We started with a gorgs beet salad with goat cheese balls. I luhuv beets. I have to say though, the salad was fine but I think the focus was on the thing looking pretty than anything else.
Soon came the rib eye skewers, mexican shrimp, truffled tater tots and finally truffled, mac and cheese.
The skewers were ok but were a little on the tough side. The Mexican shrimp was really good. They were perfectly cooked with jalapeno slices giving it nice heat and lots of flavor.
Truffled tater tots. Yes. Tater tots. Yes. Truffled.
Ok, maybe we kinda went overboard with the truffle this truffle that but c'mon it was mac and cheese?
Mac and Cheese wasn't great but it was good. We ordered one but out came two. When I had asked about it the really, really nice server Dood said that they had split it for us. Well gosh darn it wasn't that so sweet of them?
The pitcher of sangria was decked out in lots of fruit and the perfect libation to wash down all of the little delectables that were appearing at our table.
We had a little bit of an issue with the check at the end...I got shorted 20 bucks in change. But that was QUICKLY taken care of.
All in all a pretty good time was had. Plus the live entertainment was STELLAR. I saw Wonderwoman twice walk by through the lobby. One was blond the other was a brunette. AND! I also saw a bunch of Caped Super Heros walk up to the front desk and hand over their Amex cards to check into their rooms.
I had a birthday party here last weekend and it was a perfect venue. If your bar tab is at least $500 you can reserve the entire upstairs for your party which comfortably can hold 40-50 people and they stayed open longer for us too. We had good service and ambiance up stairs is very nice with a modern feel. We also ordered some appetizers and were stunned at how good the food is!
3.5 stars.
Came here on a very slooow Monday. My friend and I were the only 2 at the bar. I don't mind this because it gave us a chance to catch up on each other's lives. The only reason why I mention this is, because I've been here a couple of times now and it worries me that this place won't last much longer if this keeps up.
The appetizers were really tasty.
Tator Tots drizzled with Truffle oil~ Crispy outside, fluffy inside. yay...
Rib Eye Skewers~ I LOVE RED MEAT...Juicy...
Grilled Jumbo Shrimp~ I need more. But they were still delicious with a spicy kick,
Can't tell you about the drink specials. I'm a creature of habit. If a bar doesn't have my gin, (which normally they don't) I'm holding on a Kettle/Cran. If I'm in a pissy mood, Jameson Neat. "Don't mess with me..."
This is a boutique hotel with a modern flair. Me likeys that. Will have to stay the night one of these days after one too many.
"No music?? Me don't like that."
Well... I guess no music is better than bad music.
Nice ambience. Friendly staff. We just went for a drink and appetizers. I'm not sure I'd like to go for dinner but we had a nice time sitting in front of the fire place.
The truffle tater tots are unreal.
As several others mention, the food's pretty darn good. The bacon-wrapped dates, roasted mushroom flatbread, and parmesan tater tots were great starters. In general, you could make a pretty full meal out of the small bites. Since we were a bigger group, we forged ahead with the dinner plates. I had the shrimp & grits and the others all had beef. Three burgers and a flat iron steak to be exact. My dish was pretty good but the general complaint among them was that while they liked their meals, the meat was overcooked. They asked for medium and all the dishes ended up more on the well side.
For me, the service and set up were the greater issue. The restaurant layout seems like an afterthought to the boutique hotel it's attached to. I sense it was supposed to be just a bar, which probably would have been great, given the long narrow stretch of wall. However, as a restaurant, the set up left the diners with little chance to interact or even feel as if they were in an actual dining area. The tables are all set up against the wall. We had it the worst in that we were at the far end of it so we saw more of the incoming hotel guests arriving than any of the bar and restaurant patrons. The service was also uneven. The waitress was generally nice but she never brought us bread (we had to ask) and she didn't know much about the dishes (also wouldn't let us substitute sides).
I sense this will be my only dining experience here, although I would certainly consider swinging by for drinks (they were good).
I went here after a long day at LACMA, and it hit the spot. I felt like having a girly drink so I ordered the Pearadise (grey goose and pear nectar juice). It was very tasty. Sweet, refreshing, not watery and just what I expected.
They give you toasted bread with olive tapenade, a little salty for my taste.
We ordered a few dishes:
Bacon Wrapped Dates - how else would one want their "dates"? hahah jk. DELICIOUS! DIdn't really taste the goat cheese but it was so inspiring that I made some with cream cheese that weekend. The bacon is perfectly crispy but not too hard and it doesn't fall apart. The dates add a nice counter-saltiness to it. mMmm.
Risotto balls - tasty, small, left me wanting more. Sauce was good.
My main course was the Branzino Mediterranean sea bass, it was cooked PERFECTLY (but I wouldn't accept anything less because their portion sizes are smaller but probably accurate) whipped potatoes were creamy, lots of Parmesan, kind of stringy?
I had some Parmesan truffle tots also and this is a MUST HAVE if you go here. They come out hot, crunchy, soft, buttery and hard to stop eating.
I gave this place a 3 because all in all, it is what it is. Small menu but they do everything right. This is a good place for a drink and some appetizers, I wouldn't come back for a dinner dinner that could cost you a pretty penny. The swanky atmosphere fits the food/price if you get what I'm saying. :)
Maybe I should try happy hour?
Our "local" bar, as we live in the neighborhood. Sometimes busy, but we tend to go during "off" hours. It's actually very welcoming and comfortable, as well as beautiful and cutting edge.
Kevin, the primary bartender, makes amazing drinks. I'm partial to the "Flower Street," which is a riff on mojitos. Good full bar.
The menu is astounding and changes periodically. The Flatbreads are $10-12 and bigger than a personal pizza. My favorite is the goat cheese & caramelized onions, but they're all good. Most main dishes are $15 - $20. They do have a happy hour.
Dinner menu: http://www.ohotelgroup...
Tapas & dessert menu: http://www.ohotelgroup...
I have been a regular since last year, and the food has been consistently good. I've usually gone during happy hour when their small plates used to be half off. I just went there for happy hour yesterday, and I'm sad to report that their happy hour has changed. According to our server, only the drinks are discounted now. Everything else is full price, folks! I wish we had known before we ordered because our bill was over $70.
Kevin is the shit!!!
I went to this place on a Tuesday because they host a live Jazz/ Funk/ Neo Soul music night.
When you walk in the place has very dim lighting, a large chocolate fire place surrounded with tons of seating. Picture a real low key atmosphere and it's packed with endless women ranging from age 21 to 35. Can you say "coochie fest?" This is truly a singles gal's place. On a good note, the hand full of men (7 and I counted) are very polite.
The bartender Kevin can make a GREAT Apple Martini or Amaretto Sour (High 5 for him).
All and all I give this place 3 stars because they have one problem they need to work on and that would be access to the parking structure. Sure the garage is right next door to the bar. Yes, the bar/restaurant will validate for the first 2 hours but that's not the problem. Getting in and out the lot is. After a cretin time the parking lot attendee closes its little booth which means you have to some how slide your validated ticket into a yellow machine (with no directions) to access entry to the parking structure. After about 8 tries and no success you will need to flag down the security to assist you. Next when you are leaving you have to put your validated ticket, plus your parking ticket, and your credit card in the machine (once again no directions) to pay so you can exit. By now you are hoping you did this right because if not you will have to push the call button and wait 10 to 15 minutes for the security guard to come and assist you. Please note that she will have an attitude for making her get up and help you with your problem and when you say "thank you and have a good night", she gives you more attitude.
The O Bar meets all my criteria for a fun place to eat, drink and be merry. It is centrally located, and there is evening parking available 1 block away for a $5 flat fee.
The actual space is gorgeous with super high ceilings and tons of exposed brick. They even have a modern low wrapping fire place that makes you feel like you are in NYC or Vegas or something.
The food is absolutely yummy, but the drinks are predictably priced at "not a steal" Los Angeles prices. Try to butternut squash ravioli with roasted grapes, risotto balls or the sweet potato fries, which are decently priced, and tasty as all get go.
What a great find! I recently planned my boyfriend's bday to go to the Staples Center and found this place in my yelp research.
This place was so cute! Who would have thought that you were basically adjacent to a hotel lobby! There was plenty of seating choices- from the lounge seating to the cute tables throughout the area.
We got there in the early evening for happy hour and took some seats at the bar. The bartender was awesome- suggested items on the menu that he thought that we would enjoy and would be good to share. The food was amazing-- we got the recommended Truffle Tots and Jumbo Shrimp tapas, and a roasted tomato, cheese and basil flatbread pizza.
Service was great and quick- and the bartender was great on keeping our tabs separate as we had 8 people in our party that all wanted to pay by couple.
We had such a good time that we came back after the game and tried the Manchego and artichoke pizza for a snack before we went to bed. We closed down the bar-- woohooo!
O Bar is apart of a hotel in downtown LA. The bar itself is adorable, but I'm giving O Bar 1 star for the rude bartenders.
There's only one bar with 2 bartenders in the whole place. We waited 20 minutes before someone helped us with our order. Granted, it was busy, but it wasn't Hollywood clubbing busy. After the bartender took our order, and made our drinks, she put them down and walked away from the bar without giving us our bill. We waited another 5 minutes and our bartender never returned. We decided to ask the other bartender to ring us up. She gave us a *itchy look and handed us our bill. WTF! We were trying to be good people and ACTULLY pay for our bill and did not deserve the attitude. I was unhappy with the whole experience.
You'd never know how cool this place is from the outside...with its subtle non-descript exterior. But inside, with its exposed concrete, glass fireplace, leather couches, huge-arse projection screen to watch Laker games, and dimly candle-lit drinking area, you feel transported from LA to bar more to the likings of SF. Urban-chic!
If you're looking for a nice venue for drinks, light tapas and sexy but casual ambience O-Bar & Kitchen is it. I particularly enjoyed the grilled shrimp and the tomato and basil flat bread.
I can't wait to go back!
i simply love O-Bar. When given the opportunity, I love taking the 2 block walk after work for happy hour. The drinks are reasonably priced and the food is just fantastic. I always start off with the white grape martini and we order up a storm of appetizers. Everything is tasty--the truffle tator tots, kobe sliders, hummus, wings--i love it all!
And the bartenders are great! I forgot his name (he's blonde) always starts my martini before I make it to the bar. :)
The bar is just fantastic--the ambiance, food, drinks and service.
I went here to hear a band play. it is such a chic lounge/ restaurant. we had the mac n cheese...delish, beef skewer, really small portion but it was yummy. I will have to go back for 2 dolla sangria night...yay!
My 2nd Dine LA destination. Parking is horrible, you either have to pay the meters or park in their structure and pay $11! They don't validate.
Started off with some papdam chips. These were tasty with a spicy kick. My Jumbo Prawns and Grits appetizer was actually really good and uncovering the chorizo hidden in the grits was like finding buried treasure. The black bean soup was also really good with the papdam chips.
The Alaskan Salmon was overly salty. My friend thought the same. Her Butternut Squash Ravioli was very strange tasting and the shell was chewy. We couldn't finish it even when I was gradually picking at it.
I was hoping the dessert would make up for the entree but I think it made it worse. The Rice Pudding was chunky and reminded me of instant oatmeal I make at work and not putting enough water into the mixture. My Milk Chocolate Mousse looked like something that happens after eating a chalupa from Taco Bell after it has been sitting in a hot car for 4 hours. It tasted like it was made from an instant mix but not mixed well because there were small chunks in it - like when you're making pancakes and you have to smash out the lumps.
I do like their fireplace though. I think someone was having a birthday party here and they had all sorts of board games that we poked around with. This place could be fun but the food I thought was pretty bad.
O Bar and Kitchen is on my best kept secret list. I'd been invited and finally made it over there with a very unhappy Ghost in tow. Our pre dinner spat had both of us at odds and I was in arms. Arriving we were greeted by the front desk man who noted that the birthday party added to their busy vibe for the evening and they are usually otherwise quiet.
Well, the chef and manager quickly sat us and after exchanging a few more bits of venom Ghost and I ordered. He the farfalle and prawns and peas, while I of the Fish and Parmesan mashed party continued to brood. The party next to us was a pocket full of lesbians who for some reason all favored one another- like some sort of lesbian Smith clone project from 'The Matrix' LOL. The diva of the hour had her ipod hooked into the audio system and pics of her vacation/ cruise on the screen above the bar area. Nice touch for allowing her to do so I complimented OB&K staff.
Upon receiving our plates, Ghost made his peace move and we cuddled next to each other while remarking how tasty everything was. OMG- It was dam good! Good textures, layered flavoring. Nice touches. We also sampled the Truffled mac- very nice. By the last bites we gushed our apologies and shared tastes with one another. O Bar & Kitchen saves a relationship!
The attentive manager appealed that we should look at the upstairs portion as well. Another little hideaway for fun and canoodling.
Hmmm. Unfortunately they said they have yet to pick up speed consistently. By running recession friendly specials, good service and ambiance they will definitely become a top go-to spot.
This might be my new favorite happy hour spot! The tapas style appetizers (just in that it's small plates--not Latin food) are all around $5 each. My favorite is still the tater tots....also, sweet potato fries, meatballs, calamari & skewers. Plus, they have pitchers of sangria for $12 (fresh fruit and all). I like their spin on Ahi Tuna Salad....kind of tartare meets tostada.
If you're in a hurry, just sit at the bar for ultra attentiveness. Otherwise, the row of booth/tables are covered by two quick, awesome servers (Seat Yourself). I was actually pleasantly surprised by the staff here since sometimes a nice hotel equals snobby attitudes, but not here! They are friendly, funny and quick.
Any place that has freakin' tots on the menu (and Truffled Parmesan ones, for that matter) is good… Read more »
no, this isnt the gay bar in west hollywood...not that there's anything wrong with that.
when i went for my friend's birthday, i tried a new beer(to me) called a Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout. Damn. Good stuff. I had 3...after two i realized it was 9% alcohol. i got drunk.
i hear the food is pretty decent too(from patron at the bar). hello patron.
oh and jenn behind the bar is snappy! i like!
*by snappy i mean i got clowned on. :| haha
Yippee!!! I finally got to have the elusive "Frog's Legs". My 1st post of 2009!!
I have been waiting years & years to try them, & finally I did get to do it this Saturday @ the O!! I was a little apprehensive at first, so I ordered a Rob Roy (scotch & dry vermouth) to wash it down with.
I was not disappointed with either the frog or the Rob :p And the place, wow it is neat! Boutique ll the way. I will be coming out to downtown more often after this experience. Watch out!!
Oh, and parking in downtown SUCKS!!
It's refreshing to find a sit-down, full service lunch place in Downtown that you don't have to yell to talk to your friends, act all executive-like, or fork out your life savings for a good, gourmet lunch.
Downtown LA lunch bunch, flock to the O Bar & Kitchen. You will not be disappointed. We enjoyed the decor (stylish yet deceivingly comfortable), the art exhibit (got great LA photographs up right now), and the cool music (loud enough to pick up but not so loud we can't hear ourselves). Service was great. Our small plates came out one at a time at the right moment too so our table wasn't crowded with all that we ordered.
My colleagues and I went there for lunch yesterday and did the variety of tapas for lunch. The portion of each of the tapas order was enough for lunch for some people.
First thing first, the truffle parmesan tots. My server told me that the staff called these "crack tots". Deservedly so! Crispy outside, potato-ey inside, with yummy truffle oil and just enough parmesan for flavor. And that horseradish dipping sauce is so good even my friend who usually says no to horseradish loves it.
Now, the rest. Jumbo prawns and cheesy grits with chorizo and tomato ceviche is by far the best dish we had that day. (Excuse me, I have to wipe my drool for a second.) $12 Wagyu sliders came in 3 little burgers and they're not tiny nor the meat skimpy. Add $6 and you can get a full size version of this and it's worth every penny. And then the Harissa Chicken sandwich with basil tahini was moist and delicious with a good side serving of lightly dressed salad.
Then the Tapas Mixer which has 4 of each Harissa chicken skewers (much like the sandwich), beef skewers (much like the burger), risotto balls, a pile of grilled vegetables and heirloom tomatoes, and grilled flat bread. Risotto balls were like the rice version of the aforementioned crack tots: crispy outside, gooey inside and this peppery sauce that goes with it.
To top it all off, we ordered the tiramisu creme brulee. It's small, but guess what, for each of us to have a few spoonfuls of this creamy, smooth, coffee hinted goodness and don't feel so guilty about it.
Yep. We'll be hiking back out there for more lunch soon.
Hmmm.... Prawns and grits and truffle tots.
This place is great... I work about 2 blocks away and have stopped in after work about 5 times.
The food is really impressive - especially for downtown. For me, even the high end places in downtown really disappoint. This is quite the opposite... I was really surprised at how good the food is. And they come in nice, small portions so that you can share a few different things.
The drinks are also very good. I have not been there in a while, but the bartender in the past was excellent. He made one of the best martinis I have had in a very long time.... and was a great conversationalist, too.
The decor is beautiful, although I wish the bar area was open a bit more. It's kind of hidden in the back of a long hallway. The only other drawback is that every time I have been in there, it's been almost empty. This is nice at times, but not when you want to go out for a little atmosphere. Hopefully it will catch on and more people will discover it. It is a real hidden gem.
O Bar is located in a newly renovated hotel called Orchid Hotel. The decor is trendy and a great place to grab drinks after work.
I had the Wagyu burger which was really good. One of the best burger's I've had. The meat patty was huge and very juicy. The tater tots drizzled with truffle oil was good also. My friend got this chicken dish which was really good also. It was 2 chicken patties covered in a curry sauce.
Next time I want to try the Kobe sliders.
I love this place! HA. and its not even cause I work in the Hotel
the food is amazing I eat here everyday. (can you tell) no I am not gaining weight just yet :P
if I didnt work here I would hang out here all the time.
is that sad?
probably oh well
try it out for yourself and tell me what you think!
oh and fyi VALET COMING SOON
I love this place! Food is always great and the staff always welcoming. The weekday bartender (I call him Viggo since he looks like Viggo Mortenson from A History of Violence) is such a nice guy. Ask him for a recommendation if you're not sure what to order. The boyfriend and I typically drink Stellas but Viggo made us try Estrella Damm (Barcelona) instead. And damn, it's seriously my favorite beer now. Must also try their parmesan truffle tots a.k.a. Crack Tots.
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