After leaving another restaurant whose service and atmosphere was less than expected, Carmel was a gem we found instead--and what a great night it turned out to be. Despite being booked and evidently not an empty table in sight, the hostess and manager both found a spot for us and provided fantastic service. Then, We ended up grabbing seats at the bar--first come first served. The bartender was a DOLL! So courteous and friendly. Made excellent recommendations for drinks and dessert. After having appetizers that were amazing, we couldn't wait to get our main dishes! Everything was delicious and perfectly prepared. The flavors are unique and well-balanced. Every detail is on point. We had the short rib and the hanger steak. I can't even begin to describe the flavors. But it still kept getting better! We had a cheesy, fried, honey dessert! I've never had it but will always order it when I see it. I don't remember the name, but ask for the cheese dessert with crispy toppings and honey... I'm sure they will know exactly what you're taking about. Their house Cabernet was the best I've had. I usually don't drink red wine, but this one--"from the hills of Isreal" is how the bartender introduced it, was amazing!! Definitely order hot tea and their anise cookies!! They need to start selling those cookies! Topped it off with a cappuccino and even that was perfect. Whatever Carmel is doing--from the excellent customer service of the hostess and servers, to their skillful bartenders and beyond delicious eats, they have raised the bar and ruined every other place for me! Nothing has been this good in a very long time! Oh! And I didn't even mention the food bar. And remember to ask for a welcome shot and share a shot with your bartender/wait staff/chef! I won't say more. Just go! Make a reservation first! read more

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Overall, very good experience, the food is great, very well crafted with good ingredients, Mediterranean with a twist, but the portions are small and it's overpriced. Tried that red mullet, Bronzin la, short rib pasta. And the fried red snapper, Kanafa, all were great. The service was amazing and the ambiance is nice. read more

I went for brunch this time. The food was at least as excellent as before. Everything looked and tasted so good and I was so hunry that I forgot to take pictures. This time I had the Bourekas Benedict. It was heavenly! Composed of a buttery crisp thin french croissant consistancy pastry, topped with spinach, feta, and a poached egg, then crowned with a yummy buttery hollandaise sauce! Sooo fabulously good! Also we shared their warm chocolate babka that was divine! The babka was quite chocolatey with a soft chewy dough... definitely the best babka I have ever had! My hat's off to their chef. He truly knows what he's doing! It was Saturday around noon when I had the brilliant idea to try their brunch. I hit up Open Table to see if they had a table available before brunch ended at 3pm. It wouldn't let me make a reservation. I presumed that meant that there were no available tables to make a reservation. I tried calling the restaurant only to get an answering machine. I decided to go there anyway and give it a try because it's a fairly good sized restaurant and maybe they could squeeze us in at the bar. Wow, was I surprised to walk in and find the place empty! We totally had our pick of tables. The service was excellent! Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable. She was happy to answer all of my questions. The ambiance of the restaurant is upscale, but very comfortable. I felt transported to a luxury 5 star setting. I would be happy to return again for their sumptuous food most anytime. read more

Cool vibes. Gave me Mykonos meets New York loft. The grandma plates--think floral designs--are a nice touch that gave me all kinds of cozy feelings. All the dishes we had were incredibly flavorful. The bread. The hamachi crudo. The artichoke tortellini. All of it. Don't forget the chocolate mousse for dessert. It was very busy when we came so would definitely advise making a reservation and just know the dishes are made to share so nothing is large in size but it makes up for it with flavor. read more

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This place gets busy and for good reason, the food is amazing. It gets quite lively, especially evening times on weekends. Just make a reservation and everything will work out. The service was amazing, the food was even better. Have not had a single thing on the menu that I did not like. The Tel Aviv ceviche was incredible and the Japanese sweet potato fries were better than I could have imagined. read more

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The food was absolutely amazing. The service was so good we had boogie as our server. She was adorable and seriously some of the best food I've had the bread was so good with the seasoning and I loved the fish schnitzel and I loved the tortellini pasta. The ambience is really cozy, romantic and cute. read more

Carmel - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Ambience, food, and drinks were all delicious. Such a great vibe from the moment we walked in. The only downside was that our waiter Sebastian hardly came by, so getting refills or checking in took a while. That said, the rest of the staff who stepped in to help were phenomenal. They were attentive, friendly, and really made up for the lack of attention from our server. Overall, still a solid experience. read more

Great dinner at Carmel - wasn't sure what to expect as the village idiot held a special place in my heart, but Carmel's delicious food makes up for the loss Even the bread was delicious, pillowy and soft with a fine crust outside. Steam pours out as you pull it apart The jidori chicken and hanger steak kebabs were both incredibly tender and flavorful. Definitely on the pricier side, but next time I will try a few smaller dishes as opposed to the mains. read more

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I'm really impressed with how they turned this space into a classy restaurant! Love the vibes and food here. That oven baked bread was stand out and also the vodka pasta dish was maybe my favorite rendition of this dish in LA right now! Would definitely come back to try more. Also loved the desert we got an ice cream. The only reason I'm knocking a star is the service was fairly slow. I think they forgot about our table a few times and it was a while before we got their attention for the check. Still plan to come back! read more

One of the best meals I've had for a long time. The vodka pasta, and the tortellini with artichoke are two of the best pasta dishes I've ever had. The bread was heavenly. The green salad absolutely delicious. And the hanger steak outstanding. Our waitress Jade was terrific, well acquainted with the menu and a great personality. read more

Recently visited Carmel for drinks and hummus and was so impressed. I sat at the bar and the staff was so friendly - they also had live music, which was awesome. Would recommend and totally go back! read more

Carmel - Hummus - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Worst customer service I have to wait 45 minutes for my table. They have tables available and I'm waiting on the bar That's crazy. They need to put real manager super frustrated they ruined my night read more

Great spot for a special dinner! Carmel has a classy vibe, with Levantine cooking influences. Meant to be shared family style, we tried a variety of dishes and loved everything we got. My personal favorites were the octopus schwarma and 6-hour braised short rib pappardelle. Didn't like my drink as much, the limonarak - the anise flavor was overpowering, but there were several other drinks on the menu to choose from. Plenty of street parking nearby - otherwise, they also have valet. Would definitely recommend! read more

Carmel - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The food here is amazing! I highly recommend the blue fin tuna, and crudo if you are into raw fish. The pastas are also delectable! Our server was incredibly attentive and kind. We loved the live music and vibes. All together an amazing night read more

Top to bottom this experience was five stars. The food was unique and the flavors blended so well. This place incorporates all of the Mediterranean with skill and creativity. I am a very good cook. And I love a restaurant that does it better than I can. The staff knows their sh**! They were able to explain cocktails to sauces, and when we fell IN LOVE with the Creste di Gallo à la Vodka they were able to tell us what was in it and how it was prepared with ease. I just love that! People who know! We had the meguez stuffed olives! Yum. And the eggplant with the brûlée top. Incredible with the bread. But by far! By far!! The à la vodka sauce was the star. A dish with no protein. Just sauce and pasta.... I could not stop eating from my partners plate! Cannot wait to return and try new things, but that vodka sauce is an EVERY TIME delight! We live in the neighborhood and just smiled all the way home from such a top notch experience. Thanks Carmel. read more

Carmel - Margarita and Run cocktail. Wish we took some of the food but it was so good we forgot! - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This restaurant has a nice ambience. Great for a more intimate dinner. Noise levels were pretty high but you can still have conversation. I came here on a Thursday evening and it was pretty busy. Granted, it was Valentine's Day week so it might have been busier than usual. We started off with two cocktails, though I forgot what we got. Both were great, but the one with lemon was more refreshing. All the items in their cocktail selection seemed like good options. For food, we started with The Bread, which was a Moroccan Frena, 72-hour fermented bread with tahini, matbucha and Syrian olives. The bread was soft and chewy, pairing well with the tahini and olives. 7/10. The Woodfired Octopus Shawarma came with cannellini beans hummus, Sun Gold tomatoes, preserved lemon, and cilantro. Texture of the octopus was on point, as expected. Not chewy or rubbery. I really liked the creaminess of the hummus with the acidity of the tomatoes. 8.5/10. The Artichoke Tortellini was my favorite dish of the night. Pillowy soft pasta with a creamy sage butter sauce and Parmesan. The filling was a delicious mixture including Jerusalem artichoke, which gave it a tangy and almost sweet aftertaste. So good! 9/10. The Branzino was also a top contender. You can't really go wrong with a flakey, nicely seasoned fish. I especially loved the sweetness of the grapes that was paired with this dish. 8.5/10. It was a lovely time at Carmel! I'd like to come back to try some of the other items. Vibes were high and food/service was great. read more

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We came here for an early dinner. Once we walked in, I fell in love with the romantic and cozy vibe. There are bar seatings, some tables and some booth like tables. We were seated promptly. The server was very attentive. We picked our appetizer, the reputable mushroom cigar. It was very interesting. Crunchy outside with a rich umami mushroom filling. It came with a sauce which had a kick. For entree, my boyfriend ordered the duck pasta and I ordered the grilled sea bass. Both were very delicious. For dessert, we ordered their famous grilled cheese knenaf. Love this place and hope to come back again. read more

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It's hard to give a restaurant like this less than 5 stars. That said, I am going to suggest 4.75 stars, based on my experience this weekend. So many great things to report about this place. First of all, convenient valet service ($15) and even street parking on Melrose and side streets if you make a little effort to find it. Second, they have two cute little tables and chairs outside so we could wait for friends that were joining us. Inside it is very subdued, very dark, golden suede tones all over, perfect for evening relaxation, but a bit hard when reading the menu, so you have to break out flashlights. The seating is varied and very comfortable. We had a cushiony sueded booth, slightly elevated, right by the window wall -- nice spot. The menu is "Mediterranean", leaning Israeli. Many unique and intriguing dishes, enough vegetarian and even vegan selections to make me happy. Everything we had from the rolled pastry "cigar", to the creamy eggplant dip, to the crispy bread, two succulent pastas (tortellini), olives, etc., were appropriately spicy and well made. The Knafeh was exceptional and one serving was enough for two people. The service was very attentive. At any one time there were at least two people fussing over our table -- perhaps because we were with regulars? You never have to wait more than fifteen seconds to get whatever you need. If there were anything to improve upon, and hence the 4.75 stars in my rating system, it would be to have a bit more light at the tables and slightly bigger servings (apart from the dessert). These are "tapas" portions, so you have to order more in order to have enough for a regular serving, imo. Also, the cauliflower was undercooked and too chewy. These things are minor. This is a place to take a date or get a pre-theater or -club bite. It's elegant while simple, cozy without diminishing its glamour. I recommend it when you want to be on Melrose and do something a bit different but great. read more

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friendly stuff. Food was good. We went for brunch and I really enjoyed the shakshuka. branzino was was also good. nice decor and music read more

Carmel - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Amazing food! Amazing experience! All the food was fresh and delicious. The wagyu steak melted in your mouth and was seasoned perfectly. Highly recommend. The bread is always a must. This time tried it with the smoked eggplant and feta brûlée which made it even better. Wish we had room for the dessert...next time! read more

This is a long overdue one , but after having dinner last night with 6 friends who've never been , I needed to write this before I will forget again. The ambience is always amazing and great energy. We waited at the bar while waiting for our table. The house margarita has this unique spinoff to it that made me change from red wine, just to be on the same page as everyone else , it was that good. So my friends never been before and all of them kept saying how tasty the food is , on every dish. From the kapmachi crudo , the scallops, the mushrooms cigar and the hanger steak kabeb. If you come with a big group pls order the shareable's. The variety and flavors are an absolute party on your pallet. For main course we've ordered 6 hanger steak kebab and 1 grouper schnitzel! We devoured the kabeb, schnitzel was tasty as well but wasn't a match. Like good ole Barca versus Real Madrid. LiroService was great and very accommodating. Kudos to the chef , you can tell he knows what he's doing and put love into it. and to the ownership and Liron who put such a great menu together with an outstanding ambiance. This is my 4 or 5 time and this place is consistent, something that doesn't rhyme with LA that much . Just a hidden gem in LA. Highly recommend it to anyone who wants to try great Mediterranean food with somewhat Mykonos vibes. Cheers read more

Carmel - Friday night at Carmel - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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This restaurant offers great food. But it does not mean for it to be enjoyed equally. If you have an Asian last name, like I do, the first table you saw when you entered the restaurant, the ones right in front of the entrance, are your rightful spots in the restaurant's opinion. Weeks in advance, I reserved via Opentable a dinner at 6pm on Friday Feb 13 to celebrate with my husband his new job. When we arrived shortly before 6, the restaurant was still mostly empty. After checking us in, the receptionist sat us down at one of THOSE tables, one literally facing the intersection outside, unquestionably the worst table in the whole restaurant. To make it worse, a white couple who checked in right after us were led to sit in one of the booths/ couch seats along the window. This did not sit well with me. In fact, today would have been my third time dining here and my husband's first. My first time here I was with an Asian friend on a weekday evening, and we were put at the exact same table with many other tables available. At my friend's insistence, we moved to one of the booths. The second time I came here with my parents, and we were seated at a table close to this one. Because that night the restaurant was crowded, we did not object. Both times I loved the food (and raved to my husband about it) so I decided to ignore my suspicion for the seating arrangements. Yet tonight, it was just too obvious to me what was happening. For an Asian, also all too familiar. We asked the receptionist to change our seats, before she instead turned to the manager of the evening. I recounted to him my experiences. Without a blink, he told us that it was exactly because I was seated at the same table the previous two times that Opentable - Opentable! - reserved this table for me, thinking that I liked this table. I felt both insulted by this ridiculous lie and impressed by his smoothness in delivering it so quickly. I told him I did not appreciate being lied to and my husband said we should go. This manager remained smooth and wished us a happy Valentine's day. Ah, when this was all happening, another Asian lady was seated next to us. read more

The food is a wonder, not flavors we are used to and they are special. Service is killer drinks are original and well balanced. Everything we have eaten so far is a not to miss. The ambiance is lively and fun read more

I had a much better experience this time. Mushroom cigar was 3.75, smoked eggplant dip was 4/5, kampachi crudo was good 4.25/5, ad was the kabab 4.5/5. read more

This place knocked it out of the park. Every dish we had was phenomenal. We started with the Hamachi ceviche which had chopped macadamia nuts on it, which wasn't something you would not normally expect to have with raw fish, but it worked really well. I've never had bread ( moroccan frena) like this. It was delicious. Kind of a cross between a falafel and bread, really unique. Be sure to try this. Next we had the corn tortellini with sage butter and to person there was a. Audible "oh wow" after they took their first bite. Next we had the pappardelle noodles with short rib ragu - flavorful yet not dried out. Finally we had 2 main courses- the filet branzino and the hangar steak. Both excellent. every time I order Bronzino in a restaurant it's the whole fish just put on the grill and slapped on your plate, but they took the time to fillet it and grill it so there were no bones and you got a flat piece of fish steak which was flavorful and juicy. While the hanger steak was tender and flavorful, i found it tough to describe the flavors in the beef, but it was delicious The tables were a little tight but there was plenty of of room around the bar read more

Honestly one of the best meals I've had all year. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, the service was amazing, and every single dish was incredible. Highlights: The bread - Moroccan Frena Fresh, chewy, and tons of flavor. Tasted like an amazing Moroccan seasoned pizza crust. Mushroom cigar Crispy outside, savory mushroom filling inside. Great texture. Tahini dipping was so good. Kampachi crudo Light, fresh, and citrusy with a great crunch from the pistachios. Super refreshing. Fig Carpaccio Most surprising dish. Such a unique combo and works perfectly. Corn Tortellini Buttery, cheesy, and melts in your mouth. Red Snapper Schnitzel Favorite dish. Soo crispy on the outside, flaky inside. Genuinely the best fried fish I've ever had. The cucumber salad and aioli complimented perfectly. Overall, one of the best meals I've had in LA. Highly recommend. read more

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I've visited twice now and both experiences have been top notch. They have an assortment of different and yummy menu items that I loved, the Jerusalem bagel, shakshuka and jidori chicken. The servers are very friendly and I truly love the atmosphere. Desserts are super yummy too - the chantalily mousse is a standout! read more

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Ahh this place is such a treat! Went there for my boyfriend's birthday dinner and had a great experience. The menu changes quite frequently which I love. Every dish was exceptional and full of flavors. Probably one of the best branzinos I've ever had. Also do not miss their desserts, we had halva ice cream (not pictured) that was out of this world. read more

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Came here with my daughter and we're greeted very warmly by the staff which already was a great start. Overall great service. Drinks are ok, but the wine list is better. The food is really flavorful, got the right amount of spice to balance all the incredibly fresh ingredients, and was a great middle eastern fusion type of restaurant. Everything we had was delicious. The steak however was a bit tough and chewy. The overall setting and ambiance is very cute and almost like a speak easy feel and an old school 20's vibe. Very nice and really good food. Want to come back and try more! read more

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It was my first time visiting this restaurant and everything was absolutely delicious. The surface was very attentive at the beginning, but as the night got busier, it did take closer to 30 minutes to get the check. All of the cocktails were great and I appreciated the balance with the alcohol. All of the dishes were very unique and I personally enjoyed all the appetizers more than the main courses. I would recommend sharing family style so you can have a bite of everything. read more

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I had been looking forward to going to Carmel for a while. (Apparently, even though the name Carmel doesn't sound Middle-Eastern-y, it refers to a mountain in Israel which explains why its the name for an Israeli restaurant). We started with the Kampachi Crudo which was absolutely outstanding. It was a truly complex dish hitting all sorts of notes: sour, sweet, spicy. We got the bread which was also delicious. It came with olives and tahini dip. I probably could have used another dip but it was still really good. The only thing we learned as the night went on is that basically all of our dishes came with their own bread. Had we known that (which wasn't notated on the menu) we might not have ordered this bread--not because it wasn't good but just because we got filled up with bread on the other dishes. The smoked eggplant brulee was really unique with its "creme brulee" top. I thought it was great. My wife did find the feta in there a little "sheep-y" but I didn't think it was offensive at all and didn't notice it. The mushroom cigar was very good. And the octopus schwarma was also very tasty. And some of the dishes were really beautiful (in particular the kampachi and the octopus schwarma). We also got two drinks: the Turkish Village and the Melrose Spritz. The Turkish Village was very tasty (although I'm not gonna say I could taste all of the different "notes" mentioned on the menu). And, my wife really enjoyed the Melrose Spritz as a light, very drinkable cocktail. Also, because it was my birthday, the restaurant threw in a complimentary shot for both my wife and myself of Arak and lemon juice (I think that's what it was). Normally, I am not a fan of the anise-y type flavors, but with the lemon I thought it worked really well. The service was very friendly and efficient overall and they did not rush the dishes. No doubt the prices are not cheap, but I can definitely recommend Carmel for a great Middle-Eastern-flavored experience. And, what I really liked about it is that it used all the traditional Israeli flavors but implemented them in a very unique way. It is what I wanted Zaytinya to be. I felt Zaytinya was kind of just basically very standard Middle-Eastern flavors done in a basically normally way. Still tasty, but nothing to surprise you. In contrast, Carmel really surprised me with the concept and flavors in the dishes. read more

I randomly decided to come here on Friday night without a reservation. The greeter was super kind to seat us at a table. After looking at the menu we both decided to get several small dishes. They all sounded so good that we just skip the entrees. Although all the cocktails sounded great, I decided that the Mezcal Negroni was calling my name. It was perfect and hit the spot. We ordered the Shuk salad, the crudo, the mushroom cigar, the sweet potato fries and the fernet. Everything was delicious and the flavors really were great. We ended the meal with the Knafeh which my guest thought was the best thing ever. The only hiccup for us both was the noise level. Definitely too loud for us. read more

Carmel - Very tasty and flavorful small plates - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Carmel was an unexpected surprise; no dishes disappointed. We went for brunch and had the market hummus, bagel, challah French toast and salmon skewer. Everything was definitely made from scratch and in-house. The flavors were unique and complex in the best way possible. As someone who is cautious about bread consumption, I enjoyed the lightness of their bread options. The interior was like boho, Mediterranean and Persian inspired -- super cute! The staff was nice and attentive too! read more

Carmel - Challah French Toast - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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We were feeling like Middle Eastern-Israeili food and randomly found this place. And im truly shocked that i have never heard about it, such a hidden gem on Melrose. Amazing ambiance, beautiful decor, and great service. Our brunch was so yummy and flavorful. The shakshuka is a "must" on their menu. Highly-highly recommended. read more

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Wow, wow and wow. This place is so good! Came here on a Saturday for brunch and it was empty but still made a reservation. Loved everything we ordered, it was fresh and made to order. My recommendation: Jerusalem bagel, eggplant brûlée, crudo, chicken schnitzel, shashuka and kanfeh for dessert. Street parking or valet. read more

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Great food, excellent service, and a wonderful atmosphere. Everything was fresh and delicious. I'll definitely be back!

This was one of the best meals that I've had in LA in a while. It's small plates so with 7 of us we had to order multiple of some of the items, which was fine. We tried almost the entire menu and the only item we thought was mediocre was the vodka pasta. Everything else was exceptional, notably the artichoke ravioli, ceviche, octopus, crudo, and eggplant (this had a crust on top similar to creme brulee which was wild). The service was excellent as well. read more

My LA friends recommended Carmel, and it was a really solid first dinner spot during our LA trip! We got quite a few things to share, and they were all delicious. I do think Carmel is pretty overpriced because it came out to be about $80+ per person, and I still left feeling hungry. It's a great dinner date spot, so I do recommend for anyone who's wanting to try! The vibes and service are great. read more

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If I could give Carmel a 6 stars, I would: this is my first visit at this restaurant in the heart of Melrose. They've been established for one year now and their atmosphere and decor are so appealing and contemporary, with an overview of the bar in the kitchen on the right hand side and on the left side, the drinks bar. I went at 11 o'clock right when they were opening the restaurant so it was ample seating available although I made a reservation anyway , and we were treated like Queens! One of the owners Ronnie was there and he was very welcoming ; our waitress name was Cameron and she was awesome and so friendly. With ate all these little plates, you can imagine that they serve there : the bread with the zaatar which the dough had been marinated for 72 hours before they baked it, the scallops Crudo, which were delicious finely chopped and marinated in a lime juice, ceviche style, and some fish Crudo, the smoked eggplant crème brûlée, which was totally amazing for taste of sweet and savory together, a plate of hummus with boiled eggs and garbanzo beans, we also had the grilled octopus Shawarma, which in my opinion was just so so ( a little too dry and too salty in my opinion), we ended our brunch with the rosewater gelato which was out of this world! Kudos to the chef hired from New York chef Asaf: he's a top of the line, amazing and creative for all his dishes, a true innovator! I will certainly return to Carmel And I also heard they have a DJ on Saturday night Excellent experience, and highly recommended place‼ read more

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We ultimately enjoyed the experience, but found it too expensive. I can't be the only person who agrees with this, and I've increasingly seen this at restaurants (I'm talking to you Antico Nuovo), just make the bread and the dips one menu item. I find it ridiculous to pay for bread, hummus, and spicy plate on what a few years ago would be one dish. [Getting off my soapbox] Moroccan Frena Bread - $15 - Delicious! Just please include more items to dip it with. The tahini was fine, but not the best dip for it. Shuk Salad - $24 - fresh, simple, good balance for rest of meal. Kampachi Crudo - $24 - Delicious. Interesting. Felt like a complete bite. Mushroom Cigar - $22 - despite the great reviews, I found this to be lacking flavor-wise. I would say it's fine. We loved the pickled cauliflower with it. Spicy Platter - $11 - Good if you like spicy. The pictures fail to show you how small it is. Entire dish is size of my palm at most. Should just be included with another dish with bread because you can't really eat it on its own. Hanger Steak Kebab - $48 - Solid. Comes with laffa (bread) that we didn't eat because we already had the Frena. Would try to see if you could have this arrive at the same time of the dips. Drinks were great. Overall, we enjoyed the food! Just wish the value was better. Service was good, but it felt like the waitress had too many tables. Ended up being about $250 (with tip) for two people. read more