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Categories: Wine Bars, Mediterranean
Neighborhood: West Los AngelesWed-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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I HARDLY EVER GIVE ALL FIVE!!!!!
Blown away by the location of this HOT SPOT. Lot's of Love to Hamilton (get him to be your waiter...you'll be happy) and to Marilyn is so warm and sweet. Thank you for making a night to remember.
Small plates full of flavor and filling you up along the way. Try the following: Ricotta, Fresh Mozzarella, Mascarpone Flatbread, Smoked Chicken Flautas , White Corn Salad,Boneless Beef Short Ribs
Five Pepper Crusted Tri-Tip Steak and end it with Apple Sobert and the Amarrato trimsu (sp).
I was thinking about giving it a three star, then I remembered about the very VERY delicious Crispy Skin Black Cod we had, I'd Highly recommend it. I like this place better than AOC (reference to the other reviewer). Just by the little sample we have, I think this place deserve a solid 4 star, because of the huge wine list (but quite frankly I don't think its worth it if you are not getting the whole bottle).
Yes it is fairly priced, and the waiter was very patient and friendly. We ordered the Five Pepper Crusted Tri-Tip Steak but we had to return it because it was impossible to cut with the knife, not to mention how long it took to cook it, granted tri-tip isn't the greatest cut, but I think they just had a off-day with the tri-tip. We got the short-rib replacing the tri-tip which is just good. Great food/wine paring suggestions and great services.
Burger #141: Hardly A Burger
Came here on a whim, left on a slide of dissatisfaction and remorse.
Don't let the menu fool you, it may say, "Kobe Beef Burgers, Red Onion, Relish, Crumbled Bleu Cheese $9." But what you get are two little dried up meatballs on Costco dinner rolls. All in a drab, dark, soulless room.
I have a hard time even calling what I ate there a "burger," but that is what the menu called it. Oh, and the guy server who went on and on about the lamb and how he's from somewhere so he should know, was the most obnoxious server I have had in recent memory. Tone it down! No one cares!
A huge glass Pinot Noir with my favorite friends warrants one of the best, birthdays ever. Thank you to Mako S. for setting this up!! I think I'm still tipsy from the vino!
I have to give this place 3.5 stars. Yelp reviews totally hyped the food up for me.
Service: excellent! Waiters/waitresses recommended a GREAT glass of Arcadian Pinot Noir ($13 for 6 oz!) and took care of me after finding out I'm the birthday girl
Food: We all got the Chef's Selection for $23.11 - a mini, 3-course pri-fixe meal.
1) Duck Salad w/ sesame-type dressing + heirloom tomatoes, chives, and baby corn. Interesting mix. Umm, doesn't baby corn usually go in cheap, Chinese stir fries? The pieces of lettuce were way huge for the plate and hard to eat. The duck was perfectly cooked/seasoned.
2) Seared Filet Mignon w/ glass noodles and enoki mushrooms: this dish was delicious but tasted like Korean jap-chae to me, but more slippery. My friend's filet mignon was WAY overcooked and brown - almost like jerky. The rest of ours were fine.
3) Strawberry & Coconut Sorbet w/ fresh berries: very very delicious.
We had to ask for bread in the beginning. The olive oil was so flavorful and excellent, but the crunchy bread gave me cuts in my mouth!
There was a level of inconsistency in the food here. WHat was weirder was the ambiance. I swear half the people in this CRAMPED space were 80+. A few kept shooting dirty stares at our table for being too loud. I was so worried one of them might keel over and drop dead, mid-meal.
From a tapas-style restaurant, I expect a surprise and unique twist with every dish. However, I did not find that here. I'll try this place once more (not pri-fixe) and report back.
I'm pretty bad with directions, and it took me a while to find out that our seats were not at Upstairs' main room, but at the room on the side called Addie's Place. Of course it took me 3 hors d'oeuvres before I realized I was standing in a middle some event party I wasn't a part of. After biting into my last free olive paste on a cracker, I walked over to the correct entrance and found myself lost again by opening the door to the closet. A quick left turn through some curtains, and I was finally able to find our seats.
The food was pretty good. I enjoyed an awesome glass of Arcadian Pinot Noir wine and a tapas style 3 course preselected meal which included duck on a salad (roasted and cut to deliciousness of course. Not like a duck sitting on my salad), Filet Mignon over some pasta and a coconut and strawberry sherbet ice cream.
My only issue was that the restaurant was so small that I felt like I was eating in a dining room at someone's home with some friends and a whole lot of strangers.
I was imagining this place to be fancy, hip, gorgeous, you know, "it" place. My overly skilled imagination definitely put me in the disappointment. Being seated at the corner of the room, I could oversee everything that was going on in the restaurant. Weird ceiling, dated look of curtains by the window, and the out-of-place screen to hide their cashier... The place reminded me of a cheap hotel's outdated reception hall. Well, what matters is the food, not the decor.
My first order was the deconstructed salad. I didn't get the point of the salad. I mean, what's the point of putting baby green on the left, pancetta chip and goat cheese in the middle, and the beets to the right? Yes, I know I ordered the "deconstructed" salad, but really, I thought there was gonna be a clear benefit of the salad being deconstructed enhancing the eating experience. It didn't, and it was simply harder to eat. The beets and the pancetta chip were awesome, but the goat cheese was just too much. The size of that would have been suffice for the dinner salad, not the tapas size salad with tiny portion baby greens. And that baby green. It was shredded. Come on, who shreds the green for the salad unless it's Subway Sandwich?
I also ordered the lamb chop as my server had a huge speech about how he's Greek and how the lamb there was perfect. It sounded good, and I wanted it to be good. However, what I got was under seasoned, under cooked, bloody mess. The couscous that came with it was good though.
My man had deep fried sweetbread and that was ok. It tasted like any ordinary deep fried meat and didn't have that distinguished flavor. He also had a burger, which turned out to be 2 sliders. 2 weird sliders I should say. He said "it's like a meatball on a bun" and that was exactly it. I had a bite and I really didn't like it. Instead of nice salty meat, it had distinct battle going on between herbs and spices, making it too much of a mess to taste anything. To top that, the bun looked exactly like the rolls that we buy from Costco (20 rolls for like 3 bucks?), and tasted like one too.
All in all, his comment about our dinner sums up our experience here: "I liked your couscous."
This restaurant is excellent (yes, I'm writing reviews for those restaurants I love first, those I don't, last on the list, ha!)....
You can buy the wine downstairs at the Wine Store and take it to the restaurant upstairs which happens to be called UPSTAIRS. It's got a great ambiance (tables are close together however, request a corner seat or eat at the bar) with a cute bar (we prefer to eat at the bar). The corkage fee is only 10 bucks I believe.
The items on the menu are more for sharing (small portions) which is fun for me; you can try more items that way. The Kobe Beef sliders are to die for - OMG just thinking about them. They are soft, warm and melt in your mouth! The garlic fries are equally yummy as well as the crab cucumber rolls. So much on the menu, so little time and its not too pricey which is great. You get GREAT ambiance, VARIETY of choices for a DECENT night out on the town!
Cheers,
PS The owner's sons are really nice. We got a great deal on a couple bottles of Silveroak since we're regulars now!
This little spot serves up delicious American-style tapas (think AOC and Lou) at great prices and in a classy way. It's not overly pricey for the experience ($87 for two, including dessert and a drink a piece), and the tastes will leave you sublimely happy.
Anyone interested in learning about wine/food pairings should come here first. I LOVE how their menu is organized in such way that, if you so choose, you can try a crisp white with this dish, and then a full-bodied red with this one. You can also do two ounce tastes, which is perfect for learning and saves money!! Their menu can guide you, which is perfect if you're a wine newbie. If you still have questions or want recommendations, the staff is totally willing to assist.
The bread they bring out to start is incredible, and they bottle their amazing delicious, rosemary-and-garlic infused olive oil if you want to take some home. Then, the challenge becomes narrowing down your small plate choices. We decided on:
1. Chicken flautus
2. Boneless beef short ribs over smashed gold potatoes
3. Grilled Elk over spinach
4. Deconstructed Salad (cabbage, prosciutto, almond-encrusted goat cheese)
5. Kobe beef (mini) burgers + garlic fries
I will order the flautus and the short ribs each and every time we go; they're that good. My Riesling did go very well with the flautus, as the menu said it would. The short rib meat tasted as if it'd been stewed for hours; so flaky and yummy! The salad was great, though its the cheese that was the best!! And the garlic fries were awesome. I wouldn't suggest the elk (unless you really just want to try it so you can say you have), because it's kind of a chewier meat (though very pretty), and I also wouldn't recommend the burgers. The latter was good, but I think the other small plate options are probably more impressive. This was just a bite-sized gourmet burger... but you can get those all over LA.
The dessert menu changes based on seasonal items; I doubt you can go wrong. We tried the oatmeal apple tart with vanilla bean ice cream, and it was great.
Great tasting dishes, a fun menu of wine and food, un-snobbish environs = another westside gem. Who needs mid-city madness when you can get it all right here?
I have been wanting to try this place since they opened about 3 years ago.They made it a great night for our 5th anniversary. I had called the day before to the Empty Vase Florist in West Hollywood and got my wifes favorite flowers delivered to the restaurant, pink calla lilies with pink orchids. They had them at the table as we walked in.
We started with a Charcuterie and cheese plate, with a bottle of Alban Viognier, one of our first date wines. Then followed it with 5 incredible small plates, of just fun. I highly recommend this restaurant and will be back as soon as possible. This would be a great Yelp event location. Enjoy.
Ok- SUPER random location and an even more peculiar ambiance- another "David Lynch" type setting. I went on a Friday night around 930 or 10 and there was only one other couple sitting in the dining area which, by the way, is on the 2nd floor of a building (windows look out to the "city"- an admirable attempt at an NY or SF eatery) in what feels like downtown LA (the warehouse part). Anyway- the bar was attended by two sets of people- two men and one female in each- it feels like the sort of place people would go for a wanton tryst or other liaisons of the sort ...
So the food- we started with the apple pumpkin martini- which was really nice, subtle and more bitter than sweet.
Then moved on to some red wine and had the "Lobster BLT" on Brioche
(Bacon, Frisee, Heirloom Tomato, Housemade Mayonnaise-$12) I love lobster but I could take this or leave it- it was the meaty claw part of the lobby but other than that it seemed like a pile of mundane food items that weren't necessary. Nonetheless, it was presented beautifully.
BUT HAVE FAITH! For next comes the Grilled Mahi Mahi (Crispy Corn Pancake, Black Bean Hummus- $8!) Two whimsical portions of crispy thin wafers topped with perfected grilled mahi mahi atop a smooth and creamy black bean puree. MMM!!! The blend of colors, flavors, and textures was most excellent!
Next we ventured out into the land of ELK (they have lots of options for the wild at heart, like wild boar spare ribs, masala marinated lamb chops, lamb sausage, tofu ravioli, venison ravioli...). We went with Grilled Elk Tenderloin (Sauteed Spinach, Roasted Fennel, Sherry Glaze- $13) I tried one piece and didn't care so much for it- it just tasted like beefy beef meat. Or meaty meat meat. It would NOT be wise to feed this to your vegetarian friends after telling them it's tofu (I didn't even consider it, I swear) But I guess if I were to imagine what elk would have tasted like, this was spot on. Regardless- it looked pretty.
(disclaimer: the following paragraph contains excessive hyperbole)
Finally! The crème de la crème of the entire experience arrived- rendering all food in all other restaurants pitiful! Your Lord and Highness in his triumphant return to save us all- KOBE BEEF BURGERS!!!!!!! The Lord and Lady are presented with delicately laid grilled red onions and a sweetly cured morsel of blue cheese- not to overpower the regality of this melty sweet steak- the finest to ever grace your palette. The fresh baked brioche buns topped with sesames have an airy lightness that melts away so you can savor every flavor of the Kobe. And at $9, these precious gems are affordable to even the poorest of paupers!
After dinner, we decided to give 4Play Gentleman's club a try as it's just down the block....and LET ME TELL YOU....
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
4.7
Fantastic date place! Me and my guy have driven by here so many times, so we were curious to check it out. As you drive north on the 405 fron the 10, you will see this place on your right hand side.
I have to admit, I was skeptical because of the neighborhood. This place exceeded all my expectations. The service was special but warm and friendly so it didn't feel pretentious. The somelier was very friendly and helpful.
The food was great. the chicken flautas - YUM. The halibut- YUM! Cheese - YUM. Dessert - YUM! Even the bread was delicious.
Great wine recommendations too!
Overall, I am one very happy gal. I can't wait to come back again.
This I a great high end tapas style restaurant with great wine selections.
The service was fantastic as was the ambiance. I highly suggest a reservation because this place was packed, and it's not a quick turnover per table.
As at as the food goes, we tried a LOT and the highlights were the elk and the shortribs. Be sure to get the sticky pudding for dessert. It won't disappoint!
I'd give this place 5 stars if it were a bit cheaper. It was slightly expensive.
Ate here the 2nd time last night (12/13/08) Gosh, this restaurant is excellent.
A tapas menu...small portions which are shared...lots of choices and very good. The duck salad and kobe beef burgers are wooweeeee.
If you buy a bottle of wine ... downstairs at the Winehouse...the corkage is $10 ... if you bring it from home ... or ... it's $15 ... well worth it...and...they have an excellent list too. I like it because it's quiet...no loud boom box music...one can actually have a conversation !!
The prices are reasonable ... definitely a "go back to" often.
I rarely give 1's. This would have been a 1 if not for the good service, good wine recc, tasty olive oil, and an amazing toffee pudding. I came here for the NYE prix fixe.
1. charcuterie plate: nothing special. Almonds were pretty tasty, but how can you mess up almonds? Bean paste and red pepper paste were alright.
2. Lobster Salad/Caesar Salad/Tuna Tartare: Like the Tuna Tartare presentation, but fish quality was only mediocre. The salads were okay, but nothing i'm writing home about.
3. Paella & osso buco: Paella over-salted. Very disappointing. Osso Buco was only okay, no marrow. The bed it came in was better than the meat.
3. Dessert: None of the dessert made much of an impression, except for the toffee pudding. I dream about this pudding and fantasize about making it myself.
In the end, for what I paid, I would not go back. Nuh-uh. I had high hopes for this place. It looks like the kinda establishment I could get into. Interesting location, next to a wine store, upscale mom & pop... I like that stuff. I live for that stuff. Too bad. No love connection here. But the Grey Panthers who made up the majority of the crowd that evening seemed to enjoy it just fine. I *heart* silver sequin berets.
Sorry, but I was not impressed. Me and the BF came here for their DineLA prix fixe menu - from looking at other reviews, perhaps their prix fixe menus tend toward not being so good. We had - duo of soup (kabocha squash and porcini chestnut), nut crusted goat cheese salad with endives, veal with some kind of potato mash mix, local sea bass with squash, toffee pudding and flourless chocolate cake.
The duo of soup was quite good and so was the salad - but the entrees were really off the mark for some reason. Veal was bland and sea bass was oversalted (and I like salty food) - also the sauce that went with the sea bass was bland as well. Desserts were OK - my BF enjoyed the toffee pudding and I thought the chocolate cake was ok too, but nothing special.
Highlight of the meal was a 2006 Joseph Swan Pinot Noir that we had - another note, I don't know whether it was especially busy or if it's always like that but our waiter was very harried and rushed us. We are a bit younger than the average crowd that was present and I felt our waiter may have treated us better if we were of the typical demographic.
We ended up paying just over 100 pre-tip, which isn't bad by any means but I was expecting a bit more from this place. Perhaps a good lesson that prix fixe (though a good deal) will not get you the best tastiest foods.
My friends hosted my birthday dinner at this establishment this year. The food was fantastic, but light on the portion for the prices. The wine, however, was the real star.
Each offering was available in multiple pour sizes and delivered in the most appropriate stemware. At the bottom of the stem, a round card attached to the glass with the specifics of the wine for you to detach and take home.
I left with way too many little round wine cards and a full belly.
Upstairs 2 is literally upstairs from the wine gallery, so it's no wonder where the name came from. There is a parking lot, though I always forget and just park across the street.
Friends took me here for my birthday, and we had a great time. The servers were knowledgeable about their extensive wine list, and our server gave my friends recommendations that they were happy with. Two people in our party were true vegetarians, and there was still enough on the menu for them to order more than just one item.
Our group of six just ordered several different tapas from the menu and everyone dug in. As we had a taste for more, our server came by to take our orders, and they can recommend good pairings if you're interested. There was a veggie ravioli, and a yummy deconstructed salad.
I love their cheese trays! They go well with the pear crisp. I enjoy their mussels, the mousse on polenta tartlets, the lobster lollipops (mmmm), and the lamb was good too. There was also a really great stuffed chicken dish. I want to say we had shortribs also, but I could be wrong. I'm sure you can tell I'm not one of the vegetarians. :)
I'd really like to go back and try one of their tastings/dinners. I'd recommend this place to anyone that might be looking for good food and wine on the west side.
Cheers!
We went to Upstairs 2 for the first time last Saturday night. Everything about our experience was excellent. The wine selection is very good with some delightful surprises (a California Patricia Green, for example). The food is small-plates/tapas style, which makes for a fun dinner and an even more fun way to see how different wines pair with the food. Service was good; nothing exceptional, but at no point were we disappointed with the hostesses, our waiter, the runner, or the bussers. The staff were attentive but did not interrupt our romantic evening.
We ended up being about 40 minutes early, and the hostesses were friendly, accommodating, and sat us within two minutes even though our plans changed and we rudely appeared well before our reservation said we would.
The cocktail menu looked pretty good, though I was driving so I didn't partake.
FOOD: The menu was varied and interesting, and reasonably priced. It is worth asking the waiter for help with the menu because it is not traditionally organized, but it's not complicated, and a few minutes of looking makes you very appreciative of the creative menu options and wine pairings.
We ordered a cheese and charcuterie plate (salumi Milano, prosciutto, saucisson sec; Humboldt fog, gouda, a delightful triple cream, and manchengo), which was a great starter. We also had the corn salad, which I loved, but my girlfriend found to be too strong in the mustard vinaigrette. The prosciutto and fig flatbread was outstanding, too. I also ordered the elk. This was the first time I'd ever tried elk. It was a little tough, but the flavor was very good. Maybe elk is a tough meat, I'm not sure. It was tasty nonetheless.
For dessert, we shared the house-made mint-chocolate chip ice cream. I usually don't care for mint-chocolate chip, but this was a great and refreshing way to end the meal. Good espresso, too. My girlfriend's latte was stronger than your typical Coffee Bean latte, but for a lover of real espresso, it would be great.
WINE: We weren't sure of the wine to get, and our waiter recommended a very good Oregon pinot (2006 Stoller Vineyards Pinot Noir JV Estate, Oregon), which was a nice surprise, because I'm not typically that impressed with Oregonian wines. We got a 12oz carafe of this pinot.
After we finished the pinot, we ordered a glass of a Spanish wine (2003 Musella Amarone della Valpolicella, Italy) and a glass of 2005 Domaine Maume Bourgogne Rouge (France). Both were good but not memorable. The Stoller was pretty memorable, and I would buy a bottle if I were to see it in a store.
On the whole, the ambience, the food, the wine, and the people made for an outstanding Saturday night.
Final Bill + Tip: $135 for two people (four plates, 12 oz carafe wine, two 6oz glasses of wine, dessert).
I love the idea of this place, and I love even more the actual execution. Upstairs 2 sits atop the best wine store I've ever been to: the Wine House. This isn't a review for the Wine House, but if you haven't gone - GO. It's amazing, and cheaper than buying grocery store wine, so...yeah, just go. You won't regreat it.
You won't regret Upstairs 2, either. It is in a fairly random location as noted by Alexandra E., but I'm assuming that it was a "first came the Wine House, then came Upstairs 2" type deal. However, it does make for a smashing surprise when you arrive to find a beautiful, dimly lit dining room with an attentive hostess and a bar where you can sit and wait. The dining room is small, so be prepared to wait if you haven't made a reservation on a weekend night (I made ours a couple days before hand, but when I called day-of to switch it to an earlier time, it was a no-go...they were full up, so we had to stick with the orignal time).
So anyway, back to the concept of this place, which is: tapas. But not only tapas...tapas WITH wine pairings! Their menu lists the tapas by wine (white and red) and then by temperature (hot and cold). After selecting your tapas, you can choose a wine from the menu that matches whatever you ordered, and *bonus!* all of the wines on their menu are available for purchase downstairs in the Wine House. You can get either a tasting (2.5 oz) or a full glass (6 oz.) of whichever wine(s) you choose, which is super fun because it allows you to try more wines than you would normally get to try. When you get your tasting/glass of wine, it comes with a label that lists the wine so, if you should choose, you can hop right down to the Wine House and pick up a bottle to take home! Brilliant...
As for the food, it was pretty tasty...I wouldn't go so far as to say that I liked the food as much as I liked the wine-pairing concept, but we definitely had some interesing dishes:
- Prosciutto Flatbread with Fig and Goat Cheese: Delightful! It looked like a mini-pizza when it came out, and the flavors worked well together...this was definitely one of the "bigger" dishes we ordered.
- Smoked Chicken Flautas with White Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream and Tomatillo Salsa: Probably my favorite of all the tapas we ordered...the flautas were delicious, and the tomatillo sauce was amaaaaazing...
- Grilled Mahi Mahi with Crispy Corn Pancake and Black Bean Hummus: this was maybe my second favorite dish...the mahi mahi was grilled to perfection, and the texture combo of the corn pancake and hummus worked well together with the fish.
- Grilled Elk Tenderloin, Sauteed Spinach, Roasted Fennel with a Sherry Glaze: Ok, we ordered this purely out of curiosity (you don't see too much elk on menus out here...). It ended up being ok...definitely not better than beef (it was more tough), so next time I'd get a beef dish rather than this. However, that being said, it was all-in-all pretty tasty.
- Sautéed Bay Scallops with a Risotto Cake: This dish was pretty good, particularly the crispy cake with the smooth scallop. I don't love scallops, so it wasn't my favorite, but even so I admit it was good.
The wines we all ordered included the 2007 Willi Schaefer Estate Riesling, 2006 Duckhorn Napa Valley Merlot, a Washington Viognier (can't remember the exact vineyard), 2006 Soter North Valley Pinot Noir, 2006 Holus Bolus Syrah and a Candor Zinfandel, all of which were YUMMY...we liked pretty much every wine we ordered!
I feel that I should quickly warn my fellow yelpers about the parking situation, though: you park on the roof of the building (on the same level that Upstairs 2 is on. When you see the Wine House building, you'll have to turn into a ramp that's on the north side of the building (on Cotner) that will lead you up there, and there's NOT a lot of parking, so you might have to leave your keys with the parking attendant.
Overall, I highly recommend this place. Be warned, though: the portions are very small (my guy friends aren't too jazzed about it for that reason). However, if you're not trying to feed a football team, the total ends up being pretty darn reasonable considering the great food/wine you're getting...I'll definitely go back!!
Great food and wine. While it feels strange to park on top only feet from the 405 traffic once you walk inside you will forget about the strange location. The wine list is great and the prices are reasonable. We had a great Kosta Brown Pinot and an Alban Viognier. The plates are all tapas style, small portions but the prices are good and you can try a bunch of different things. We got about 10 different items and they were all varying degrees of delicious from the lobster BLT to the braised short rib. The duck confit was great and the venison ravioli were to die for. I can't speak for the prix fixe menu but stick to the regular one and you can't go wrong. Also, make sure to have a reservation well in advance. This place got packed! I tried to get a table a few days ahead and was stuck with the opening 6:30 spot.
We came here for the Wednesday night four-course wine pairing; food is good (though nothing mind blowing), and I really enjoyed the service and atmosphere. The sommelier was friendly and knowledgeable, and it was really interesting to learn about the four different pinots she picked for the meal. My only complaint would be that I didn't realize we'd be sharing a table with six other people, so the Wednesday night Wine & Dine is not the most ideal setting for a date! Would be fun to get a group together though.
Upstairs 2 is a wine lovers dream. Really diverse small plate menu, terrific wine selection (its above one of the largest wine distributors in California), and a diverse, unpretentious crowd which seems to have no similarities other than a love of wine.
The small plates and jovial atmosphere make this a good spot for groups. The food is strong, although not great, but a really wide menu selection and your 5th glass of wine more than make up for that.
They're located upstairs from the Wine House. Small plates, with 40 different wines. Delicious, innovative (mostly Mediterranean influenced) food. Lovely ambiance. Good service.
Park up the ramp.
Only open from Thursday - Saturday.
We went to Upstairs 2 for New Year's Eve pre-fix dinner. For their $65 prefix, I was quite disappointed. I ordered their paella and it was probably the worst paella that I've ever tasted. The paella was yellow and mushy. The only saving star was the ambiance, my company of people I went with, and the wine. To be quite honest, the ambiance wasn't all that great in terms of where the restaurant is located. It's located in a very run down area. I didn't feel too safe walking across the street. It seemed like we got a lot of food for the price but in the end I would have rather ate somewhere else for such a special night. The other reviewers who liked the place ordered things off the menu which sounds more delicious. Live and learn they say, live and learn...
I've been to Upstairs 2 three times now and have enjoyed every visit. I love trying the various tapas dishes and sharing with friends along with some wine. My only problem is wanting to try the entire menu, ordering too much and having to roll myself out the doors. Must practice some restraint and just visit more often.
A couple of weeks ago I went to one of their wine dinners for "Precious Portugal." Had a great time. Sat next to interesting folks, some with extensive wine knowledge and others (like me) just going to have a great time. The food portions at the dinner were more than filling and my only critique is that I was craving something sweeter at the end of the dinner to enjoy my port with. (They did serve a desert dish, but I needed something more to cap off a fantastic dinner.) The sommelier Marilyn was great and entertained every question we had. BTW, reservations for the dinners are highly recommended as they tend to fill up.
You could spend hours here just enjoying the food, the wine and company of friends. The staff is great -- attentive but subtle so as not to disturb your conversation or meal. I would definitely recommend to others.
somebody at wine house has some great ideas, but terrible execution.
take, for example, the automated wine tasting machine room. what could have been a spacious, welcoming, social, and fun experience (ugo wine bar, bottlerock, etc.) is instead crammed into a tiny little dark closet so that you feel like a lonely wino at a vending machine. i literally couldn't wait to empty my wine debit card and get out of that depressing little room.
upstairs 2, the restaurant above the wine house, is kinda like that: great idea, poor execution.
the pros:
- simple but quaint decor,
- excellent service,
- fantastic selection of wines by the taste (2.5 oz), pour (6 oz), carafe (12 oz), or bottle,
- enticing tapas menu that is innovatively sorted for pairing by red, white, and then degree of body. it sounds a bit confusing, but basically instead of pairing individual dishes with one particular wine, dishes and wines are broken up into groups so that you can sample a variety of both in each group.
the cons:
- the food
we ordered:
- lobster BLT on brioche (under full-bodied whites - $12)
- medjool dates wrapped in serano ham (under sparkling whites - $8)
- sauteed bay scallops (under crisp & refreshing whites - $9)
- boneless beef short ribs (under medium to full bodied reds - $14)
- a couple carafes of spotswoode sauv blanc ($29.75 each), and one of blockheadia zin ($21.95)
the lobster BLT was arguably the favorite, with claw meat on top of a slice of green heirloom tomato, mayo, bacon, and frisee. simple, pretty tasty, and effectively an upscale lobster BLT.
the sauteed bay scallops were innovatively presented on some interesting spaghetti squash, but bay scallops to me just don't have the flavor or texture of ocean/diver scallops.
the medjool dates were stuffed with quite a bit of asiago cheese, and similarly lacked the complexity and taste of AOC's bacon-wrapped dates.
being a meat and potatoes kinda guy, i was really hoping the short ribs would save the day, but sadly they disappointed the most. the beef was almost jerky-tough and dry, and the braising liquid was not especially flavorful. i didn't even bother to finish it, which is saying a lot, because i NEVER leave meat on the table!
a mediocre dining experience overall, especially disappointing since the concept of a tapas restaurant with a 30,000 sqft wine cellar downstairs has so much potential!
you'd be better off driving the few extra miles to vinoteque in culver city instead. not as big of a selection of tapas or wines, but everything tastes terrific.
Girls night at Upstairs 2 on a Saturday. No reservations = no table, not even at 6pm!
We sat at the bar and watched the place fill up completely so reservations are definitely in order next time. Diverse crowd as mentioned by other reviewers -- half were dressed for the beach, the other half for the prom. One grown woman in taffeta and bows gave my little group the evil eye as she had to stand while waiting for her table as we sat nearby. She, obviously unaware that when dressed for prom and no longer in high school your evil eye privileges are seriously revoked.
I digress.
The bartender was lovely and helped us pick our glass of wine -- my favorite, a white Burgundy that was crisp and dry like my favorite weather. My friends, both lovers of sweet wines (blech) were equally happy. My one and only plate of food was very good though not earth quaking. We all loved the atmosphere - quiet, simple, unpretentious - and would absolutely go back and sit at the bar again to chat with the bartender and sip and snack for a few hours.
This has been at the top of restaurants in Los Angeles that I've wanted to try so my girlfriend took me here last night for my birthday.
Got there for our 7:00 reservation and were promptly seated. The dining room filled up shortly after we arrived. They were featuring a 3 course tasting menu with wine pairings, so we ordered that and added a couple more dishes to complete the meal.
The food:
Bread - Warm French bread served with rosemary infused olive oil. Great bread and olive oil. They brought us seconds when we asked.
Amuse Bouche - The chef sent a plate with four small slices of eggplant topped with goat cheese and a tomato slice. Good. The girlfriend hates goat cheese so she scraped it off hers and I ate it.
1st course: Warn Duck Confit Salad (Golden Quinoa, Black Currant, Apricot, Frisee) - I don't have a lot of experience with duck, but I really liked this dish. It wasn't exactly what I think of as a salad, though. One half had a bed of quinoa and the other half a bed of lettuce. On top of that was the whole duck leg.
2nd course: Lobster Tagliarini Pasta - The one dish of the night I wish had been larger. Paired with a 2007 Willi Schaefer Estate Riesling. Riesling is my favorite white and I thought it was a good pairing.
3rd course: Lake Superior White Fish (cous cous, julienne leaks) - I thought it was decent, girlfriend thought it was one of the best fish she's had. A little salty for me. Paired with 2007 K Vintners Viognier. Obviously, my wine education is not complete since I though viognier is a red wine.
4th course: Seared Diver Scallops (Lemon Risotto Cake, Sherry Gastrique) - Loved this one. I'm a big fan of scallops. They were well cooked and greatly complimented the risotto cakes.
5th course: Fillet Mignon with foie gras and black truffle butter, green beans and potatoes. - Our waiter told us he thought this was the best fillet mignon he's seen at restaurants. I'm just not a fan of steak. Girlfriend couldn't stop smiling at this one. I thought the green beans were the best thing on the plate. Paired with a 2007 Soter North Valley Pinot Noir.
Desert: Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream - Waiter put a candle in this for my birthday. He turned back about half way to our table when the candle went out. Never had toffee pudding before. Enjoyed it.
Overall, lived up to my expectations and I'd definitely go back. Service was good. Tons more on the menu I'd like to try. I really like tapas style eating.
Love the small plates, but the best part is the various size pours of wines. Great place to taste a lot of different wines without getting too sloppy.
For Rafa C., I don't what menu you had, but every wine menu I have ever had at Upstairs has a price for all of the sizes of all of the wines.
I really wish we could do half stars, I would like to give a 3.5. Here's why:
I brought my boyfriend here and some friends to celebrate his birthday. It was still tastela so we got to do their prefix menu for 34/person.
For starters the dirty martini I got was the best in my life (wish I could give half a star for that). I paid attention to see why it was so incredible (usually the martinis I order have the same core ingredients), the bartender used a chilled martini glass AND a chilled shaker, it was like a grey goose ice storm in my mouth-seriously incredible. (Who would think this martini would change my life in a wine bistro??).
Sadly the food could not stand up to the drink. Every dish (mostly Mediterranean tapas style) was presented beautifully but the flavors just seemed bland or average. I had a crab bisque and a grilled lobster tail, I mostly tasted salt. My boyfriend loved his dishes especially the wine-food pairings. He is still talking about a Cote de Rhone pairing with his goat cheese salad. The place is great for larger parties 5-10 people.
My birthday here...yay....4.5 if it were possible
Though I would've enjoyed sampling more of the different types of wine, we were a group of five and my dad was paying so I didn't want to put him out...I did sneak a peak at the total & including the wines we brought from downstairs, it was under $200 for 5 people which is pretty reasonable...
Similar in concept to Violet (tapas style portions with some Mediterranean influence), I felt that Violet had more creativity, but Upstairs 2 had more consistency in the quality of the dishes.
The whitefish was undercooked, but I was the only one who noticed. We liked the polenta squares, the fig and prosciutto flatbread (going to try to make this one at home...), and the lamb shank especially. The desserts were tasty also (got the strawberry basil sorbet, chocolate volcano cake and toffee bread pudding).
Good wine selection here and I think it's really reasonable. The decor is a little austere for a wine bar. I felt like everyone was overdressed for a wine bar. I would call this more of a wine-themed restaurant. Food was all decent to good. Friend's ribeye was overcooked and not a good cut. Polenta squares were a little dried out. Salad was good, grean beans were good. The quality of meats and cheeses here could be better, but at their prices I can understand why. Still, I'd rather spend a little extra and get the premium stuff.
Nothing beats Lou.
Lobster lollipops! Scallops with honey truffle butter! Elk! Thank you, Upstairs 2, for having a dynamic menu of small plates. Dining here is like dining in a secret supper club. The dining room hints at elegance but is ultimately no frills. Feeling a little experimental and looking to expand your wine horizons? This is a place for you. The staff has many unique suggestions to offer and you can sample the wine in a variety of servings by the ounce. Top if all off with the mouth-watering morsels and voila: good times.
I came here for a friend's birthday awhile back....the decor here is really nice...and i love the fact that we had our own private room...which felt like our own dining room. The food was not bad and the service was great. I don't even remember what I had because it was a set menu for our party. But if you are into fancy food then this is the place for you...as for me...I think I'll settle with Ruth's Chris for some sizzling steaks....
I have to admit, I've been going to the wine house for years and I never caught on that there was a restaurant upstairs :-) Oddly located next to the intersection of the 405 and the 10, Upstairs 2 rocks!
The food: excellent - great selection for veggies and non-veggies alike. The polenta squares topped with tapenade were heavenly and served just right!. Lots of raves for the serrano ham wrapped dates with a surprise center of asiago cheese. The cheese...oh the cheese - an excellent accompaniment to any of the dishes.
The wine: equally good with a good selection of non-mainstream wines and suggested pairings on the menu. The great thing about Upstairs is that you can get little 2.5 oz pours if you want to try pairing a wine to each dish. We didn't do that this time around but it looks to be a fun activity.
The surrounding and service: excellent. Our waiter was friendly and fast and the sommelier was approachable and quite helpful. The surroundings were "out-with friends" intimate but a bit noisy.
Service & Ambiance (4 Stars). There are plenty of parking spaces and it is close to the West Side Pavillion Mall & Landmark Theater (one of my favorite theaters--opened on June 2007). The restaurant has a pull down screen and projector--useful if you want to present visual aides/pictures for a business banquet, private party, organized event, ect. Also, good place to go for a light dinner after the movies or long evening of shopping with friends or with a date.
Most delicious and memorable dish: Elk Sausage with Madeira Wine, Sauteed Spinach, & Red Onion ($9). I plan to go back just for this dish and wine tasting. They offer wine by the glass (2.5 oz or 6.0 oz) and Carafe.
Meh, it's good but not great. Fortunately dinner was not on my dime so I just sat back and enjoyed the food and wine but I can't say that I'd return. For those who like wine, this place has a wide selection but the food pairings were lacking. Just thought the chef was of the philosophy that salt = flavor, which it does not.
Where to begin, where to begin...lets start with two sampler glasses of wine and two full pour glasses of wine and an appetizer plate of three assorted pork products (charcuterie) and a tab of 122.86! No prices for the wines were mentioned and I was aghast. The full pour glasses of wine were $70.00 dollars alone.
Now I am not against drop large change for a good meal, but my price elasticity does not reach to $70.00 for two glasses of wine. The problem is not that Upstairs 2 charges what they charge; it is that people ACTUALLY pay for the pleasure of being gouged! To add insult to injury the wine was pedestrian, at best.
If your intent is to try different wines try http://www.localwineev.../ , it will certainly be cheaper than Upstairs 2
This place gets my first 5 star review. It was amazing, I went with my girlfriends for a late pre-going out dinner on a Saturday night. The service was impeccable and extremely friendly and knowledgeable, the wine and food astounding, and the decor is great. Overall the experience was superb. I highly recommend the dates stuffed with asiago and wrapped in prosciutto with the Marenco Brachetto sparkling wine. The deconstructed salad is absolutely amazing too! I can't wait to come back to try more wine and food, I love that they have to option of doing just tastes, full glasses, 1/2 carafes or bottles of wine. The menu is organized by what type of wine it goes well with which is very helpful and a fun way to design a meal. In addition the Sommelier is extremely helpful in picking wine and conscientious regarding price.
On Wednesdays they have a wine dinner which I can't wait to try out. I recommend reservations which you can make online with Open Table unless you plan on eating late because there is not very much bar seating.
(If you happen to be walking here and therefore not arriving by the second floor parking garage entrance than the entrance on the street is the door that says please use other door and then you just go on up the stairs.)
I went again with one of the same girls I had originally gone with and my love for this place has increased even more. We could not beleive it but the staff actually recognized us. Everyone was warm and hospitable and funny. Great food, great wine, great staff, great ambiance. I love the Upstairs 2.
Our server was great. His name was Matthew. The food was good. Very small portions though. They were also out of alot of things. Very disappointing. The wine was good that we got. We do want to go back. I will update once we do and give more stars.
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: West Hollywood
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: West Los Angeles
Category: Beer, Wine & Spirits
Neighborhood: Hollywood
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
Category: American (New)
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
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