One of the better European style restaurants in Los Angeles. It's all tapas (small plates) - French influenced with a bit of Mediterranean tossed into the menu. The selections are constantly changing according to the seasons and the market but menu items are arranged according to style and type of preparation (i.e. salads - wood oven - cheeses etc). The space is beautifully lit with a nice ample bar (where you can sit and eat without a reservation) and an upstairs and downstairs area. Both spaces are packed a bit tight but the room handles the noise well. The wine selection is also one of the best you will find in Los Angeles. Overall a very nice place to spend an evening whether with friends or on a date. But be forewarned the cost of those little plates with wine can add up to a hefty bill by the end of the night. Highlights from the kitchen include (but again the menu changes) - Cheese selections which are impeccable - Had the most amazing brussel sprouts - Baked Cauliflower with curry from the wood oven - Cuttle fish risotto - Flank steak - Mushrooms Also the bread here is well baked and crusty (why would I even mention this?? Because by and large most bread provided across the board in Los Angeles restaurants sucks) which is accompanied by a fine chile spread with just enough spice so as not to overpower (like a light harissa). read more

I get it, I get it! Tapas kind of places have small servings and big flavor. Kinda like those little chocolate bottles filled with liquor- but you never seem to get a decent buzz from them, nor do you really get full from the meal at AOC. (that could be a plus for some) Maybe it's a guy-thing but I just feel for $50, I expect a decent sized MEAL and 1-glass of vino. If I wanted to be ignored and leave the table hungry I would have eaten at home. Food- savory enough, just not enough of it Service- was that an option? Atmosphere- It was a nice cafeteria for a High School Over All- It's LA and you get what you pay for......except this time read more

Being that we couldn't decide what to order, we asked kindly if our waiter could surprise us with the most popular dishes. He made sure we weren't allergic to anything or inclined to not try certain dishes. *Cauliflower with curry & red vinegar- I am not a fan of cauliflower but being that it was dipped in the curry and red vinegar, it tasted decent. You were able to get the curry flavor without having the vinegar over power it. Surprisingly a good dish. *The Vintner's Plate- A great way to start the meal and a plate for everyone to share. It consisted of a variety cheeses, cured meats, toast, some roasted grapes, and some pickle like things like the carrots I couldn't stop eating haha. This dish will have someone that everyone will like for sure. The husband truly enjoyed a few of the cheeses and the meats, while I enjoyed the pickled carrots, the grapes/raisins and of course the meats and cheeses... all of them! so this for sure is highly recommended in my point of view. *Brioche with prosciutto, gruyere and an egg- This was interesting yet delicious. This was probably the best brioche I've ever had. I am not a fan of having my egg like that so I just covered my eyes while the husband and the friends mixed it all in so we could serve ourselves. The portion is small for 4 people but big enough for each of us to have a few bites. The prosciutto was perfect and truly enjoyable in my opinion. *Spanish Fried Chicken- Holy smokes! This was amazing!! This was my favorite dish of the night. It was a little on the spicy side without being crazy, that's from the chili- cumin butter that it's used to make this chicken juicy and bursting with flavor. *Bacon-wrapped dates- These are plastered in almost every single review on yelp. The sweetness of the dates and saltiness of the bacon put together.. it's almost like magic! read more

Pretty good. Realistically, the prices could be knocked down $3-$5 per tiny tapas dish. There is a mad, little elf who sneaks in when the chefs are not looking. He viciously over salts a lot of the dishes in hopes of acquiring lower yelp scores for AOC. He must be stopped. read more

One of the best restaurants in LA. Really good food with an unpretentious vibe. I cannot live without their dates stuffed with parmesan cheese and wrapped in bacon. I think there were rumors that this item was going to be taken off the menu at one point and customers revolted. it's that good. It's the perfect balance of sweet and salty with differing textures. So good. Everything else is delicious as well. The cheese selection, beef cheeks, charcuterie, etc...but I've never had dessert here since I'm always too stuffed to go there. The cheese plate at the end is enough for me. Be warned, you need to order plenty of dishes if you want to feel full, but it's all so fun to try everything. Be also warned, take a nice fat wallet, if you know what I mean. The only thing wanting at this place is the service sometimes. If you sit downstairs, the waiters there are much more spot on. If you sit upstairs, it seems like that's where the training staff start or something - they are definitlely lacking interest in servicing you upstairs. read more

Amazing food, pretty good service. We got reservations for 9pm so I think our server was kind of already checked out for the night. He was super nice and funny but not the most attentive. Also out food came out a little sporadically but it was all very tasty. My only complaint was the shrimp were very overcooked in the prawns and cornbread pudding dish. Fried chicken was amazing! They taunt tapas size plates but we were very full with a total of 5 dishes including appetizers for two people. read more

Walked into AOC around 7:45 on a Sat. night after finding out we couldn't make the last night of Ludobites. We didn't have a reservation, but in the time that it took us to make a quick trip to the Ladies', a cancellation came through, and we found ourselves with a great spot on the upstairs patio. The weather was excellent. We started with a cheese plate--la tommette chevre, which was hard and moderately strong, a double cream that was exquisitely runny (perhaps more than was really appropriate), and one Italian blue. They were served with dried figs and walnuts, with some chewy bread on the side. We selected 4 dishes: -beets, burrata, local walnuts and balsamic -duck breast, mizuna, blood orange and green olives -halibut, salt cod gratin, sorrel and garlic -squash with coconut rice and basil They were all delicious, but the salads were perhaps a bit overdressed. The halibut was excellent, as was the squash/rice dish. All of this was accompanied by a Sancerre rose that was light and crisp. Too bad I live in Austin--this was a great dinner and I'd love to go back. read more

I have have been coming here since AOC first open (different location(s)). I always liked AOC better than Lucques. We love the food (lunch & dinner) and the new location much better. This time we decided to come again for Dine LA on Tuesday and sat at the patio. It was a beautiful day in Los Angeles. We started with 2 cheese and coppa platter and Spanish fried chicken for appetizers. Both appetizers were delicious. There were two types of cheese - soft and hard with whole walnuts pieces and served with salami and charcuterie. The Spanish fried chicken was beautifully fried with Romesco aioli and chili-cumin butter sauce. We ordered tall glass of cucumber mint green ice tea and a glass of Proseco. For our entrées we ordered Farmer's lunch, roasted turkey focaccia sandwich with fries, and Torchio pasta with broccoli. The Farmer's lunch came with summer vegetables, tomato-eggplant, jam, chickpea purée, burata cheese and grilled toast. The presentation is nice. The roasted turkey served on focaccia sandwich with mozzarella, green harissa, avocado, castelvetranos and with fries. They served both on a wooden platter. Torchio pasta with baby broccoli, roasted tomato tossed with chili & breadcrumbs was delicious and very generous portions. We love everything we ordered. This time we didn't order any dessert. We were too full and for a nice little treat...happy to see our LA Laker Kobe Bryant eating across the way. We enjoyed our meal and sitting on the patio. Our waiter (same person serving us) was always very courteous, pleasant, nice, and gracious. We will continue to come back. read more

Love bringing people here. The food is great for sharing and eating. Love the wine list and the different ambiances provided by the variety of seating areas. One of my favorite restaurants in LA! read more

I just hosted a large event here and it was phenomenal! Not only was the service incredible, but everything on the menu was delicious. From specialty cocktails to the tapas I had no complaints. It was the first event I handled for my company so was nervous going into it, but had amazing help from Jared, one of the managers. I would absolutely host another event here and go just to eat. Amazing!!! read more

My favorite. Bartender is a genius. It's actually kind of a problem, because the wine list is superb, but I always end up ordering a cocktail as the menu constantly evolves and I need to try whatever new drink he's concocted. Either make a reservation or try to go at an off hour so you can get a spot on the back patio. It's just so lovely back there! The food always lives up to the hype, though I feel like it wasn't always so focused on small plates and miss being able to just order a burger (which is honest-to-god the best burger I've ever had; sad that I haven't seen it on the menu in awhile). If you come away from this review with nothing else, just remember this: Always, always get the bacon-wrapped dates. read more

For quite some time I have driven by this place never stopping until a date suggested we go there for happy hour.The cocktails are strong but inexpensive.the various bar food delightful, so many cheeses to choose from, cold cuts on the charcuterie marvelous.a must is the bacon wrapped dates..enjoy read more

Been for happy hour three times.... meh. .... Happy Hour menu...boring and not that great. And well... the bar service , well just not the most friendliest place on earth that's for sure. Might try for dinner , but ...not that motivated with all the other great places to go. MMMM.... scratch that , won't be back. read more

Came in here with a group of 4 to enjoy some wine and light snacks - on the roster was some cheeses, charcuterie, light tapas, and dessert. Instead, we got a waitress that was (hopefully) having an off-day, because we were treated like crap from the moment we walked in. She barely gave us a glance, and when I asked for wine suggestions, she instantly went with the cheapest mixed red on the menu. I'm sorry that I'm in my mid-20's, and not in my 40's like the other customers here tonight, but I'm not exactly wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Not only that, but I had pointed out that the most important thing was that our wine not be too dry, because we had experienced a bad one the night before. The wine she suggested was drier than the Sahara. When I asked her suggestions for cheeses, she talked with me like I was a 5-year-old, using one-word answers and not really explaining much at all. Ditto with the charcuterie options. Then, after talking a bit about what sorts of cheese we liked, she told us she'd pick some similar ones out for us. Instead, we were treated to some of the worst options you could come across. Clearly not someone who knows her way around cheeses or wines. The only saving grace, and the reason why AOC gets 2 stars instead of 1, is that another waitress eventually came over to help us with some unrelated matters. She was so friendly and knowledgeable that I felt maybe this was just a bad waitress, and not necessarily a reflection of the restaurant as a whole. Still, I wouldn't come back here anytime soon. read more

Lovely restaurant and atmosphere. Great place for a quiet , relaxing and romantic dinner. Very good service and interesting food. For sure worth checking out read more

Came here for Oanh's bday dinner! 6 girls we ordered about 12 plates of tapa, which was more than filling! We all came out there super full and satisfied. Cute lil place and ambiance. I don't exactly remember everything we ordered, but i'm sure if you read Oanh's review she will explain it all haha. Prosciutto and egg was DELCIOUS! the brown rice was also my fav along with date wrapped with bacon. The salads are pretty good too but of course small. Great to come here with groups because you get to try every plate. Make reservations because it seems to get pretty busy. I will def come back again. read more

Easily, AOC tops my list of favorite LA restaurants, for their innovative food and unique small plates. I came for a friend's birthday in a group of around 15 people. My friend made a reservation, and when I arrived, everyone was seated already, with water already out for everyone. We were also seated at the second level. It's not fun dealing with such a large group as ours, but our waiter did his best to be pleasant. He did a good job of checking in on us throughout our meal, though he was based downstairs most of the time. The easiest thing for the restaurant was to divide the group into smaller sub-groups that received their own bill. Our waiter kept everything orderly and took multiple credit cards, too. My sub-group had the duck confit, the lamb tagine, squid arroz negro, bacon dates, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and cod w/ persimmon. Of those, my recommendations are the sweet potatoes, the squid arroz negra, the cauliflower, and the duck. Those were all cooked well, brought together great flavors, and truly made AOC for me a great dining pleasure of 2012. AOC is a one of a kind in LA and is one of the area's intimate dining bests! For everything else...I liked the bacon dates; they were phenomenal and a hit with my table. That's why I was so disappointed by their small serving sizes!! Ai ya, give me more!!!!! Another note, that time I had dinner, my lamb was over cooked and the cod didn't work for me.. read more

The new location is 10x more inviting and romantic than the last location on 3rd...the patio is great and somehow the decor and landscape perfectly fits the food more-so than before. The menu is almost identical with the addition of large plates that serve 2-3 people. We ordered the Vinter's Plate which is a wooden board of 1 hard cheese, 1 soft, an assortment of homemade pickled veggies which were delicious, grilled bread, roasted grapes, and terrine. It was larger than I expected which was a pleasant surprise and the terrine was really fresh and homemade. The spanish fried chicken was moist and a bit spicy with the cumin and cayenne, but it was nice that it was boneless and was also a good sized portion. The roasted tomato and chevre focaccia was okay, nothing special, but the Arroz negro with squid and saffron aoli was out of this world. It is so fresh, flavorful and warm I purposely didn't eat all of it so I would have some for tomorrow and comes in a cute little cast iron skillet. I had a great glass of Zinfandel for about $16, of course they have a great selection being a wine bar and all.... Service was great, valet parking is $5 I believe, overall a great spot for a date or to catch up with friends over a long dinner and some wine! read more

I had not yet been to the new location farther west on 3rd St. The valet was convenient, parking is not as much so. There are a bunch of meters which tend to be swept up by Cedars/Robertson patrons. We came for brunch (reservation) and they graciously accommodated us with a big table in the courtyard. The service was SLOW SLOW SLOW, but I am pretty sure there was only one man waiting on multiple tables. Still, we were not able to give our order till about 20 minutes after we were seated. The brunch menu isn't too vast, but the options are all delicious. The hash, french toast, brioche, and baked eggs were all consumed in our group, and all loved. I personally got the baked eggs which were served in a personal cast iron skillet with 2 eggs and a hearty portion of chickpeas and cavolo nero (kale like green). It was filling and delicious. I would definitely order this again. I highly recommend the blueberry bread to start with. They also have a drink called the green goddess which was refreshing and tasty.... I would call it an green juice soda. I give it 4 stars for ambience and the quality of the food. Anything you eat that Suzanne Goin has touched is bound to be delicious, and is in deserve of the universal praise it gets. read more

Love the contemporary interior. Impeccable service. Ordered the same thing as last time and was just as good: *Skirt steak *Shrimp in white wine *Bacon wrapped dates stuffed w/ parmesan read more

I have never been to AOC for dinner.... this review is for brunch. I'd heard recently that AOC had opened for brunch on weekends, and decided to check it out with some friends. I'd heard great things about the dinner service, so I have to say I was disappointed by brunch. One friend had eggs with prosciutto and frisee, the other had an omelette of sorts made in a little cast iron pan, another had a cast iron pancake (which tasted more like a disc-shaped blueberry muffin), and I had green chorizo chilaquiles. Let me address my chilaquiles first. In a word, disappointing. Picture a huge pile of thick, tart strips of something like deep fried tortilla pickled in lime juice, dotted with tiny little bits of mexican cotija cheese and bits of chorizo. I mean tiny. And then one single lonely poached egg on top. The ratio of ingredients and flavors was way off. Too much tart (and I normally LOVE tart), far too much tortilla, and too little egg/ meat mixed in. Everything should be tossed in a pan together, not assembled by hand afterwards. Plus, I just don't get the cast iron pancake. It really did taste like a big blueberry muffin ($13 for what..... the presentation alone?) My other two friends' dishes, which I tasted, were just so-so. Oh, and despite ordering decaf coffee, the guy who came around to fill my cup kept giving me regular (not happy). Oddly for AOC's amazing reputation, the place was nearly empty, while other brunch mainstays in the area, such as Joan's on Third, were swamped with patrons. Maybe word has already spread that brunch is a "can-miss" affair? Another comment: Somehow the place needs to feel more casual. Brunch should not have to be a formal affair, especially surrounded by so many casual places. read more

I think AOC could be my perfect restaurant. The courtyard here is relaxing and everything you could want in outdoor seating at a beautiful Italian restaurant. There are bubbling fountains. A variety of seating options, out in the open under the stars and tucked into alcoves. There are herbs galore decorating the second floor balcony. The AOC atmosphere puts you at complete ease to enjoy your meal. To top that off the service and the food are excellent. Any time there's a dish with morels and asparagus (such lovely spring ingredients) I am compelled to order it. The dish did not disappoint and I only wish there had been more pasta to mop up the extra sauce left on the plate (yes it was that good!) Bring a friend who doesn't mind sharing because AOC is all about the small plates Italian. My only complaint? After a salad, the farro side dish and the pasta split with a friend I couldn't manage to eat dessert; be sure to save room. read more

Went here with a friend to check out this renowned restaurant. We had made a reservation, so we were given a great table out on the patio. The restaurant space itself is a beautiful place to enjoy a meal with a friend or a romantic interest. The service we received was top notch and very friendly as well. We ordered many starters and a couple entrees including the "ode to zuni" chicken. I would say that most of the items that we ordered were pretty standard and of the quality I expect from top LA restaurants. The chicken was an exceptional dish and was priced at a great level, especially for the food. Overall, I feel like this place is a very expensive version of top LA cuisine. The unique part about LA food is that there are a lot more affordable options to get similar food. Unless you are wanting to pay a premium for a unique and picturesque dining experience (which this place does very well), I would probably pass on this place as the bill at the end of the meal will likely be over $100 for two people. That being said, if you are looking for a fancy place to impress someone, this might be it and they have quite an extensive wine list as well. read more

Thoroughly unhappy with the quality food and the service. Went for a early lunch to enjoy dining at their beautiful patio. I always loved going to Luques but never has a chance to visit AOC. So I decided to treat my client at AOC today thinking that it would be just as pleasant as my dining experiences at Luques. I don't know where to begin.. my excitement quickly vanished as our waiter came to our table. He was unfriendly and not helpful at all. When it comes to food, our chicken appetizer was salty and greasy and our Albacore salad was too salty to eat. He did not come to check up on our table even when the restaurant was not even half full. My client who flew in to have a meeting with me told me how she never received such halfhearted service at any restaurants in LA. Instead of ordering dessert at AOC we decided to leave and enjoy our mille cake at next doors where they have much better customer service. read more

I went to A.O.C. last night for a late dinner. It was still packed when we arrived past 9p so I knew it couldn't be bad. They seated us upstairs which is very private. If you're with a group, I suggest requesting the main room which is more lively or the outside patio. My friend is a big cheese and meat eater so we ordered: -Castilla Leon goat cheese -North Hollander gouda -lamb skewers -roasted chicken with apples -grilled skirt steak with gorgonzola -sweet potatoes with slab bacon -balsamic brussel sprouts The flavor of everything was great though the lamb was a bit chewy. For wine pairings, I had the Nebbiolo and my friend had Bordeaux. I know wine snobs will say a red pairs perfectly with all the meat we were eating, but the Bordeaux was so much better. I tried stealing his wine all through dinner. The space is beautiful and even though our server was a little kooky and forceful with her suggestions, service was still good. They offer valet but I found free street parking right behind the valet stand. Beware of the entrance to the restaurant --- I was running late to meet my friend so I hustled to what I thought was the front door, even though it looked like a wall. I must have looked confused or very helpless because the valet guys just laughed at me and told me to pull the 'wall.' Ta-da, open sesame. I'm an idiot. read more

Quite simply, the best tapas I've had. Period. Anywhere. So yeah, it's expensive, but you get what you pay for. Quality ingredients, good service, interesting flavors and complex consistencies. Each dish has a unique personality, so you should come hungry and with a full wallet so that you can try them all. Great wine menu too, if a little heavily marked up. To be expected though. A perfect place for a celebration or a nice date. Make sure that you call ahead of time... way ahead of time... to get a reservation. 5 stars. This is what a tapas bar should be. read more

3.5 Stars It's been awhile since I'd been back to AOC. I was looking forward to the casual atmosphere, great wine selection and simple but well executed menu. We had reservations for party of two, Saturday night at 9pm. We arrived about ten minutes late, but we were seated immediately. The restaurant was pretty quite but most tables were full. We were seated at a nice table next to the wine bar. AOC has an extensive wine menu and I left the decision making to my dining companion. We ordered a carafe of a Syrah, sorry I don't remember the winery or the year. Each carafe contains a little more than two glasses of wine. For food we kept it simple and pretty light. grilled leeks, burrata, salbitxada avocado, cara cara oranges, little gems clams, sherry, wild mushrooms and garlic arroz negro with squid and saffron aïoli chocolate "french toast" with crushed hazelnuts and coffee ice cream My favorite of the night was the arroz negro with squid and saffron aïoli. The rice is very hearty with a deep savoriness, a very satisfying dish. The avocado salad was also a nice combination with the oranges, very simple but well executed. For dessert we paired the Chocolate French Toast with a very nice Madeira. It was recommended by our server and it a great way to finish the meal. AOC is a great option for fine dining in LA. With their small plates you are able to try many of the menu items, nice casual dining atmosphere and great service. read more

The food is here is nothing to write home about, but it's not bad either. I wish some of the plates were bigger, and some others, smaller. The problem with small plates is that you never really know how small or big it is until its on your table! Service was helpful and quick. If you're looking for a beautiful summer evening to spend with good friends, drink wine, and have some small bites of rustic food, this is the place. The patio is one of the most gorgeous places to eat outdoors in LA! read more

Went for the NYE pre fixe and enjoyed the food and the service, which was surprising, not because I don't expect great food and service from AOC, but because the few times I've done the pre fixe at other restaurants, I always felt disappointed in the quality of the food. We arrived for our 9pm reservation and our group was seated outside on the patio within 5 minutes. Our waiter was on top of everything the entire time and the meal was well paced and we hardly noticed the three hours fly by. Everyone enjoyed all the dishes and we had no complaints in regards to the food. Our only complaint would be the boorish table of people sitting next to us on the patio, which based on the reviews of Melody and Corinne, I would have to assume was them. One of the women was literally shouting at a staff member about a minute after I got there, complaining about what, I can't honestly remember. I just remember how rude and inappropriate it was to be shouting so that the entire restaurant could hear her. Apparently the shouting didn't get her very far because at the end of their evening, here comes the shouting again, this time at a different staff member. This person was so rude that the restaurant threatened to call the police, which I hope they did because it would have been well deserved. The sad part is this person was so clearly drunk/wasted that she probably doesn't even realize what a complete jackass she was being - it was truly embarrassing to see. read more

Delicious food! Definitely should ask the waiter what they recommend from the menu. Also you will be getting multiple small tapa style plates, but order on the lower end of what they recommend per person because we were absolutely stuffed! read more

AOC - Yummy! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Really great food and drinks! A fun spot for groups. The ambiance is nice as well. Valet is $10, street parking was tough to find.

I like reading about what other people ordered over the course of the night, so I've structured my short review in this fashion. Delicious meal, just 3 items, out of 11, that I wouldn't order again: Salt cod fritters(not spectacular), Cauliflower(i rather eat a good aloo gobi) and Rabbit(our rabbit was beyond overcooked. maybe it was fired too early/sat too long since I've read good reviews about it). Go with friends(3-4 is great) and enjoy creating your own menu based on your own preferences. I can't wait to go back again and try some new items. FYI: Our menu from 03/07/08 1. roasted dates, parmesan and bacon 6 2. leek and cantal tart with pancetta 12 3. root vegetable(baby turnips, carrots, parsnips) salad with burrata, ginger and mint 12 4. salt cod fritters, citrus salad and aoli 14 5. gnocci with lobster, pancetta and truffle butter 17 6. cauliflower, curry and red vinegar 9 7. arroz negro with squid and saffron aoli 14 8. english peas with coconut rice and curry butter 11 9. lamb skewers with sunchokes and nioise olives 14 10. rabbit ragot with dijon, chestnuts and tarragon 15 11. chocolate and hazelnut dacquoise with gianduja mousse and salted caramel ice cream 9 read more

I'll give this place a 4.2 Stars for the environement and wine selection. Food-WIse.. mmmmmmm I'd say mediocre for the price. Small portions (tapa style) but the overall taste, quality, etc.. quite dissappointing. If you love food tasting, you might get a good overview, but quality-wise I'd search elsewhere. The enviroment is quite pleasant, small + cozy + semi-elegant. So if the ENVIROMENT is what you care for, GO! IF you love, enjoy and know about food.. mmmmm.. you could search elsewhere. Price.. mmm quite high read more

A Major disappointment! Last night I went to AOC for a "special" V-Day dinner. Having signed a contract 2 months prior (I've signed shorter leases with fewer legal clauses) my expectations ran high. About a week before our to dinner date we got faxed a menu which sounded delectable. Forward to dinner night. We arrived at AOC ahead of our reservation time, a bottle of Sea Smoke in hand and were greeted by two very pleasant hostesses who told us we will be seated shortly and that we can wait at the bar. Just behind the hostess was the bar, which ran long and parallel to the rest of the dining room that was appointed in a '60s mod style. Although slick and sexy, I was perturbed because AOC looked small and crowded. The bar itself was crowed as well with couples dining. For all the crowdedness the place was somewhat subdued, and an eerie feeling set. As it turns out the place is bigger that it looks. Behind main dinning room there a second smaller room and a staircase leading to a landing with more tables plus the doorway to a C-shaped patio which was were our table was located. If you think the dining rooms are crowded, wait till you hit the patio - the tables are spaced at most 4" apart and once seated we ended up "sharing space" with a couple that was wrapping up dinner. You couldn't help but overhear disturbing comments like " so far the salad was the best thing we ate" and "this meat is burnt" and also "we should have gone to Craft..." Our waiter, Greg, arrived promptly, warmly greeted us and brought us a decanter. Bread arrived shortly, along side of olives and spicy bean spread. I decided to get the additional wine pairings to see how the house choices complimented the dishes. And here is where the disappointment began... Our first two courses arrived 20 min after we were seated. 1) Blood Oranges and Dates with Marcona Almonds, parmesan & candied ginger 2) Spicy Hamachi tartare with avocado mexican lime and cilantro The blood orange salad was DELICIOUS with an awesome interplay of sweet and citrus and the whole dish looked amazing. It went exceptionally well with the albarino that my partner ordered... and not so well with the pinot blanc that was actually paired with it. The disappointment continued when I tasted the hamachi. I LOVE sushi and sashimi but this hamachi still had too much connective tissue making it chewy while the mess on top of it (the avocado/lime/chili something) tasted like bad baby food... and the overall the presentation of this dish looked like a someone opened a can of gourmet cat food and dumped it on the plate. SAD. Little did I know this was going to be the HIGHLIGHT of the meal. 40-45 min after our first course the second arrived. Greg the waiter showed up apologizing and offering to refill my glass of bordeaux blanc which I drank 30 min prior to the arrival of this course: A sad pairing of Buckwheat noodles with creme franche and American Caviar... The hot noodles were stuck together in one giant clump with a dollop of caviar and creme on top... the heat was cooking the caviar and the taste was disgusting. Another 15 to 30 min later arrived the second part of our 2nd course - the maine diver scallops wrapped in burnt prosciutto on a bed of more green baby food which turned out to be a mixture of english peas, mint and meyer lemon... The scallops were WAY over cooked. I was actually grateful that only 2 scallops were presented. More would be a waste Forward the clock another 45 min. It's 1030. By Now, the two managers are a regular staple on the patio, pouring extra drinks and apologizing. Finally arrives the oven roasted barramundi (skin side up) with clams, chickpeas, artichokes and aioli... I LOVE seafood and it pains me to say that this dish was gross... I dove right into the clams which were gritty with sand... which was present all over the dish making it inedible. The lamb meatballs arrived next and had the consistency of rubber - the dishes saving grace was the sweet and sour squash. And for those keeping track, the wine pairing didn't arrive at all. 11pm marked the arrival of the braised short rib and sautéed rapini. The short rib was mostly fat expertly BURNT to a crisp and the rapini was so bitter it reminded me of the kind of cooking accident you can have with an artichoke. The fat from the ribs coated the poor sliver of polenta on which the ribs were presented making the whole thing hard to digest. 30 minutes after this mess, Greg arrived to apologize about forgetting to bring my glass of wine asking me if I still wanted it. I said, no thanks. Finally arrived the dessert. It was described on the menu as "bittersweet chocolate with nougatine caramel mousse with shoyu (yes that's soy sauce) " but I can only describe it as "oops, we fired the pastry chef." It was puddle of bitter snot which was not improved by the monastrell dulce pairing. We begged for our check, paid $300 and left, never wishing to return. read more

Had dinner last night for a birthday party of 11 people. The small plates were fantastic. Based on what I read here, I made sure we ordered the bacon-wrapped dates and the skirt steak with aioli -- which were both fantastic. We also had a 5 cheese sampler, picked out by the waiter, and it was really, really good, and sparked a ton of conversation about who liked which cheese best. I didn't pick the wine, but we had a bottle of prosseco and a bottle of syrah, both tasty. In order of memorable-ness, we also had: Scallops in bacon with fresh peas, yum. Beet salad salumi plate squash gratin and a couple more. The service was great, the space itself was also nice. The dishes were all quite good, but only the dates and the skirt steak were truly excellent. read more

If you want to try different wines for a fair price, monday nights at aoc wine bar is the place to be. Every monday night aoc offers monday night flight and bites for a fair and reasonable price. Their bread with the chili dipping sauce initially may not be appealing, but overtime I became more accustomed to the flavor and began to enjoy the chili tapenade. It's different compared to other dips that other restaurants may offer. Ambience is modern, clean, and very sheik. Food is served tapas style. My gf and I share three dishes and were stuffed by the end of the night. We couldn't finish our flight of wine. read more

Seriously, one of the best meals I've had in LA hands down. And I eat a lot. To gauge my epic meal meter, here are my top 3 restaurants in LA besides AOC: 1. Gjelina 2. Comme Ca 3. Rustic Canyon This was one of those places where every single thing was really, really good. TIP: Try everything you can. Brioche was bommmb and the autumn peaches with burrata kicked ass and took names. EPIC TIP: When you sit down, immediately tell them you want the Arrow negro with squid and saffron. It's amazing, but literally takes 30 minutes to make. CAVEAT: This wasn't really the best date place. It's impressive because of the food, but it's a little too bright to be romantic. DOUBLE CAVEAT: Careful. They totally do try to upsell you on the wine. The first bottle we were recommended was like $130. Nice try AOC read more

While the food here was quite good, I found the stuffy atmosphere to detract so much from my dining experience that I have trouble giving it more than three stars. True, I am an early twenties diner eating at an upscale restaurant, but I felt as if I was being condescended to the entire time by our snobbish waiter. In so few words, AOC was just NOT FUN. read more

One of my favorite things about the food here (besides being delicious) is their pretty inventive use of ingredients: grilled peaches with cheeses and balsamic, chicken liver with pancetta, etc. etc.. It's not a place where you get a bunch of glorified comfort food. (I've had more than enough 'gourmet' mac and cheeses) I though all the dishes we got were amazing, but my vote for best dish here is definitely the BACON WRAPPED DATES! Perfect blend of sweet and salty - the meatiness of the bacon and the tenderness of dates makes for an excellent juxtaposition of textures as well. Enjoy! read more

It was good but I wasn't blown away. The bacon wrapped dates and corn bread pudding were really good but other than that... eh. But this is just based off the food. I'm not really into wine and didn't order any the night I went so maybe their food is much better with a little vino. Actually my portion of the bill only came to $30 since I only ordered food and we ordered about 2 plates per person which I think is a pretty good value for a tapas place in the heart of LA. Anyhow, based on food alone, it's just ok. read more