Ètra

737 N Western Ave Suite B, Los Angeles
(323) 672-8606

Recent Reviews

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Natalia Le

Family-style Italian restaurant. We got the meatballs, hamachi crudo, spaghetti pomodoro, rigatoni, the New York strip, and asparagus. I would order the meatballs, spaghetti pomodoro, and New York strip again. The hamachi crudo and rigatoni were both unique but not my favorites after more than a few bites. The asparagus was a little too undercooked for my taste.

Theres a small indoor area and a few outdoor tables in an enclosed area. There's not a full bar, but they have wine and a few beers and nonalcoholic drinks.

We had reservations on a very busy night due to a gallery opening nearby, so they were about 15 minutes behind on schedule. They immediately offered us a glass of wine because of this. Service was great!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

Emily Flores

Everything was delicious.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Chicory Salad, Pork Ribeye

Phyllis Yee

Lovely ambiance. Staff very accommodating. Delicious food. Loved the meatballs and steak. Very good house made desserts. Had lemon custard withe fresh berries & dense chocolate cake. Even the bread was outstanding. Place is quiet even though on Western Ave. It's set back from the street. You can miss it if you don't know exactly what you're looking for. Has valet parking & their own lot.

Parking: If you drive around a bit, you can find street parking off of Western Ave

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Chicory Salad

Tyler Austin

Amazing Italian spot. The meatballs and the chicory Caesar salad did it for me. The rigatoni pasta felt slightly undercooked but overall we liked it a lot.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Chicory Salad

Diana Miller

Wonderful, hidden gem!

I don’t usually write reviews, but I wanted to share the lovely experience my guest and I had during our recent visit to Ètra in Melrose Hill last Sunday. It was exceptional! We don’t normally indulge in such a lavish dining experience, but our meal at Ètra was definitely worth it – a wonderful memory for sure!

We arrived a bit early for our reservation and had to wait only a few minutes until we were seated, but the Maitre d’ was extremely warm, friendly and attentive. She even made sure that the music was lowered so that my guest and I could converse without having to speak too loudly – although we really liked the music that was playing.

The restaurant ambiance was inviting and comfortable. We especially liked the warm wood décor. Our server, Juan, was very professional, courteous and knowledgeable. He reviewed the menu with us and patiently answered our many questions. Rebecca, the Assistant General Manager, was also very welcoming and checked in on us regularly to make sure everything was going smoothly.

There were so many items that we wanted to try!

For starters, we shared the Meatballs and Chicories plates. Both were excellent! My guest is Italian and a great cook herself who makes incredible meatballs, so we were eager to see how Ètra’s meatballs measured up. We were impressed by the texture of Ètra’s meatballs and were delighted by their taste! The sauce added even more flavor. They were simple, well cooked and delicious. We both agreed that we might get an individual order for each of us on our next visit so we won’t have to share them.

We were pleasantly surprised by the Chicories starter plate. This plate complemented the meatballs very well. It was light and refreshing, and I especially enjoyed the crunchiness alongside the smooth texture of the meatballs. The portion was generous and was enough to accompany the other dishes.

Additionally, we ordered the Hamachi Crudo. This plate probably didn’t complement the other starter plates, but the description peaked my interest. I was not disappointed. This was a delicate plate bursting with flavors. I really enjoyed it.

Next, we had the Rigatoni along with the Dorade and the NY Strip. The Rigatoni was cooked perfectly! And the sauce was delicious – subtle yet flavorful – a nice pairing with the Dorade and the NY Strip. The Dorade was also cooked well. The skin was crispy and the fish was moist and buttery. But, our favorite by far was the NY Strip. It was also cooked to perfection, and the flavor combination of the maitake and the seasoning of the crust made this dish our favorite. It was a mouth-watering delight! The NY Strip especially went well with the La Battagliola Lambrusco – Italian sparkling red wine – which was recommended by the Maitre d’.

We ended our culinary adventure with a chocolate salted caramel cake and a lemon posset topped with fresh berries. Both were delicious, but our favorite was the lemon posset. It was a very nice way to end such a wonderful and tasty meal!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Andi S

Loved this place! The food and wine was delicious and it’s a cozy vibe inside. The hostess was nice enough to accommodate us as a walk in with no reservation and we are so happy she did! We will absolutely be coming back to dine again.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Elisabeth Henderson Ference

Dreamy atmosphere, great for a date or a night out with friends. The meatballs are amazing, light and fluffy (and gluten free)

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Conor Harris

While I haven't been to the cafe in front, Telegrama, I've been to Étra twice now and had a consistently lovely time. The food is a delicious mix of Italian influences with the slightest touch of modern technique--think liquids that seem to be an oil of some sort but are bursting with the flavor of an herb or a spice, in a way that can only come from something entirely more involved than a simple infusion. There are clever takes on well known dishes, like a scampi that's actually perfectly seasoned prawns split down the middle, and excellent staples, like a perfectly done steak with a savory mushroom as both garnish and complement.

The service and wine selection are on point and are essential to the oddly cozy energy of this otherwise rather chic and modern space. Speaking of which, I don't know enough about this kind of trickery, but the space manages to be compact, with high ceilings, and yet not cacophonous, which is quite pleasant (as someone who is easily sidetracked by atmospheric chatter).

All in all, a great place for a small meal with a glass of wine or a more expansive dinner with friends and conversation. I've attached some photos of the last time I was there, but if there's one flaw, it's that the lighting isn't great for cellphone photography!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Chicory Salad

Siobhan Bird

I ate here last night with my family, and it’s such a gem. The atmosphere was cozy, the staff was kind and knowledgeable (we had Juan as a server and Jacob for wine), and the food was fantastic (we got a spread of starters, my favorite being the scampi, then shared several entrees. The steak and chicken were amazzzing, and the bavette nerano had a really nice mild briny-ness). 10/10 will definitely be going back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Jeanne Harris

Shared a delicious meal with family. Very warm staff. Jacob made some great wine suggestions, and our server Juan was really on top of his game. Food was sublime. Great night

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Adam Ferrucci

Etra is the perfect addition to our neighborhood. The atmosphere is very thoughtful and moody & the staff always goes above and beyond to make you feel welcome.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Chicory Salad

Ethan Cole

This place is all influencer hype with no substance. I went there last night for dinner with my friend and was VERY disappointed.

First off, the service was inattentive and average at best.

We started off with the meatballs and chicories salad. The meatballs were solid but the chicories salad was oily and nauseating after a few bites. Sure, the first few were okay but splitting this between two is crazy. You cant have more then a few fork fulls of this before getting turned off by it.

Next was the pastas. Wow what a letdown. We got the Spaghetti with Tuna which was boring and flavorless and the Rigatoni which was extremely one dimensional and lacked creativity. It tasted as if they cooked down onion, blended it into a cream sauce and added a bit of oil. Lets also note that both these pastas came out lukewarm if not cold. Isn't the point of having the food "Come out when its ready" that it actually comes out hot?

Finally, we had the steak. The steak was solid but not very tender. Its also steak. Pretty hard to judge the quality of a restaurant of this dish.

This place is all hype with no substance. I have 0 interest ever coming here again.

Check came out to 290 with tip. We each had 2 glasses of wine. Still what a RIP OFF especially for the portion sizes.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 2

Ralph Olivas

You'll find some of the most delicious pasta dishes in LA at Ètra...buon appetito

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Connor Malbeuf

The atmosphere is truly beautiful and Moody and a perfect spot for a date. The service was incredible and our waitress was really lovely. The food was good overall, there were some dishes that soared and some that I would not get again but overall it was a really great experience.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

Danielle Kreeft

GET THE CHICKEN.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

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