Before going to see Slave Play at the Taper, we had dinner at Abernethy's - they rotate up and coming chefs every 4 months or so, and we were there for Chef Ryan Costanza's Mediterranean/Sicilian-inspired menu. The stars were the cured hamachi (with white soy, kombu seaweed, kumquats, jicama, and avocado) and the sea urchin carbonara. I honestly cleaned my entire plate of bucatini AND then ate the rest of my friend's (she got the same entree, thankfully) - it was that good!!! We also ordered all 3 desserts (a dessert flight, if you will) - the winner was the panna cotta with prickly pear granita on top. Every single person we interacted with was fantastic, including our server Marc and the manager Billie. Honestly, I would go back even without a performance to see - although it definitely helped that they checked vaccination cards/IDs beforehand, so we could avoid the line at the Taper. Definitely recommend! read more

Abernethy's - Sea urchin carbonara (absolutely fantastic) - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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My wife and I went here before seeing Noklahoma. That is not a typo. It was awful, as was this meal (for me at least). I ordered pork skewers and my wife ordered the starter salad. The salad was good according to my wife, the skewers were okay, but surprisingly gristly. They tasted like very low quality meat, but the flavor wasn't bad. Then my wife had the trout for her main course which she said was delicious. I ordered the steak, which did not come out with the trout. We waited for about 5 minutes then my wife tucked in anyway. My steak came another 5 minutes later, and was cold. I sent it back despite being English, and a few minutes later the same steak was returned, now luke warm. I decided to just get on with it as my wife had finished her meal by this point. The meat was very low quality, and however they cooked the steak it had no substance to it. There was no char - barely even browned on the outside. It came medium rare as I usually like the steak however the chef suggests - but this was a mistake. With bargain bucket meat you're better off getting it cooked thoroughly so you're not each chunks of gristle. Our waiter was average. Not really interested, not apologetic, just kind of vacant. He didn't make any eye contact so I think he just felt like avoidance would get his night over more quickly. It's rare that I write a poor review, but I would avoid this place if you don't want to have a terrible dinner before a terrible show. read more

Our New Years Eve 4 course dinner was a delight! Absolutely amazing food, service, and area. We had to wait a little bit due to the festivities to get into the place but then got seated immediately. We ordered hummingbird cake and chocolate ganache for dinner. Total Bill: $230 for 2 people for a 4 course meal. It was a great experience! Super pricey for New Years though. On a regular day / non holiday, the portions are better and cheaper. read more

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Came back for a second visit and so happy I did! The cocktail "Just in Thyme" was excellent - very impressed with the cocktail program here. Started with a refreshing beet and citrus salad, followed by the absolutely delicious short rib. Loved the tamarind BBQ sauce! Great service and ambiance overlooking the Music Center Plaza fountain. Can't wait to come back for the next chef. read more

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Had a good experience at Abernethy's. Stopped in without reservations before a show. The cool thing about this place is the chef and menu change every 90 days, so there will always be something new to try. We tried the wontons, pasta, radish dish, and sesame donut. We liked it all! Interesting spices, tasty mixes, and a really great staff will have us returning whenever we're around. read more

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First time here! So packed! But Clay the bartender was soooo awesome and goood llooking :)) Made the best drinks, was super friendly, made our experience sooo much better! We will be back for sure! But mostly because of Clay and his drink making skills!!!! Thank you Clay! :))) read more

Abernethy's - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Amazing meal, great service and wonderful ambiance. The menu offered something for all of us with a range of pallets. Would highly recommend. read more

Randomly walking through Music Center Plaza before the show and tried this place. Had no idea from the name that this was upscale Chinese food. Had the lychee martini which was delicious. Grapefruit and radish salad, potstickers and dumplings. Chill, fun vibe. read more

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The food was good, and the service was good. The reason for the 3 star rating is that the portions were very small, and the prices are high especially considering the portion sizes. read more

We had dinner here this weekend before attending St. Matthew Passion at the Pavilion. They served us the best gin and tonics we have had in recent memory, and I'm going to try and recreate the recipe. Service was on point and the food was delicious. We had the mussels/clams dish, the roasted mushrooms over polenta, the wild greens salad, the croquetas and the roasted olives. All were tasty and filling. The desserts were good too (I had the panna cotta with prickly pear granita, my husband had the saedas), although my husband found the saedas a little too savory for his taste, he loved the ice cream and ended up eating most of my panna cotta dessert. Great view of City Hall from the side patio. We will be back! read more

Everything about this restaurant (except the food) is terrible. Servers act like they are doing the customer a favor by waiting on them, management is disinterested in improving and actually seems apathetic, the music is so loud it is difficult to have a conversation, the cocktails are weak and poured short. The cocktail issue is a personal pet peeve - either pour heavier or buy smaller glassware a half-full martini looks rediculous and feels like a ripoff - the bartenders should be embarrassed pouring cocktails like this. We have now been 3 times since the plaza reopened in September and I would not willfully go back. I hope Patina loses their contract for the Music Center and we see improvements in the future. read more

Abernethy's - 1/2 full specialty cocktail served at the table. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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The food was really great here! There were lots of food options for all different types of palates. Casey our server was great and very attentive/gave great recommendations! read more

This place is legit. That cured Hamachi was real nice, the grilled radicchio was straight up delicious with all the contrasting flavor, and those beef tallow olives were honestly some of the best olives I've had anywhere. I don't think one person is supposed to consume that many olives in a sitting but i crushed them. Perfect spot for a meal before a show, everything came out quick. That's impressive for the quality. Conquistador was super nice, never thought vermouth would go so well with mezcal. Also shout-out to the bartenders, I asked one of them to get creative and surprise me for my second cocktail and damn, that was a good drink. Lastly I gotta address the negative reviews on here - these yuppies have clearly never worked a service job and it shows. A bunch of spots around LA are understaffed right now and these servers were busting their ass. Boo hoo you didn't get your meal within the arbitrary perimeters you made up, go around the corner to Asterid if you want you want to spend a couple hours having your ass kissed. I watched a couple tables complain about some dumb shit and I don't know how the manager handled it so professionally, I would've lost it. I'll definitely be back, this place and concept is sweet. read more

Had high hopes for this place - a new venue at the music center for dinner before seeing a show at the Ahmanson. Different chefs rotate through with different types of food. Tonight was a Philippine flare and the food sounded delicious. We arrived at 6:30, which gave us an hour and a half to eat and get to the show (a short 1 minute walk across the plaza). A little after 7pm we finally got our drinks and appetizers. They have vegan and gluten free choices, so something for everyone. The apps were good as were the drinks. Unfortunately the "good" stopped there. By 7:10 our waiter hadn't been by to take our dinner order despite numerous attempts to flag him down. We finally did order but by 7:30 didn't have our food. The waiter apologized and said the kitchen was backed up, although we noticed most of the tables around us had received their food. This restaurant really has one goal - to get people in, fed and out in time for 8pm performances at the theaters. At 7:40...still no food. We made the decision to leave at that point. Even if our food came out, we would have had to wolf it down - not something we really wanted to do with entrees that started around $25 and went up from there. We did ask to speak to the manager but was told she was too busy in the kitchen trying to help. (Was she REALLY too busy or did our waiter not want to get her because he knew he had not successfully ensured we'd have dinner? Hmmmmm....). We told the waiter we had to leave to get to the show and he said not to worry about the bill (we had already decided drinks and apps should be on the house). Since there was really nowhere else to eat on the plaza and you can't eat or drink in the theater anyway, we sat through the show with rumbling grumbling stomachs. Very very disappointed at how our evening turned out (didn't love the show "Oklahoma" at the Ahmanson either!) We'll stick with our usual (expensive) standby - Kendall's - from now on. Definitely wish there were more choices for dining at the music center! read more

We dined here last Sunday night and it was awesome! Perfect service, great food-it was a wonderful experience. We started with the tuna and lamb appetizers. The tuna was beautifully prepared and oh so delicious. Yum!!! The tuna was fresh and sauced perfectly. It was heaven in your mouth! I can't wait to go back for more. Just perfection! I'm not normally a fan of lamb but my friend is so we got the lamb ribs appetizer and I have to say I have become a fan of lamb. The ribs were really amazing. For our entrees we got the oxtail and the pork belly. Both just beautiful plates of food and so tasty! Dessert-get the flan. It was flantastic! Easily the best flan I have ever had. Order it please-you won't be disappointed. Love this restaurant. Our server never missed a beat, made great suggestions. The manager Aly seated us and stopped by our table to check on our experience. She was very friendly and professional. We appreciated the check in! It was a delightful dining experience. Make a reservation if you are going to the show after and give yourself some time to experience the beautiful food and superior service! Try the ube colada-super delicious and fun! read more

Awful menu. I could barely find anything to order -- and I love variety. The salad was inedible. How do you ruin a salad? Yes, the Venetian spritz was good, but even I can make a good spritz! Small, pricey portions of not very good food. Sorry. I wanted to like it. Very convenient for the theaters. Some of the pop-ups here have been good. But not this one. read more

Food was a four. Everything was great! Drinks were pretty good. Ambbiance goregous but noone was in there. Service was very bad. Waiter was nice but had to ask where he qas several times. Would leave ans disappear and noone else working there could see or wanted to see that we needed attention. Had to literally go and ask for a server. We were sitting there for about ten minutes waiting for someone to explain the menu and serve us. Had to ask for too mucb. If you are a waiter or waitress in am empty restaurant there is no reason why you are not on the floor providing the best service you can. Although the server was nice it was definitely a strike against the place and if they cant handle 4 couples on an empty night, Id hate to see what happens if the place gets busy. read more

I have never experienced such a poorly run operation!! There were five of us with an 8pm show - we had a 6:30pm reservation knowing we would only be ordering one course and we ordered at 6:45pm. The first two entrees came out at approx. 6:55pm and the next two entrees came out HALF AN HOUR LATER at 7:25pm with the last entree following about 10 more minutes after that!! And the drinks we ordered at 6:45pm also didn't come out until HALF AN HOUR LATER after asking about them multiple times. Our server never checked with us or let us know there were issues and when we complained he got very defensive about how busy they were and that everyone wanted to get to their shows (hello, isn't that the entire point of your existence?!?!?!). We had to hunt someone down to pay the bill and sat down for our show completely stressed right at 8pm. The food was actually pretty good but I'll never risk going back to try out any of the other chefs. They've lost my business forever and will tell anyone I know to stay away. Of course they'll always have business due to the location, but they don't deserve to. read more

Just Ok. Food presented beautifully but the textures and tastes did not live up to the presentation. Glazed carrots: meh. Potstickers delicious but a puny amount. Chinese chicken salad ordinary. Too much dark green lettuce with no texture. Too much tough chewy chicken with little taste. Rice w kale and caviar had a nice taste but drowned in ropy inedible kale clumps. Mochi donut a spongy finale. The wine was good however. read more

The ambiance is very nice as located at the plaza of the music center - dorothy chandler pavilion. Maybe they had an off night but my order was originally forgotten (lamb) while my wife ate her over salted pasta. The drinks were nice and saved us. We sat at the bar. My portion finally came almost an hour later and was a bit spicy for my taste but was tender and melted my pallet. I believe we will try again during our next show next month. The management was kind and took our bar tab off and my meal off the bill. We were given some desert on the house - sugary sprinkled donuts that we had to cut with a steak knife, kinda weird. Anyways, hope the next customer will be looked after a bit more closely. read more

Went to Abernethy's for lunch today with my family. It was our first experience here. Beautiful environment, a prime location in the new Music Center Plaza next to the fountain. The decor, dishware, glassware, furniture were all very elegant. Unfortunately, our experience with the food and the service were both below expectations. First, the food: We ordered the Cecio e Pepe, Bowl of Hugs, Kale and Caviar Mixed Rice, Kung Pao Tofu and the Chicken Potstickers. The Kung Pao Tofu was probably the best among these. The Bowl of Hugs was good too but the soup came cold. the Potstickers were ok. We really did not like the Ceciio e Pepe, it tasted like lemony pepper and cream with overcooked pasta- not a good mix of flavors. Didn't get to try the Kale and Caviar Mixed Rice because apparently they ran out of Caviar today. Next, the service: Hostess was nice and our main server was nice too, but there were a couple of concerns. No one came to our table for about 15 minutes after we were seated. So we had to go to the hostess to ask for our waiter/waitress. We were actually served the Kale and Caviar Mixed Rice without the Caviar- that's a bit like serving a steak dinner without the steak. They did replace it with another dish upon our request, but I don't think they should have served it without at least letting us know that there would be no Caviar. Also, they did not serve rice with the Kung Pao tofu until we asked for it later. For such a salty and spicy dish, it should really just come with rice. Finally, no one came by to refill water or ice tea even though most of us ran out of one or the other. We are not ruling out coming back since this is such a beautiful restaurant in a great setting, but probably not until the next chef rotation, and we are hopeful that the service will improve. read more

This is now my favorite eatery before an evening at the Ahmanson. Wonderful soul food. The Mac and cheese and corn bread are "da bomb!"

Abernethy's is using a rotating cast of chefs. We were unlucky enough to be presented with a menu of Philippine food curated by Geter Atienza. It was awful. Fatty pork skewers, tasteless fried rice and mushrooms (3, maybe) with rice noodles. While these offerings might be acceptable as inexpensive street food, they are absolutely unacceptable at Music Center prices. read more

Amazing menu ! I really enjoyed the beyond eggrolls with the sweet Chile sauce as well as the kinilaw (tuna ), my server Aliyah was super hospitable 10/10 will be coming back to try more food read more

I came here for the first time last Friday and it was the most amazing service and great and unique menu! Definitely coming back!

Myself and my family (4) ate at Abernethy's after seeing a show at The Music Center. We were all surprised that some of the food was over salted and was not palatable at all, additionally other dishes were over seasoned and non-recognizable to consume safely. The Dancing Eggplant was tasteless and over spiced. The Kung Pao tofu was oversalted and the Cecio e Pepe noodles were unrecognizable in taste, especially the after taste which resembled a chemical bleach like taste.We were told by our waiter that the chef was still working on it. We politely asked to have our bill comped after not being able to continue eating beyond the couple of bites we each took. read more

I had a friend recommend this place to me if I ever saw a show on the plaza. Well today I went to see PROM and before we saw the show, we got a table (without a reservation btw)! The two host were very sweet and so accommodating. The blonde host was very sweet and recommended the tuna to us! Per her recommendation we tried it AND OMG SO GOOD! The lumpia was phenomenal, and the lemongrass Sambar was delicious. Everyone seemed to love to be there and we loved it.. will be back soon to see Oklahoma, can't wait to try that oxtail! :) read more

I stopped by this restaurant during the week and absolutely loved it! Almost everything on their menu sounded really good to me so it was hard to choose. I decided to just try the Kinilaw which was like a tuna dish & it was delicious! I'll definitely be going back & the service was great! read more

All around amazing. If you come you have to order the mussels and the lamb ribs. And the flan is probably the best flan ive ever had. So creamy and rich. Not to mention a great cocktail list. I had the code switch and the oasis. My server was nice and made great suggestions. Coming back with friends! read more

Well I was lookIng soo forward to eating here and trying the soul food. So disappointed!! It took a long long long time to get our food they told us it was because our party was 15 minutes early. One of us got his food. He loved it, devoured it. After another long 1/2 hour we got the test of our order. I got a beautiful poached egg and crab dish witH avocado . It was ice cold. Made me ill. The service , although polite, was terrible. The cocktails were watery. Also, all the people who came after us were served before us. No way were we happy. Any way, I'm nauseous. Please find this chef at his own restaurant I'm sure it will be better than this. read more

Had an amazing experience here. Scallops (special) , rice and eggplant were fantastic. Great wine list and drink list!

Every morsel was outstanding. Like you had to close your eyes and savor every bite. Beautiful setting, great service and incredible food. Loved the lamb belly, the wine, the rice pudding dessert and the heirloom carrots. Anyone posting a bad review does not appreciate good food. read more

The mochi donuts are one of the best things I've ever tasted in LA. All around amazing restaurant you must hit if you're going to The Ahmanson. read more

So-So. Hits and misses. Staff were great, so let's get that out of the way. As for the food. The citrus/radish salad was bright and refreshing and a portent for what was to come. Not so much. The breast of lamb was creative and definitely a repeat. However, the braised napa cabbage that accompanied it was, well, what was she thinking? Overcooked. Sour in an odd way - not tart or bright. And it really should have been served with a knife. Too tough to cut properly with the edge of a fork. The sablefish again was sublime. It's been awhile since I've had it prepared so well, but the accompanying broth was nothing special. My wife, who loves a good broth, left most of it after just a couple sips. Then there was the timing. The salad showed up promptly. We were just finishing it when the lamb appeared. But then we waited, and waited, and... Finally my wife told me to just start eating. Despite picking slowly at my plate I was basically finished before her fish arrived. We'll wait and try again when the next chef checks in. read more

First time here, great location within performing arts centers complex. Tasty, eclectic cuisine. Lovely ambiance. Absolutely love the addition of this restaurant plus all the renovations done. Perfect location for going to theater to see a performance. read more

Such a fantastic addition to the entertainment center. I love businesses who source their products locally. This place not only buys all local ingredients, they put all their furnishings together locally as well. Such a cool way to get your restaurant off the ground. We sat at the bar, and our bartender Kaiti was so much fun! Not only was she super knowledgeable, we had a great time talking to her in general (I feel like sometimes bartenders can be great with the product, but not very hospitable/friendly). The menu is designed to be family-style, so everything is set up to be shared. The food is Asian fusion, and everything hit the spot - the radish/citrus salad was perfectly dressed and tasted wonderful, and the kung-pao tofu was absolutely DELICIOUS. We also had the lamb belly, and it was savory, rich and really tasty. Kaiti recommended a few glasses of wine to go with our dishes. Each was unique and very flavorful. She recommended we top our dinner off with the rice pudding, and I've honestly never tasted anything like it. My understanding is the chef/menu is going to change after a few months (what a unique concept!), so come get it while it's still around! It was a wonderful experience all around. If you have a show coming up (or just find yourself on this side of DTLA), I definitely recommend it. read more

I feel dreadful leaving a poor review after my first experience but after the way it went down, I doubt I'll be returning to give them a second chance. As a long time regular to the Music Center, I love the concept of a rotating chef because I can try completely different dishes all in the same place before the theatre. I'm familiar with many of the dining options in the surrounding area but this one didn't involve an Uber or lengthy stroll uphill in the dark on a full tummy and heels. We had reservations so the wait under the obnoxiously massive flashing LED screen was minimal. I was seated facing the glorious Plaza fountain but that also meant I was subjected to the constant, relentless strobe light effect of the previously mentioned, obnoxiously massive LED screen. This was hardly conducive to an enjoyable meal, so it wasn't an ideal start. Our server Chantel (according to the receipt, she didn't introduce herself) explained plates were meant to be shared and food was delivered as soon as it was plated so, should be hot food right? We ordered a couple aperitifs, shrimp and grits, the short rib and Brussels. Unfortunately the barkeep was not as expeditious as the kitchen, our drinks arrived well after the food (which in all seriousness took under five minutes). Now I don't know about you but IMHO small plates or large plates, an aperitif should come BEFORE any plates so I can soak up the thoughtful ambiance of the space, unwind and luxuriate in all the glass and sparkle and wait for the drink to kick in. Instead, I felt like I was in a factory where food was flung out to the diners ASAP so the restaurant can get that table turned. The server was nothing but a food runner and I can get that at my local TGIFs for the price of the Brussel sprouts ($14 + tax and tip, almost $20). As for the fast, warm food and late drinks... I'll start where it should have started, with the drinks. The hubs tried a Bourbon Street and I, a French Quarter, we were both underwhelmed not memorable AT ALL. The first sip of of a drink should make you go 'ahhh' and then make you wanna to sip it again to be sure it was 'that good' but it just wasn't, nothing to savor. The hubs said he'd rate his drink (on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest) a sad 3. Mine was equally disappointing. Nothing more to be said but $30. The Brussels were ordinary, no hint of apple chutney or coconut bacon like the menu stated. They were something I've cooked in my own kitchen on any given night and I would have sprinkled some Maldon salt over the top for flavor and a lot less than $14. The three tiny shrimp and runny grits were a $28 failure, I've had better at half the price. (Try 'eat' in Vegas. Now that's some good stuff and it comes with eggs and bacon.) The best dish we ordered was the short rib. The one slice of apple and four greasy carrots were a nice addition but not sure if it was worth $38. (Kendall's around the corner had one on their menu for less and that's a Patina restaurant!) We shared a slice of chocolate cake and left unfulfilled. If you must go, I urge you to order your drinks first and don't order food until your drinks are in hand. That way, you'll have a better state of mind when you are disenchanted with the food. read more

The drinks get 5 stars, the food 3. We had the Bone broth which was served tepid instead of hot or even warm. The meat was tender and fell off the bone, but the spices left a strange after taste that lingered in your mouth- too much ginger? Cumin? The pot stickers were ok, but not other worldly. The service was nice, though it took a while to get our drinks. read more

We had a reservation for a birthday dinner before the ballet yesterday. I specifically made the reservation because I knew we would be dining between a matinee and evening performance and I expected the place to be busy. We arrived a few minutes early only to find that they had seated walk ins inside and we were left with an outdoor table in a tented area which didn't have any heaters. We were told we could dine outside with our coats on, or wait for a table inside to open up which could be minimally 25 minutes. As we had theatre tickets we opted to leave and dined at the bar at Kendall's where we had a fantastic dinner. I'm very glad we ended up dining at Kendall's. We will not be returning to Abernethy's any time soon. read more

If all you care about is a convenient place to eat close to the Music Center this fits the bill. If you want good food and service go elsewhere. Was excited about this concept but failed on all levels. Too bad. read more