Minuscule portions, uninspired menu. Truly a forgettable place through and through. Avoid

It's been a long time since my days of hitting up the hot new spot in town, so I was surprised to find myself at Bar Siesta, one of the hottest reservations in town right now. (The bar is still largely available before 7 P.M. for parties of one or two, even on Fridays.) The formerly gloomy, cave-like Alimento has been brightened up and now feels like a little Balearic enclave tucked away in the toniest part of Silver Lake. The menu is all small plates -- tapas only -- so don't come here looking for paella. Some notable Spanish dishes were missing from the menu on my visit, such as gazpacho, albóndigas, bacalao, pulpo a la gallega, empanadas, croquetas de pollo, calamares, cantimpalitos, churros, and pimientos de Padrón (which are usually substituted with the very similar shishito pepper in America). But I was able to get some of my favorites: croquetas de jamón, papas bravas, pa amb tomàquet (pan con tomate), as well as lamb pincho moruno and broccolini with romesco. They were quite good, but each seemed to have a slight flaw: The papas bravas were slightly too salty. The pan con tomate was slightly too oily. The breading on the croquetas was a bit too thick and crusty. With the broccolini and pincho, the portion size of each was just too small (by about half) for the price tag. (The lamb was perfectly cooked with none of that characteristic "lamb flavor" and wonderfully seasoned with cumin -- so I wish there had been more of it.) The crema catalana was excellent; the anise flavoring was delicate, and the texture was perfect. But... it really should've been at least four dollars less. A side note: I have no interest in canned seafood, so the conservas section of the menu was a non-entity for me. How canned sardines became the hottest food trend continues to flummox me. Just a decade ago, that stuff was relegated to the dustiest shelf of Big Lots, and now hipsters are paying $20 to eat canned fish in fancy restaurants -- straight from the can. Like a homeless person. Or their aunt's Turkish Angora. There is a large selection of Spanish wines, mostly available by the bottle. The bartender was generous with letting me taste the selection of vermouths and sherries, so I feel I got my money's worth with that. I was happy to find a Spanish beer on tap, but it was, for me, the wrong Estrella. (Damm, please, not Galicia.) Service was friendly if a bit stretched, and it only got more and more stretched as the place got packed to near capacity as it neared 7 P.M. While the atmosphere was relaxed and calm when I began my meal, it was loud, bordering on raucous, when I left. Bar Siesta is a place that almost gets it all right. The food is almost perfect, either flavor-wise or price-wise. The service is almost perfect, but it's just a few minutes too slow or one more drink behind. The beer on tap is pretty good, but not the best one they could've gotten. The laid-back interior looks great, but the vibe is just a little too rackety for a small neighborhood eatery in a residential area. I like Bar Siesta. Maybe in time, when they get their sea legs and the hype dies down, it could become a place I could love. read more

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I give this place a solid 3.5. The service is great and the ambience is very lively. The food was OK at best. Maybe we ordered the wrong things? I do see the potential, considering this place is fairly new but the fennel salad was just, not ok. It's a combination of mixed greens with a few slices of fennel and dressed with the most acidic, overpowering dressing you've ever had. The anchovies were recommended but it was nothing special. I know that it's more of a preference of which tin you prefer but the server was kind enough to switch it with some tuna belly which was just to our liking. The clam toast was 10/10 and prawns were cooked just perfectly and were delectable. read more

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A great little tapas restaurant in Silverlake. The place is cute but the noise level can get quite loud. Our favorite dishes were the gambas, tortilla espanola, and the ventresca (tuna belly). Being tapas, the portions are on the small side, which was fine for the two of us. Service was friendly and attentive even though the place was full. The food came out steadily and finished plates were cleared away quickly. I appreciated the server guiding us to the right amount of dishes and looking to balance them out without redundancy. The wine list was extensive but we ordered by the glass and there were only 3 reds to choose from. Can't wait to go back and try more things. read more

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Went here for a birthday celebration and honestly, it was nothing special. The food was OK at best. The food took a while to get

Lovely place with great food and wine. Totally dig the euro vibe. The croquetas are to die for !

Trying hard to be an upscale Tapas and Latas bar...ambiance is there but too upscale and overpriced for serving pan con tomat and canned foods. Also, service was terrible. Won't go back, Alimento was a million times better. read more

All 3 dishes were great tasting, I wish I have a bigger stomach. After few bites I realized the clams on toast were canned but it's still read more

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The food is OK at best it's nothing crazy, it's a bit overpriced in my opinion . The service was good though I will say that. Ambiance is good for its location. Nothing I Would come back for though. read more

terrible service, like really bad, like they sat us on the curb and ignored us for an hour and a half after taking our order only to find out that they never put the order into the kitchen. never going back read more

I wanted so much to like this place. No need to to give a full run down. Let's just say that any neighborhood bar in Spain serves tortilla 100 times better than this joint. The pitiful piece they served was insipid...certainly not made with extra virgin olive oil. The waitress was very nice. read more

We went to Bar fiesta on a Sunday night to celebrate a friend's birthday. The place was cute and the ambiance was upbeat, we ordered a variety of dishes to share between the 6 of us, but sorry to say nor the taste neither the quantity justified their prices. We enjoyed the evening overall because of the company, the ambience and the decent service, in my humble opinion however they missed the whole point of tapas! read more

This place is well decorated and the service is great. A lot of the dishes were misses, however. The tuna belly was bland, croquetas were good but tiny at $4 each (think amuse bouche size) and everything else was good but not standout. Also, the acoustics are horrible so if you sit by the wall, the sound will ricochet right into you and you have to scream. And of course parking is a nightmare. I won't be back as there are many better places in silver lake. read more

Food was tasty and ambience was great. Portions are tapas but a lot smaller than tapas. Service reminded me of being in Spain, mostly ignored by the staff. I highly recommend if you have a small appetite and money burning a hole in your pocket. Sangria is petite and loaded. read more

Very fresh food. Great tuna and jamón ibérico c. Cute place with Nice ambience. Seemed a bit u sets tagged but still good service. One big disappoint for a taps/ Spanish cuisine place they did not have sangria. Not hard to make. Should add to menu. Nice spot would go again. read more

Went for the first time the other night, and honestly, it ended up being better than expected. We were seated (2 people) in the dining room which is cozy and got our wine pretty quickly considering it was busy; it's a good list too not annoyingly long. We had the ventresca, the morcilla, and the setas. The portions were a little small but the food was delicious, especially the morcilla. It felt legit but not fussy. I feel like people get bummed on the portion/price ratio but it's a nice tapas spot in a generally high priced neighborhood, makes sense all things considered. Worth checking out, I'll be back. read more

Bar Siesta was great. The tapas menu had a good variety, and the patio was nice and warm, made it an easy spot to hang out. Service was solid and the space feels nice without trying too hard. Good sherry and vermouth options, plus a nice setup if you're doing a birthday dinner or date night. Definitely worth stopping in. read more

The food is good: tapas, so prices for small portions add up quickly. Nice to have a Spanish restaurant nearby. But it was not worth sitting through the meal in an extremely noisy place. Probably the noisiest restaurant we've been to. The four of us had to speak very loudly (as did the other closely packed tables, adding more to the noise), so don't expect a leisurely meal with good conversation. Try to sit outside where you can at least talk, or avoid fully packed weekends. read more

tried bar siesta for the first time tonight and was very unimpressed. We were seated at the bar and there was no clarity on who our server was. The wine was good but the food was very underwhelming. The Pan con Tomate was just bland tomato sauce on toast, the tuna belly tasted really off, the potatoes bravas were just home fries with mayo, and the croquettes were incredibly salty. For two glasses of wine each and four very small tapas it was $140 which was steep for what we had. Would definitely not return. The two stars are for the decor which is solid and cute. read more

Outstanding food, service and staff. So warm and nice - great recommendations and everyone had a smile on their faces here. If you have not tried them, go give them a visit! read more

2.5 Stars but could easily improve and earn 3-4 stars. Dishes were pretty hit or miss. When eating Tapas you usually want to try stuff that's exciting and flavorful but I recall dishes like the mushrooms, beans and beets to fall flat. The standout dishes such as the lamb, shrimp and mussels that we tried were tasty but also nothing to write home about. Very standard fair. Delicious at times but not very memorable. Atmosphere was nice, but the small space fully seated made it really hard to talk over without really raising your voice. Also the general vibe of this place is very "Silver Lake hipster". A plus for some but that's an ick for me. Lastly our service was flat out bad but I would just chalk that up to having an inexperienced server. Manager was very very accommodating and friendly. In summary, when paying ~$50+ per person for Tapas there's a certain expectation for how nice the experience should be. I found Bar Siesta to fall a bit short of my expectations in most regards. This doesn't mean you can't have a lovely time here, but i feel that for this to be a really standout restaurant they have many improvements to make. read more

Cute outside area. The service staff was great and so sweet. The snacks (we went around 345pm) were delicious and just what we were looking for. However, about halfway through our visit, the chef(?) sat two tables away from us and had a 30+ minute, extremely loud conversation on speakerphone about mashed potatoes. It was so annoying and so inconsiderate. read more

oof. please please take the steak with the blue cheese sauce off the menu :( that was tough. steak swimming in blue cheese and chives. yiikes! wet, bland salad :( pretty decor and nice ambiance though ! read more

Good food. Although I don't even remember what I got and this was only last week so maybe not GREAT food? The salad was meh. I really liked the vibe. Service was great. It was just very loud and I was screaming at my friend the whole time. Tables also felt a hair too close. If they could figure out the acoustics it would be suh good. But good food and vibes overall. read more

This is one of those complicated reviews- it is a cute little bistro in the heart of Silverlake but the wrong menu for my taste--at least for lunch. I struggled to find something on the lunch menu that looking appealing. Excellent marks for atmosphere, design and service. Unfortunately the menu is just not my cup of tea with the exception of the Jamon Iberico sandwich ($17) which was fantastic. Not a fan of sardines or any canned fish which made up 1/2 of the lunch menu and the tapas selection wasn't for me, although the tiny croquetas, while overpriced ar $4 each, were enjoyable. The green salad ($14) was one of the weirdest salads I have had in a while, and the dressing was terribly bitter. Overall I might return for the ham sandwich, but nothing else unless the dinner menu is more expansive. The 4% wellness surcharge added to the check is a huge pet peeve of mine in L.A. and results in an automatic one star deduction. read more

I could eat the pan con tomate on loop forever. Everything here is so fresh and intentional. This place is for people who value local, thoughtfully grown produce. Whoever the chef is does a brilliant job at highlighting vegetables and meats without slathering them in sure fire ingredients like butter. They really understand how to elevate without overpowering. From the mushrooms to the lamb, the plates are approachable and sophisticated -- a true mark of a master. Ambience is equally understated and romantic, while the staff are warm, lively and engaging. This place is the real deal. read more

Great authentic Spanish food. Everything was wonderful, don't miss out on the matrimonio and the croquetas.

Incredible new addition to the Silver Lake neighborhood! Bar Siesta is exactly what this spot needed; the food is incredible, service lovely and the atmosphere is beyond charming! We are so excited to have a new venue nearby, and one with great food, wine and charm. We were pleasantly surprised by the value, wines were fairly prices which we really appreciated! A must try! read more

Food is pretty good. Clam toast, pan con tomate and prawns stood out, but everything else was worth a try and satisfying. I love the vermouth options and service, not a concept I see often in LA and always something I crave after visiting New York. The restaurant is beautiful and inviting, well lit and lively. My only issue was that I had a later reservation and was still seated about 35 or 40 minutes late, and had to ask the host/server (it's not really clear who was handling the front) three or four times about being seated. I had a sense that a table that was supposed to be for us had a seating taking its time, so I get it might not have been entirely in the restaurant's control, but it wasn't pleasant to have to wait so long without assurances or updates about what we could expect given the delay, and on a colder night. Because of that I wouldn't go out of my way to go back, especially because there are so many great wine bars around. Once seated, service was great and food came out quickly. It's a fairly recent opening so my experience might have been an outlier. read more

wonderful spanish tapas, beautiful space, great service and fun, lively atmosphere - some favorites are pincho moruno (marinated lamb), pan con tomate, tosta de almejas (clam toast) and the 'matrimonio.' Plus, don't miss the divine Crema Catalana for dessert. Truth be told, I love it all. read more

Bar Siesta - Pincho Moruno - Spanish Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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The energy and vibe in Bar Siesta made me feel like I was back in Madrid! The meal was fantastic. I especially liked the Tosta de Almejas (clams, fennel, and sofrito on sourdough), Matrimonio (pan con tomate with anchovies and boquerones), Boquerones en Vinagre (the zest made it exceptional), Patatas Bravas (which were the best I've ever tasted) and the ensalada de achicorias. For dessert the Helado de Aceite with Pedro Ximenez was exceptional. All in all we had a fun time and a very memorable meal. read more

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Dayton was an incredible server! The Mojama (smoked tuna) was so delicious. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu and it's a perfect spot for date night! read more

The only reason I give this place 3 stars is because of the pan con tomate. That was delicious. However, we had to laugh at the notion of paying $5 for "Spanish olive oil potato chips". What we got was a most likely a bag of Kettle Chips or Lays potato chips and the piddly olives were a joke. Seriously. It was almost offensive. We asked if we could have some bread, but were told they didn't have any. Yet... "pan" means bread, if I am not mistaken. So... there was bread for the pan con tomate, but none for the patrons to nosh on... hence the overpriced "potato chips". We had a few other non-memorable items and decided to skip dinner there in favor of another restaurant. Disappointing because we love a good wine and tapas bar, but this place is definitely not worth the money. read more

Bar Siesta. I should've kept sleeping on you. Unfortunately, I was awake during this experience. To be fair, I don't even know if I can review this restaurant, considering they had me seated on the public los angeles county sidewalks. That's not a patio, that's my tax dollars. Moving on from the tax cut, I was handed a menu composed completely in spanish. While that's not a problem, the mix and descriptions of food combinations made me feel as though I were reading the nuclear codes. Our waitress clearly also was not versed in nuclear codes as she offered no aid in understanding the menu and was happy to take our guesses of orders. What came to the table could only be described as a massacre. Stinky cheese like the kind found in between your husbands toes. Drinks as bland as the people in silverlake. I became jealous of my prawns lack of life, while I had to sit living in this hellscape. I expect the salon next door to take over, though I'm not sure any amount of sage could clear the dark energy looming here, at bar siesta. read more

I thought the wine was good, but the food was a miss. Olive oil ice cream was good though!

Amazing experience. We tried at least 8 items and all were delicious. I highly recommend the croquetas, pan con tomate, tortilla, morcilla and everything else. Olive oil ice cream bathed in sherry was a perfect ending. Great selection of wines and vermouth. The service was outstanding and the ambiance was comfortable and inviting. This was a unique experience and one that I hope to repeat many times. read more

Although the restaurant is quite loud and talking to our friends was a little difficult, the experience was overall very good. Food was awesome. Highlights: the clam tostada, the lamb, the canned anchovies, and the Crema de Catalan. Service was also very good. Will definitely return, but will probably opt for an outdoor table. read more