Bavel

Unexpectedly amazing. This place was very unexpected. At first when you look at the menu, it seems a bit overwhelming because of all the flavors they have. But don’t let that turn you off to the flavors. It was actually unexpectedly amazing! We started out with the pomegranate lemonade. It was delicious! Our server told us the celery root was a sleeper hit. It was fantastic. I really enjoyed the oyster mushroom kebab. We ordered the following dishes: Celery root Apple desert Buttermilk gem lettuce salad w feta Mushroom oyster Lamb shawarma Hummus Farms cheese Pomegranate lemonade My favorites were the buttermilk gem salad, the oyster mushroom, and the apple dessert. The desert was amazing honestly and probably my top favorite. The apples were fresh and had a very unique distinct taste. Also this place is a scene. A nice little LA vibe for dinner. Make sure to get a rez! Valet is $12

This is one of the greats of LA. Hadn’t been in a while, and it’s still absolutely fabulous! Highly recommend the Malawach - trust me on this. The vegetarian hummus is exactly how it should be, and the cauliflower is amazing. You must try the orange cake with sweet potato ice cream- their Old Fashioned recipe ties it all together.

Easily one of my favorite restaurants in LA. The setting is beautiful, the crowd is always cool, the service is consistent and good. The food is what we keep coming back for. Everything is so thoughtful, from the fresh baked breads to the sauces made specifically for each dish. You MUST order the harissa prawns. They are game changers!!!!

We were lucky enough to score a table for 2 at Bavel ahead of a nearby event. We don't live anywhere near downtown so it's not an area we'd typically be dining in. Our experience at Bavel led me to the conclusion that it'd be worth heading downtown, just to eat here. It's a delicious destination with lots of options for vegetarians and an incredible amount of detail and artistry put into every dish. We were seated at the bar in front of one of the prep stations, so when I say that there's an incredible amount of detail and artistry put into the dishes...it's not just because of the gorgeously presented food that was served to us, it's because our eyes actually got to witness it being prepared a couple of feet away from us. It was impressive. My wife and I shared: Malawach - I'm a sucker for malawach...Something happens when that deep fried bread meets that fresh tomato puree. It's magic. Cherry Tomato - I wouldn't normally order a plate of tomatoes, but this dish was so beautiful and delicious. I'm a tomato convert. Let them be the stars! Hawaj Cauliflower - hearty and generous in portion size even for 2 people sharing with other dishes. More yum. Roasted Strawberry Pavlova - a dessert I just wanted to kiss it was so beautiful, and again really tasty. Everything we had here was amazing. Things change seasonally so there's a constant reinvention happening, and some of the things we got aren't on the menu anymore as a couple months have gone by. But we would eat here any time. We couldn't have been happier vegetarians at Bavel.

Walked in late on a Tuesday night & had bar seating. Was helped by Sarah all night who was extremely friendly & was advising us on how to order the right combination of plates for the appetite we had. Everything was fresh, high quality, & perfectly seasoned. Enjoyed every bite of food & walked out with a good kind of full (not a 'having overeaten' kind of full). Ambiance & atmosphere was airy & charming. Great spot for date night or group meal.

Wow, only thing holding this back from being top 3 in la and closer to top 5-10, is the fact that you can barely hear the person next to you talk.. its super loud, like I wish it was more like their sister restaurant bestia in that regard. But the food was outstanding, everything we had was phenomenal, the chicken liver pate was mind blowing, tasted like a raspberry mouse, and the breads were all delicious, both the hummus and the baba ganoush was supreme, some of the best I’ve ever had outside of Israel. The lamb shawarma fell of the bone it was so tender, the ocean trout crudo was an explosion of flavors. I wasn’t crazy about the cauliflower, but I’m not really a big fan of that ever. The lamb rack was the meat version of dessert, the perfect finishing touch to the meal, amazing!!

Delicious food and outstanding service. The meals are family-style to share, so the two of us got one spread, two apps, and one entree which was enough. Cocktails are well made. Recommend dishes: hummus duck, oyster mushroom kebabs, grilled prawns (deliciously seasoned), and the wagyu beef (soft like butter). The waitstaff et al were really great, efficient, and super friendly. Decor was beautiful and very picturesque. Parking: side streets or $12 valet.

This used to be my favorite, favorite, FAVORITE restaurant in LA for many years since opening in 2018, and have been at least a dozen times, but this last experience was just okay. Food wise, first 5-6 plates that came out still hit home, but lamb flatbread and grilled dorade didn't hit the same. It's possible that our palettes were just overwhelmed by the first few dishes and our server seemed to be having a off night. Music was incredibly loud, which made everyone talk even louder, so it was hard to make conversations at the table even with an intimate party. Not sure if I'll be back for a while, but Bavel will always have a special place in my heart and I'll always speak passionately about this spot because of the owner/Exec chef/pastry chef, the consistency of the food/beverage quality, service and training from a hospitality perspective. 5 stars for basically everything and 2 stars for ambiance due to the music/noise volumes. I will always have so much respect and love for Bavel!