Sunnin has an incredible menu, and it's easy to see why they've been a local favorite for so many…read moreyears. The flavors are authentic, vibrant, and consistently delicious. They've also done a great job evolving with the times, offering plenty of clearly marked vegan options along with choices for other dietary needs, including gluten-free. Everything we ordered was excellent. The grape leaves were fantastic, the eggplant dishes were so flavorful, and the portions were very generous. The foul (bean dish) was delicious, and when we asked if they could add a little extra to it, they were happy to accommodate us. The service was warm, welcoming, and genuinely attentive. And don't skip dessert--the baklava is some of the best we've ever had. I understand they've recently changed how they make it, and the result is outstanding. It's wonderful to see a restaurant that has stood the test of time while continuing to evolve. We can't wait to return and explore more of the menu.

Well, here I am back in La La Land doing some work that needed to be done…read more Staying at my dear friend's condo in Westwood with a view of the Mormon Temple and Santa Catalina. Being so close to a zillion restaurants at my feet, my friend's "significant" said let's do some Mediterranean food tonight. I put my thumbs-up and it was unanimous: Sunnin Lebanese Cafe on Westwood Blvd. and Santa Monica Blvd. it was. Well, I never heard of this place, but I said "let's Go"! When we pulled up to this strip mall entrance that was overflowing with human beings wanting a table at very happy this very we had a RESY. We ordered: * Hummus of course - which was delicious * Babaganouj - which was creamy and extremely dippicle [sic] * Beef Kafta Kebab - just lovely * Taboulah Salad - that was excellent * Fool or Ful depending on what Mideast country - was deepened with fava beans * Alamaza Lebanese beer that paired perfectly with our dinner. The staff here were friendly, helpful and accommodating. I've been gone from Los Angeles close to five years now, and every time I come back, I get a nice surprise like I did at Sunnin.

Food is so good I wish we came with a bigger group and could order more. Baba Gnoush is great and…read morethe beef is so tender! The restaurant is a part of Hollywood history and such a great vibe.

Our dance group came here after our performance in LA to celebrate his birthday! We had a…read morereservation for 9. The waiter or owner Baba, was so very welcoming and wanted us to feel like we were at home. He was very attentive and described our dishes perfectly! Delicious Would definitely recommend coming here! Charming and cozy and friendly!

Levant Bistro (the bakery part has merged with the actual restaurant) is so special. My friend and…read moreI planned to meet here for Lebanese brunch on a gorgeous Saturday. It was such an unforgettable and refreshing experience. Chef Anita has such a vision. Every detail was well thought of, from the outdoor patio dining surrounded by olive bushes to the indoor wooden and oak touches with Fairouz playing overhead. What's even better is EVERY single dish is labelled clearly for allergy diners! AHHHH as a nut allergy girly this had me geekin. All the celiac diners can enjoy their dining experience without any triggering fears as well. I went with their famous Lebanese egg pie and my friend got the grilled salmon plate. We shared the ful mudammas, my fave dish. The gluten-free pita bread def changed my brain wiring. I don't enjoy gluten-free food, and I was drooling. The pita was pillow soft, like how do you do that? Magic, I tell you. The egg pie was SO special. Pillow soft as well and super filling. The flavors of every dish were legendary. We couldn't stop talking about the colors, the plating, the top tier service. Everything about Levant deserves to be raved about. Come one come all. Def coming to Levant next time I'm in Echo Park.

Levant Bistro is charming, the staff are warm and welcoming, and the food is absolutely…read moreoutstanding. From start to finish my experience was everything I could ask for. We arrived midday on a Sunday and we're promptly sat, having been given the option for patio or indoor. We chose the patio, and between the clematis, lantana, and olive trees it is a very lovely setting in which to enjoy a meal. We were promptly brought a bottle of cold water and glasses, and our beverage orders were taken. I had a honey lavender latte with oat milk, and my husband had Lebanese coffee (no milk no sugar.) my latte was fragrant, the perfect temperature, and just the right amount of sweet. The Lebanese coffee was smooth, floral without being perfume, and excellent. We started with the falafel and the batata harra. Both absolutely excellent. For our entrees we selected the shakshuka and the Lebanese egg pie. Both were also excellent. Everything was well cooked, well presented, flavorful without being overwhelmed by any component. We took home a baklava tart, because we simply did not have the ability to eat more at the table. It was tender, moist, not too sweet, the pistachio flavor coming through as nutty and grassy, seriously so good! And it's worth noting, this whole restaurant is gluten free. I would not have realised if I had not known ahead of time. The texture of the pita with the shakshuka was exactly what one would expect, as was the bread of the egg pie. The pastry of the tart was flakey and delicious. And having said all of that, the service is what puts it above and beyond. Everyone was warm and pleasant, and seemed to genuinely appreciate the compliments. Staff seemed like they liked their jobs, which for me is always a good sign.

We just got home from dinner here and my wife and I loved it. The food was absolutely top notch. We…read morestarted with the potatoes in garlic sauce and an order of the haroumi and watermelon. What a great kick off! As for our mains, we both ordered a variation of the combo plates. I had the chicken tawook and beef. The Mrs. had the chicken and lamb. All good. Based on the food alone, we would recommend this place to anyone with a beating heart and more importantly, a mouth. This is quality food at a quality price. The atmosphere? Really great. It's a little dark and twinkly inside which sets a nice tone. There is cool artwork adorning every piece of wall, the place is very easy on the eyes...including the restrooms. Very clean. Our sever, didn't catch his name, but what a nice dude. Was super helpful without being "too much" he should teach a server class. He's pretty much who you want taking care of your table. He knew the menu well and made great suggestions. It was actually refreshing. We will come back, most likely with the family. Our waiter told us that they can accommodate larger groups which is great. I recently ate food at Saffy's and I didn't enjoy it one bit. The servings there are too small, too pretentious and too overpriced. Open Sesame is the exact opposite and that's why it rules. A wonderful experience in Beverly Boulevard.

How Do I Start This Rationally ? Atmosphere Is A 5/5. Service Is 5/5. Food was 2.5/5. I Will…read moreExplain. If You A Charging $145 For A Group Platter, Then Everything Must Me PERFECT ! The Chicken Shawarma Was Inedible Because Is Was Obviously Dry And Lying Around For The Next Customer. The Beef Was Good. The Beef Shawarma Was AMAZING ! Probably The Best Thing. On The Menu. Tabouli Was Great. $260 With Tip Divided By Three Is Too Expensive For My First Experience Here. I Told The Manager That They Shouldn't Have Served The Chicken Shawarma If It Was Dry. Anyways.

I am mad that I never drove far enough down York to discover this place and only discovered it…read moreafter it was suggested for a lunch meetup. I needed this place in my life sooner! Let's start with the drink....I'm not a fan of anything rose flavored or scented so I wanted to make sure the rose flavor wasn't too strong in the Jallab. Since I was told the rose flavor is pretty prominent, it was suggested I do the Jallab with lemonade. What a perfect selection! I didn't pick up any rose flavor and the drink was so pretty. This is a refreshing alternative if you don't want to go with a soda. I already had my heart set on the appetizers and fortunately the other person was on board with the same choices. For dippers, I always go with a yogurt and cucumber appetizer and the Babaghanouj did not disappoint. These sides came with three pieces of pita bread. Neither side was overly garlicky and paired well with my entree. If you love cheese borek like I do, get you some cheese rolls. My only regret is only getting one. The cheese rolls were perfectly flavored and not overly salty. Now for the entree...I already had my eye on three meats so the waitress said to go with The Your Way Plate, which came with a kafta and tenderloin skewer. I also added a lamb skewer on the side. Both my lamb and tenderloin skewer were cooked medium and they were perfect. Lamb is one of those dishes that can be a hit or miss because if it's not cooked right, it will be chewy - mine was perfect! And, the spices they use to cook the lamb in will have you trying to pick up every last drop of juice with your pieces of meat. No complaints with the kafta either. I chose rice as my side because I love me the carbs. We went on a weekday for lunch and parking was easy enough to find on a side street. The staff was friendly and there was indoor and outdoor seating options. This place gets a yummy in my tummy rating and I will be back sooner rather than later.

I've eaten at Skaf's On York about four times now, and it's easily become one of my favorite…read moreneighborhood spots whenever I'm craving Lebanese food. My go-to order is the lamb kebab plate with half rice and half cabbage salad. The lamb is always cooked perfectly--tender, juicy, and incredibly flavorful (I usually order it medium well). The rice is delicious, but I especially love the cabbage salad, which is tossed in a bright, refreshing mix of lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic. It's the perfect balance to the rich, savory lamb, and the meal always leaves me feeling satisfied without being overly heavy. The restaurant has very limited indoor seating, so if you can, I'd recommend dining in. This is one of those meals that's best enjoyed fresh and piping hot. I like taking my time cutting the lamb into bite-sized pieces and savoring every bite. If you're planning to order takeout instead, I'd suggest the combo plate with the chicken, tenderloin, and ground beef skewers, also with half rice and half cabbage salad. Those meats are softer and easier to enjoy on the go, especially if you're eating shortly after picking it up. And don't skip the garlic sauce--it is absolutely delicious and takes everything to the next level. Simple, fresh, and consistently well-executed, Skaf's On York has definitely earned a spot as one of my favorite restaurants in Highland Park.

My wife and I met up with some friends at Bavel for our first visit, and I can say it did not…read moredisappoint! The place was busy, lively, and full of energy. Thankfully, we had a reservation, so our wait wasn't long. Once inside, the restaurant was buzzing and packed with people, but even with the crowd, the service flowed smoothly. The waitstaff was on point throughout the evening. The beauty of dining with a group of four is that you can order a bunch of different dishes and share the experience. And that's exactly what we did! For cocktails, we went with the Nebuchadnezzar, Semira, and the Khoda. Then came the food: * Hummus Duck 'Nduja * Chicken Liver Pâté * Fried Quail * Farm Cheese with Buckwheat Toast * Oyster Mushroom Kebab * Slow-Roasted Lamb Neck Shawarma * Wagyu Beef Cheek Tagine For dessert, we finished things off with the Fresh Peach Tart. Everything came out timely, fresh, and cooked to perfection. There were a lot of great dishes on the table, but the standout star of the night was the Slow-Roasted Lamb Neck Shawarma. Tender, flavorful, and absolutely delicious! Overall, Bavel was a great first experience. Good food, great energy, solid service, and the perfect spot for sharing a meal with friends.

We chose Bavel to celebrate our daughter's engagement based on enthusiastic recommendations from…read moreour son and his family, who have dined here many times and always had wonderful experiences. Because of Bavel's outstanding reputation, we were excited to celebrate such a special occasion here. The food was excellent, and our server was attentive and professional. Unfortunately, the dining environment significantly detracted from what should have been a memorable evening. Our party of seven was seated at the chef's table directly adjacent to the open-flame kitchen on a day when temperatures were around 90 degrees. The heat at our table was overwhelming, especially for those seated with their backs to the kitchen. Several members of our party, including elderly family members, were extremely uncomfortable throughout much of the meal. Adding to that, the constant shouting of orders from the kitchen made it difficult for our family to have conversations during our daughter's engagement celebration. We understand that many guests enjoy sitting near an open kitchen, but on this particular evening the combination of the kitchen heat and what appeared to be inadequate air conditioning made the experience far less enjoyable than we expected. Even our son and his family, who have dined at Bavel many times, commented that this was not consistent with their previous experiences. Bavel's food deserves its reputation, but comfort is also an important part of a fine dining experience. Unfortunately, the excessive heat and noise overshadowed what should have been a joyful family celebration. I hope the restaurant addresses these issues so future guests can enjoy the exceptional meal in a more comfortable environment.

Recently ordered from one of my favorite places to eat. Used to come here a while back. I can't…read morefind any place I've been to like this one. Always great food, quick service, family oriented and friendly . - Rebekah

Very extensive menu made it hard to choose! Very friendly…read morestaff helped us choose some really delicious dishes! The hummus was great as was the rest of our meal. Very simple set up with great food! We will be back soon!!!

I can't believe it took me this long to try Open Sesame! I'm a CSULB alumni and walked past this…read morecharming restaurant so many times. So glad I finally got to stop by many years later for dinner! Parking was easy (on a weeknight). Plenty of street parking and many open meters but I can see it being very difficult on weekends. Bake in some time to find parking! There's both indoor and outdoor seating at this location. This inside is cozy and there's a second room for additional seating. I went on a Thursday night and it was slammed. They do not take reservations but they do have a waitlist via toast that you can join while you walk around and wait for your table. Plenty to do and see on 2nd street. We ordered the party platter for 4 people! It was the perfect amount of food with leftovers to take home. Everything was cooked to PERFECTION. Our beef was a textbook medium rare and was so juicy and tender, as was the rest of the meat. The chicken was so moist and flavorful, as was all the shawarma. All meats were seasoned beautifully. The rice underneath was stunning as well and really caught all the juices from the meat on top. The roasted tomatoes, onions, and pickles were the perfect compliments to help freshen up the palette during the meal. The sauces were amazing and there was a clear favorite (the garlic sauce) which was annihilated by all four of us. Service was friendly! It was very packed so it was slow at times but understandably so. They come by and give you orange blossom water for your hands post meal - what a treat! We smelled amazing! NO NOTES FOR OPEN SESAME! I have to come back with more friends! We did have an issue but it was with another patron who had the audacity to yell at my table (while I was in the restroom) for "having too much fun"?!?! This is a public restaurant and it was loud as hell in there because it's tight and everyone talks over each other, not to mention the open kitchen. The energy in the restaurant is exciting and frenetic. If you want a quiet dinner f*cking STAY HOME and leave the streets to those of us who have had a WEEK and want to enjoy a fun dinner with friends. We will be back and we will have even MORE FUN, xoxo.

We stopped by here on a weekday because it was one of the dog-friendly restaurants near Rosie's Dog…read moreBeach. They have multiple outside seating areas where you can sit with your doggo. Ambiance (5/5): Although we didn't sit inside, it was super cute, with classy boho vibes. The restroom was clean and well-decorated (although, not gonna lie, I don't know how I felt about the big mirror facing the toilet). The outside patio area was airy, and although right by the street, I didn't find it unpleasant. Service (3/5): It was just so-so. They sat us down quickly, gave us our menus and checked on us maybe twice. It wasn't super busy, but we had to wait to ask for things like extra plates and water for our dog. Food Overall (5/5): Food was delicious. We got the beef shawarma lunch special and got fries for the side (extra charge) and also the chicken shawarma lunch special with the hummus side. Beef Shawarma (4/5): It had a nice toasty flavor, perhaps from the spices, and the pickled veggies really complemented it. My only complaint was that I wish it had a bit more of the white sauce (maybe adding more hummus would have helped). It was also strangely a bit watery, maybe from the veggies. Overall, it was still a yummy wrap. Chicken Shawarma (5/5): The chicken shawarma tasted more balanced to me overall. I don't recall the meat being dry, although I did also slather it with a bit of hummus. I thoroughly enjoyed this wrap. Fries side (5/5): Their fries are made in house and it tastes so fresh. It was crispy on the outside yet still gooey and moist on the inside. I'm not sure if they make their own ketchup too, as it looked clumpier and tasted really fresh too. The kids gobbled this up. Hummus and pita (5/5): It came with a generous amount of both hummus and pita. The hummus was well flavored and blended, and it really complemented everything on the table. The pocket pita bread was not what I had in mind (I'm used to thicker ones), but the kids really loved it overall. Ice cream (4.5/5): We ordered two scoops from the dessert menu. They were both really thick, creamy and almost chewy like liquidized mochi. It was a very interesting texture but nonetheless a nice tasty treat on a hot day. I much preferred the vanilla bean, as the pistachio tasted and looked rather artificial (and I'm a pistachio ice cream lover). This place had so many to-go orders during the afternoon we were there. I can see why. Food is super fresh and tasty. I think we will be back the next time we are visiting.