I'm reading about great happy hours here, but I've only been for lunch. Amazing service. There is something nice about having a uniformed waiter pour your Diet Coke out for you. It's that extra step that makes you want to pay $15 for a burger. The burger? Not bad, it's a burger, but the service makes you want to come back. read more

Went there on a Friday night. I had the risotto, which was amazing. For dinner we had Duck and the Lamb, both very good but not as excellent as the appetizer. Dessert was very good, since I can't eat sugar they offered to make me a berry cup, which was very nice of them and much appreciated on my part. You should valet-park, as it is $10. Not cheap, but cheaper than paying on the lots next door if you're staying about 2hrs. Overall, I would go again. read more

After and evening at the art galleries my girlfriend and I decided to come here......What a great decision that was. A great dining treat all the way around. Neat dining room with great photos of the old Mayflower Hotel. Now down to business...... The food is awesome. We shared the apple blueberry salad. It had radishes, brie, apples, blueberries, mustard lettuce - all together a very interesting combo! I almost ordered another. I had the rib eye, cooked perfectly and served 3 of the biggest and best onion rings I have ever eaten. I am a steak lover and this is up in my top 5! She had the striped sea bass. She loved it....I do not like fish so I will take her word on how good it was. Well worth going - the place is neat - the food is AWESOME! The bar is a bar with travelers and the hotel bar sort.... Go - you will not regret it. read more

Mindbendingly creative dishes keep me coming back. Fresh, bright, high-quality ingredients mixed by an innovative hand keep the gastronomes guessing, "What will they think of next?" Don't miss this place. read more

The food is ok, not great. But then again I have rarely had a great meal at any hotel. The restaurant is typically filled with business travelers, especially in the morning. The tables are very close to each other. It was awkward being seated so close to all these other single diners (mostly all business men) eating breakfast while looking at their phones. It was a little too close for comfort. Chose to take future hotel meals in my room. Still, the food was never that great. read more

Checkers Downtown - View from my 9th floor room - Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

truth be told, i went there to redeem my travelzoo voucher. there's a handful at the bar area, but inside the actual restaurant, we were the 2nd party. & during our 1hour stay, no one else joined. maybe it's a slow Monday evening, or just out of the way for people to go inside a hotel..? or that there's plenty of trendy delish and Cheaper eats nearby i loved the vibe of the place, very private. classy decor, with fabric walls and great lighting. service immaculate, courteous, and sincere. togo boxes are ginormous. As for the food, it's solid. bit overpriced, that i would probably take my $50pp elsewhere - free bread was 3 different rolls- olive & 2 that reminds me of bagels. haha. served warm with butter. I'm a huge bread fan, and I can say I wont be craving these - beer poured perfectly with 1/3 inch of foam in a icecold goblet - rockshrimp & saffron risotto. loved the chopped chorizo and sundried tomatoes, the shrimp was cute small & chewy. - pan-seared ahi tuna came with a very interesting celery onion salad. with un-named herb that looked almost mossy. tuna portion is giant - braised shortrib 'potpie' , easily accommodated my request to have without mushrooms. loved the artichokes in there. the meat was soft & very typical of french shortrib. it was in a reduced (bit salty) sauce, not the creamy gravy that goes in potpies. the crust was a nice flakey pastry - grilled 14oz angus ribeye, with round slice of bluecheese butter & 3 ridiculously giant onion rings. solid steak, Out of the world onion rings. - the dessert choices were a vanilla creme brulee, berry shortcake, & flourless chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. we stuck with creme brulee & chocolate. both served with sliced strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. i pretty much finished the desserts off single handedly i gotta say, calling for reservations is a major pain. you go thru multiple Press this & that, and finally get the front desk of the hotel. who then tries to forward you to the restaurant, that no one picks. save yourself the time & annoyance, and book via opentable parking $10 validated-valet with lunch or dinner, but i did notice private garage across the street charging $5 after hours. There's also free metered street parking after 7pm read more

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Pretty room. Menu was meh! Nothing like our dinners in the past. I would guess the main chef was not cooking. The Kobe beef French dip, was hardly Kobe beef, it tasted like yesterday's employee meal roast beef. The French fries weren't freshly cooked... can't recommend. read more

I remember this was a top restaurant when my ex BF took me here on a first date in college. So, I was excited to revisit Checkers. The setting looks pretty much the same. It's very elegant. The hotel was wonderfully remodeled from 1920's original. It's now a Hilton. The food was a disappointment. I had the prefix lunch menu ($29). The mushroom cream soup was so salty that i could not finish it. My friend said his was salty as well. The salmon dish was ok, again very salty. The meat was tender though in all fairness. The dessert cream brulee with blue berries was very good. My friend's fish and chips were good but apparently it was too oily that he had to peel off the crust. I think it's a good place for business lunch if you want to chat because it's quiet. It's not a good place to take your friend or date to. Service was good. read more

Had a delightful dinner here. All the food was good from appetizers to deserts. We had scallops, risotto, Caesar salad and ahi tuna appetizers. Service is impeccable. read more

Checkers' $4 happy hour on Thursdays is AMAZING! From 4 to 8pm, they have 4 cocktails and 4 small plates available for $4 each. You can literally order the entire menu for $32. Each week the menu is different, with a featured liquor and drinks paired to the food. If you're looking for a cheap gourmet happy hour in a classy upscale lounge, you can't do much better than Checkers on a Thursday night! read more

Christmas dinner. Where to go. Where to go. My neighbor and I decided to go out for dinner on Christmas. We made reservations at a downtown restaurant and got there to find it was closed. Rats! It was already 9. Where the hell were we going to eat. We were walking by the Sheraton and my neighbor said lets go in there! And I'm so glad we did. Who new the Sheraton would have such a lovely restaurant. First off the service was amazing. Our waiter was incredibly nice. We brought in a bottle of wine and they didn't charge us a corkage fee. Score! I had the duck which was awesome. It's hard to get duck right but oh boy did they get it right. My neighbor gad the salmon which looked amazing as well. I was really surprised by this place. Great food and service. Definitely a keeper! read more

This review if for the experience we had dealing with the staff here, which is why we chose not to have our party at Checkers. I have decided not to name any names. We first called and chose Checkers because we were having a 20's themed party and we thought Checkers would fit right in. We made reservations for 20 people and the person we spoke with said we didn't have to do a fixed menu if we didn't want to and that they would be able to accommodate our party in the restaurant. When we called to change the reservation from 20 people to 26 people a week before the event, we were told by another person that there was no way we could've made a reservation for 20 people without talking to the sales department to create a set menu. We told them that we had made the reservations about two weeks ago and we told them who we spoke with. She said she didn't understand what happened and was surprised he never mentioned the set menu or the sales department to us. We were then told that someone would call us back. So we got a call from the executive chef who was actually really nice, but he told us that we'd basically have to do a set menu. We initially made reservations with Checkers because they told us we didn't have to do that. We didn't want to make everyone pay for a $50 plus meal they might not want to eat. We wanted everyone to have a good time at the party without having to worry about dishing out so much money for their meal. At this point, they passed us on to their sales department. The woman we spoke with knew about the situation and was not very apologetic or organized (we had exchanged a few emails and we got contradicting answers to questions as well as incorrect menus). At this point, we scrambled to find another place to have our event and emailed a bunch of restaurants. We got quite a few responses but almost all of them required a set menu except for one restaurant (which happened to be across the street from Checkers) who we decided to go with in the end. They were really nice and accommodating for such a last minute event. I got everyone's orders for them in advance since we didn't have a set menu, and everything worked out great! I was initially really disappointed that everything at Checkers turned out this way because I was looking forward to trying their food but I guess things happen for a reason? All I know is that I probably won't ever be planning another event here...sorry! read more

Checkers Downtown restaurant is located in the Hilton Checkers hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The restaurant is located in the lobby and is very well decorated. At first I was a bit disappointed once I looked at the menu and realized it was just another Asian-Fusion restaurant. I was mistaken, when I ordered shrimp tempura appetizer and the Ahi Tuna steak for lunch. The appetizer and the entre where very well prepared and excellent. I look forward to sampling more off the menu. read more

Nice hotel with prices that wont burn a hole in your wallet. Luis the bartender is very efficient and friendly, he made our stay much more enjoyable, stop by and see him, I am sure he will tale good care of you! read more

Alright, Me and the boyfriend went to Checkers during DineLA restaurant week for the prix fixed menu. I had the Mozzarella and tomato stack which was actually the best thing out of both of our meals... and why I would give Checkers 2 and a half stars if I could, the mozzarella was really nice, like it didn't have that bitter taste that a cheap mozzarella has. It was very creamy, and the tomatoes were also very good, as was the balsamic reduction that came on it. I also got the roasted chicken with baby vegetables. The chicken was tasty but pretty average the baby vegetables were adorable but still sort of hard in the middle. My boyfriend got the beef dish, which was very tender but didn't have a lot of flavor, which was the case with the chicken too, it was just like "Oh, this is tender.... and sort of sweet". We both got the creme brulee for dessert, it was ok but the top was too burnt and it was an odd Luke warm temperature. Like not hey this is fresh and warm, but not well chilled either.... just sort of bleh and sweet, the fruit on top however was really good. The decor was very hotel-ish, boring beige's and browns. And there were 5 other people in the entire restaurant, the feel was just sort of awkward and stuffy. Sort of like having dinner in a museum with nothing on the walls where you feel like you have to whisper. Our waiter didn't do anything wrong per-say, but he was just sort of a dick, one of those waiters that you just want to treat like shit because its what they expect. But you don't treat them that way, so they treat you like shit. Lastly the parking situation sort of sucks, they only validate valet parking. Weird... yea. So at the end of this dinner, it was way too expensive to come away feeling like I won't ever get those 2 hours back... at the least the mozzarella was good though right? read more

we came here because or couple friend suggested it. Parking is kind of annoying but it is downtown afterall. we parked in the lot around the corner for $12 but if you valet its $10 and we later found out there is a lot a block towards 7th st for $5. the food was amazing. we started with the shrimp saffron risotto (a must try) and the seared scallops which were also amazing. i had the duck risotto and my husband had the salmon. the duck was very good and extremely flavorful. my husbands salmon was nothing too special. the creme brule for dessert is amazing and the flourless chocolate cake is to die for! I'm pretty sure everything on the menu is amazing. read more

I think 3 stars is a generous rating for this place. The restaurant is inside the Hilton, and looks pretty nice and upscale. The service is also quite good. The only problem I had with the place was the food in relation to the prices. The food really was just mediocre (I don't think my fish was cooked correctly), and the prices are pretty sky-high. I know most people who come here are on business meetings/ lunches, which might explain why people might be ok with the high prices (the company pays ?). For better quality at the same price, I'd try Water Grill or Drago. read more

I was not impressed with this as a breakfast spot, but it was fine. The menu was very "hotel." So was the feel. I got the omelette with tomatoes on the side (instead of potatoes). It was good, but not great. Overpriced. read more

I went here with my friends for dinner not too long ago and wasn't SUPER impressed. First off, it was extremely quiet when we walked in...not exactly what a couple young professionals were looking for. Our waitress was pretty bad...not very attentive, all business and didn't bother with any niceties, which is not quite what I expected for so nice and expensive a restaurant. The decor was very pretty, though; typical, I think, for hotel restaurants, and the chairs were super comfy. Also, beware of the parking situation: The garage right next door is $10!! The valet is cheaper...only $6 I think. As far as the food goes, it was very good, and it is the reason I gave this restaurtant 4 stars...it certainly wasn't the atmosphere or the service. Here's what I had: - Crab cake appetizer (all are individual portions): It was excellent and displayed beautifully, with some kind of amazing sauce and a mango salad that was absolutely delicious...5 stars for the crab cake. - Pesto Chicken Breast with a Stuffed Pepper entree: The chicken was done well and the pesto sauce was good....the portion was pretty small, though. The rice that the pepper was stuffed with was great...I scraped the inside of the pepper to get it all. Overall, this was good (not amazing, though), and a little too small to be very filling in my opinion (but pretty typical for this kind of restaurant). - Chocolate Flourless Cake dessert: Ok THIS was amazing...by far and away the best flourless chocolate cake I've ever had (and I've had my fair share). It was warm and delicious and was served with excellent fresh strawberries and blackberries...I was in heaven. I would go back to this restaurant just for this. I'm not sure all of their desserts are as good...one of my friends had the mango sorbet and was NOT impressed. One of my friends also orderd wine...their wine list didn't look extremely extensive, though. The complaint that I'd have about the food in general is the selection...it isn't too big and definitley not geared toward picky eaters. I would go back though...if only for the dessert or with my wealthy grandparents. Summary: Pros: Excellent, well-prepared and presented food, comfy chairs. Cons: Very quiet, less-than-impressive service, small food selection, parking read more

The meal overall was good. For appetizers we got the Pan-Seared Ahi Tuna and Seared Maine Diver Sea Scallops--both packed with great flavor. For entrees I got the Pan Roasted Sonoma Duck Breast, which had good flavor but was chewy and hard to cut--never had that problem with duck before! I almost asked for a steak knife. I didn't finish my last piece because there was a tendon that was too tough to cut through. My friend got the Grilled Chilean Sea Bass, and it was way overcooked. Some of the vegetables that came with it were too charred to eat. For dessert we had the creme brulee and mixed berried shortcake; both were really good. Great service from the entire staff. I would give this place 4 stars if the entrees were better. read more

Had brunch here one Sunday morning. The ambiance of the restaurant was pretty nice but it was almost empty. I think there was one or two other tables. We ordered some flaky pastry breakfast dishes. They were pretty good. The freshly squeezed orange juice and grapefruit juice were refreshing and delicious. The service was a bit off. Something was just not right. I guess I would give this place another shot. Maybe for lunch or dinner...but not brunch. Not too many items to choose from. read more

For a supposedly high end hotel, I expected more. Firstly, the parking cost is astronomical. $42/night for in and out valet. INSANE. We found a parking garage using the Best Parking app for $6/day (so $12 for overnight). We only leave and come back maybe once in a day, so we ended up paying $18/day instead of $42. The service at the front desk was not as sharp as it would be at the Omni, Bonaventure, or another high service hotel. There was confusion with our reservation and the woman helping me got stuck on details that didn't really matter and made for not a bad interaction, but it wasn't smooth and pleasant like I've experienced elsewhere. I know the hotel was busy when I stayed there (12/28/13-12/30/13) because of the holiday and also because of the Rose Bowl, but I kept having the sensation that the Checkers was masquerading as a high-end hotel without having the service to go with it. There were other things in our room that were ridiculous, such as the shower head. As a woman with long hair, I appreciate good water pressure or else it takes me forever to wash shampoo out of my hair. i ended up just unscrewing the shower head and using the water as is instead of waiting forever for the water to sadly dribble down. I also didn't like that there weren't robes in the rooms. My boyfriend and I were able to get robes because we called down for some, but it's still just a small annoyance. Another comfort-related complaint was the pillows! I sleep on my back and the pillows were so high in loft that they ended up really hurting my back. We asked for some replacement pillows that were less tall and those were marginally better, but it's generally my feeling that I shouldn't have to ask for all these things. The continental breakfast we were able to get complimentary because my boyfriend is a Hilton Honors Gold member, but we only ate there once out of the two days we stayed there because the first day was so bad. The options for the continental breakfast were danishes or toast. I was able to get a mini oatmeal instead, but it was made with whole milk, and I typically don't eat dairy. When I said something about the oatmeal being made with milk, the waiter offered to remake it with water, but it would take several minutes and by boyfriend was basically already done eating, so it wasn't worth it to me. I wouldn't return to the Checkers and felt relieved when I left. read more

Stayed overnight for my birthday. Very cool boutique hotel. Centrally located to some great restaurants and bars. The room we were in had no view but was very comfortable. Bathroom shower very clean and the bed and pillows were very comfy. I really like the security factor that without a room key you can not access the elevator. We booked a room for one night, was about $230 and include $30 for food and beverage. Checkout time is 11:00 AM which is great if you need to sleep in like me. Had breakfast there right before checking out. Food was fantastic, great omelets and potatoes. The only negative is the expensive parking. 38.50 per day. I would definitely recommend this hotel. read more

I like this place for a quiet lunch in downtown. Food is okay but it is a very clean pretty place without the crowd.

I had lunch here during my birthday stay at the hotel this fall. It was absolutely delicious. The prix fixe lunch menu offered great combinations. I had the mixed green salad; my partner had the seafood cocktail. They were great starters. The seafood was really fresh and both dishes were excellent to share. We both couldn't resist the Checkers Cheeseburger. We ordered it medium and it was cooked to perfection. The burger was absolutely delicious. The meat was so tender and flavorful. I split mine in half before getting started and it was like slicing through butter. I finished it off with the vanilla bean creme brulee... there was a lot of vanilla bean and it was a nice touch. I paired my meal with a glass of champagne (it was my birthday after all). The food arrived quickly and the waiter was very friendly. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect birthday lunch. read more

Stopped in for dinner before the opera & enjoyed the yummy pan seared ahi tuna, while others at my table enjoyed the honey crisp apple and blueberry salad & the roasted Jidori chicken breast. The food was all pretty good, the atmosphere quiet and elegant, and overall everyone enjoyed the service & the experience. Because I was with guests of the hotel, we all got complimentary cab rides to and from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion - sweet! I would recommend dining here and also staying at this beautiful boutique style hotel. read more

Honestly, for a hotel restaurant it was good. I really like their selection of salads because it's not the same boring salads as most restaurants. Their lamp chops were really good too. And their service was nice too. read more

Amazing yummy Mother's Day brunch. It was empty so I was sacked that they still do it every year bc I've been years ago and it was the same scenario empty but beautiful decor. The food is sooo good. Only $50 brunch with I believe bottomless mimosas included. Not entirely sure. Don't drink in front of parents. Lol. The food was not was way better then it was when I can many years ago but I'm sure they've gotten a new chef since and the cheap brunch, free valet, low crowd volume and the beautiful ambiance is more then enough to as a regular every year. read more

This is in the bottom of the Hilton Hotel. I have been here 1 time for the breakfast on a Sunday after reading some reviews online. I walked there and it was not far from my apt, so that was a little convenient. The wait was instant seating because I guess we got there at a good time. The hostess was kind and gave us the option of sitting wherever we wanted. We chose to sit near the back of the restaurant. The decor is classic. The wall seats was like a couch and the seat across from the wall had nice, solid, wooden chairs. The plate/silverware was also beautiful and added to the classic decor. The moment you sit down, you notice the intimate setting because all you can hear is a quite murmur and the clinking of silverware. The menu is quite simple, offering a few specialties, some staples and their beverages. We ordered buckwheat pancakes with cinnamon butter and chorizo eggs. It was awesome! The pancakes were so delicious and the texture was out of this world. A lot of thought went into the combination with the cinnamon butter as well. The chorizo eggs came with small tortillas to use them as a wrap, also there were 3 different types of salsa, which added to the variety. We were very satisfied with our food and service. We left with smiles. Very good spot for a date because of the intimate setting and great food. Pros: decor food quality intimate setting Cons: Variety was lacking, but it probably makes the existing food taste a lot better. read more

I love checkers four for four... I can't count how many times I've been and how many times I've ditched dinner res on thurs for checkers... I swear I looked forward to Wednesday afternoon every week for the menu to be posted! Their drinks are really strong and creative just the way I like them! Reminds me of new York style cocktails! read more

Upon approaching this downtown restaurant - it was not appealing to the eye AT ALL. I had a backup plan but luckily did not need to use it, as the food, service, and restaurant were fabulous. Our waitress was not the friendliest but the food and other wait staff made up for it. We had drinks, delicious appetizers, and wonderfully seasoned and cooked steaks for an OK downtown price. I recommend for you to def make a reservation and try this place! read more

Very disappointing hotel restaurant. I've stayed at this hotel a few times. About a month ago, I was here for 5 nights. The first night, I decided to go to the lounge for a drink and then have dinner. Arrived about 5:30 pm. Only one other person in the lounge. It took at least 5 minutes for the bartender to ask me what I wanted to drink. My glass of red wine arrived a few minutes later. That was it, he never asked me if I liked it, if I wanted a refill, nothing. After an hour, I couldn't find the bartender anywhere & I was ready for something to eat. So, I pick up my nearly empty wine glass & head a mere 20 feet to the restaurant entry. Not a soul to be found. No one to greet you, no one anywhere. There was one table with guests who looked pretty neglected. After standing there nearly 10 minutes, the bartender shows up. He's finally noticed I'm not in the bar anymore & is worried that I haven't paid my bar bill. I ask him how to get seated in the restaurant, and he says, oh, she must be busy but she'll show up eventually. And, shoves a slip of paper in my hand so I can pay him. 10 more minutes & finally someone comes out from the kitchen & shows me to a table. Fifteen minutes later she's back to take my order. Half hour later food arrives. It was ok, but nothing fabulous. I was surprised at how limited the menu was & so I ended up ordering two Appetizer items - brussels sprouts & a calamari dish. The brussels sprouts were good other than an odd, very greasy piece of 'toast' nestled near the bottom of the plate. The calamari was overcooked & rubbery. Now, about 2.5 hours after wandering into the lounge, I'd like to leave, but it took another 20 minutes to get a check. For the remainder of the evenings when I dined in the hotel, I ordered room service. The menu was more extensive & the service was great. Food always arrived less than 30 minutes after ordering. If you are a guest, use room service. If you are not a guest and thinking this is a good hotel restaurant, well, I've warned you. read more

Thursday Happy Hours are unbelievable. The care they take in preparing each cocktail and food item is far beyond any other $4 glass or plate you'll find in this town. Changes every week, and never disappoints. Haven't spent much time at Checkers otherwise, but the non-Happy Hour menu items I've tried have been similarly fantastic. Service is professional, friendly, and knowledgable--and if it takes a little longer than you might expect sometimes, it's only because these are often INTRICATE COCKTAILS. But the crowd is friendly and mixed, and you won't find a better bargain for the discerning palate. read more

Came up to see a show in DTLA and stay at Hilton Checkers. We wanted to get dinner beforehand and decided to eat at the hotel. It was so great! Elegant but not stuffy. Nice bar area too. Great choice of wines. Everything was delicious. We had scallops appetizer and Mexican shrimp cocktail/salad - both were exceptional, unique but not weird, and perfectly seasoned and cooked. For dinner we enjoyed the butternut squash ravioli filet mignon. OMG - so delicious and we shared and they complimented each other perfectly. Really great dinner especially for a "hotel restaurant". Forgot to take pictures of the food... read more

The salads were simple but well made. The main courses were perfect. One of us had pan-seared sea bass, and the other had the filet mignon. The wines-by-the-glass list was a bit small, and we had to send a glass back. The bread was fresh, but bland and soft-crusted. read more

In the busyness of downtown, this is a place that allows conversation (to hear and be heard). The service was just right, attentive but not hovering. The mushroom soup was a nice starter and the sea scallops were ok. read more

The food was really good, although pricey and a la carte....but what else I was expecting from downtown, right? I had the grilled romaine salad, and it was delicious, although for some reason I didn't expect it to be so similar to a Caesar salad. Main course was their halibut, which was divine! We all shared some creme brulee for dessert, which was delightful. Staff was quite friendly and helpful, which is always nice. They make an outstanding dirty martini too! And valet parking ended up being only $6 if you dine there. All in all, a super evening. read more

The food was good but is what you would expect not very original. The service was needs alot of work. The table beside us was left unbus for over 30 min, and the waitress seemed to be in her own world. read more

I really liked this place. I wasn't sure if it'd be all that great because it was in a hotel, but I was pretty impressed. My girlfriend had a coupon or deal thing for this place. I can't remember what we had but I think it was steak and maybe fish. Overall I was pleasantly impressed, and would never have tried it had I not had that deal. Wouldn't even have known about the place. It's a pretty quiet but nice place in downtown LA. Good wine too. read more

Bread and butter--blah, bland Filet mignon-- perfect med rare, but the dark wine sauce was too sweet and strong; risotto gnocchi-like thing was too bland; served with root vegetables instead of spring veggies: $31 Creme brûlée was the only appealing dessert out of very ordinary choices (homemade ice cream, homemade cookies, shortcake, cheese plate)--nice amount and tasty: $8.50 Exquisite service Parking was $10 with and additional $1 parking tax, all added to your dinner bill (DON'T PAY TIP ON THIS TOO!!!)--but I left my car there while attending the Orpheum Theatre 6/10 of a mile away All in all: WAY overpriced for what I got. I won't be going back when there are so many other great choices read more