I loved it here!!! The food, service, and ambiance were all a vibe. Our waitress was so knowledgeable about the menu and sweet, I think her name was Genie. The live music was FANTASTIC! read more

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What a hidden gem!! The milk buns are a MUST, and the smoking old fashion was the best I've ever had! Adds a roasted marshmallow smell and flavor to an already delicious drink! Service was impeccable and really enjoyed the live music too! read more

Verse - Seafood Near Me - Toluca Lake, California

Unique place with great entertainment. Great service too. I would have loved it if they use less salt in their food, especially the steak. A touch brighter in the lighting too. It's supposed to be a dark space, but juuuuust a tiny notch brighter so patrons don't use flashlight app so much inside the restaurant. read more

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This place was really cool. The food was just okay but the live music and ambiance were awesome.

Ambiance is phenomenal, everything else is subpar for the price point. Our $200 cowboy ribeye was barely big enough for 2 and definitely under salted, which is a cardinal sin imho. Also, they trimmed pretty much all the fat off the meat thus reducing the flavor substantially. I've had better steaks for much less money. Hokkaido milk buns- good but not 14$ good. I've had complimentary bread that was just as tasty. Jumbo prawns were by far the worst item- prawns were a little chewy and tostada was STALE. Unforgivable. Lamb pasta was the best thing we ate. Super savory, well seasoned, and satisfying. The waiter recommended this and I'm glad we went with his recommendation. This place might suffer from having too big of a menu. Maybe they should shrink it and focus on doing a few things really well, rather than many satisfactorily. And maybe we just picked lackluster items. Also, the servers, while extremely nice, aren't super knowledgeable about what they serve- if you don't know the answer, fine, but gosh darn it go find out. At these prices that ain't asking too much. read more

Came here for a birthday dinner and it was spectacular. From the ambience, to the service, and food, everything was five stars. We ordered a variety of items, but the Hokkaido milk buns were my absolute favorite and a must-get shareable appetizer! The restaurant ambience is very sexy, intimate, and a great place to go for a date night, girls night, or to celebrate with a small group of friends. read more

Leaving a review for the Valentine's Day Tasting Menu experience. This restaurant definitely lives up to its photos. Ambiance: elegant and intimate. Perfect for a romantic date night or dinner to impress some out-of-town business friends. The seats are comfortable and the tables are just high enough to accommodate most guests that aren't in too restrictive formal wear. If you are a taller guest (6'0'' or up), I think the seating along the walls is better suited. The restaurant is dimly lit so you won't necessarily get the best look at your dishes. Music: When there isn't a live band/singer performing, the music is at a good volume. I was especially disappointed with the live musical performances. The main singer that performed during our reservation sounded nice. But she chose to sing songs that did not match her range or tone. If you choose to sing Etta James or Alicia Keys, I would expect the music to emulate the 'feel' of the songs at least. If patrons are paying for live music, the music should not sound like background music from a playlist. Service: Our main waitress was very nice. She was timely and didn't interrupt us in the middle of a conversation during the entire tasting course. However, there were a few waiters that did not take the same level of care. When we got our appetizers (I got the lobster tostada), the waiter interjected in the middle of our conversation. He read the ingredients off the menu like an auctioneer so there wasn't a need for him to interrupt us. A big complaint I had regarding service, is that I made a reservation for an anniversary and specified to have seating for tall guests. These notes were not taken into consideration. We were seated at one of the smaller tables (closer to the performance corner) and it did affect the dining experience. When the waitress asked if we wanted "tap" or "sparkling", she failed to mention that the sparkling water was an extra charge and did not leave us the bottle top nor an ice bucket to keep our water cold. Warm sparkling water is not cute. Warm FLAT 'sparkling' water is on another level. Additionally, after the dinner, if patrons indicated that there is a 'special occasion', I would expect the restaurant to provide something in addition to what is already being provided. Food: some of the food is hit or miss. My partner and I got different items on the tasting menu so we could try as many items as possible. We really enjoyed the seafood dishes. The ribeye was a little on the bland side which was disappointing. The sprinkle of potatoes had more flavor to them. My chocolate flourless cake was on the heavier side. My partner got a sorbet dessert and said he would have loved to take some home. The cocktails were probably my favorite part. The names and presentations of each drink told a story. All the portion sizes were reasonable for the tasting menu experience. I am curious if this will be the case for the regular menu options. Value: on the pricier side. The tasting menu total was $270 for 2 people. We got 4 cocktails, each was $18 a glass. Our experience wasn't 'bad' but it wasn't 'great' either. I would be willing to try this restaurant again to try their regular menu and see whether the restaurant improves on the complaints some of the other patrons have echoed. read more

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I keep forgetting to post my review, but a certain nonsensical 1-star review spurned me to finally write this, as a feeble attempt to combat their illegitimate rating. ----- Verse is a hidden GEM in my neighborhood. When I moved from Philadelphia to LA, one thing I set out to find was a moody bar with live jazz and good bourbon that would live up to what I was leaving behind in PA. Verse DELIVERS - not only on the jazz and cocktail front, but the food is *INCREDIBLE*. Don't sleep on their seafood tostadas + baby bok choi, but honestly - you can't go wrong with anything on their menu. The ambiance is wonderful + the servers are delightfully helpful, knowledgeable and patient regarding questions on their menu when trying to decide what to order. From apps, mains, to dessert - the food is I had such a great experience on a date night, and look forward to coming back for another one in the very near future. read more

More like 3.375 stars. Food was delish and the live music was a plus, but service was sub par. Ambiance: 4 - Verse is an interesting idea. Owner of the Grammy-winning studio next door decides to open up a restaurant that is themed and built as an extension to his studio--it actually is apparently a studio with microphones dangling from the air (above tables--I get these Omnidirectional mics are prob meant to record the crowd sounds during a live recording or something--or are they? - things that make you go hmmm), and wall coverings and tapestries that are sound muffling so even the occasional V6 drag racing down the street won't disturb your dinner and music. Oh and let's not forget the fun backdrop behind the stage of several Grammy awards reminding you not to forget about the music. - place is cozy and warm. Unfortunately even though we'd made reservations well in advance, we got the least comfy spot in the place in the back on high tops. If you sit back there, it's challenging to see the performance--though the sound quality was great anywhere (obviously) Service: 2. Server was cool, yet made no effort to let us know the hold up in the kitchen was. I think we waited for about 45ish minutes for our entire meal to arrive. Quite a long time...especially when you're hungry. Fortunately there's live music...so that helps. Another annoyance was that he Asked us if we wanted water, still or sparkling--when I said still, I didn't realize it was bottled...I have a strong aversion to bottled water (not only is it bad for the environment, it's also marked up by 100s of %! Rather spend my cash on the food and not on water that my Reverse Osmosis machine at home cranks out daily for Pennies!) and I'm even more annoyed when restaurants make it sound like it's the only option. Anyway, I digress. Service here was lacking. Food: 4.5 - food here was delish. Plated beautifully, and incredibly hearty with good portions. I had the 16oz pork which came with a bowl of grits flavored with avocado blistered cherry tomatoes and basil. Wonderful. They also left me the rib which I was indeed happy to go to town. My wife had the duck--skin was so crispy and reminded me of chicharron. Sides were also amazing--how do you get mushrooms to taste like that? Value / price: 3 Drinks were on the pricy side: 18 per drink--sip that sucker slowly! Food is on the high end but you get what you're paying for here! Also another weird thing here...most of the photos posted are owners posted photos. Odd. I couldn't really find a post from another yelper. read more

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All I can say about this place is wow! The entire staff was amazing so kudos to all of you first! The drinks were very good great infusion and mixes very tropical flavors, now the best part, the food was great well it was better than great it was fantastic, you could taste all the blends that the chef uses almon wood smoke on some items and sugers and other flavors aswell you definitely did a great job. I admire the taste of food and let me tell you sir, you nailed it. read more

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Just spent the evening here, I've been here previously and really enjoyed the food and music. Tonight my service started off great with our excellent server, I believe her name was Ari. At 7:45pm the band was nowhere to be found, Ari told us they were taking a quick break but would be back. The band appeared sometime later with nice music, but the bliss was cut short as they took 2 more breaks throughout the duration of our meal. I understand the band needs a break, but for whatever reason- whether it be because the music on the overhead was a different completely different vibe or the breaks were just long, it felt long and it was noticeable. In my last visit here I don't remember such long pauses for the live music, after all it's largely the reason I decided to come here again, so I just wanted to note. At some time during our visit, our server went on break. Someone us came over to let us know they were taking over but the restaurant was so busy the priorities seemed to be with the newer arriving tables. After receiving our last drinks, there for no follow up. We sat for 30 minutes wanting to flag someone down to grab our check. We finally got the check dropped after some time, and waited an additional 15 minutes for someone to pick it up until I got fed up and walked myself up to the host stand to ask them if I could pay. The server stopped me on my way up and met me back at my table with the credit card machine. Considering the machine was portable, I'm not sure why this wasn't brought when our check was delivered initially. We had such a great experience to begin with and it doesn't help that I had such high expectations after an evening here prior that the shift in service towards the end and lack of the band at times were noticeable. I'm having mixed feelings about my experience tonight. I wish I had an opportunity to speak with someone about our experience but after waiting so long to close out I just wanted to go. The food was better than I remember it however- definitely add that gnocchi special to the menu!! I also find it shocking that the parking is only street and not valet for such a fancy place! read more

Amazing place. Great atmosphere , live music was on spot. My kind of place. Good service limited manu in my opinion.

Brought my husband here for his birthday seeing as though I knew he would enjoy the live music, and it turned out to be a great evening! Very unassuming from the outside but has a great open format that allows for a great view from any table. We had a variety of items for dinner but throughly enjoyed everything. Perfect for date night or music lovers! Looking forward to making it back in soon. read more

Verse - Seafood Near Me - Toluca Lake, California

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WOW what didn't I like about this place? It was absolutely wonderful - everything about it was fantastic & highly recommended for celebration, date night or just catching up. I booked this place on OpenTable for 6:30pm for my boyfriend's birthday but the manager texted me if I could push it to 7pm due to a music charity event. Totally fine with me. Found street parking in the front & it was free! The restaurant is next to a white chiropractor office & it is very subtle (see pic of the front door). It's just a door & doesn't seem like a lot is going on since there's no lights shining to the entrance or any noise. But as soon as you open the door, it's an entirely different situation. There's live music playing, dim lights, lit bar, decorative bookshelf. The entire ambiance of the restaurant was just on point. The attention to detail was also on par (e.g the V on the napkin holder) so you know it's fancy. Our waiter, Gabriel was also another thing on point. He was very attentive, described the menu well (with some bomb recommendations), checked in on us, funny, just all around great guy! FOOD: my boyfriend is a fan of an Old Fashioned so he obviously got the Smokey Old Fashioned and it's a SHOW lol - comes inside a smokey lantern thing as if you're in Harry Potter or something. We ordered the: -Kale Chips (very flavorful & nice blend with the sweetness of the raisins with a pinch of spicy), -Hokkaido Milk Buns (sweet with a bit of savory from the bun & the butter is a great mixture), -Braised Lamb Pasta (my bf's favorite) -Maple Leaf Duck Bolognese (my favorite) Everything was delicious & just on point. We both enjoyed our experiences. And at the end of our meal, Gabriel got us a free dessert for my boyfriend. It was great! He sang him happy birthday too hahah. Overall, an amazing experience for dinner & highly recommend. read more

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Had the most amazing time on my birthday. Service was very attentive and food was delicious!

After countless times of me telling myself I need to Yelp more, my experience tonight at Verse had me headed straight to Yelp once I got home. Our experience was hands down 5 stars, from the food, drinks, service, music, and vibe. Our server, Arthur, could not have been better. He was attentive, pleasant, and polite, and all of his recommendations were on point! Everything he recommended was everything I had my eye on. The table ordered: Tiger Prawns Hokkaido Milk Buns Oysters Pork Belly Risotto Braised Beef Iberico Pluma Lobster Tagliatelle A variety of libations, and we finished it off with the olive oil cake. Everyone tasted a bit of everything, and it was all done to perfection...my favorite, though, was definitely the Pork Belly Risotto. The music and vibe were perfect, and I couldn't have picked a better place to celebrate my birthday with my favorite people. I'm definitely looking forward to coming back soon. Well done Verse, you definitely have a few new fans read more

If I could give a higher rating than five I literally would... Let me first start from the very beginning from the outside when you arrive you can't really tell if you're about to walk into a restaurant. You can't hear any noise barely any people but right when you walk in you'll be taken away. The details of the walls, the music playing in the background, and the overall vibes were phenomenal. I vibes felt like I was in an old historical library with a jazz band. I was amazed... The service was amazing our waiter Nate gave us an extensive detailed description about the restaurant, and his recommendations. He answered all our questions we had and was very kind. As for food I enjoyed everything except one item the branzino it was missing some flavor. Few must have items are the tuna tostada WOW delish, the yellowtail crudo was the best I've ever had, corn with cilantro had a tangy delicious twist, mushroom linguine was great, and the quinoa salad. OMG how can I forget the bread you need to order the bread it will melt in your mouth. Keep some room for dessert the olive oil cake was great but the cookies and creme dessert just seemed like scoop of ice cream so I'd pass on that. Had a great time and can't wait to come back. read more

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The other evening, my wife and I found ourselves leaving our practice late, and she was in the mood for steak. Wanting to surprise her, I decided to take her to Verse. From our initial call to inform them of our arrival, to being warmly greeted by Matt and served by Roger & Jeannie, every aspect of our experience was exceptional. The ambiance, the entire staff, the live music, and of course, the food and drinks, were truly phenomenal. We started our meal with the Hokkaido Milk Buns, Apple Salad, and the Aged Yellowtail Crudo. For our main course, we shared the 30 Day Aged Tomahawk with Bone Marrow, Heirloom Tomato, and Charred Serrano, accompanied by a side of their Crushed Potato. Each bite was a delight, perfectly cooked and bursting with flavor. Chef Oscar Torres' skill was evident, making it the ideal dinner after a long day that began at 5:30am! We will certainly be returning soon. My wife was so impressed that she's going to be renting out the entire restaurant for future events. read more

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The food is delicious, the drinks are delicious and the service has been great every time I've been to Verse. We've tried almost every item on the menu and they all great: favorites - milk buns, kale sprouts, pork belly risotto. The atmosphere is amazing. They have live music, and since it's in a recording studio the acoustics are great. read more

Verse - Pork belly risotto, crushed potatoes, New York strip - Seafood Near Me - Toluca Lake, California

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We dined here for the first time and the food was terrific and enjoyed the supper club vibe. We had the lamb and scallops. Great live music and beautiful ambience. Parking is a bit limited on the street and you have to look for the V near the outside entrance, which is barely noticeable. What a transformation of the location that used to be the Firenze restaurant. Walking inside here for the first time was like WOW! and it was packed on a Thursday night. Will be back! read more

10/10 recommend! Let me just start by telling you this place is hands down beautiful restaurant all around. The ambience is romantic and relaxing. Our servers name was Matthew and he was amazing. The service was notch. Now for the food... We had the famous milk buns and oh my god can you say it melts in your mouth, I had the salmon and my husband had the New York steak with the Peruvian beans... like everything melted in your mouth. For the drinks, I had the malamente (yummy and just the right amount of alcohol) and my husband had the maad city (yum). For desert we had the olive oil cake and a chocolate cake along with their blanc de blanc sparkling wine (perfection). And the music was so good! We will definitely be back! read more

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I almost want to refrain from a review because I want to increase my chances of getting a table here whenever I want! AWESOME place with great food, drinks and music. They specialize in a tapas style menu, but they do have mains. We opted for all tapas and will have to go back to try more dishes asap. One of the best dishes was the Croquettes! I have to say, the only disappointment was they come in an order of three, so we had to fight over the last one. Pretty sure my wife intentionally tried to stab me with a fork going for the last one, but she swears it was innocent, so... Anyway, it's probably a crafty move on the part of Verse to sell an extra plate (which we DID opt for), but I request they consider making it a 4 piece plate to avoid squabbles. We did all of the fish options on the left side of the menu save for the prawns, and the oysters. All were epically good, with the Seared Albacore Tostada being the favorite. Not to be missed! Drinks were beautifully prepared and quite good. I will say, though, The Smokin' Old Fashioned is pretty much just smoke and mirrors. It's served in a mirrored box with smoke (see what I did there?) but it's not in there long enough for the drink to take on the smokiness. I'm glad we tried it, but we probably wouldn't bother again. The Tennessee Blues was excellent. I was worried it would be too sweet, but it is a delicious drink and I'd revisit that anytime. I also did a Sazerac that was quite good. There was a great trio playing and the sound is amazing. There is a story behind that and it's worth reading up on or asking about when you're there. Our server tipped us on a number of facts about the place and he was excellent, too! Daniel from Australia, so ask for him when you go! Outstanding vibe, and 100% worth your time. read more

I'm only giving 4 stars because parking is not a fun time here. Valet is needed last thing you want to do after a commute to such a cool Restaurant is circle looking for parking. This place is definitely a hidden gem and i would have never known about it if it weren't for my friends invite. So vibey feels like an invite only place. We had a reservation but unfortunately all Ran late due to traffic but the restaurant was accommodating. There is a door Man who was also Very nice and just inquired about you having a reservation or not i did so the let me right in. Inside it's dimly lit it was a Friday so as customers left the seats continued to be filled. Place stayed full All Night. There was live music but our table was further back near the bar so i don't know the artist but looks like it could be anyone you just never know which is also cool. I felt like my friend ordered 1 of everything on the menu. I'm Vegan so of all the items ordered i stick to the kale salad and quinoa salad which were both delicious i actually preferred them together adding the kale over the quinoa. The kale salad had a robust flavor and the quinoa a little more subtle so together it was the perfect about of flavor. My friends raved about the mushroom pasta they had as well. I really enjoyed it here and would come back but i would recommend Uber. read more

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Thank you, Loren, for the best service. You will be 1 of the reasons we will be back. The food was just amazing. wowowowowo the music was perfect read more

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The verse was so much fun, I loved their unique and limited menu which really did not need to offer more options. The food options were a great balance, very unique options. My favorite was the risotto. Really enjoyed the live music which is also very unique. Will be back for more celebrations. read more

Verse - Truffle potatoes, risotto, and salmon - Seafood Near Me - Toluca Lake, California

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Delicious food and great ambiance. I've come here many times with different people: fiends, parents, husband date night - all were superb.

Upon entry, ambiance is nice; moody and dark, great for date night. Drinks were ok - tried the Moonlight sonata but opted for lemon drop on the second round. We ordered Oysters and Sashimi (the yellow sauce was not good); otherwise the seafood was fresh. Apple salad was leafy with minimal apple and citrus. Tiger Prawns were salty. Braised Beef was saucy + crushed potato was mediocre. Live band (jazz) was interesting, however, the music otherwise was R&B/Hip-Hop which was a vibe. I liked it. Jocelyn was friendly and service was great. read more

I've never done this before, but I'm writing this review from the establishment. Now, I'm 3 daiquiris in but I'm not too far gone to be completely smitten. There really isn't a better word for it. I also really want to lie and say this place is terrible so that I can always get a reservation.... But alas, the lie would make me lose sleep, and sleep is important. The decor is dim, with well placed light, comfortable seating with booths that line the wall, tables in the center, and the most comfortable high top chairs of all time. The food is perfectly seasoned, thoughtfully created (ALL THE SAUCES CAN GET IT), and exquisitely executed. We fell in love with Verse so quickly, we made another reservation before the mains came out. Our server, Marcus is professional, personable, and exceptionally good at his job. Hope you're working Saturday, cause we will for sure be asking for you. The lovely lady who sat us was sweet and aware of us even after she sat us. Our drinks are so smooth as to lull you into a false sense of their immediate danger. And they are dangerous. As I mentioned earlier, I'm 3 daiquiris in and while the Asian glow is real, it is the most drinkable drank ever. There's live music. This being our first time here, I can only hope and pray every performer is as good as Crew 21. 10/10. read more

Such a beautiful atmosphere and delicious food. The place is also such a romantic place. Staff is also polite and attentive.

Okay! From the host to the servers and the owner walking up to each table to introduce himself. Makes you feel like family. From the live music to the food it is a great time at Verse. For food we got the Crockets and Butter Buns for entrees we got Mary's chicken and the Steak with a corn on the side. Drink were rosé and vodka tonic. Parking is on the St so accessible, For sure be back with friends to enjoy the vibe at verse. The deco is amazing I loved the green walls. See you guys soon. Xoxo read more

Really yummy fun restaurant, just prepare to spend money. Hokkaido milk buns are a must.

Second time at Verse and again was an excellent experience. Our server, Bailey, did a great job explaining the menu and detailing the dishes. We basically tried the entire menu (well just about) and everything was delicious. I highly recommend the tomahawk steak and the pastas - an absolute treat for the tastebuds. The drinks were just perfect. Classy place and cool vibe. Can't say enough good things about this restaurant. Looking forward to returning! read more

Verse - Seafood Near Me - Toluca Lake, California

Food was great. The place was hard to find but when you get in, wow! love the ambiance and our waitress was "the best". She was engaging and just simply amazing. Always around to offer her service. I didn't get her name coz I came a bit late from my group. Let me just say, we gave her a good tip read more

Loveeeeed this place! Food was great! We had an amazing server who was very attentive. But what I liked most the ambience and live music! Great place for date night. read more

Their cocktail menu is a refreshing take on classics, with a few unique creations that are worth trying. They also offer a solid selection of local wines, which pair beautifully with the food. read more

I was so unimpressed with my dinner experience two nights ago. This was my third time visiting Verse and while the 2 previous visits were great (when they first opened), my recent one fell so short of my expectations. First off, the oysters were meh, too fishy for my taste, the lobster tagliatelle was lacking flavor (used to be my favorite dish), the chicken croquettes were unimpressive although the sauce was delicious, the dessert didn't taste anything like the description (I got the chocolate caramel, no taste of caramel). Honestly, the only good part was the live music and the drinks. I'm not sure that I would be back. Very unfortunate because they seemed to be off to a good start when they first opened. read more

Loved the vibe here. Dark, moody, live music and the bartenders were friendly and hospitable. Sat at the bar and had small bites and cocktails, we will definitely be back! read more

The space was perfectly warm, dark, and inviting with shots of light to highlight decor. Big music vibes with live 2 piece the night we went but it wasn't overpowering. Food very good as were cocktails. I'm not huge on bread but the Hokkaido buns are not to be missed. Servers very friendly! read more

This restaurant was amazing. Staff friendly and attentive. The live music was super fun. Food was delicious. We ordered a few things from the menu but these were my favorites. The drinks were perfect. Definitely a fan of the mezcal margarita. read more

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Been here several times and it continues to impress every time. From the atmosphere to the food itself, this place is top tier. Perfect for an intimate dinner or a girls night out. It has the essence of the Great Gatsby era type supper club. The music selection is already amazing and then you add in a live band and an incredible performance to seal the deal. I haven't even mentioned the food yet! Every meal is fantastic and complex. Flavors and presentation never disappoints. The servers are friendly and knowledgeable and go out of their way to make you feel really taken care of. Hands down, the best place for a night out if you enjoy great food, jazz, and an intimate atmosphere. Highly, highly recommend. read more