George J.

What an exceptional experience at Picala. I have been a fan of Chef Luis Sierra since his tenure at Lulu at the Hammer. At Picala his elevated and authentic Spanish cuisine really shines. First, the restaurant is beautiful with soaring ceilings and everything is very light and bright. Every staff member with whom we interacted was gracious, professional and knowledgeable. We ordered several dishes which came out one at a time at a very comfortable pace. Every dish we tried was beautifully presented and delicious - Sardines; Tomato Salad; Jamon Serrano & Melon; Bilbao Sausages; Scallop & Corn Pinxto; Rack of Lamb. Definitely will be back and wishing them much success.

Gary I.

Our tall, trim bearded waiter was excellent. Open, friendly with great knowledge about the menu so he was able to explain the ingredients, cooking process, Spanish terminology. Pícala is a huge, well appointed contemporary space where the light is slowly turned down so low, it's hard to see the food as the night progresses. Such a shame since according to a Japanese aphorism: "We also eat with our eyes." 1) Sopa de Ajo: Ibérico Sausage extra hard & dry, almost flavourless in nice chicken broth. 2) Roasted Almonds with cumin, rosemary undertone. 3) Shaved Mango: Uni & bone marrow emulsion. Smokey, tart Myers lemon agrodolce flavours. Skip this. There are no naturally growing mangos in España. Better to eat a Southeast Asian Papaya Salad. 4) Sardine Escabeche: Tartine toasted, crunchy Pan de Cristal. Plush, tasteless sardines marinated in light vinegar with cilantro green herbal Aïoli, mildly garlicky olive oil aerosol. *5) Tuna Crudo: Looks like raw albacore tuna dressed with possibly light soy sauce. Rings of pickled onion. Salpicón: scattering of chopped veggies marinated in lime. Underlying it all, Mojo Verde is a thick purée of fresh cilantro, garlic, cumin, olive oil, and vinegar. Tastes nutty with a parsley greenness. ***6) Jamón Ibérico de Bellota: Aged 5 years, cheesy, fermented, buttery, meaty yet unearthly. Way superior to Prosciutto di Parma or San Danielle which is saying a lot. Standard rustic baguette. *7) Bilbao Sausage: Whole chorizo earthy, porky, paprika, salty, fermented, with julienned onion confit in chicken broth with touch of Vermouth. 8) Cochinillo: Roast suckling pig with cabbage chimichurri. Portion of a leg marinated, slow roasted. Wild, chewy, rubbery skin, covering fatty, soft meat, plush yet bit mushy. Nappa cabbage dressed with orange blossom Chimichurri which tasted more like cilantro vinaigrette. *9) Arroz Negro: Paella dyed black with squid ink. Chewy yet soft, nutty, bit sweet, Ocean funky. Soft, fishy, julienned calamari white meat . 10) Vaca: Aged rib-eye steak, but not very beefy. Chewy, marinated in olive oil, herbs. Radicchio, a type of chicory. "Picala's aged prime rib-eye gets presented with a dollop of egg yolk, anchovy for added brine, and a pleasant bitter add of grilled chicory." 11) Dayboat Rockfish: Tasting like cod. Firm meat, fibrous, nice fish meat; lightly grilled. Fibrous, fried artichoke. Couldn't sense the saffron sauce. 12) Calamar: Whole body cut into rings. Firm, yet turning soft as one chews. Salsa Verde is a light broth with marjoram-like sweetness, Gigante beans similar to lima but firmer. **13) Fideos: Thin Cappelli d'Angelo al dente, deep Umami, seafood broth. Caledonian shrimp, venus clams, bay scallops, and topped with Aïoli. 1-13a) Vibrante: Spanish Gin, Pastis/fennel liqueur grapefruit juice. Garnished with fennel leaves, grapefruit slice. Refreshing licorice scented cocktail. Dessert: 14) Basque Cheese Cake: Burnt, baked, moist, creamy, airy. Blueberry confiture. *15) Torta de Santiago: Almond flour for dense, chewy, heavy mouthfeel. Rustic and satisfying. Yogurt and blueberry compote. **16) Chocolate Mousse: Bitter chocolate ganache. Raspberries, crème fraîche, crispy sprinkles. *17) Burnt Butter Ice Cream: Beurre Noisette infused vanilla ice cream. 18) Churros: Had better in Mexican eateries. Too light and airy, no substantial heft and overfried in oil that seemed stale was accompanied by dulce de Leche sauce. 7 of us sampled the 18 items, coming out to about $100/ person which is not bad in this period of inflation. The asterisks are suggested dishes and the only photos uploaded to my review. 4 stars

Katrina W.

UGH I really wanted to love this place, but unfortunately the food is very mid. Service and aesthetic feels like you're at a super nice, fancy place but the food just doesn't live up to it. We got the Baguette & Smoked Butter (the butter was good but the bread needs some serious work), Asparagus Salad (this was actually our favorite item, which is kinda crazy in itself/I'm not sure it's even on the menu anymore), Patatas Bravas, Huevo Roto and Paella. My main issue was that the paella was not good when this is supposed to be what they are known for. My husband somehow thought it was too salty, while I thought there wasn't enough flavor (I do not eat my food salty at all so this was strange), but we both agreed that something was just off with the flavor. The patatas bravas and huevo roto were ok but honestly, this place just felt overpriced for what they taste like. For dessert, we got the Churros which were ok but also needed work. They could've used more cinnamon and were much too oily. Unfortunately, we will not be back. The 3 star is really just for the phenomenal service but I would really give the food a 2 overall.

Rui L.

I recently dined on the patio with my dog and appreciated how easy the parking was, the restaurant offers two hours of validated parking. The food itself was good and refreshingly not overly salty like so many restaurants in LA, which we really appreciated. The service, however, was surprisingly chaotic. Over the course of dinner, we had three different waitstaff, with two separate people introducing themselves as our "new waitress," only for the previous one to reappear later. Servers also kept bringing us dishes meant for the table next to us, and I basically had to direct where each plate was supposed to go. It was a bit confusing and unexpected, especially given how polished and upscale the restaurant looks. I hope they work out the kinks soon, because it would be a shame for an otherwise lovely restaurant with solid food to be held back by inconsistent service.

Eleni A.

WOW! Start to finish this dining experience was fantastic - food, staff, ambiance, it was a 10/10. My husband and I loved Loquita and were thrilled to hear about Picala opening. We took my parents for a birthday dinner and everyone was throughly impressed. Quite note - if you take uber there, for some reason uber has the wrong address so make sure you get dropped off in the right place! We walked into a gorgeous, bright, airy setting, each table was meticulously set and the tables had great spacing between them so you're not cramped. I loved the open kitchen so you can watch the dishes being made. Staff were incredibly friendly, knowledgeable about the menu, and it was clearly a team effort for every table. Now to the food and drinks! We ordered 5 tapas and 2 mains between 4 and it was the perfect order, we finished all of it and got dessert! Croquetas de Coliflor - perfect starting bite! Creamy blue cheese, really savory and delicious. Pan con Tomate - one of my fave dishes in general, but the way they put a good char on the bread was really tasty. Tortilla Española w/ Jamón - fluffy, savory goodness, the ham was a great addition. Shaved Mango - super interesting dish, maybe wanted more of the bone marrow & uni flavor but it was refreshing. Bilbao Sausages - really tasty, the onions had great flavor too! Paella - smoky, flavorful, and with true socarrat! I would order this again and again! The chicken was cooked perfectly skin on and the peppers! Vaca - really nice rare to med-rare steak! The chicories were delicious too. Basque Cheesecake - just get it, you won't be let down. Churros - I'm Greek and they almost were fried similar to loukoumades, really amazing! The lovely staff brought over a sorbet with a birthday candle too! If you drink, the El Clasico was such a fun take on a martini, it's a must-order. Cant wait to return soon!

Gayle P.

Easy parking by the whole foods. FYI they do validate. So our parking for less than 2 hours there was free. Started with the rosado sangria, it was refreshing and not too sweet. Tapas: The patatas bravas were actually our favorite. They were perfectly fried but tender on the inside. And the spices! Wow, we loved them. Had the olives, and really no notes. They were good olives lol. Croquetas de jámon, were delicious. Nice and cheesy on the inside and nice and soft as well. Mains: Chicken and chorizo paella :I am the kind of person who likes the crispy rice at the bottom of the rice cooker.... So I really loved them. The char and smokiness was amazing. Really added a nice depth to the dish. Would come back to try their other paellas! Especially since that's what they're known for. Vaca: the steak was so tender and juicy. No Notes. Also really good with the patatas !

Julie H.

What a great spot! We ate at the bar on a Sunday evening and wow. Morgan, Mark, and Joey (bar manager) were so hospitable and fun. Drinks? NO NOTES. Cocktail menu does it all. Joey even gave us a sneak peek of a Dirty G&T that's coming soon. Food? We had to stop ordering tapas plates so we could have mains! Lemme just list things as everything was so good! Olives. Baguette and smoked butter (best butter I've ever had). Croquetas de Coliflor. Fideos. Churros. I think the menu may change monthly, so get there soon for these dishes, but I bet next month will be awesome too! The room is beautiful, as much as I'd love to sit at a table one time, the bar is great!

Austin C.

What a vibe! The space is well-designed, the music is great, and the food is awesome. Our server was friendly, attentive, and great at dishing out suggestions. To eat, we had the pan con tomate with anchovy, shaved asparagus, sardine escabeche, pulpo a la planche, paella, and New Zealand snapper; to drink we had the Melon, Verde, and a Naked and Famous. The chicken in the paella was cooked perfectly, the shaved asparagus was tasty, and the sauce in the New Zealand snapper paired well with the fish. My only gripe with Picala was the speaker placement - one was so close to our booth, it felt like a third person was sitting between my wife and me. It was pointed right at our ears and was pretty uncomfortable at times. They only opened a day ago, so maybe they'll move the speakers around. EXTRAS: they validate parking and the Metro E line (La Cienaga/Jefferson) is only a 5 min walk away.

Tara T.

We had a wonderful experience at Picala. The service was attentive from start to finish, and as a parent of a child with celiac disease, I especially appreciated how knowledgeable the staff was about gluten-free options. While the menu doesn't specifically mark gluten-free dishes, our server was able to clearly explain what could be accommodated. I also overheard another table discussing dietary restrictions, and the server was just as patient and informed with them, which really speaks to the level of service. The food was fantastic. The Spanish-style tapas were delicious, and I loved that several dishes were inspired by the Canary Islands. It gave the menu a unique twist that you don't find everywhere. Our table especially enjoyed the paella, the sausage, and the sliced mango dish, along with several other tapas. Dessert was yummy too! Their burnt butter ice cream is fantastic. The drinks were equally impressive. I had a well-balanced, not-too-sweet non-alcoholic cocktail, and my husband's gin and tonic was light, refreshing, and perfectly made. The patio was beautiful, and our entire group, including our 10-year-old daughter and her friend, had a great time. We'll definitely be back!

Cheri P.

The food was top notch. My least favorite cuisine is Spanish but this resto nailed their dishes so much that a non enjoyer of comida de Espana loved it. The only drawback was the too light of an aesthetic to make it a cool vibe. But still, great service and great food.

Ron R.

Beautiful ambiance, delicious food, potently balanced cocktails. Every dish masterfully captures the spirit of Spain using the nonconformity of California's fresh ingredients. All dishes served as traditional tapas, you'll quickly discover that you won't want to share. From one bite pintxos to a selection paellas - you can go wrong with any decision you make. This night we ordered a variety of different options. Gilda (* 5), Ibizian Tomato (* 24 anchovies, pan de cristal & caper berries), Tuna Crudo(* 22 mojo verde & salpicon), Croquetas de Coliflor (* 12 cauliflower & blue cheese), Baguette & Smoked Butter (* 7), Pescado Frito (* 18 saffron date aioli), Fideos (* 56 Caldonian shrimp, bay scallops, venus clams & aioli), Calamar (* 28 Pacific squid, salsa verde & gigante beans), and Vaca (* 55 aged prime ribeye, egg, anchovy & grilled chicory). The cocktails are balanced - but be forewarned - they pack a punch. Being that the dishes are tapas, the cost jumps up really quickly. So be ready to spend a pretty penny filling up on many delicious options.

We came here to celebrate our anniversary and had a great experience. We were greeted with a signed card from the staff and champagne. The food had tons of bold flavors and was delighted to try a drink that had a cheese on top! The sardines were surprisingly our favorite and the service was attentive. Would come back to try more dishes.

AMAZING!! Every dish we ordered left me wanting even more! Every dish was so delicious, the highlight was definitely the shaved mango. Mango with uni and smoked bone marrow was such an unusual combination but so so so good!! Not only was the food delicious, but the service we received was incredible. Our waiter Eddie was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. The service we received was truly just spectacular. I definitely recommended this restaurant to my friends and family! Whether it's a date night or a nice night out, this is the hot spot to check out!