A great place for a special dinner.Kid-friendliness: Very kid friendly
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Xhian McIntyre
Food is good but you pay $300 to sit in a parking lot. Also super loud and can’t hear people at the same table. Recommend they provide discount for parking lot dining.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 2
Sam Dreyfus
Great service and excellent food made for a really nice evening. The pastas were delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kathryn Chamberlin
Food was great. Was very crowded on a Thursday night so highly recommend reservations. Will be coming back to try more
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cherith Zanghi
The orange wine was good. Cannot recommend the food, unfortunately
Jan Pylko
My favorite restaurant in Los Angeles!Kid-friendliness: Ok for kidsWheelchair accessibility: Easy access for wheelchair
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Grilled Cauliflower, Raviolo Ricotta and Egg Brown Butter and Sage, Hippo Rolls Sea Sali & Honey Butter, Ceviche
David Peszek
Superb lively spot that is creating amazing culinary. Bar and wine list are exceptional as well. Eat there now before it gets an award and triples the price.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Chaim Magnum
Food was amazing! The service was bad! Very expensive but I expected to be better taken care of. They were fully staffed but no one seemed to be working efficiently. We were 8 and none of the food runners ever knew who ordered what. They had to ask on every plate they brought. Not just our table but others as well. I don’t know if they have busboys as our table was never cleared. Plates upon plate stacked up. No one asked if we wanted a second drink and the glasses were never picked up. When we ordered dessert we had to move the 16 empty drink and water glasses to one side, gather the bread plates, wipe everything down and wait for our desserts. It was a busy night but not too busy for bad service. I kinda expected more than diner service at such an expensive restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 2
Linda McLoon
We had a very nice dinner here. I would describe it as a neighborhood kind of place, rather than a destination restaurant. The vibe is casual, and the wait staff attentive. The decor is very bright and colorful, and they have a nice selection of pastas in particular. And they start you out with bags of focaccia, which is quite good.I started with the Yes and? cocktail. It was a nice bright Collins style drink with gin, vermouth, grapefruit, anise, lemon, and bubbles. Very light and balanced. They have a nice selection of mocktails also.We started with two vegetable dishes. Both are excellent. The wax beans are served with an almost creamy vinaigrette; the hazelnuts make a nice addition. The cauliflower is grilled and topped with a mildly spicy walnut raisin caper relish. The cauliflower was a bit overcooked, but it was tasty nonetheless.We each had pasta. The butternut squash capellacci is served with a brown butter sauce topped with crispy sage leaves. This is a classic preparation. The pasta was properly cooked, but they were swimming in way too much brown butter. The "sea shell" pasta with clams were really good, with crispy bread crumbs and lemon. Also good was the buccatini with guanicale, tomato, red onion, and chili. It is a bit spicy. They also will do a kid pasta with butter and Parmesan.The "basque" cheesecake was okay, but most certainly not basque cheesecake. It was way too spongy, and was served literally with 6 blueberries in the side.In summary, the pastas and vegetable starters were all good. They run about $25 a plate. The cocktails are good, but I would avoid that cheesecake.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wax Beans
Lauren Donahoe
I was excited to try this place and I was not disappointed. I highly encourage coming with at least three friends so you can try lots of dishes and share. We opted to get a bottle of wine and had a great server who made lots of food recommendations. I also had a vegan and vegetarian friend with me and there were clearly labeled options as well as off menu items the server shared with us. The outdoor patio had plenty of heat lamps so even in January, we were comfortable and had space to enjoy the multitude of courses. I definitely recommend this spot, just maybe carpool since parking is tough.Vegetarian options: Vegetarian and vegan dishes clearly labeledDietary restrictions: Plenty of options for vegetarians and vegansParking: Metered street parking as well as free street parking in neighborhoods, but gets super busy especially on weekendsKid-friendliness: No kid menuWheelchair accessibility: All on one level - fully accessible
It's beautiful fence there I met kimberly loaiza and kenya osVegetarian options: They are delicious, I love them as much as I love Kimberly Loaiza, I mean 10000000Parking: It is very spacious and has parking vouchers and they clean it for youKid-friendliness: Yes it is very safe
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Casamigos Reposado
Jose Lozano
I haven’t tried it but I’ve seen it when I order pizza. Looks delicious with caring staff and chefs. I’ll return one day and try it out. Everything looks fresh and cooked with raw ingredients.
Atmosphere: 5
River O
The food is terribly boring. Lacks all intention/creativity/execution. The scallops dish was kind of funny. The only acid was the pomegranate seed— the entire dish was so rich and intense. What was that? Gravy? The hamachi crudo was kind of like resort food. Kind of like something you would get at that atrocious Atlantis resort in the Bahamas that I always see commercials for. Idk though i’ve never been there.I probably wouldn’t be as annoyed if they hadn’t disallowed corkage. Their wine list is good enough to find something to drink. I would have enjoyed the P.O. Bonhomme “Telquel” which I enjoy a lot, but I was kind of annoyed at the whole situation. I ended up having a beer. If i could have enjoyed the wine that I brought, i would have enjoyed the meal a lot more.Restaurants that refuse corkage are just hilarious to me. If the wine program is a james beard award nominee or some other thing of a high regard, then I would understand. But forcing people to drink wine off the list assumes the guest as a captive. I know most of the natural selections on the list, i’ve had all of them from the viteadovest, marigny , bonhomme, etc. and none of them I wanted to drink that evening. So i brought a bottle of my own. Sounds reasonable, right?The service was good, yet very overbearing. I don’t want to be told by the server how good the food is while i’m eating it. I don’t want to hear a rudimentary story about Chartreuse when I order it. I don’t want to feel bad that I disagree with how “good” everything is. Don’t tell me how things taste, let me taste it for myself. And don’t assume I know nothing, tell me what I want to know when I ask. Part of great service is reading the room, in my opinion.I’ve worked in service for a very long time, and I hate commenting on the servers. Ultimately the ability of the servers to perform is dependent on the functionality of the restaurant and the quality of the kitchen. I think the server was great at their job and very knowledgeable, but there’s obviously something missing here.Edit: omg i just remembered the Hippo rolls. So funny. It’s literally a cinnamon bun. Insane to have something so damn sweet as a starter dish.In my opinion :) <3
Fran Marintsch
If you or someone you know has a food allergy, please read this review.On November 26th, my family went to Hippo Restaurant for dinner. I told the waitress Mary that I had a garlic food allergy and asked if the scallops entree could be made without garlic. She checked with the kitchen staff and told me that almost every dish had garlic. We agreed that I could order just scallops without garlic and no other food on the plate.The meals arrived and my plate had multiple food items on it. I asked the server if the food had garlic and he answered yes. I refused the meal and talked with Simone (the Manager on duty). I finally received my meal after the rest of my family was finished.Food allergies are a problem when eating out. Restaurants risk the health of their customers when they ignore a food allergy. In my opinion, Hippo did not take my food allergy seriously and made excuses for the mistake. They have a limited menu and their website did not indicate any problems dealing with food allergies. My final meal was ordinary and my unhappy family was not billed for my meal. I will not return to Hippo.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Mariella Soprano
After sending a message that we were on the way, we arrived 13 minutes late. We were offered only bar seats. When I told the hostess that I could not seat on high stool and asked to be seated on a regular table. Although there were empty tables, we were told that because we were late they could not accommodate us! We left and we will not be back!
A great place for a special dinner.Kid-friendliness: Very kid friendly
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food is good but you pay $300 to sit in a parking lot. Also super loud and can’t hear people at the same table. Recommend they provide discount for parking lot dining.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 2
Great service and excellent food made for a really nice evening. The pastas were delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was great. Was very crowded on a Thursday night so highly recommend reservations. Will be coming back to try more
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
The orange wine was good. Cannot recommend the food, unfortunately
My favorite restaurant in Los Angeles!Kid-friendliness: Ok for kidsWheelchair accessibility: Easy access for wheelchair
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Grilled Cauliflower, Raviolo Ricotta and Egg Brown Butter and Sage, Hippo Rolls Sea Sali & Honey Butter, Ceviche
Superb lively spot that is creating amazing culinary. Bar and wine list are exceptional as well. Eat there now before it gets an award and triples the price.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Food was amazing! The service was bad! Very expensive but I expected to be better taken care of. They were fully staffed but no one seemed to be working efficiently. We were 8 and none of the food runners ever knew who ordered what. They had to ask on every plate they brought. Not just our table but others as well. I don’t know if they have busboys as our table was never cleared. Plates upon plate stacked up. No one asked if we wanted a second drink and the glasses were never picked up. When we ordered dessert we had to move the 16 empty drink and water glasses to one side, gather the bread plates, wipe everything down and wait for our desserts. It was a busy night but not too busy for bad service. I kinda expected more than diner service at such an expensive restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 2
We had a very nice dinner here. I would describe it as a neighborhood kind of place, rather than a destination restaurant. The vibe is casual, and the wait staff attentive. The decor is very bright and colorful, and they have a nice selection of pastas in particular. And they start you out with bags of focaccia, which is quite good.I started with the Yes and? cocktail. It was a nice bright Collins style drink with gin, vermouth, grapefruit, anise, lemon, and bubbles. Very light and balanced. They have a nice selection of mocktails also.We started with two vegetable dishes. Both are excellent. The wax beans are served with an almost creamy vinaigrette; the hazelnuts make a nice addition. The cauliflower is grilled and topped with a mildly spicy walnut raisin caper relish. The cauliflower was a bit overcooked, but it was tasty nonetheless.We each had pasta. The butternut squash capellacci is served with a brown butter sauce topped with crispy sage leaves. This is a classic preparation. The pasta was properly cooked, but they were swimming in way too much brown butter. The "sea shell" pasta with clams were really good, with crispy bread crumbs and lemon. Also good was the buccatini with guanicale, tomato, red onion, and chili. It is a bit spicy. They also will do a kid pasta with butter and Parmesan.The "basque" cheesecake was okay, but most certainly not basque cheesecake. It was way too spongy, and was served literally with 6 blueberries in the side.In summary, the pastas and vegetable starters were all good. They run about $25 a plate. The cocktails are good, but I would avoid that cheesecake.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wax Beans
I was excited to try this place and I was not disappointed. I highly encourage coming with at least three friends so you can try lots of dishes and share. We opted to get a bottle of wine and had a great server who made lots of food recommendations. I also had a vegan and vegetarian friend with me and there were clearly labeled options as well as off menu items the server shared with us. The outdoor patio had plenty of heat lamps so even in January, we were comfortable and had space to enjoy the multitude of courses. I definitely recommend this spot, just maybe carpool since parking is tough.Vegetarian options: Vegetarian and vegan dishes clearly labeledDietary restrictions: Plenty of options for vegetarians and vegansParking: Metered street parking as well as free street parking in neighborhoods, but gets super busy especially on weekendsKid-friendliness: No kid menuWheelchair accessibility: All on one level - fully accessible
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shaved Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash Ravioli, Hippo House Rolls
Restaurantji Recommends
It's beautiful fence there I met kimberly loaiza and kenya osVegetarian options: They are delicious, I love them as much as I love Kimberly Loaiza, I mean 10000000Parking: It is very spacious and has parking vouchers and they clean it for youKid-friendliness: Yes it is very safe
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Casamigos Reposado
I haven’t tried it but I’ve seen it when I order pizza. Looks delicious with caring staff and chefs. I’ll return one day and try it out. Everything looks fresh and cooked with raw ingredients.
Atmosphere: 5
The food is terribly boring. Lacks all intention/creativity/execution. The scallops dish was kind of funny. The only acid was the pomegranate seed— the entire dish was so rich and intense. What was that? Gravy? The hamachi crudo was kind of like resort food. Kind of like something you would get at that atrocious Atlantis resort in the Bahamas that I always see commercials for. Idk though i’ve never been there.I probably wouldn’t be as annoyed if they hadn’t disallowed corkage. Their wine list is good enough to find something to drink. I would have enjoyed the P.O. Bonhomme “Telquel” which I enjoy a lot, but I was kind of annoyed at the whole situation. I ended up having a beer. If i could have enjoyed the wine that I brought, i would have enjoyed the meal a lot more.Restaurants that refuse corkage are just hilarious to me. If the wine program is a james beard award nominee or some other thing of a high regard, then I would understand. But forcing people to drink wine off the list assumes the guest as a captive. I know most of the natural selections on the list, i’ve had all of them from the viteadovest, marigny , bonhomme, etc. and none of them I wanted to drink that evening. So i brought a bottle of my own. Sounds reasonable, right?The service was good, yet very overbearing. I don’t want to be told by the server how good the food is while i’m eating it. I don’t want to hear a rudimentary story about Chartreuse when I order it. I don’t want to feel bad that I disagree with how “good” everything is. Don’t tell me how things taste, let me taste it for myself. And don’t assume I know nothing, tell me what I want to know when I ask. Part of great service is reading the room, in my opinion.I’ve worked in service for a very long time, and I hate commenting on the servers. Ultimately the ability of the servers to perform is dependent on the functionality of the restaurant and the quality of the kitchen. I think the server was great at their job and very knowledgeable, but there’s obviously something missing here.Edit: omg i just remembered the Hippo rolls. So funny. It’s literally a cinnamon bun. Insane to have something so damn sweet as a starter dish.In my opinion :) <3
If you or someone you know has a food allergy, please read this review.On November 26th, my family went to Hippo Restaurant for dinner. I told the waitress Mary that I had a garlic food allergy and asked if the scallops entree could be made without garlic. She checked with the kitchen staff and told me that almost every dish had garlic. We agreed that I could order just scallops without garlic and no other food on the plate.The meals arrived and my plate had multiple food items on it. I asked the server if the food had garlic and he answered yes. I refused the meal and talked with Simone (the Manager on duty). I finally received my meal after the rest of my family was finished.Food allergies are a problem when eating out. Restaurants risk the health of their customers when they ignore a food allergy. In my opinion, Hippo did not take my food allergy seriously and made excuses for the mistake. They have a limited menu and their website did not indicate any problems dealing with food allergies. My final meal was ordinary and my unhappy family was not billed for my meal. I will not return to Hippo.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
After sending a message that we were on the way, we arrived 13 minutes late. We were offered only bar seats. When I told the hostess that I could not seat on high stool and asked to be seated on a regular table. Although there were empty tables, we were told that because we were late they could not accommodate us! We left and we will not be back!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1