Absolutely delicious fresh creative food. Cocktails were to die for. Our waitress was adorable and very attentive. The lighting is so perfect. Love love manuela! read more

I'm blown away by this place. The interior/exterior was beautiful. We were seated outside with a view of the greenery and an open courtyard. There were birds chirping too? Not sure if that was artificial or not but either way it added to the ambience. The shrimp and grits and so smooth and savory and the corn bread was soft and buttery as well. Will be coming back. Food: 9.2/10 Service: 8/10 Ambience: 9/10 read more

Manuela - New American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Wanted to try this place for a while as we live in the area and it looks pretty cute. It doesn't lack atmosphere, but, unfortunately, for the price tag the food was just okay. We came mostly for the burger, which was good, but I wish it was thicker, it was too much bun for the meat. Scallops were definitely a disappointment. They put it in the main course part of the menu, just so they can charge $46 for what's supposed to be an appetizer. 4 sad little scallops with a pretty basic sauce. Butterball potatoes was our favorite part and that's considering they forgot the creme fraiche it comes with. I also got Where is Barb? cocktail, that probably had 1.3% of alcohol, which I am sure they are doing on purpose to force you buy more drinks. And it didn't help that server was pushy and made us feel bad for not ordering enough. The bus boys were very nice though. Suggestion: if you want a delicious burger, real cocktails and great atmosphere, check out the Wolfes. read more

Manuela - Burger, Diver Scallops, Brown Butter-Bacon Vinaigrette, Butterball Potatoes, Crème Fraiche, Pickled Onion, Shishito, Horseradish - New American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Love this place! I always like to take a moment to acknowledge good service and use this space to give a shout-out to the rock stars in the service industry. Leo the bartender was great! They were attentive, kind, and on top of it! Never leaving are glasses of water empty, and serving up great cocktails all the while. The space is absolutely beautiful. Definitely a treasure in La La Land. read more

Manuela never disappoints! The bar area is always top-notch--clean, stylish, and inviting. The drinks are consistently perfect, and the atmosphere makes it a great spot to unwind. Always a great experience! read more

Manuela - Drink - New American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Wonderful for drinks Wonderful kusshi oyster Dry pork chops Savory biscuits Friendly service Social butterfly type of ambiance Next time I'm just ordering all veggies and drinks :) read more

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I had a perfect date here. The food, the drinks, the service, the ambiance, 5 stars all the way!

Great drinks in lovely open air art gallery. I'm not like the other girls and the sangria were winners. Relaxing and quiet time in the arts district. Highly recommended! read more

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We came here with a party of 6 for a birthday dinner on a Saturday at 615pm. Our server Nathan was great! He was very friendly, attentive and very helpful with food and drink recommendations. We enjoyed all of our cocktails and food, some standouts were the biscuits, so buttery and flaky, the scallops and the potatoes. We got the cheesecake for dessert which was quite small but very flavorful and enough to share a bite. They also gave us a free pear sorbet for my friend's birthday with a candle which was very sweet. The sorbet tasted like an actual frozen pear. They do charge an extra 4% service charge and a 20% gratuity to the bill for a party of 6, happy to pay it as our service was superb. Will be back. read more

Manuela is one of our all time best dining experiences. Since we called same day for a reservation, they had the Chef's table available. What a treat to be able to see all of the great things happening at the kitchen. We were also treated with great service from the hostess to our server. We had a great view of the well organized kitchen, getting a chance to interact with their expediter a few times to understand all of the different dishes that were made. We ordered some of the most popular dishes and can say all of them were presented well, cooked near perfect, and/or presented well. They include: - BBQ Oysters - Burrata - Okra - Trout Tartar - Pork Chops They have some clever cocktails. Our favorite is 'most girls' Manuela is a little hard to find if you are not familiar with the area. You have to go into the art gallery area and voila, it's there. Loved the vibe, the friendly and helpful staff. We will back again very very soon! read more

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I've been a few time to Manuela and I will say, the food is stellar. I really enjoy their venison burger, which is well seasoned and juicy! I just wish the burger came with some fries or a side salad. It looked so lonely by itself on the plate. I also really enjoy the hen of the woods mushroom with polenta cake, crème fraiche, and garlic. The cast iron cornbread is a MUST. Buttery, sweet-but-not-too-sweet, warm, and equal parts moist and crumbly. It took awhile to seat us (be sure to specify on your reservation if you want an outdoor table), and the drinks and food were really slow to come out, but the server was friendly and the conversation flowed. Be sure to scope out the chickens in the garden area before you leave. read more

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The setting of the restaurant is like something right out of a Final Fantasy video game. A classy dining room within a restored warehouse space opening seamlessly into a sunlight filled center. Brunch menu was amazing. Had Cream Biscuits and Kusshi Oysters, follow by the French Toast with Shrimp & Rice Grits. read more

Manuela - Shrimp & Rice Grits with French Toast at Manuela. - New American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Had no idea what to expect from this place on a Friday at 745pm. Drove around for 25 mins looking for parking so I'd definitely recommend an Uber Came into the restaurant and they hadn't sat us yet and offered a free round of drinks for the inconvenience which was great Cessely gave us all the recommendations we needed and each one was great. The biscuits taste better than home made with or without the ham. Cauliflower is great and i wish i could make it that way at home. My arugula salad might've been the only thing that was just ok but still good with the almonds. I wish i tipped her more I wish i ordered the sea bass because two bites wasn't enough and it was great. Great vibes here and so many different areas of a restaurant hidden inside the Hauser & Wirth building read more

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After all these years the food and drinks are still delicious. My friend and I got lucky with a spot at the bar. I highly recommend a reservation. The staff is super friendly. The ambience is super cute. It's one of those places that would do well with IG photoshoots. read more

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Manuela historically has been my go to place downtown. Been to lunch and dinner multiple times, and a party hosted by Hauser Wirth for one of their artists. In every circumstance it had been a wonderful experience with great food, service and ambience. My recent dinner there was VERY disappointing. Now I have to say that the food was very tasty, however the portions were RIDICULOUS. I had the grilled mushroom plate which came on a salad plate half full and just dumped on the plate unattractively with a slice of lemon on the empty side. Friend had branzino which was the size of a deck of cards with half a small turnip in a large bowl of broth. Another friend got the pork chop which looked gigantic, but after removing the fat and bone there was a VERY small circle of meat accompanied by what looked like two pieces of cauliflower. The prices were $32, $52, and $54 respectively. I don't have a problem with paying for a fine dining experience, the skill, quality, and other factors contribute to the price. This made me feel snookered. We three agreed that we would never eat there again, which I think is a real pity. read more

I've dined here twice, most recently for my birthday. The location is a little challenging to find. It's within an old warehouse space, so there's no signage from the street. Parking is very convenient just across the street. Don't bother driving around the neighborhood, looking for parking. You're better off just paying the parking fee. The space is beautiful, much better during the day when the sun shines down on the courtyard. The architecture and motif of the restaurant is more visible during the day and better appreciated. The dining is equally great. The drinks are always made with an expert hand. That's a big deal for me. I could swish ingredients together easily at home, but a proper cocktail needs to taste like there's some synergy going on. The cocktails here are well crafted and taste more thoughtful than a list of ingredients. My sea bass and friend's salmon were a real pleasure for the taste buds. The fish were cooked well and the accoutrements were well selected and the dishes as a whole were delicious. The side of potatoes hit the mark as well. Our server was super friendly, helpful and attentive. Our water glasses were always full and we left completely satiated and satisfied. This is a place to which I would bring my out of town friends. The ambiance is the draw and the food definitely meets the expectations. read more

Manuela - Archie and Vesper - New American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I would have given Manuela 5 stars, but for the hostess. I checked online reservations before heading down and saw that there was plenty availability, so I didn't make a reservation. I arrived & was told by the hostess that they were booked and I could only wait for bar seating. I'm not sure what the issue was, but I said ok and walked away. I proceeded to book a reservation online and returned to be sat. Of course there was no acknowledgment or explanation as to why she previously wouldn't seat me. I thought it was rude and just ridiculous to lie to us for no reason. Nonetheless, the food was good and the service, once seated, was good as well. I enjoyed the ambiance and would consider returning despite the start of the experience. read more

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The biscuits are TO DIE FOR. You have to come and you have to try these flaky, buttery, pockets of pure indulgence. All of the food we ordered was incredible, but the standout was truly the biscuits. read more

Excellent Sunday brunch with our fabulous friends. We arrived in the arts district early, so finding parking was a breeze. Be aware, parking at the lot can be pricey; street parking is the most economical, with valet as the next best option. The location is beautiful and surprisingly clean for a resto-mod. The breezeway adds a refreshing touch to the experience. The staff is superb--engaging, attentive, and responsive. The biscuits are very flaky and buttery, although they might verge on being too buttery. The cornbread is excellent, served warm and generously buttered. The popover Benedict is light with perfect hollandaise, but there may be too much popover and not enough organic egg; I wished for more yolk. The Bub and Grandma's ciabatta (aka BLT) was okay; my wife found it a bit messy after eating half. My buddy had the grits, which I also tasted. He was right; there wasn't enough of a flavor profile. Both of us, having had grits in the South, expected bolder flavors--some cheesiness, some oil. On a positive note, the butterball potatoes were a fabulous surprise. Made with horseradish, they packed a lot of flavors that coalesced beautifully. In conclusion, Manuela is a great place with a fantastic staff and good food. You cannot go wrong with a visit. read more

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Service - really nice, everyone really kind. Food- very small portion for the price. We know it's farm to table. But...... fish dishes wow! What we had: Grilled yellow tail- cooked to perfection- but waaaaay too small. Venison burger- good. Friend that ordered this said 5 guys is better. Cream biscuits with Steen's butter. - cleared the table by the time the plate made it to the last person! lol Butterball potatoes - amazing Roasted Cauliflower- for people that do not eat meat this was a really nice dish! Roasted Local Oyster Mushrooms- delish, great texture and flavor and not too gummy. It's LA Arts District and farm to table, so I guess you pay for that experience. Ambience- nice and calm and feels like eating at your mom's house with friends and family! Drinks with and without alcohol are very good! Ordered Mocktail- TaTaTatiana- delish. With some good quality tequila and /or Vodka - this drink will go from innocent and fresh to a party in no time. We all had to drive so opted out of the "spirits". read more

I've had Manuela bookmarked for a while now. I'm often in the DTLA area but for some reason I see catch this location between operating hours. I was finally able to catch a Monday morning brunch and it was delicious.... The reviews and pictures are absolutely accurate. It looks like they took an old warehouse and revamped it to look like a very rustic and inviting patio restaurant bar. Unfortunately, the server forgot or did not hear our order of the cream biscuits and jam (which I was looking forward to) but everything else was so good and filling, I almost forgot until the end. The blistered snap peas with the mixture of feta and crispy quinoa... prob the best thing we ate but the green salsa chilaquiles and peached egg with lentils was nothing to dismiss. Can't wait to revisit Manuela and try the other menu options (but this time I'll be sure I get the biscuits). The only downfall is the parking and finding the actual location. Again, it's inside a warehouse. read more

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It's been a minute since I've been back to Manuela. I actually got married here - so this place has a special meaning to me. I had our wedding reception in the outdoor chicken coup area. It was perfect. I must say the restaurant is always consistent and the service is on point. I also noticed that it's busier than when we first went 6 years ago! The food is still delicious and I have nothing bad to say other than order everything on the menu. You won't go wrong. The cocktails are great too! If I lived closer to downtown I would go more often! read more

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We waited for a table for 45 minutes and even though there were tons of empty spots they told us to sit on the stools by the bar after waitinfg for a full 45 minutes. Then they served me an oyster that tasted horrible- I've eaten oysters for over 20 years and this one tasted so bad I could barely eat anything afterwards, it was clearly spoiled and smelled horrific and tasted like poison. I told the server and they offered me another replacement oyster. According to health dept protocol should have thrown all those oysters in that batch out and taken them off the menu but I saw them continuing to serve the same oysters. Afterwards they comped our coffees. read more

Came by for dinner the other night and it was a world class experience. Manuela is featured in the latest Michelin guide and is located in the Arts district. Parking is available on the street or in paid garages. Valet parking appears to be an option in the area as well. Manuela is located in a converted warehouse and features open air seating with heated tables. The ambiance is absolutely stunning. Our waitstaff provided good service although was a touch hard to locate at times. Started off with the cream biscuits and they were phenomenal. The biscuits were very light and buttery. The side of super soft butter was excellent and complemented the ham perfectly. Definitely a must try. The ocean trout was also a good appetizer, featuring fresh and light ocean trout. This was topped with some garnish and served with a side of toast. The arugula salad was another winner. Super fresh argula served with candied walnuts, goat cheese along with some tasty cherries. Very refreshing and light way to enjoy greens. The pan roasted salmon was delicious. The skin was roasted to a nice crispy and the inside was super moist and flavorful. Excellent. The 28 day dry aged NY strip was also another decent choice. The steak was requested and served medium. It had a nice crust for the char and was served cut. It also came with a side of bone marrow. My favorite entree of the evening would have been the roasted mushroom which was absolutely stunning. Flavor profile was excellent and the mushrooms were cooked to perfection. The basque cheesecake was a unique and fun way to finish off the evening. ~$77/head after tax, gratuity along with a 4% employer mandates. read more

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This is my second time not making reservations, however it works for me because I get to sit and talk to Libby the bartender. The food is absolutely amazing, the customer service is epic and the decor is well done. Manuela food is perfect well done chef! I throughly enjoy this beautiful restaurant, looking forward to returning. read more

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Cocktail and ambiance are good, we ordered couple dishes, the best were okra and corn bread, other dishes were not impressive for the price. We were looking forward to taste the clam and they were out of it on Sunday nights. Will go back for drinks and hang out but not the food. read more

I've been wanting to try Manuela for the longest time and finally got to earlier this week. We went with a party of 7 and reservations were pretty easy to make for a Thursday night. Tucked inside the Hauser & Wirth complex, the restaurant is a bit tricky to find, but once you step into its open courtyard surrounded by gallery spaces, it's well worth the effort. The menu is packed with shareable dishes, making it great for trying a little bit of everything. Standouts include the creamy biscuits with butter (though they're on the smaller side, coming in a plate of 3s), the rich and flavorful cornbread, the refreshing cara cara orange salad, crisp snap peas, and the perfectly cooked pork chop. The only miss was the squid and beans dish, which was loaded with beans and not much squid pieces. Cocktails were solid, and they had an extensive wine list as well. The farm to table ingredients shine through in every dish, bringing freshness and depth. Overall, Manuela is a fantastic spot in Arts District for a fun night out! (Note: There is metered street parking, paid lots, and also valet parking available) read more

Love coming here for a casual early Friday dinner or a quick bite on the bar after work instead of being stuck in Friday's traffic. It's on a $$$$ side but well worth it - every dish is imaginative and delicious, which is pretty much all I want from food. The space is gorgeous, people watching provides the right amount of entertainment for a solo eater and service is attentive but not overwhelmingly so. Overall very fun and pampering self care experience. read more

Service was top Teir thanks our bartenders Was a woman also serving a long with Luis and Johnny thanks to these 3 for making a Birthday celebration a even better one read more

Such a cute little spot! The food is super yummy and fresh, and the service is great. They have chickens and veggies outside of the eating area, very cool! Beignets and biscuits are a must! read more

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Don't normally review but we were very disappointed. The portion of Barramundi (48.00)was skimpy and there was barely anything else on the plate . The mushroom dish (32.00)was sloppy and stingy, as well, especially since listed as an entree. The pork chop was fine I guess a lot of fat though, and again a scraggly piece of cabbage on the plate was actually insulting considering the price (52.00). Nothing was special as it should be considering the atmosphere and the prices. read more

Located in the Arts District of DTLA, Manuela was such a vibe. From the ambiance to the excellent service to the delicious food, I really enjoyed it all. My sister felt the food was better in theory than actually execution but she's also a chef who works for a Michelin star chef, so her standards are a wee bit higher than ours, the layman. LOL I loved how thorough the menu was in listing all the ingredients of each dish! I really appreciate menus like that. Both indoor and outdoor seating were beautiful. Everything was solid. My husband loves cornbread, so I ordered one to-go for him. The server told us that they were made-to-order, so she would fire it up a little before we were ready to leave. My husband was so excited when I gave it to him after I got home. WHAT AN UTTER DISAPPOINTMENT! It was the *driest*, most flavorless cornbread we had ever had in our lives. It wasn't sweet at all but maybe that was because they included what tasted like a maple butter on the side. I told one of my besties and he said that he had had it before and that it was really good. So he felt it was possible that it was some kind of off-day they were having with the cornbread. That was the reason for one-star drop for me. Otherwise, everything else was excellent. read more

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It started off great. It's a beautiful restaurant. The drinks and appetizers were fabulous (we had the BBQ oysters, arugula salad and the cream biscuits were AMAZING) At the end we were disappointed that the food took a while to come out and when it did only 3 dishes were ready. It was obvious that they had to redo the scallops since those take the least amount of time . Then they forgot the cauliflower and when it came out they were undercooked. Then the desserts were all bad - the squash cheesecake tasted like pumpkin pie, the chocolate mousse was like a ganache and the panna cotta had WAY too much basil and melon. read more

Manuela is perfect. Just perfect. Okay fine, maybe the parking situation could be better? But it has all the things - beautiful and romantic indoor seating, ethereal outdoor seating, strong cocktails, great friendly service, and biscuits with sweet cream and ham that are worth mentioning no matter how redundant it may be. It's good for friends catching up, going out on a date, sitting solo with a book. Can you tell I love it there? read more

Manuela - BBQ oysters! - New American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Came for Valentine's day. Food was pretty good. Could eat those cream biscuits all day. Our server was nice. And it was busy but service overall was fairly quick. The only and main issue I have is something that the current racism controversy with Great White reminded me of... and what is prompting me to write this review. I could not help but notice the hostess segregating and seating all of the East and South Asians together off to the side. It was something that I clocked right away and honestly despite the good food, I'll never come back. Anytime I think about the delicious biscuits, it's tainted by this icky feeling. read more

This used to be one of my favorite brunch spots, so I was really looking forward to coming back. I even made a reservation a week in advance to make sure everything would go smoothly. Unfortunately, the experience was incredibly disappointing. After waiting over 30 minutes, only our appetizer arrived. None of our main dishes ever came, even though we saw other tables--who arrived after us--getting served first. Eventually, a staff member came over and casually told us that our entire order had been canceled and that we could just leave. No explanation, no apology. It felt careless and honestly, pretty disrespectful. Really sad to say this, but I won't be returning anytime soon. read more

the ambiance is nice here. it's half outside and half inside. we sat in the outside area which we found to be pleasant because you sit around several plants, warm lighting, and multiple fans around. the servers are really nice and patient here. i did street parking nearby but they offer valet. we got the aguachile dish with plantain chips, the duck, and a salad. i enjoyed my plumbelina drink. it was well made but most drinks were at least 18 dollars. i personally found the duck to be intensely gamey but my friends enjoyed it. it's a nice place to catch up with friends if you are willing to pay the high price of food and drinks! read more

Manuela - duck - New American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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It's such a cool place with a great vibe. The food and drinks are excellent with not a miss on the menu! Everyone loved everything. When we arrived, we mentioned that it was our nephew and his wife's anniversary and asked the host for the server to acknowledge it in some way, but they didn't, so that was a little disappointing. It's not that big a deal, but still... Service was very good but disappeared a couple of times. This is a great spot, and I highly recommend it. read more

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My friend and I stumbled upon this place when we were exploring the arts district. The ambience was amazing and the drinks we got were delicious. We both shared a chicken dish and the chicken was so tender and juicy, the sauce underneath complimented the chicken really well. The service was great, despite being a busy night, we were checked on a bit. I would definitely love to come back. read more

FYI pretty expensive here for brunch. Anyways this was my 4th here within a few years. Food was great from what I'd ordered today. Only thing that I DIDNT LIkE was their CORN BREAD They're not good so save your money and don't order it. But do order the biscuits. Cocktails are great here ordered 3 and they all was great read more

Manuela - good cocktail - New American Near Me - Los Angeles, California