My wife and I had a wonderful experience here last month . The service was impeccable and every dish we tried was great . The waiter we had that night made great food and wine recommendations and was incredibly accommodating. We can’t wait to go back for another date night
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hilda Hovsepian
Every dish was delicious- tuna tartar, beet salad, short rib, fish and the desserts were phenomenal-can’t wait to go back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cat Stenerson
Holy cow... This place is worth every sip. Every bite. I could not believe I ate and loved this place so much!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Veronica Kyuhee Kim
Restaurant felt cozy and small than I thought. It was my birthday dinner. We planned to order the desert and they said If we order any desert, they will message HBD on the desert. But we had to cancle the desert.. when I was back from the washroom, there were cute little madeleines in a basket and sparkling wine in mini class which was soo thoughtful and impressed. Foods were delicious as well! I would like to visit again next time for sure. I appreciate it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Jane Song
This is by far the best restaurant in the area, and they had some of the best dishes - including their chicken pâté and Madelines which were our favorite. Uni was really good too and as an avid seafood lover it was enjoyable but also easy for intro experiences for those who don’t like seafood as much because they blend the flavors to make it more subtle. Their staff was amazing and really wanted the customers to have a great dining experience. One of those places that I want to keep secret but just want to support because we had a great time.
gaya garibyan
What an amazing addition to our community! I'm so delighted that we had a chance to dine here on a random evening without a reservation. It's hard to find a restaurant in LA that offers high quality food, impeccable service, and great ambience. I can't wait to come back with friends and family.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Grant McMahon
Amazing experience, staff is super friendly and the food was on another level. I’d get one appetizer, one entree and one dessert per person. It’s pricey but well worth it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Helen Ma
Food tasted great! Balanced, complementary flavours. Portions were a bit small, so a bit of a splurge meal. Will be back for dessert.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brian Santos
First time we went here over the weekend and we loved it! So much so that we stayed after closing to enjoy more wine and desserts. Staff was AMAZING! Great food, small portions and extremely tasty…. great atmosphere, topped off with an excellent dessert. We will definitely be coming back. We highly recommend Backbone
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Barbara Huyett
‘Let’s review’ (as my partner likes to say):
Backbone food, wine, service and ambiance is so well thought out, well wrought, inviting, and downright tasty, it’s hard to disassemble the whole, lovely experience, and why would you? Simply do it again. This jewel box rocks.
I don't write many reviews but this is the best meal I've had in Los Angeles in a long time. The food is amazing, innovative and beautifully plated. The wines are very complimentary and delicious. Favorites are the Barbajuan (potato leek pastry bite), Tuna Tartare, Steak & Short Ribs & Halibut. But the Key Lime (I call it a bomb) is a desert I've been dreaming of since the pastry chef/Owner Karen stopped baking at their previous establishment, McCalls Meat & Fish Co. in Los Feliz. No kidding, this is hands down the best Key Lime 'Pie' I've ever had and I grew up vacationing in the South my whole childhood!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
yousef
Its name suggests fundamental strength, and it certainly leans into quality ingredients, but the price point feels a touch elevated beyond itself. The ambiance skews towards a quiet, mature, respectable dining room. Service, while perfectly competent, lacks the anticipatory approach one expects when dining at a premium. More critically, the portions across the board left me feeling hungry at the end of the meal and I contemplated a second dinner.
The uni waffle was truly a unique dish that became a culinary memory. Golden, airy waffle coupled with delicate uni. Sweet savory nori honey butter and yuzu cream. I nearly immediately ordered a second. While the beets themselves were of good quality, the beet salad was heavy-handed with the horseradish crème fraîche and dressing. The corn agnolotti had a pillowy texture, but then came the bacon crumble that bulldozed the sweetness of the corn and cheese. I needed less of it. The ny strip & short rib was well executed with both cuts cooked precisely, offering dependable comfort. While not reinventing the wheel it was reliably good. Ultimately, Backbone is where exceptional ingredients take the stage, but the overall value proposition leaves one pondering.
Hambik Oktanyan
Hidden gem in Montrose area. Ambiance and service is perfect for a local date night Dinner. The quality and presentation of the food is 5 stars...professionally plated and attention to details. Watching the chefs from our table shows the level of passion and quality in workmanship and service . Overall very positive experience. The halibut and the steak plates plus the prawns for appetizer is a must . Keep it going and Thank you
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Darlene Burke
I had a great experience at Backbone. As a fan of McCalls, I was excited to try Nathan and Karen's new restaurant, and it lived up to my expectations.
I ordered the bass while my sister had the lamb, both of which were expertly prepared. We also shared the agnolotti, and I had the barbajuan while my sister chose the uni—everything was excellent. The dessert was a highlight: peanut butter buttercream and honeycomb were so good that we wanted to take some home.
The service was excellent, and we will definitely return. It's fantastic to have such a great place nearby.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A DL
Delicious food! Super warm atmosphere and make sure to save room for dessert 🙌
My wife and I had a wonderful experience here last month . The service was impeccable and every dish we tried was great . The waiter we had that night made great food and wine recommendations and was incredibly accommodating. We can’t wait to go back for another date night
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Every dish was delicious- tuna tartar, beet salad, short rib, fish and the desserts were phenomenal-can’t wait to go back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Holy cow... This place is worth every sip. Every bite. I could not believe I ate and loved this place so much!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurant felt cozy and small than I thought. It was my birthday dinner. We planned to order the desert and they said If we order any desert, they will message HBD on the desert. But we had to cancle the desert.. when I was back from the washroom, there were cute little madeleines in a basket and sparkling wine in mini class which was soo thoughtful and impressed. Foods were delicious as well! I would like to visit again next time for sure. I appreciate it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
This is by far the best restaurant in the area, and they had some of the best dishes - including their chicken pâté and Madelines which were our favorite. Uni was really good too and as an avid seafood lover it was enjoyable but also easy for intro experiences for those who don’t like seafood as much because they blend the flavors to make it more subtle. Their staff was amazing and really wanted the customers to have a great dining experience. One of those places that I want to keep secret but just want to support because we had a great time.
What an amazing addition to our community! I'm so delighted that we had a chance to dine here on a random evening without a reservation. It's hard to find a restaurant in LA that offers high quality food, impeccable service, and great ambience. I can't wait to come back with friends and family.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing experience, staff is super friendly and the food was on another level. I’d get one appetizer, one entree and one dessert per person. It’s pricey but well worth it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food tasted great! Balanced, complementary flavours. Portions were a bit small, so a bit of a splurge meal. Will be back for dessert.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
First time we went here over the weekend and we loved it! So much so that we stayed after closing to enjoy more wine and desserts. Staff was AMAZING! Great food, small portions and extremely tasty…. great atmosphere, topped off with an excellent dessert. We will definitely be coming back. We highly recommend Backbone
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
‘Let’s review’ (as my partner likes to say):
Backbone food, wine, service and ambiance is so well thought out, well wrought, inviting, and downright tasty, it’s hard to disassemble the whole,
lovely experience, and why would you? Simply do it again. This jewel box rocks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
I don't write many reviews but this is the best meal I've had in Los Angeles in a long time. The food is amazing, innovative and beautifully plated. The wines are very complimentary and delicious. Favorites are the Barbajuan (potato leek pastry bite), Tuna Tartare, Steak & Short Ribs & Halibut. But the Key Lime (I call it a bomb) is a desert I've been dreaming of since the pastry chef/Owner Karen stopped baking at their previous establishment, McCalls Meat & Fish Co. in Los Feliz. No kidding, this is hands down the best Key Lime 'Pie' I've ever had and I grew up vacationing in the South my whole childhood!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Its name suggests fundamental strength, and it certainly leans into quality ingredients, but the price point feels a touch elevated beyond itself. The ambiance skews towards a quiet, mature, respectable dining room. Service, while perfectly competent, lacks the anticipatory approach one expects when dining at a premium. More critically, the portions across the board left me feeling hungry at the end of the meal and I contemplated a second dinner.
The uni waffle was truly a unique dish that became a culinary memory. Golden, airy waffle coupled with delicate uni. Sweet savory nori honey butter and yuzu cream. I nearly immediately ordered a second. While the beets themselves were of good quality, the beet salad was heavy-handed with the horseradish crème fraîche and dressing. The corn agnolotti had a pillowy texture, but then came the bacon crumble that bulldozed the sweetness of the corn and cheese. I needed less of it. The ny strip & short rib was well executed with both cuts cooked precisely, offering dependable comfort. While not reinventing the wheel it was reliably good. Ultimately, Backbone is where exceptional ingredients take the stage, but the overall value proposition leaves one pondering.
Hidden gem in Montrose area. Ambiance and service is perfect for a local date night Dinner. The quality and presentation of the food is 5 stars...professionally plated and attention to details. Watching the chefs from our table shows the level of passion and quality in workmanship and service . Overall very positive experience. The halibut and the steak plates plus the prawns for appetizer is a must . Keep it going and Thank you
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I had a great experience at Backbone. As a fan of McCalls, I was excited to try Nathan and Karen's new restaurant, and it lived up to my expectations.
I ordered the bass while my sister had the lamb, both of which were expertly prepared. We also shared the agnolotti, and I had the barbajuan while my sister chose the uni—everything was excellent. The dessert was a highlight: peanut butter buttercream and honeycomb were so good that we wanted to take some home.
The service was excellent, and we will definitely return. It's fantastic to have such a great place nearby.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious food! Super warm atmosphere and make sure to save room for dessert 🙌
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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