Review The Bellwether - Los Angeles

Because of Dine LA, my wife and I decided to give this place a try. I must say it was amazing, the foods were superb. Their service was also great, our server was very polite. It was a small and cozy restaurant. The price for the Dine LA was $39 per person, from a selection of 8 dishes, you have to choose 3. For us, we got to try 6 of the 8 dishes. All the dishes we choose were great, the taste was excellent. I took some pictures of the dishes we had. The dessert wasn't included in the Dine LA menu.

Let’s start with something important - You can park behind the restaurant for free. This alone warrants a 5 star experience. We sat at the chef’s counter because that was what was available to us…Sure tables are more comfy but we really enjoyed the open kitchen experience at the counter and found it fun to watch everything being made. I had a Strawberry Manhattan to drink which was made with House Infused Strawberry Bourbon, Carpano Antica, Punt e Mes, Bitters. I took notes but feel the alcohol may have been in effect because this is what I wrote: I drink too sweet which my wife like you need flavor me. (Maybe in the future we should take notes on the drink after just a few sips…We’ll just assume I enjoyed it.) For food we started with the Sunchoke and Coconut Curry. This was very satisfying and tasty, even without the house-made naan (yes, house-made naan) which was, on its own, very satisfying and tasty. This is what all naan should be. I don’t know what all other Indian restaurants are thinking of when they serve naan, now that I’ve had this. We also had the Citrus Salad which I don’t currently see on the menu, so kudos for to them for changing their food seasonally…it included two types of oranges. It was refreshing, but mostly tasted like oranges without much of a sense of the olive oil or spices it was supposed to be marinated with it. It was a refreshing start for sure. Along came the Saffron Mushroom Ragu - This was extremely fresh tasting. The cheese in the sauce was delightfully present, and the mushroom tomato ragu had an almost meat like texture to it. This was an excellent dish. The String Beans were also extremely fresh. My wife described it as “got these at the market this morning fresh”. They were very crispy and refreshing, and served with a dressing that was reminiscent of ranch, but so much fresher and fluffy. We’ll definitely be back to try more, especially with plenty of vegetarian options, super fresh tasting food, and a menu that changes often. Save seats at the counter for us!

The bellwether has been on my wife and I's list for about a year. The brunch experience was nothing short of fantastic. Excellent service with appetizing drinks. We had the Avocado Toast, Tempura Cauliflower, and the Spicy Chicken Sando. Very delicious but a tad salty. Nothing a good drink couldn't solve.

Great spot for brunch on Ventura Blvd! You share breakfast items tapas style and they offer a great deal on a bottle of champagne with three choices of fruit flavors that you personally mix. Everything on the menu was delicious! Will definitely be back.

Full bar and fun. Keep in mind, it isn't cheap, but it's worth the money. If you enjoy seafood, get the whole fish. Delicious and enjoyable to share.

My food critic bud recommended me to try their wagyu, Japanese beef. But ...I’m not a beef eater. So I took my VIP guest from Japan. She LOVED the ambience and food (octopus & skirt steaks especially). But the service was not so good. I really don’t like waving down a waiter..like I’m begging to Oder. The bus boys were so on it and they helped me to get our waiter. (Maybe I’m too pissy because we had an impeccable service last night at a sushi restaurant...). Price is perfect for the quality. It is obvious that the chefs care. #studiocity #tapas #eatlocal #supportsmallbusiness

Small plate but quality I really liked the fish plate it was different.

Wow! This chef is a brilliant man and his food is outstanding. Worth the price!! Went here not sure what to expect. Each item I ordered to try blew me away. Everything from the short rib to the cauliflower truly was an amazing dish. The wait staff here are good people. You will be glad you spent the extra money to come here. I know I am and I will be coming back here for sure!

Nice, trendy little spot. My wife and I had dinner here with some friends recently, and it was great. It was pretty busy (and quite noisy), so I'd suggest reservations. The food was very good. It was served family style, i.e., each plate is meant to be shared, so it's best to order 2-3 items apiece. I had a cold corn salad--excellent--and I tried some of my wife's short rib pasta, and it was delicious. But the highlight of the night for me was the patty melt sandwich (think a grilled cheese with ground beef and onions). I grew up in Mississippi, and went to Waffle House more times than I could count; the patty melt is one of WH's signature dishes. Toward the end of our meal I remember pointing to the sandwich and telling my wife, "If God opened a diner, this is what He'd serve." It was phenomenal. Great overall experience here. I took one star off because the noise killed the ambiance some, and made it hard to hear (but they have tables on an outdoor patio, and that seemed quieter, so you could sit out there if you prefer). I'd recommend this place--for that killer patty melt, if nothing else!

Good food great staff. Perfect place for a night out or business meeting.

I work locally to The Bellwether, so it's always a treat to have the opportunity to eat here. The food this time around was well portioned; the three of us who visited all had enough to eat. The waitress was amiable and attentive and the food tasted excellent. I'm happy to report I'll be calling again soon!

I absolutely loved The Bellwether. Parking was easy, as they have a lot in the back of the building, but if it fills up it seems it wouldn’t be an issue to find street parking. The service was excellent, and our server was full of great recommendations for our table. Keep in mind that this is a tapas-style restaurant, so every dish is meant to be shared. I imagine it would be best to come with a small group of people, anywhere between two and four, as the plates are carefully crafted for a group of this size. It’s recommended that each person orders two dishes to enjoy the best experience. Each dish is brought out as it’s ready. Some come out earlier, and some later, but ours came out steadily, and all seemingly at the perfect time. The noise and comfort level were great. I came to the Bellwether with my mom and brother for a family dinner. Honestly, I wanted to order everything, but that just isn’t possible in one sitting! I came for the French Fries (they have quite a reputation) and the Hamachi Tartare. I started off with a cocktail from their specialties. I have to say that’s the one thing that didn’t bring much excitement for the meal. Their classic cocktails are great, but the specials (or at least the one I had) were just okay. I was excited to see that they have infused alcohols, but I didn’t see the point when so much was already mixed in to the cocktails. The flavor didn’t come out the way I had hoped. Another thing is I think the presentation on some of the dishes could have been more thoughtful, but that doesn’t matter much because everything was so flavorful. The Bread and Butter were delicious, although the radishes felt a little random as an accompaniment. They were cut in chunks, and weren’t ideal for placing on bread. Maybe slices would have made more sense. The Hamachi Tartare, one of the reasons I came, was so wonderful. The presentation was lacking, and had me questioning my order, but it was packed with flavor. You have dried tomato chips to place the tartare on, and can top it off with micro herbs if you choose. It’s really a special dish. The French Fries were the best French Fries I’ve ever had. The only ones that come close to matching them are at Wurstkuche, and I didn’t think it was possible to top them. They’re accompanied with a House Hot Sauce and a Chive Crème Fraiche. Apparently, there’s a three-day process involved in making the fries, but I was too busy stuffing them in my mouth to hear any more than that! I will be back for the fries alone. Next up was the Vietnamese Braised Pork Short Ribs. It’s accompanied with Coriander Rice and Chili Sambal if you want to add a little heat. This dish is the perfect combination of sweet and savory. It’s a pound and a half, so make sure you’re very hungry or are with a group. The Meatballs, Brussels Sprouts, and our dessert, the Jameson Bread Pudding, were all very tasty. The Bellwether has a very well put together menu, and there are plenty more dishes to explore, so it’s safe to say I’ll be back. I heard they have a good traditional brunch, so I might even stop by for that at some point. The only real downside was that my family was too busy saying “yummm” and “mmm” and doing our food dances to have an actual conversation.

Food was very delicious from beginning to end. The concept here is to offer many plates and share them like tapas. Everything was prepared and seasoned very well. Acoustics in the restaurant was very loud but not to the point that you couldn't hear people talking at your table. Definitely couldn't hear the neighbouring table.

The Bellwether is an interesting restaurant. It serves exceptional food at a premium price, but pairs it with a casual atmosphere. We went for a late dinner on a Friday night, and the place was packed. This is both a sign of the quality of the food and service, and a drawback because the restaurant is set up in such a way that it gets very loud. The menu is seasonal and changes regularly, though some dishes last awhile. We got scallop crudo, steak tartare, lamb sausage, and sunchoke coconut curry, and had 3 cocktails. With tip it came to right around $150. For a splurge where you want to try a well-prepared, eclectic variety of foods it's one of the best spots in the Valley. Each dish is meant to be shared, and comes in a decent enough portion that 2 people can eat heartily or 3-4 can sample widely. They also have a one hour happy hour that's small but outstanding in the quality and value. It's worth making it for a well cocktail and chicken sandwich for $5 each. Definitely give it a shot.

Interesting restaurant that doesn't quite know what it wants to be. All of the food we had at brunch was well above average, but when a restaurant where (waiter's words) all of the dishes are meant to be shared, offers things like a burger (not easily sharable)... It creates a confusing dining experience. Same with the full English breakfast. I suggest segmenting the menu so that it's easier to see sharable items. Other than that, the food was good.

We had brunch at the Bellwether to get some girl time in after some rough weeks at work, finding jobs, etc. We had a wonderful time. I splurged on the bottle of champagne and 3 fruit mixes. We loved the fries but I have to say the eggs bene was just spectacular! Also - feel free to show up w/out a reservation. The places was fairly empty which was nice but also made me sad knowing there were people lined up outside other restaurants when they could have been here having a leisurely and delicious brunch.

Come for the food but definitely not the service. We did get service but with a very large side of attitude, our waiter was annoyed by any question or request. Luckily the bus boy was friendly and quick to help us. The food, on the other hand, was amazing. The concept is built on sharing plates. My favourite, Burrata and Peaches, it was so good I didn't want to share. :-)

Great food and service. Beautiful presentations and well seasoned. Knowledge staff. It is a bit small and noisy, but everything else is worth it. The chef has a r&d section of the menu with new, in progress creations. Neat idea.

Excellent Michelin level eatery in the Valley. Amazing food, great service and fantastic atmosphere. Very much a local's favorite with celebs in tow. Busy most nights so make a reservation. Definitely will be back.