Not extraordinary, but good. I am on the cusp about this place, there is some disconnect between the portions and price. I understand its small plates, but if I'm gonna pay close to $20 for a small plate, it better be the best I have ever tasted, but that just wasn't the case. On the upside, the wine was nice and crisp and the waitress made great suggestions. My girlfriend and I shared the root vegetables, curried cauliflower and brussel sprouts. The bill with 3 small plates and 2 glasses of wine came to be around $60. Everything was drenched in oil, which was probably the reason why it tasted so good. I don't anticipate a return visit to this place. read more

Gorgeous place. Great food and wine. Chic crowd. Go already. read more

AOC at the new and bigger location is a good thing. Plus its walking distance from where I live. But I do miss that cheese bar in the back of the old place. The food and charm of AOC is still there. The dishes are a Cal-mediterranean combination with a light touch. I still love their frisee salad on brioche!!!! Overall a great place for drinks and food. read more

I made reservations here for my birthday with a party of 5. I love tapas and was very much looking forward to this place since I saw such great reviews on yelp. The atmosphere was very romantic. It was great to celebrate my birthday. The service was average. Our waiter did the basics but I think that for the price the service should have been exceptional. We orderd bacon wrapped dates, a steak dish, pork belly and a couple salads. Nothing stood out. I didn't have one favorite dish. Unfortunately I was very disappointed. I have had better dishes elsewhere and for less price. I really wanted to like this place but I just can't. read more

This place is phenomenal for dinner. The food is amazing, the drinks are unique, and the ambience and service are spot on. Some specifics: - we valet parked, something I try to avoid most of the time, but hey, you're coming to AOC... do you really want to spend 15 minutes looking for parking, and another 15 walking over? - were early, so we were initially seated at the bar, which is a bit crowded and loud in the evening. However, the bartender is really on top of things, so it wasn't really an issue. - the drinks were great (we had a pistachio-themed cocktail and a whiskey drink - I think specific drinks tend to change depending on the season/month), and we had "the vinter's plate" which was full of delicious charcuterie and cheeses - we were then moved up with our drinks and food to the upstairs area. It's quieter and has a wine cellar feel with unique furniture in each area - our waitress was helpful and really attentive, she helped ensure that we got the most out of our meal by choosing a good glass of wine - for small plates, I particularly recall the curried cauliflower and the market fish (delicious cod) - for the platter, we had the rack of lamb, which was just a TON of food. The lamb was cooked to perfection - tender, juicy, and over a bed of fava puree. It lasted me two additional meals at home. Next time, if it was just the two of us, I would stick with one platter (planning to eat only half of it and take the rest home) and focus on the small plates. If I were with 4-5 people, I'd get 2-3 of the platters, and then a few small plates to share. The platters give the meal the atmosphere of a feast, and looking at some of the other platters' descriptions, I think they're all worth having. read more

Although the ambience and location are great, the value for money doesn't make sense. Good quality but not excellent in extremely poor quantities. We ordered the bacon-wrapped dates and the house made lamb bacon focaccia. read more

Came here with some friends for a birthday lunch. Such a cute place! So much light in the restaurant and nice decor. They have "outside" seating, but it's all covered. Chicken and waffle: Best dish! The chicken was so delicious. I don't know what they marinate it with, but it tastes so yummy. And their cornmeal waffle was a nice twist to the normal waffle. French toast: Also a good dish. It's on the sweeter side of the spectrum. Don't really need the syrup because it's pretty sweet, but if you like the sweetness, pour the syrup! Brioche tartine: Not sure that's what it's called, but it was good. Topped with greens, prosciutto, and an egg. Oh and can't forget the melted cheese, gorgonzola I think. The cheese is pretty strong, but I love cheese, so it made the dish all the better. read more

I tried their brunch which a lot of people had been telling me about. I was good, a small menu though nothing too original. I tried the brioche it was very tasty, they disappointed me that they did not have iced coffee especially since it's summer in California. The decor was nice outside but there were a couple flies flying around. read more

The iced latte is delicious! French toast was amazing however I recommend sharing it since it is super sweet! As far as the other dishes we order they were a bit subpar but over all great vibes and outside patio area rocked. Enjoyed a nice brunch with friends. Service was good! read more

AOC - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Great ambience, slow service, good food, but not great. It's another overpriced and trendy LA spot for mediocre food. Well, maybe it's a little above mediocre, but like I said, nothing outstanding. read more

Everything was fine, but nothing really stood out, with the flavors on the more safe side. The dishes that stood out the most were the stuffed turkey leg, braised bacon, Spanish fried chicken and brioche. For the most part, A.O.C. focuses on small dishes with a Spanish slant and offers some larger platters like the stuffed turkey leg. While this place might have started the small plates craze, it was a bit disappointing having been to several other small plates restaurants around town, like Animal and Norah. Everyone enjoyed the stuffed turkey leg which is a deboned turkey thigh (so you don't have to worry about trying to get the meat off the thigh bone) wrapped around a chestnut based stuffing. Apparently, they don't make too many of these each night, so they are limited in quantity. The stuffing was delicious but different than the typical Thanksgiving version. Pomegranates were then sprinkled over the top of the turkey leg, though this was more for the appearance as the pomegranates didn't really add much to the dish. While the turkey leg was good, it wasn't very juicy which was a bit disappointing. I liked the braised bacon which essentially is a slab of pork belly, served on top of a kabocha purée. The pork belly was tasty but likely not the best version you've had around town. The dates that accompanied the dish offered some additional sweetness that helped with the fatty pork. It was an interplay of savory, fatty and sweet flavors, but I couldn't help but feel that a bit of tartness might have helped a bit more and been more inspired. The Spanish fried chicken was also good, but again you've had better. It is essentially like deep fried chicken fingers that are served with a Spanish inspired romesco aioli and chili-cumin butter. The flavors were again safe, but nothing memorable. You really couldn't taste the romesco, chili or cumin flavors at all. The brioche, topped with prosciutto, gruyere, a fried egg and some frisee, was very well done. The brioche was as light and buttery as it should be, and the frisee salad on top with a bit of vinegar/oil dressing really went well with the brioche. Otherwise, everything was fine. Other less successful items were the arroz negro and the lobster pappardelle. The arroz negro consisted of some very wet rice cooked with squid ink served with scattered pieces of squid and a saffron aioli. The sauce should have been cooked more, as the rice was really too wet. Given that the squid ink made the dish very dark, I'm not really sure what the purpose of the saffron was, as you certainly couldn't tell that the dish was colored with saffron and the flavors of the saffron weren't apparent. The squid was cooked fine and not tough, but again its more delicate flavors were lost in the squid ink sauce. The lobster pappardelle was disappointing in that there were hardly any bits of lobster in it, and instead of having a light delicate lobster flavor, it was a bit too fishy. The pappardelle was cooked fine but otherwise not memorable. Lastly, the vegetable dish we tried was the recommended sweet potatoes. They came highly recommended but, alas, as is often with high recommendations, proved to be a disappointment. They were fine. They tasted like sweet potatoes, but the description noted bacon and romesco, so I was expecting more of these flavors. Instead, it was essentially a small plate of tasty sweet potatoes, nothing less, nothing more. If you haven't been to other small plates restaurants around town, then this place won't disappoint. Everything is well executed, if a bit safe. However, if you're a seasoned Los Angeles vet then this place might leave you a bit wanting for more. read more

I know, I used to think it was a five, too. Maybe it is, but I've been there soooo many times. OK, it's a five. (just changed my rating). Yeah, LA is tapas'd out. But this is consistently lovely. Servers are awesome and knowledgeably, cheese plates beautifully selected (by you - do your research, you lazy bastard). A really lovely rose the last two times I went, which is the perfect summer drink. Came here twice in two weeks for girls night and a client dinner, and loved everything. Except the pepper paste they serve with the bread - tasty but not easy on the eyes. Get the morels if you like slightly oily mushrooms (I do). Upstairs, the tables are a little too close together. Sit downstairs if you can, at the charcuterie bar if you like. Still love it. Always a safe bet. Two carafes of wine, four small plates, a little cheese and a dessert = $112.00 before tip. read more

How did I forget to write about A.O.C? The food is consistently on the mark. They are accommodating to anyone's food quirks. Not an easy task. On a whim, I went to A.O.C, a week ago. How easy would it be to make a mistake when one dish was ordered by both my friend and I? We wanted it made completely different. Sublime. read more

I really, really hate giving AOC less than 5 stars. I almost gave 2. Here's the deal. I think AOC is pretty much the prettiest restaurant in LA. They have a beautiful outdoor patio and an open air dining room that complements the California meets Mediterranean theme. They have an extensive, lovely wine list. I would love to get there for happy hour just to bask in the environment with a discount glass of wine. However... The last time I was there, we waited 20 minutes before a server even came to say hello to us. This has happened on previous visits, too. Once our waitress did come over, she was very nice, but distracted and slow the entire night (same as the previous poor service visits). I have also experienced outstanding service here, though, so maybe it's just inconsistent? Onto the food. Over several visits spanning several years, I have probably sampled half the menu. Some of their dishes are incredible. They have this butterscotch pot de crème for dessert that is out of this world. And other items are just okay, or incredibly expensive for how small the portion is. I should not be getting a whopping 8 clams for $15. I have never had anything awful, but I also never leave saying, "wow! That was a truly fantastic meal." And I feel like I should be saying that at this L.A. staple. read more

Très LA, I say - très, très LA - not to be confused with Très LA, the José Andrés restaurant. Sitting outside in that LA sun, that LA look, that LA mise en scène - you could do much worse. It's not an especially interesting part of town, but you are shielded from the ugly street traffic by a pretty, Mediterranean-colored courtyard. As to the food, we didn't eat a thing off point, but neither did the food launch into enviable distinction. The whole experience was a pleasant memory. If you like Suzanne Goin's refined, California food (and how can you not?), this a fine spot to enjoy a casual lunch. Slightly more specific comments in [brackets] below: spanish fried chicken, romesco aïoli & chili-cumin butter [Not remarkable, but I could have eaten these savory, heavily seasoned chicken pieces all day long - was disappointed to not find these in the AOC cookbook.] sweet potato brandade fritters, red mustard & orange aioli [The sweet potato could be considered a bit of a gimmick on a classic recipe, but all that really matters is whether it tasted good - and it did, though I would explore elsewhere on a return visit.] flaked albacore grilled spiced tuna, lemongrass sambal, raw bok choy & mizuna [Like the other salads, this was big and bountiful and beautiful. I did not try this, but the eater, herself a chef, was without complaint.] indian chopped chicken salad toor dal, yogurt, raisons & almonds [This is not the dish to look for the true Indian-flavor-fix, but it is a tasty salad.] vintner's lunch - rillettes, cheese, cured meats, pickles, roasted grapes & grilled toast [Could've used more rillettes and cured meats and less grapes, but this was a satisfying light lunch.] brioche with melted gruyère, frisée, prosciutto & sunny-side up egg [Did not eat - such was its size and 'messiness,' I could not conceive of eating it that day. It's a phenomenal looker, that's for sure; it was enjoyed by the eater, but there was no elevated praise.] bacon-wrapped dates, parmesan [Meat candy, how they are described in the AOC cookbook, is exactly what they are - get them.] 3.5 rounded up. read more

This place was pretty amazing! I love the vibe, and intimate this place was. They have a great wine selection, by bottle and by glass. To start we enjoyed the pick 3 cheese selection. One of which was the goat cheese. This did not cut it for me. It was hard as a rock, which typically goat cheese is very soft. Very disappointed. We also selected a cows and sheeps milk cheese and my two friends seemed to like those. We ordered a variety of plates (hence tapas/small plates) the swordfish was exceptional, the pomegranates really gave this dish a nice touch. One of the tapas that was least enjoyable was the black cod. The fish was actually gross to be quite honest. Maybe it was the way it was prepared (roasted) but it was not good at all! Other than the cheese, and cod. Everything was fantastic and seemed to be so fresh! read more

Dined here for brunch today. Cute, hip restaurant located in we-ho. To be honest, service pretty much SUCKED. Upon being sat, we were not greeted by our server for a good 10 mins however the food runners did bring us some water. We were waiting for other guests however, I don't think that the server shouldn't have greeted us when we sat. I was thirsty and wanted to order a drink right away. Anyhow, a male server came and took our drink orders (3 tequila shots) & the Green Goddess and about 15 mins after a female server came and took our order. The male server was actually the bartender since after getting us our drinks he never returned and was behind the bar the whole time. Okay..... The female server still never greeted us so I actually asked the food runner if she was our server to be sure. As far as food, it was okay. The only thing that I really thought was spectacular and stood out would be the chicken & waffles. Chicken & waffles: Chicken is seasoned perfectly so it has a lot of flavor which complements the waffles. There is also a slice of prosciutto between the chicken and waffles. Every time I order chicken and waffles usually a side of maple syrup comes with it EVEN though it is already spread on the plate. It looked dry so I asked the server if it comes with a side of maple syrup. She said she usually brings it anyway so I asked her to bring it out then (you said you bring it out anyway, why didn't you bring ours out?? saves you a trip from the kitchen.) Anyways I give this dish a solid 5. Vintners lunch?- Its a part charcuterie & cheese board with some pickled onions and other pickled vegetables on it. I assumed the cheese laid on the board was a brie and parmesan. It would have been helpful if the server would do her job and inform us of the different array of cured meats, vegetables, and cheeses that were laid out however she failed to do so. So I just took a wild guess. Eh, this board was whatever. I can probably make a better board or get a nice one elsewhere. The pickled onions and pickled vegetables were bland. Broiche w/ egg- This was good but it didn't really stand out. I wished the egg was a little more runny but it was on the fairly cooked side so even when I cut it in half the yoke didn't really run through the dish. Arugula salad- WAYYY too much dressing. My salad was drenched in the vinaigrette. If they limited it to half of what they use then it would have been much, MUCH better. Corn beef focaccia- eh it was alright. The fries were a lot more enjoyable than the actual sandwich. The fries had a lot more flavor than the actual sandwich as well. I mean the sandwich was good but it was definitely not the best. 3% charge for the employees to get health care? I mean it's nice that the employer wants the full time employees to receive health care however isn't it the employer's responsibility to provide that to the employees? And honestly, how many "full time employees" does that restaurant really have aside from the back of house and management?! Also, 3% charge from everyone that dines at AOC would probably come up to a lot more than the actual cost of health care to provide their employees with. read more

I don't really know what I can say that others haven't already. This could be LA's finest Restuarant (perhaps the best cuisine in the world). A few notes - 1. Their creative alcohol menu is phenomenal. Take an uber here and enjoy - you'll be too drunk (and happy) to drive home. 2. The Spanish Fried Chicken and Cavalo Nero.... nothing more to say. 3. Get the whole fish dinner platter, and thank me later. The best dinner in LA awaits - quit reading this and GO!!! read more

Overall, AOC disappointed me. Every time I review Eater to figure out the places in LA to try - I'm new here, still getting the lay of the land - I am reminded to go to AOC. Go for the patio they say, go for the classic food. Well, the patio was lovely and 75% of the dishes were good, but the prices were ridiculous. Our spring onion focaccia stole the show. Its 5" diameter stole my wallet. The green peas with saffron butter tasted like grocery store beans with yellow water, but I still had to pay something like $14 for it. The fried chicken was very tasty, though perhaps too salty, and at about $18 for a few strips, not worth it. A clam dish at over $20 was similar - small clams in a flavorful broth are worth about $12 to me. The salad was incredibly bland, and a toast we got was good but basically piled with a bunch of greens. I do not regret going and loved the atmosphere. The service also very good. But I was reminded why the West Side is interesting and I prefer the East Side for eating. read more

AOC provided a wonderful experience for a Friday date night! Reservations through OpenTable were easy, we were sat promptly, but our service is what made the experience. Our server Sage was absolutely incredible! He was kind, informative, and funny, providing a thorough and delicious description of his favorite menu items. He was knowledgeable of the restaurant inside and out, and gave us some background on the fresh produce used and the restaurant design. Following Sage's recommendations we had the bacon wrapped dates (taste like candy), baby broccoli (garlicky and tender), lamb skewers and steak which had beautiful flavors. Overall, I will recommend AOC over and over again and will definitely return on my next trip to LA! read more

Food was just mediocre.... the only good dish was the corn pudding. Service was pretty bad, I don't know if it's because we were sitting at the patio upstairs or because we had a big party (gratitude is added automatically)..... Even after we've complained to the manager, she would "apologize" for the incompetence of her staff but gave me a dirty look for complaining. Just bad service overall. Definitely would not go back again. read more

Let's see we ordered: Root vegetables = MMmmm good Hangar Steak = Not bad Brussel Sprouts = Best dish of the night Market Fish = Forgot what it was but eh it was ok Arroz Negro with squid = delicious but watch out turns your teeth black Overall really good and would recommend. Next time I'm getting a bottle of wine and a cheese dish/prosciutto read more

AOC is the worst high-end restaurant I've ever been to. $200 for something I wouldn't have paid $20 for. Avoid AOC's food entirely. The meal started well - the cheese plate was great, the wines were well chosen, and the charcuterie was tasty. However, all of this is standard fare and has nothing to do with the kitchen. It's simply a preparation for the main course, which hopefully will be spectacular. The salad arrived, and there was a small bit of consternation, because it wasn't very good. It was simply a salad. The server referred to it as "The Lettuce," as if that title made an ordinary salad amazing. The main courses arrived - fish and chicken. The fish was decent, but nothing to write home about - I've had better fish at a dozen restaurants, and the combination fish/tomato-potato gratin/aioli was good but nothing I couldn't have made myself. It was edible, but neither memorable nor particularly good. The chicken... dear god. Chicken with "Israeli couscous" (out of a package), pine nuts, and raisins. The chicken was dry to the point of being awful. The couscous was watery, and the rest of it was a mess. It was a disaster. The dessert... the bread pudding was fairly good, and the ricotta cheesecake was uninspired, though edible. Neither were any better than anything I could have ordered at Chili's, but nor were they particularly expensive (just $10 each). The service was slow, the room was boring, and the check again amounted to $200 for a meal I could have prepared better. If you want to take a date out to impress her, avoid AOC, unless you want to have something you can both complain about afterwards. Bleagh. read more

Dined here with a friend and tried a sampling of items: -brussel sprouts. I normally dislike these weird vegetables, but they were served with mashed potatoes and in some probably highly caloric sauce of deliciousness, so these were among the best I've ever had. Recommend. -sweet potatoes with bacon. AMAZING. definitely order these. i love sweet potatoes and these were prepared beautifully with a little spinach, and super tender pork. it's like a thanksgiving or easter feast in your mouth. -hanger steak. mediocre. skip this. -duck confit with kale. very good. not the best i've ever had, but delicious. -arroz negro with squid ink. ehh. this came highly recommended on yelp so we tried it, but neither of us loved it. in the interest of full-disclosure i'm not the biggest squid ink person, so this could be a palette issue. the squid itself was tender and lemony and good, but the rice was too salty for me (and on a re-read of some reviews, i am not the only one who had a salt problem with the dish). -carafe of the syrah 2011. delicious. -chocolate and peanut butter and caramel dessert. OUTSTANDING. order this. save room. no matter what happens and how full you are. best dishes: sweet potatoes, chocolate, sprouts, duck. service was polite, ambiance was pretty but they are moving in January... so will have to check out new location + menu items. read more

I visited AOC for the first time last Saturday. The service was impeccable and the food was on point. My friend and I enjoyed the fried chicken from the "Cocktail Hour" menu, but the real winner was the Sweet Potatoes and Romesco dish. DANG. I wish I'd been hungrier! The tequila and mezcal cocktail that I had was also beautiful. AOC has a new, dynamic space. We sat next to a balcony that overlooked the downstairs patio diners, it was pretty romantic for a girlfriends night out, but we loved it. We poked around the rest of the space before we left and the bar looks like a great place to grab a fancy drink for a classy, tame night, unless you get picked up. I'll definitely be back with a bigger appetite. read more

This is a great spot. I dined here twice, and both times were very satisfied. But first, let's start with some tips for everyone: 1. Has valet parking, just do it. There's no parking nearby... 2. Get an appointment early and arrive 10 minutes early. 3. It does get loud here, so probably not good for a first date, but 3rd or 4th? 4. The main entree dinners are HUGE. I can usually eat two people's share, but can't even finish one of these entrees. Anyway, depending on how many people you come with (great for dates of two or a big group), you would do dinner here differently. If for group of two: Just order 3 or 4 small plates and skip the main entree. The farmer's salad is awesome! The spanish rice dish (forgot the name) is a must. If for group of three or more, you can do 4 small plates and 1 main entree (if you're really hungry). This will probably be a lot even then. Either way, it's pretty affordable (around $70 -75 including tips) for two with no drinks. read more

Simply sublime. We hadn't been to the new space yet and were not disappointed once we arrived. Loved the vibe of the place. We sat in the outdoor patio and really loved the ambience. Our server Joe was excellent. He was just the right amount of attentive, as we were having a dinner with friends and needed to catch up a bit before getting down to dining. Started out the night with the Green Goddess cocktail. It was refreshing with a kick. Absolutely loved it. Followed that with a bottle of Cold Heaven Syrah for the table. Caroline really knows her wine and our sommelier, can't remember her name, knew just what we would enjoy. She said we'd be happy with the Cold Heaven and she was right. Wow! We ordered 8 small plates between the four of us and I can honestly say they were all delicious. The bacon-wrapped dates are a must. That was followed by the baby broccoli focaccia. Yum! I highly recommend both the cauliflower and the brussel sprouts. I could eat a plate full of both... something I'm sure my mother would be shocked to hear as I used to hide them under the table when I was a kid. Had the arugula salad. Wish that one was a bit larger of a portion as it was superb. The pappardelle was also tasty, but the black cod and the hanger steak were both incredible. Didn't think we'd have any more room, but when we checked out the dessert menu we could not decide what to end the night with. Luckily, they have a dessert platter that did the trick. Dark chocolate covered honeycomb, butterscotch pudding and several other tasty treats to cap the evening off. Everything about AOC from the food to the service to the setting was exceptional. Truly exceptional. read more

The space is so gorgeous that I tolerated the earnest but lagging brunch service, ignored the lukewarm temperature of everything that came to the table (from beverage to entree!), and overlooked the staleness of my brioche. I would even come back for seconds or thirds, even if it was only to be next to to such beauty. But...you can eat with your eyes for only so long! Is this what dating in LA is like? read more

I would've given this place 5 stars based off my dinner experience, but my brunch here brought it down one star. For dinner, I tried 4 glasses of wine (syrah, zweileght, red blend, and moscato) during my 3 hour dinner here. I was surprised that each glass was to my liking. My friend and I started off at the communal table while we waited to be seated. We shared the bacon wrapped dates, baby broccolini and burrata focaccia, and the chicken liver toast. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the broccolini focaccia. It was probably an hour before we were seated on the outside patio which is absolutely gorgeous. They have lights up and it feels like you're dining in a beautiful garden. For our entrees, we shared the Spanish fried chicken and the squid ink black rice. Both were very delicious. I didn't think I had room for dessert until the panna cotta with Meyer lemon sorbet fell on my tongue and I was secretly hoping my friend would let me eat the entire thing. I wanted to lick the plate afterwards. For brunch, I shared the chicken and waffle, corn beef hash, and brioche with gyruere and prosciutto. All were disappointing with the expedition of then chicken. The chicken is fried and the same as the Spanish fried chicken for dinner. The brioche is just an open faced sandwich with cheese and prosciutto. The corned beef hash wasn't exciting either and came out cold. I had high expectations after my dinner experience here. Oh well. read more

Food was amazing! It had more of a NY/London feel to it. Was busy for a Saturday night right after xmas. The interior decor is cute as well. This is what we had: 1. three cheese plate 2. the farmer's plate 3. brussels sprouts, balsamic, radicchio, burrata & crumbs 4. grilled whole fish, coconut rice, bok choy, lemongrass sambal & peanuts I have zero complaints as each item ordered came fresh and in a timely fashion. Highly recommend you try it out. read more

So delish! Perfect Margarita, farm table appetizer, Spanish fried chicken to die for! Great venue! Fabulous food! Beautiful patio.

I really enjoyed A.O.C. For many reasons, but one in particular was that it lacked pretension. Our server Alex started off by asking if we wanted sparkling water or "LA's finest" I really liked that he made the regular free water sound fancy and normal. Throughout the entire meal he was great about coming at just the right moment, not ever interrupting us, and being overall delightful and funny. The inside to (covered) outside transition is really beautiful, with tables of two sitting in the open doors. Fireplace burning next to running old-style fountain, vines growing on the walls. Good vibes abound. Oh, and the food is fantastic! All sharing style. We did one DineLA menu which was four courses and added on a few other dishes. Here's what we had: -Three cheese plate, DineLA. I let our server choose the cheeses. There was a goat cheese which was very sweet and delicious. One was a VERY stank sheep's milk cheese, but it grew on me and paired really well with the dried apricot. The last cheese was a triple cream brie, super buttery. The cheese came with a nice stack of bread and a few nuts and dried fruits for pairing. -Chicory focaccia, DineLA. Was tasty, the dough really shining through. The only problem was that the chicory should be cut up into smaller bites so this dish would be easier to eat. -Black (squid ink) rice with squid. Much tastier than I imagined. I'm generally not a huge paella fan nor do I typically like squid ink. BUT this dish was made perfectly - not too salty - and the squid wasn't fishy. I barely noticed any flavor from the aioli though. -Seabass with beets, DineLA. So many different kinds of beets, this dish was beautifully plated. The seabass had some of the best crisp to the skin and flakiness from the flesh that I have ever experienced. Fantastic flavor and probably my favorite dish of the night. I sort of wish we'd each ordered one since it was a very small fillet and we shared it. -Cauliflower. A little oily, but really tasty and quite a generous portion. I took most of it home and it re-heated nicely for lunch the next day. -Ahh, dessert. It was a toss-up between the chocolate torte and the butterscotch pot de creme. I now wish we'd had both (possible if each of us would have ordered from the DineLA menu instead of only one of us.) But, we are trying for low sugar intake this year, so just one dessert is fine. I went with the chocolate torte in which the cake was super dense and a bit too much once I had finished off the coffee cream, hazelnut praline, and caramel. But those bites which had all of the elements were beyond pleasurable! I will come back here for sure. Loved everything! read more

I have been here many times. Very good and interesting food. $ for $ a real value. The waitstaff comes off as a little condescending. It's funny I never seem to see the same people working there even after only a couple months. Great bread and spread. Smaller portions allow for multiple courses. Good trout. I do not drink but I see they have an ample wine list. Good place to take a date. Fussy eaters will not be disappointed. I keep going back... let's up it to a 4.5 star gig. read more

Yum yum yum! A little gem in mid-city west. A hint: ask to be seated on their patio when you make a reservation. It's on the second floor at the back and it's a little bit of peace and quaint charm in the middle of the city. I foresee myself spending a lot of time here. It's pretty much what I love in a restaurant -- upscale bistro-y in feel, totally unpretentious, and yummy food. Service was great, attentive but never breathing down your neck. Our server was knowledgable about the wine list and didn't steer us wrong in either of the carafes we ordered. It seems to be the sort of place where the menu changes frequently, which I love. We tried the cheese plate, squash blossoms, blue cheese salad, and soft-shell crab po-boy. Everything was good in a really nice, understated way. My only gripe is I wish I would have ordered a bit more because I left hungry and the food was damn tasty. Dessert was awesome as well .... the butterscotch pot du creme .... heavenly. I love the vibe here, the service, the approach to food. The patio is marvelous. A definite find! read more

I would probably give 0 stars if that were an option. The food was decent but the service was what brought upon this rating. Our reddish haired female waitress was extremely rude and didn't even bother to provide us any service. She never stopped by our table even once after she took our order. By the way, the lamb dish that we order never came. We tipped the busser who was extremely nice instead of her. I guess she missed out on the 40% tip. read more

Truly delicious food. I was ready to take a star off because I am not a fan of small plate-style dining, but this place does it right! Small plates are definitely the way to go when the food is so tasty and delicate... you just want to try everything. The cocktails are good too. The place is super-busy, even on week nights, so reservations are highly recommended. That being said, if you just want to come in you can eat at the bar or the communal table. But you really want to get a table out on the patio. Conclusion: great food, great ambiance for an intimate dinner for two or four, but i wouldn't go for medium or large parties (though there is a 50+ person banquet room upstairs). read more

I have been looking forward to trying AOC. The new location is beautiful, a bit awkward inside because the tables are close together in this weird open format. The previous restaurant here had a better layout. Now...food. Peach Ricotta salad: 4 stars - it was a nice harmonious blend of flavors. The peaches were grilled to perfection. Bacon Wrapped Dates: 5 stars - as everyone else has said, these are amazing. Arroz Negro: 5 stars - the most interesting dish. Fried Chicken: 4.5 stars - very good, deep brown golden crispy. Loved the sauce on the side! Pappardelle: 3 stars - very bland. Sort of this mesh of cheese and vegetables. The noodles are hard to eat. Pork Belly: 2 stars - this was disgusting. Just a giant thing of fat on top of buttered bread. No flavor. The cherries were decent. Strawberry Rubarb: OMGerd this was amazing. Warm baked amazing. Topped with a scoop of amazing. read more

It's my 2nd time here, 1st time was 2 years a go for dinner and it was awesome!! The 2nd time was last week, exactly on my birthday for lunch.. It was a sunny day and my friend who arranged for bday lunch was asking for the patio.. Well not a good option for the patio especially when sun really burn ur skin.. Luckily we can move our seat to the comfy one..I'm really glad that we enjoyed our lunch ..for appetiser we order waffle chicken style ( so good n juicy ) focaccia and quinoa salad.. And for the main course we just have a few option..skirt steak and salmon ..both are yummy..last but not least u should try their deserts .. ( pumpkin creme brûlée, vanilla brûlée, smore's, caramel cookies ) i got desert sample so I can taste everything.. Thanks AOC .. definitely will comeback! read more

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

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This place is a gem. One of those places that you do not find often in a town like LA. First, the food is amazing (FYI - the Spanish fried chicken is a must do ... and the chicken od to Zuni is great ... and for apps, the bacon wrapped dates are a must). Second, the bar and wine list is simply top notch (and you can find amazing wine in any budget). You add that to the wonderful outside patio they have or the welcoming inside space and you have a win! To top that off, the entire team here are always great! This place has always been on my short list of favorites in LA. read more

Great atmosphere on the patio and its a great spot for brunch or larger parties. Parking is limited- best option is to valet.