Great and professional severance. Compliments to the chef for perfectly preparing the meal. Also to the bartenders for preparing the drinks. The music and the atmosphere were amazing. All around very satisfying. We were celebrating our wedding anniversary with my wife and we were really impressed. Thank you read more

Experience from start to finish: $12.00 valet, not insane pricing, my vehicle was parked in a secure area next to the restaurant. Venmo Zelle and cash excepted. Reservation was on time, promptly seated. Waiter was very experienced and knowledgeable. The cocktails on their list are made "prebatched" there for the type of spirits cannot be altered or changed for any preference. They taste prebatched as well and my second cocktail was way stronger than my first. I ordered a French 75 off menu and the champagne portion of the cocktail was completely flat. Not good at all. The food: The milk bread was FANTASTIC! Wow! The salmon appetizer was simple and just okay. Thoughtful presentation was appreciated but the caramelized potato and the sauce didn't make me finish the small plate. The apple salad was fresh and crisp not over dressed, I enjoyed it. The veggie and quinoa dish was my main dish and omg, garlic overload... I love garlic but this was way too much. Same thing goes for the green sauce. It was tasty but there was way too much, the veggies were swimming in it. The quinoa was crispy which was good but was totally lost in the sauce. Jazz band was a really nice touch but in-between there was very random headache inducing music playing. Strange combination of excellent live music and horrible choice of regular music. Overall, I would probably not go back, when dining out (in that price range) I really enjoy trying a craft cocktails by a mixologist. I would have also appreciated a couple more main dish options as the menu is extreme meat forward. read more

Food was amazing every single dish other than the dessert. The waiter was very professional recommend us the foods and it was right on top very good recommendation. The place is beautiful. read more

This spot is just great, the ambiance and vibe is all there. Walked in to wait at the Bar for a few and the Bartender sure did not disappoint with a Carajillo drink to start my night. Once seated, the Server was super accompanied and the Owner brought his way to our Table which was nice. The food all came out delicious and the BREAD AND BUTTER was amazing! As little of a plate as it is, be sure to order that!! read more

Verse - Pretty much Ordered it all, LOL - Seafood Near Me - Toluca Lake, California

My wife and I have been to Verse ~5 times in the last 8 months. We absolutely adore this restaurant, the staff, the music, the drinks, and most importantly, the FOOD! It's a phenomenal date night spot, an ideal place to bring visitors from out of town, or just a great place to catch some music. We've had Marcus as our server on multiple occasions, and he's fantastic. Friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive - can't ask for more! As for food / drink recommendations: - the smoked old fashioned is dangerously good - I'm not a gin fan at all, but even I think their gin & tonics are pretty solid - we can't dine here without eating the Hokkaido milk buns or croquettes. Delicious! - we've had multiple, incredible risottos - my wife adores the hibachi octopus I could keep going, but you get the gist. read more

Drink: Blue Moon! Amazing music, food, acoustics and dessert. Beautiful attention to detail. Delicious memory! read more

The food, service, restaurant ambiance, overall look and feel were fantastic (exception to the band and I'll get to that later). Me + 4 friends came here to get out of the house (this was during the pandemic) so we could celebrate a birthday over great food and music. We ordered *almost 1 of everything on the menu and It was enough for us to share, we all had a good serving from each dish. The biscuits appetizer is delicious, something I did not want to share, I wanted one order all to myself! We also ordered the Tomahawk and it was delicious! Some parts were a little more undercooked than I desired but don't doubt for one minute that I took home the steak leftovers and cooked them up a little more. The next day I talked about the incredible dinner to my foodie brother-in-law. H e was offended, appalled, and disappointed that I cooked the steak more than it should've been and was lectured about all things Tomahawk. Hilarious. The food - ahhh again, delicious. Kudos to the chef and kitchen staff, as everything was nothing short of exceptional. The disappointment came when the singer + his two musicians started playing. The singer's voice killed the vibe and we we kept ordering more drinks just so we could get tune out the nails-on-a-chalkboard singer. I'm assuming they conduct a pre-screen of some sort of the artists. Maybe they were in a hurry to fill a spot and hired this guy on a whim. I live close by and look forward to coming back here. A great night sans the one shitty singer means this place still gets 5 stars from me! It's also a breath of fresh air to finally have a something a little more upscale and fun rather than these hive-five-and-hacky-sack bars around here. Highly recommend! read more

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I was really excited to try this place out and was disappointed by their menu options. They had not one chicken option?! Strange considering that's the most common meat people eat. I feel like the menu could use major help. The atmosphere was great if you're going for just drinks and maybe appetizers. Won't be back to have actual dinner again. read more

One of the best fine dining places I've been to in LA! We went for my mother's birthday and this was such a special spot. The food was absolutely fantastic. The Hokkaido milk buns were a warm and satisfying way to start off the meal and I highly recommend coupling it with a few of the raw starters. The highlights for me were the unique pastas. Every single one was absolutely delicious. The crab pasta with the uni was creamy and well-seasoned, whereas the charred green onions in the lamb pasta cut through the richness perfectly. The olive oil cake was definitely my favorite dessert with its slightly floral flavor profile. The restaurant was dimly lit and had lovely live music. A bit too loud for my taste, but I appreciate the enthusiasm. The servers were lovely and thoroughly explained each dish as they were serving it. This was great because of the complex blend of flavors in each dish. This is a hidden gem in Toluca Lake and I highly recommend making this your next special occasion destination! read more

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Love this place!! Such a cool vibe, amazing food and great service. Perfect for a date night. Lots of free street parking on a Saturday night. Can't wait to come back. read more

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Hands down, this place has easily become one of our fave restaurants. So happy we found this gem and wish we could keep it to ourselves but this place deserves all the love and I highly recommend dining here for any occasion. (Birthday, date night, GNO.. etc) the ambiance is amazing - this place was a music studio that turned into a restaurant so you know the acoustics are legit. The menu is not super expansive. (Which I am a fan of because when there's too many options, I get super indecisive) their drinks are delicious and apparently they change up the drinks every so often. Same with their menu. I believe they change it 2-3x a year? I am so happy they were able to reopen since shutting down due to the pandemic. This place is def hot and new - get in while you can before it gets too popular and I imagine reservations will be harder to get. Everything we ordered was fantastic. So much flavor and texture in every bite. Nothing was too salty. It was just done right. Kudos to the chef! Did I mention their live music is amazing?? Y'all gotta check it out when they have live music playing. It just makes the experience that much better. Just go. You'll thank me later. read more

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Place is beautiful and very classy waitresses are amazing very elegant. The food was very good. I would give it five stars they kale salad was a hit, but the desserts are not so good and I am a dessert person. For the dessert I would give them a two star. The cocktails are very professional and good. I will definitely come here again. read more

Located in a non-descript building close to Universal Studios, you could easily walk by and not realize a beautiful restaurant and music venue lies just beyond the door. Each menu item had so many unique ingredients that somehow paired perfectly together. Definitely try the scallops and crudo if you make it there. To enjoy such good food and great cocktails would be enough, but this place tops it off with live music at a volume that still allows you to enjoy a conversation. A great date night spot that I hope to visit again! read more

Food was absolutely delicious. Cooked to perfection. What a hidden little gem. I live around the block and I never knew it existed. Might be our new favorite restaurant! Great service, ambience and food!!! Special shout out to the bread loaf. I'll be thinking of you often. read more

I loved every minute of it- the service, the food, the music all of it. What a fun night out! I will have dreams about the yellowtail crudo. It was some of the most delicious bites I have ever had. Trust me. I can't wait to go back. read more

Can't believe this place exists! The live music is always great. The vibe is perfect. The lighting is perfect. The sound system is wonderful. The food is fantastic. Whatever you order you can't go wrong. We really love the Peruvian Scallops to start, the mushroom pasta and the Braised Beef is perfection. We also order the Hokkaido Milk Buns with our meal. Every time we go Matt is "The Man" that makes sure your evening is special. The service is top notch. Definitely a destination for a special evening. read more

Upon arrival with a 6:45 reservation we were seated immediately. The ambiance here is both dark and moody, like a speakeasy and a quiet library at the same time. That is, until the live music begins. The live music really transforms this place. We started with the shaolin sting which was a very refreshing cocktail. Ordering here must be done all at once so they can bring each course out in order. The Hokkaido milk buns and salmon belly appetizer were first brought out. The milk buns were pillowy and sweet, and the paired butter was amazing. The salmon belly appetizer with the salsa verde was just buttery perfection, and the top quality of the fish really stood out. These two items alone were worth going back for. We also ordered Mary's chicken, sea bream, oyster mushroom, and crushed potato. The sea bream was not like anything I had ever tasted before, and it paired nicely with the broccolini and rice. As for Mary's chicken and the sides, things seemed to go completely wrong. The chicken was burnt and so tough that a piece flew on to my boyfriends lap from how hard I was trying to cut it. It was charred, tough and not worth ordering. I didn't really understand that dish or why pepian sauce, chicken and carrots were paired that way, but the sea bream here was the star dish for me. The pepian was also not spicy, but tasted like tomato and some sweetness of tamarind. The oyster mushrooms were very dry and burnt despite the waitress telling us there would be a meaty texture. And as for the crushed potato, it was very hard, and provided no contrast in taste or substance the way this was prepared. The only takeaway from it was that it tasted like a dry potato and truffle. Although I will say that despite these things, you can really taste/feel the quality of ingredients used at Verse. Everything is very fresh and portioned well enough to eat a lot yet not feel heavily full after. Overall, I did have a good time here. The drinks and ambiance were very relaxing and made for a nice evening. The aperol spritz was also great. I would definitely be back to try other things on the menu like the nigiri and pasta, and like I said the milk buns alone will be worth visiting for. But I would definitely avoid the chicken and mushroom/ potato sides. read more

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5/5 stars. Great service. Great ambiance. Food was very unique. mexican and asian dishes. steaks. sushi. get the butter bread. trust. croquettes were fire too read more

Love this place! The food was great, service was amazing and the ambiance was lovely! They had a live band..a live salsa band to be exact. I will definitely be coming back to Verse read more

Don't bother wasting your time. They think they know it all figured out. They don't understand hospitality at all. They force you to put in your entire order at once and they will manage it for you. Thats not the case! They brought everything all at once and turn and burn the table. They almost force you out by asking over and over what you want. Great drinks, waiters are polite but I would not come back. read more

I pride myself on knowing what's a good restaurant and what's a mediocre restaurant. my doctor's office told me about verse. It is a hidden gem because unless our doctor's office told us about it we would've never gone there. It is by far one of the best restaurants not known about in LA. It is spectacular. If this review can you help bring more business to these guys, I will be so happy because it deserves a lot of new clients.. You will not be disappointed. Between the amazing staff, Jarrett, the bartender, Jeannie,, our waitress, the Sommelier Joben,and outstanding live music. It is truly an amazing evening. read more

Shhhhhhh!!!! Don't tell anyone about this amazing place. When you first arrive it looks like just another business- no clue about what you are about to discover behind the doors. Open the doors and you are transported to a speakeasy ambiance. Excellent jazz/Latin fusion atmosphere and music. It's elegant but you can go in casual attire. The bar will make you some very interesting and delicious drinks and the food is just amazing. We had the New York and the Pork dishes~ the pork ended up being the tastiest dish but everything yummy. The dessert was yummy, too. The live jazz band is what makes this place go over the top. Great date place or bring your friends for a celebration ~ they will me impressed! But be ready to drop a pretty penny. Great gem! read more

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Went to have a nice dinner hubby and I. When we walked in we were the 3rd party, so the place was quiet. The room is somewhat dark and vintage, giving you a speakeasy vibe. Our waiter (Italian guy) was very friendly. And was very helpful with the menu. The food was very tasty, it's a fusion of Asian and American with a kick of Mexican. Will definitely be visiting again. read more

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Made a reservation on a whim for a Friday night and it was amazing! The restaurant has a sort of a speakeasy vibe, low light and lots of gold accents. It's really beautiful inside, and at the end of the restaurant there's a stage. Also, everyone seemed to dress quite nice, I would say almost dressy (for LA). So definitely feel free to dress up! They have music Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night, I believe. The band came out and played some songs but they didn't play too long. It was more of background music, not really the main attraction, but lovely none the less! I would maybe ask for a table closer to the stage if you're there for the music, if you're seated at the back it's a bit far away. Onto the drinks, I ordered a Tennessee Blues ($18), and my boyfriend got the Shaolin Sting ($18). Drinks were great, I loved the Tennessee Blues. For the food we got the Hokkaido Milk Buns ($13), Kale Sprouts ($17), Sea Bream ($36), and the Mushroom Pasta ($23). Then for dessert we got the beignets ($13). Everything was delicious, I think my only note was the Bream was a little overcooked. My favorite was the Milk Buns, and Mushroom Pasta. Those 2 dishes were decadent! Last couple comments would be on parking and price. It might be tough to find parking if it's a really busy night, we got lucky and got a spot on the street close to the restaurant. Then, the prices, for 2 people we pretty much cleaned the plate for everything we ordered so it was enough food portion wise, but I don't think I would ever classify this place as a causal dinner spot. You should definitely be ready to spend some money here for an occasion or a nice dinner (it'll be well worth it). The food was really the star of the show. It was so amazing, I can't wait to come back and try more! read more

Verse - Beignets - Seafood Near Me - Toluca Lake, California

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Vibes here are everything. Cozy, moody vibe, beautiful live jazz music to top off the vibe. The food and service also on point!

The ambiance of the restaurant is a cool supper club vibe. Pros: cool vibe and music Cons: Food is mediocre and is served on chipped plates (everyone at our table had a chipped plate). Considering the price of an entree, I would expect excellent service. No one cleared our plates between dishes or when we were done eating! We finished our drinks with dirty dishes on the table. Don't understand how this place gets such good reviews. I expect more when I dine! read more

So sexy!!!!! LA has been needing this for so long! Chef Oscar executed the menu to perfection and the service was very good. Terrace Martin performed with a trio set the ambience off! Perfect night! So happy this place is down the street from me! read more

Verse - Duck breast, mushroom linguini - Seafood Near Me - Toluca Lake, California

I title this one "the Valley's hidden gem"! The ambiance, service, and food is outstanding here. The buns are simply and delicious, braised beef is hearty and tasty, the band is a talent and pleasure to watch. The only con is parking, it's not the most convenient but definitely wouldn't stop me from going back. Give this place a chance, you won't regret it! But be sure to go after 7, that's when the live music starts. And that music really enhances the atmosphere. read more

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A little confusing walking up to the place as there is no sign but liked the ambiance as we walked into the dim lit restaurant with the live music. The servers were nice, but a little over-attentive (asking to clear plates multiple times with food still on it and interrupting conversations). And the food was good, I recommend the filet with the side of crispy polenta and the tuna tostada; the drinks and sides were lacking for the price they were. Would give this place more of a 3.5 but want to give them the benefit of the doubt and for this new restaurant to stick around. read more

I was trying to find something last minute for mi Esposo's birthday...since many places are opening back up for indoor dining, I really wanted it to a be a special evening and it was a HUGE plus that Verse has live music to boot! The vibe of this place fit the group we brought here perfectly. I honestly cannot remember all the food and drink items we had (a part from the EXCEPTIONAL mushroom dish that the chef generously adjusted for my vegan husband), but everything was really outstanding and the service was just right..."present", but not overly so. We don't get out to experience fine dining more than once or twice a year, but I would not hesitate to return to Verse. They got a good thing going. read more

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Wow, great restaurant, great music , great workers. I am happy they have a valet parking now and employees working there are so sweet and welcoming. read more

I cannot speak highly enough about Verse. First found the spot through renowned food writer Andy Wang, so you know it has to be special, and I have to say it's the best thing to happen to Toluca Lake since Whole Foods (I realize that could sound pretentious but listen). It's so hard to find a really elevated cocktail or dining experience without going over the hill or to Studio City and Verse solves this problem. On top of this, live music indoors has never been a good idea until now. The owner is a decorated music engineer and producer and he put so much thought (and $$) into engineering this room to sound perfection. You can always clearly hear the band at the front of the room no matter where you sit while also hearing your dinner mates and NOT the every word from the table beside you. It's incredible. And the hospitality and food -- this is where Verse shines. What's a great restaurant without an excelling staff and kitchen? Mike, the marketing director, is wildly accommodating and you can tell he loves being part of this team. He is also responsible for their gorgeous photography and videography and partnerships. And Chef Oscar's SoCal flavor sensibilities combined with Mexican and Latin tradition are going to earn him legendary status. Get the appetizer buns on the menu (soooo craveable with sweet butter on the side) and the tomahawk. NOTE: Many dishes have finishing sauces that are often poured table side by your waiter. If anyone in your party isn't into it, just let them know ahead of time and they'll accommodate, leaving the sauce for you to use or not at your discretion. I encourage you to book the chef's table experience with a group of 10 or less and if you need a really special dinner for a significant other who is a musician or music lover. When booking, ask if they have bandwidth to take you on a private tour of legendary Larabee Studios next door, which Verse's owner owns as well. The likes of Elton John, Whitney Houston, and Miles Davis have recorded here, as well as modern artists like Kendrick Lamar and Miley Cyrus. Okay, I could go on and on. But instead, I'll just go to Verse. *chef's kiss!* read more

Absolutely love this restaurant so much. The food and ambience are amazing. There is always some sort of live music playing and it makes the whole experience so wholesome and enjoyable. The service is impeccable. Our servers Morgan, Jake & Marcus were so kind & wonderful. They really made our experience so much better with their hospitality. The milk buns are always a must when I visit. SO GOOD. Any of their tostadas are so worth it. Not pictured but the mushroom linguine was the best linguine I've ever had. read more

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The restaurants live jazz music gave it a unique, moody ambiance. The service was spectacular, the recommendations on point. The food and drinks were great. I would definitely come back! read more

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I don't know where to begin!! This is a 10/10 place. Drinks were amazing! Appetizer and entrees were beyond tasty. And of course the ambiance and live music was just an incredible experience. Can't wait to go back! Trust me your tastebuds will thank you! Only and only downside (this is just for me and anyone that has mushroom/truffle allergies) majority of their food was truffle/mushroom based and there were no alternatives. Other than that it is the perfect place to enjoy yourself. read more

Verse - Seafood Near Me - Toluca Lake, California

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This place is our new favorite spot! Took my husband here last night for his birthday and was treated very well by staff! Shoutout to Ashley who was our server last night. She made sure that everything is perfect and she is very attentive and sweet. We definitely enjoyed live music! Mauri Guerrero was amazing. Thank You Mauri! My husband had a blast! We will definitely be back! Thank you verse! Great customer service and the vibe is PERFECT! read more

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Went here for datenight with my girls yesterday. There's plenty of street parking :)) We got there and were seated within 5 minutes :) We made reservation for 8:30pm and had a great time! We left at 11:00pm and there were still plenty of customers. We ordered: -Hokkaido Milk Bun: I thought it was okay 3/5, but it was one of my friends favorite dish of the night. -Seared Albacore Tostado: This dish had the perfect flavor :) 5/5 -Yellowtail Crudo: I thought it was okay. Something was off... maybe the chip wasn't as crispy as I imaged it would be. 3/5 -Oyster and Sashimi: Definitely one of my favorite! 5/5 -Lobster Tagliatelle: Good for two people! Well balanced flavor; however my only complain was some of the lobster pieces were overcooked. 4/5 -Salmon Belly: I liked this dish, but nothing special. 4/5 -Oyster Mushroom: A tad overcooked. 3/5 The drinks were pretty and delicious. We tried a few. I would skip the pineapple one as well as the dessert. We were seated in the front center of the band. It was nice, but can get a tad too loud there. However, when we were there the band were finishing up, which gave us a chance to talk when they were done. They came back in 30 minutes and played another 30 minutes, which was perfect :)) I would definitely come back with my hubby next time! read more

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Good food & amazing service, just forgot the name of our server, but she was on top of everything! Live Band was good but i think it's too loud for such a small space. I still give them 5 stars. read more

Amazing, intimate spot. The food, service and atmosphere was incredible. I had the yellowtail crudo, milk buns, oysters, lamb pasta, and salmon. The only thing, which in some instances isn't a bad thing, was that the entrees came out too fast. I was still working on the appetizers. It's definitely a spot I would frequent and recommend to others. read more

To say this place is a hidden gem is total and complete understatement. Absolute perfection in every facet, from the ambiance to the music to the amazing food and impeccable service. I'm already planning my next visit to Verse.... read more