The moment I stepped into this restaurant, I immediately fell in love with the decor. We went…read morearound sunset, and the golden-hour lighting made the space even more beautiful. I was instantly so glad we chose this spot to celebrate our anniversary because it was the perfect setting for a romantic date night. Now, let's talk about the food! Everything we ordered was delicious, with the exception of the Korean aguachiles, which we probably could've skipped. We also tried the bluefin bibimbap, oysters, and the oh-so-tender short rib that practically melted in our mouths. But the most unforgettable dish was also the simplest: the Korean fried chicken. It wasn't necessarily something out of the ordinary, but it sure tasted like it. The perfect crisp, flavor, and seasoning had us eating every last piece right down to the bone. Our server also made the experience even better. She gave us some of the best recommendations and were incredibly attentive and friendly throughout the entire meal. We absolutely loved this restaurant and are already planning our next visit!

The Mulberry is a cool, modern, more upscale Korean fine dining restaurant. The vibes are…read moredefinitely more date night - dark, moody, candlelit, and loud. My friend and I ordered the soy marinated prawns, beef tartare stone pot rice, creamy chicken soup, Wagyu beef soft tofu soup. The prawns were nicely marinated in a slightly sweet slightly salty soy sauce, and came paired with some barley and seaweed to make mini wraps. Delicious and a nice way to start the meal. The creamy chicken soup was indeed very creamy and smooth but the bowl is really small and would've been better with a higher soup to noodle ratio since the noodles soaked up the yummy soup. The tofu soup was surprisingly bland even though it was very red. It could've used more umami flavor or spice - something to jazz it up since the tofu, egg, and beef itself were not seasoned. My favorite dish of the night was the steak tartare stone pot rice. It came with a lot of veggies that helped balance out the sauce and I'm a sucker for crispy rice. However, the rice itself wasn't seasoned thoroughly as some spots had absolutely delicious sauce while other spots were bland. And the sauce wasn't a part of the tartare on top so it wasn't a mixing issue. The staff are kind and attentive, even with us being tucked away in the back corner and hidden by a curtain panel.

The food, drinks, and service is amazing!!!…read more The ambiance of this place makes me feel like I've been transported to Hawaii.

The Lucky Tiki in Highland Park is the sister location of the original Lucky Tiki in West…read moreHollywood. This spot opened about a year ago, and has a cool speakeasy style entrance at the Highland Park Bowl bowling alley. It is a small space, and I would highly recommend making a reservation on Resy. You have 90 minutes to drink and dine. I parked behind the bowling alley where there is a medium sized pay parking lot. Park in a space, remember your space number painted on the ground, and go to the pay station at the end of the lot. I found the parking machine to be extremely finicky as did other people. After ten minutes of failure, I ended up moving my car to another space, and then it worked. This has nothing to do with the Lucky Tiki, but FYI if you park there. We walked around to the front of the bowling alley, and checked in. Seating options include at the bar, tiki hut booths, and high top tables. The décor inside is a tiki lovers paradise. The room has a high ceiling with many tiki lamps, floats, puffer fish, tiki huts, thatch, ropes, barrels, netting, carvings, a hanging canoe, and a large tiki right in the middle of the space. In addition to the great décor, when you order certain drinks, special effects are triggered. There was also great tiki music playing all evening. We sat at the bar since we always enjoy talking to the bartenders. We actually ran into Skipper Christian in the parking lot on the way in, and he ended up being our main bartender, with Nick and Jo also working behind the bar. We put in a food order right away. The chicken potstickers ($12) came with five tasty bites, and the garlic teriyaki dipping sauce was good. We also had the giant pretzel ($16) which comes with mustard, beer cheese, and ranch sauces. This was excellent, and the perfect filling snack before a bunch of drinks. My first drink was the Siren's Song (Flor de Cana Eco rum, lemon juice, cassis, Oloroso sherry, apricot foam topper, $19). This drink is served in a great mermaid with skull mug and triggers special sound effects and bubbles fill the air. Those bubbles on top of the drink had a great light citrusy apricot flavor, probably the best flavored bubbles I've ever had. The drink itself was very good and balanced with some complexity. She wasn't sure what to order at first, and Christian asked her what flavors she liked. He ended up making a spin on a Tradewinds with some mango and pineapple to go along with the apricot and coconut. It was nicely balanced and not too sweet, even with all that fruit in there. My second drink was the Sun of Suns (Tierra de Acre mezcal, coconut cream, Giffard mango liqueur, pineapple juice, lime juice, $17). This was coconut and pineapple forward with some good smokiness in the background. Her second drink was the Whatever Floats Your Boat (Ford's gin, lemon juice, velvet falernum, orgeat, passion fruit syrup, guava soda, topped with hazelnut passion fruit foam, $19). It is served in a cool boat mug, and triggers thunder sound effects and lighted mechanical Polynesian tiki characters paddling a canoe over the bar. This was another good balanced drink. It was a little gin forward and the passion fruit popped out, maybe from being both in the drink and the foam top. That creamy hazelnut passion fruit form on top is delicious. I'd happily have a glass of that on its own. We were still a little hungry so we ordered the Hawaiian pizza (marinara, diced pepperoni, red onion, pineapple chunks, hot capicola ham, $16). It was another good tasting, perfectly sized snack, and the crust was light and airy. We were already fifteen minutes over our time limit, but we got the green light to stay longer to order a third drink to share. We ordered the Tiki Diablo (Flor de Cana Eco rum, Worthy Park 109 rum, Alma Tepecha chile liqueur, orange juice, lime juice, mango syrup, guava soda, $24). This drink serves two people, is served in a cool volcano bowl with glowing red lava around it, and comes with a fire show. Unfortunately, right after it was served, the host came over and said we were over our time and had to leave shortly. Christian made up for it by giving us two tall pours to go enjoy in the bowling alley bar area which was fine. We were happy we got some extra time inside. The drink was also very good, balanced with a little complexity. We had a great time. There is so much great décor to look at. The drinks and food were very good, and some of the the drink presentations and special effects were the icing on the cake. All of the bartenders were very friendly and a lot of fun. We purchased up a few zombie glasses to take home as a souvenir. I'd definitely recommend visiting the Lucky Tiki in Highland Park!

There are plenty of hidden gems throughout Hollywood, and it is always nice to come upon them and…read moreexperience them for the first time. Sunset & Vinyl is a hidden ish bar/lounge/speakeasy located above 800 degrees pizza on Vine. Just enter the pizza parlor, walk to the back and take the stairs up and you'll enter Sunset & Vinyl. Couches, chairs, vinyl records and turntables to play vinyls of your choice surround your, centered by a bar with a plethora of creative cocktails. The drinks aren't cheap, by any means, but they pass the flavor test, each very unique and you can really taste the nuances in each cocktail. Definitely a hidden gem in Hollywood, one that is highly recommended for the drinks, themselves, and the vibes of the spot. Next time you're in Hollywood and looking for a creative spot, go make your way to Sunset & Vinyl

If you're looking for a hidden bar tucked away from the Hollywood chaos, give this intimate vinyl…read morebar a shot. Located inside 800 degrees kitchen on the 2nd floor. They have a selection of vinyls that you may request to play. Me scanning through all of the vinyls to see what tune I wanted to hear...Unfortunately, not many updated music selections. However, I find it a perk that they give you a chance to pick and play whatever you're in the mood for. The bartenders were very mellow which I supposed it was matched to the ambience of the bar. Ordered the espresso martini and vibed out. I do believe they should carry more music selections with some updates to more legendary artists considering it is a vinyl bar.

Thunderbolt has been on my list for way too long! I was trying The Parks Finest next door and lo…read moreand behold but what did I see? Thunderbolt!!! Post dinner drinks had me very excited! We walk in and the place is beautifully done inside! Chill ambiance, nice materials, cool tile and artwork . We chose a booth, but there were plenty of seating options on a Sunday earlyish evening. The menu? Whoa! Wtf in a great way!!!! They explain the science behind how they create every elixir aaaand how they are so sustainable! #1 sustainable bar in North America and apparently #24 of top 50 bars in North America! We tried the: Fu Gwaa Falsetto: SO cool! They used a bitter melon, which is hard to include in things, and made a dope drink! The sprinkles on top were my fave and tied the drink together. Koji Killer: dessert drink for sure, but I kinda needed a second one delicious! Barcelonette: refreshing, light, lovely P Town Boxing Club: a little disappointed that I couldn't taste the pandan as much, didn't get as much of a distinct flavor Hops Don't Lie: canned, refreshing, my partner like it! The servers/bartenders were so cool and knowledgeable about the menu, they even brought us samples and let us know if we didn't like something they'd replace it! And did! Will definitely be back to try more concoctions

Considering this bar was dubbed the #24 best bar in North America per the World's 50 Best, I was…read moreslightly disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I like the chill vibe of the place and they make an outstanding burger and fries. But when it comes to the cocktails themselves, I was least impressed compared to the other two bars I had ventured to that night. What we drank: 1) Echo Park Trash Can #3 - This was tasty, but my partner wasn't too thrilled that it was served in a can and felt it was a bit "lazy" and less fresh. 2) Mango Thunderbolt - I did not particularly enjoy this drink, though it was spirit forward, I didn't really get any hint of mango so I was disappointed with this. 3) Barcelonette - I typically lean towards tart/refreshing drinks so this was more up my alley and I did enjoy this one! 4) La Frutera #4 - This was also more enjoyable than my mango thunderbolt but it was a little thicker and also a bit too sweet for my liking. All in all, I'm not in a hurry to come back... But they do make a very tasty burger, and the fries were super crispy!

Did someone say "GIRL BRUNCH" !?…read more Went here on a Saturday Girl Brunch date and it was a good time! They have a really cute menu for this special occasion. Brunch was $25 each person and included a starter, an entree and a dessert. They also have $10 mimosas with lots of juices to choose from. The staff was so friendly and attentive. They started us off with chips and salsa which was so good! Then we had our first round of mimosas, I got cranberry for my first two rounds and then switched over to an espresso martini with whiskey (and if you haven't tried it YOU MUST!) Not just here but everywhere! For my starter I got the berries and cream which I usually don't do but it was so good I'm glad I went outside of my box. The Chantilly cream and fresh strawberries and blueberries were amazing. For my entree, I ordered the French Toast, I did not realize it was stuffed with some sort of apricot or fruit jam and was not the biggest fan of this. For dessert I went with the churros and was left feeling a bit let down. The churros needed salt to bring out the sweetness, they tasted a bit bland and the sauce that came with did not add to the flavors. Overall because it's such a cute place, the drinks are good and priced decently as well as having a large enough menu where the next visit I feel I could choose something different I would 10/10 go back. So stay tuned for the follow up review!

OMG! Are you serious?…read more Service - 0/5. Train your staff! Our order was forgotten every single time. They don't pour wine or takes more than a half an hour to bring any drinks, so there was absolutely zero service and I don't even know why we are tipping at this point. Food - 3/5. Very mediocre food for overrated price. Ambiance- 5/5. We are definitely paying only for the ambiance. If you don't care about the quality of food or service, this place can be a romantic date place. Otherwise, I do not recommend this place at all.

Her Little Bar is a great spot and the vibe is significantly improved under the new ownership. It's…read morealready attracting a fun and friendly mixed crowd of locals as well as people from across the city looking for an agro-free good time. The bar staff know what they are doing and they are welcoming, chatty and chill. It feels like they actually want you there! My wife and I already love to swing by for a couple of post dinner drinks but we'll be back for some game day fun too - they have a bunch of screens. They don't do food BUT the couple who now own Her Little Bar also own a bunch of the restaurants nearby (Her Thai, Met Him At A Bar, and the recently opened The Night We Met). There are other great options too and whatever you go for, you can eat it in the bar. There's a good selection of drinks and the cocktails are solid. We already have a solid pub/microbrewery but this is a great bar with a different vibe. A bar has been in this location for years but we really love this new incarnation. The corridor between Wilshire Blvd and W 9th is becoming a great pocket for food and drink with good people looking for BS free good times and the Her Little Bar crowd, staff and management are a great example that. A welcome addition to the neighborhood.

Cool little dive bar owned by the couple who owns the 3 restaurants on the 3 corners of the…read moreintersection. Cool friendly service, but drinks were typical LA overpriced. Didn't try any food, but a good place to grab a drink with some friends for sure

Made right and made up for a mistake. The distilled and manager Theron is amazing and super…read morehelpful. I truly appreciate what he did for us. Thank you, Theron

Went here for date night and had a wonderful time! We will definitely be back…read more If you can dress in black, it adds to the experience. Also the tastings were fantastic we even had a nice buzz.

Best drinks and service in echo park! They put on the best events and are such a great spot for the…read morecommunity!

Such a great spot to stop by for a drink! In my experience it has always been busy and lively,…read morethere's indoor and patio seating. It smells great inside, they have candles lit on every table and incense on. It's a Mexican fusion cocktail inspired menu and all the drinks I've tried have been delicious! Bartenders are busy but once you order, your drinks comes out pretty fast. Bonus points for the cute stairwell