Thank god Bavel does not disappoint. I've been meaning to come back ever since I had that AMAZING…read moreduck at Bavel. I see why I love this place so much after watching the Odyssey too hahah the little lotus they served with the duck MUST be the lotus Charlize Theron has been feeding Matt Damon! That aside, this time we ordered the Fried Quail and the lamb manti. Both are just eye-opening delicious. It's fatty it's juicy and it's delicate. I do not want the food to run out, and it's much like the odyssey, hours later, I woke up to a different day and i still think about how insanely delicious they are! Different server this time, but still the and level of hospitality. Always checking in on us, bringing new utensils and recommending menus. It feels like we are the guests at a well run family dinner party. Loved the cocktails too. Nava and Semir are both excellent but maybe the former has a little too much ice. Loved their subtly. Definitely pricy, but I'd say it's on par with many of the Michelin starred place I've tried! Highly recommended for special occasions!

Bavel is an upscale Middle Eastern style cuisine restaurant. It has modern decor with massive ivies…read morehanging down from ceiling planters. It's best to make a reservation in advance if you plan to dine here as they are almost always fully at capacity. They have both indoor and outdoor dining. If the weather is not too hot, I recommend sitting outside. Our mistake was choosing the indoors because it gets awfully loud to the point where you can't even hear the server(s) or your own party speak. Truth be told that's the major factor in the minus 1 star as it negatively affected our overall dining experience. 1. Farm Cheese Spread (5/5) The farm cheese was super light and airy. It's seasoned with sumac/fig leaf za'atar, rose petal (mostly for decor than taste) and fresh rosemary. It's served with 2 slices of crispy edged, doughy centered, black sesame bread that's toasted to perfection. 2. Baba Ghanoush (5/5) This is a dip dish made of smoked eggplant, Jimmy Nardello peppers (adds sweetness and smoky flavor), fennel escabeche, dill and olive oil. It's served with sites of fried pita bread. The eggplant was perfectly savory from the grilled onions and non-spicy, smoky flavor of the peppers. The Pita bread is like a fried beignet donut in terms of flavor. Another enjoyable appetizer to share. 3. Oyster Mushroom Kebab (5/5) Amazing smokey, well-charred and juicy mushroom with a nice price tag attached to it, but still worth to enjoy. It's served with avocado-lovage puree and sumac, which paired well with the mushroom flavor. 4. Grilled Octopus (5/5): The octopus tentacles were cooked to perfection - soft & melts in your mouth. It's almost like eating a very soft rice cake with a hint of seafood flavor note. It's served with sides of skordalia potato puree, brocooli, lamb xo sauce and coated in dill to give it a slightly spicy and savory profile. 5. Slow-Roasted Lamb Neck Shawarma (4.5/5) Super tender lamb meat that's also very fatty. It's served with a side of basil-cilantro like sauce, pickled vegetables and tahini sauce which was super creamy and helped to cut the gaminess of the lamb. The dish also comes with a full size laffa bread, which was fresh (made in-house; you can literally see them making it in the background) and pillowy-soft to wrap the lamb meat in. 6. Cherry Sumac & Ricotta cheese pastry (4/5) We ended with a crispy Cherry jam tart. The puff pastry was flaky puff while the cherry jam was tart and sweet. It paired well with their ricotta cheese, which was light and airy and sprinkled with sumac. It also comes with a scoop of Pistachio ice cream that's subtly nutty and floral but was a bit too sweet for our liking. Overall, the food here was good, but the dining environment was too loud for our liking. This place is often compared to Bestia, which we prefer. Fun fact - Bavel and Bestia are owned by the same owners.

My wife and I came to Berenjak on a Friday night and absolutely loved it. Honestly, I couldn't have…read moreasked for a better place to spend the evening. I was born and raised in Iran and I'm Armenian, so I grew up with this food and culture. I see some reviews complaining that the portions are smaller and the prices are higher than a traditional Persian restaurant, but I honestly don't understand that comparison. Berenjak is clearly trying to offer something different. This is a modern, elevated Persian dining experience. You're not just paying for a huge plate of rice and kebab. You're paying for great food, beautiful presentation, service, atmosphere, culture, and the overall experience. People go to Michelin-starred restaurants all the time, pay two or three times as much for much smaller portions, and nobody questions it because they understand the concept of fine dining. Persian food deserves to be appreciated in that same way. And honestly, I didn't even find Berenjak that expensive for what you're getting. It was worth every dollar. The food was amazing, the portions were completely reasonable, the presentation was beautiful, and the ambiance made the whole night. I actually love seeing the food and culture I grew up around presented in such a beautiful and elevated way. Places like this deserve more credit. We enjoyed it so much that we literally made another reservation on our way out. 5 stars from us. We'll definitely be back.

I've tried so many different beef kababs and this one is the best one I've had in a while. SO…read moreJUICY,soft and just melts in your mouth. 10/10 Eggplant spread served warm, smoky flavor made it even better 10/10 Drinks were so yummy! I got plum cocktail which was perfectly sour and sweet 11/10 Evening atmosphere felt very cozy, I enjoyed getting dinner at Berenjak a lot.

I dined at Saffy's about 2 weeks ago and I'm still thinking about it. This was a top 5 meal for me…read more The service is excellent, we sat at the bar and had the best service and drinks (the vesper martini was perfect). The ambiance is nice and low key and the volume inside was just right (to me). We ordered: - Hummus tahini with challah bread (5/5) (The challah french toast is the star of the show) - Tomatoes w/ smoked eggplant puree (5/5) - Turmeric mussels (1000/5) ! - Beef and chicken shishlik (4/5) - Strawberry tres leches (5/5) (This was so good, even the flower garnish was delicious) A truly unreal meal, everything was so light and fresh. It was the kind of meal where you stop and and look around to see if everyone is having the same experience.

Very tasty skewers especially the lobster skewers…read more Dimly lit ambiance, solid service. Parking limited. Valet available.

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.

Food is delicious and fresh Customer service is amazing…read more The vibe is nice Will be back again

The food and the service were excellent during my weekday lunch visit. The eggplant appetizer was…read moreunlike anything I had before and it was so good. You usually can't go wrong with grilled meat and pair it with rice. I loved all of it. I was also really impressed with the service. They were very attentive and hospitable. The bathroom is by the entrance where you come in. This restaurant seems to have an inside and outside seating area but the outside seating feels like inside because it's mostly contained and definitely covered. I look forward to being back, mostly for that eggplant appetizer!

Was coming back home from work in deep LA. Traffic was horrible so stop at this place randomly for…read morea bite. Boy was it soooooooo GOOD!! Food was delicious and fresh. Staff were super friendly! Patio outside was really nice. The only downside is that there is no bathroom and you have to walk pretty far to get to one. Also it's in a slightly sketchy area. But everything else was pretty darn good!

This place is in East LA, unfortunately the smell outside was rancid because of the Lineage rotting…read moremeat problem in Boyle Heights. The service was great and the food was decent for its price. My hubby and I ate outside and got to see what looked like a car chase, it was nuts! The server came by as we were shocked to see so many cops speeding by and the helicopter and said, "just another day in the hood " oh my... Besides the hectic location and the gross smell from Lineage the food and service was great.

Carousel is hands down the best Mediterranean spot. I've been coming here for years and it never…read moredisappoints. Their arayes are a must -- it's basically like a lahmajun with two pieces pressed together, and it's insanely good. I usually go all in and order the tabbouleh, babaganoush, a pound of lula kebab, and shish kebab. Honestly, if you're with 2+ people (or even just really hungry), ordering by the pound with sides is way better value than getting individual plates. You get more variety and it just feels like the right way to eat here. Every now and then I'll switch it up and get the liver plate -- it comes with tons of greens and onions, and when you wrap everything in their fresh pita, it's incredible. Not an everyday order, but when you're in the mood for it, it hits. If you dine in, the indoor decor is super nice and really gives that authentic Mediterranean vibe. They also play a lot of 90s music, which somehow fits perfectly and adds to the whole experience. I've dined in plenty of times and the service is always solid -- staff is friendly and attentive. Just a heads up, food can take a little longer sometimes, but that's because they're always busy and everything is made fresh, so it's worth the wait. I've also done takeout here more times than I can count -- probably over 100 orders at this point -- which says everything. This is easily one of my go-to spots and I keep coming back for a reason.

I've been enjoying this restaurant for many years and always like to pop in occasionally for an…read moreitem or two. While I usually enjoy the chicken sandwich toasted, today I decided to try the chicken Shawarma plate. It came with a nice side of hummus, garlic spread, tahini, and a few other tidbits to layer your flavors. The people here are always very friendly, although they did miss one of the items on my over the phone order, even though when they read it back to me all my items were there... I really like the carnival vibe on the exterior of the building and you will be surprised that the interior of the restaurant is nicer than you would expect. The location is a little out of the way and the parking lot always seems too full, but this is a great place to check out if you've never been here, highly recommend the chicken wrap sandwich, make sure you get it toasted!

The service and food were 10 out of 10. Maggie was amazing throughout the whole process. Highly…read morerecommend for good vibes and yummy tapas

Madelene is the best server you could ever get... I swear she found the elixir and thanks to her…read moreenergy I'm no longer depressed. ASK FOR HER!

We had the steak and fries, chicken plate and steak sandwich. You only sit outside so on a not too…read morecold day this was perfect. The flavors were amazing. Love the hummus that comes with the plate and the fresh salad and rice. It was delicious. Only small complaint: I wish the meat portion would be more generous. It was a little for the price you're paying. The fries were also spot on. We found a new go to Mediterranean food spot. Would definitely come again. It was not too hard for us to find Street parking on a Friday night.

Made the drive from Studio City to Dune for Dine LA lunch. It was 98 degrees outside and although…read morethere was no traffic midday, parking in Atwater is always a challenge. I hunted a bit before tracking down a spot and paying the meter. I have not been to Dune before, but the value of the lunch special along with the promise of a fried chicken shawarma, coupled with unexpected free time, sounded like a promising moment to stop by. Walked up to the window and after no acknowledgement, I peaked inside the door and asked whether I place an order at the counter or wait to be seated. When I tell you the jarring elder Gen Z stare and incredibly unfriendly direction to sit on the bench and wait my turn (in the literal sense that I was told to sit on the bench and wait my turn. There was only a party of 2 seated at the bench and no line to speak of) made me regret coming out to eat entirely. I'm not lying when I say I thought about leaving immediately and driving home in my air conditioned car instead of sitting on a hot bench in nearly 100 degree weather with no acknowledgement of party size, no offer for a drink or water while I wait, and just existing in my bizarre humiliation ritual for having asked what the procedure is here for any kind of recognition of my interest in dining or simply existing. And yes, after sitting down I saw there is a small low contrast sign on a post stating to sit on the bench and wait, but it is positioned parallel to the counter window and only when turning away from the glass toward the seating area was it placed in a way that I would see it. Not very useful for someone who is walking up or down the sidewalk as it's not visible. I held my breath for about 10 minutes before being asked my party size (one) and seated at a shaded table. I regretted my choice to dine out the entire wait time for the table, while ordering and then being required to pay upfront before my meal was even presented to me, while seated awaiting my order, while my food (loaded fries, fried chicken shawarma, date shake and an added unsweetened iced green mint tea) was dumped at once on the table in front of me, while eating feeling humiliated for existing inside human skin, and again when having to walk to the window and ask for a to-go box. I felt like a massive inconvenience for the staff and fully regretted bothering them every step of the way for normal things like a Dine LA menu which was not initially offered, adding an iced tea to my order, existing in a metal folding chair and generally taking up space. I don't like being treated like a turd by people, and certainly don't want to be treated this way when I'm paying for a service. But after the initial flubbed interactions, demanding payment with tip upfront before receiving any kind of service was rendered, and then dumping my food at the table without ceremony, it's truly no wonder why the LA restaurant scene is dying. Between poorly trained staff, rising costs in rent and utilities, the outrageous cost of staffing and the fact that eating at a restaurant is completely unnecessary when cutting household expenses, restaurants are disappearing left and right. Some of the foods I still dream about are lost forever to closure after closure. Customers being treated like they're inconsequential isn't the only reason people like me usually choose to dine at home, and it's not the only reason restaurants are disappearing. But it's one of the only controllable elements in a world of runaway hospitality expenses. Customers deserve even a modicum of respect if restaurants are going to survive. $48 for the meal including tax and tip. More than enough food for lunch, I took home half. Loaded steak fries / wish they were served with a whipped feta or dipping sauce instead of ketchup but they're good. Generous portion of steak. 9/10 Fried chicken shawarma / fun idea, execution made it difficult to pick up to eat. Serving in a metal basket made it impossible to cut in half since there was not a solid surface to cut against. Flavor is yummy, wish those middle eastern flavors were more prominent in the batter but the chicken is extra crispy. Enjoyable. 8/10 Date shake / luxurious, creamy, flavorful. No notes. 10/10 Unsweetened green mint iced tea / overpriced, underdelivered. I'd skip it unless you're parched. 5/10 **written without the assistance of AI**

This place so delicious 10/10 the food is so fresh and savory . Live at least 40 min away and will…read moretake the drive to eat there again.

The food is amazing! There seems to be only one worker during the time we went so it does take a…read morewhile for you to get your food but it was worth the wait. I really needed to use the restroom but there isnt a restroom there. There is a hookah lounge next door that seems to be connected, so if you need the restroom you can use that one!