Bavel

Mind blown from dinner here tonight! This place has been on my list for years, and it somehow still exceeded my expectations. My partner and I decided to share several appetizers and an entree, and EVERYTHING slapped!!Hummus Duck 'Nduja: 9/10. One of the best hummus' I've had. Creamy, savory, rich hummus paired with the world's fluffiest pita bread. Oyster Mushroom Kebab: 9/10. Holy crap, this was meatier than real meat. So flavorful and paired well with the lighter puree. Sweet Potato Flatbread: 10/10. I had expected this to be much sweeter, but the sweet potato surprisingly did not overpower everything else. I was shocked with how complex the flavor profile was, with sweet creaminess from the eggplant and potato, richness from the honey, crunch from the walnuts, and the light touch of salt! Lamb Neck Shawarma: 100/10. I barely touched it with my fork, and the meat fell off the bone! No notes!Service was wonderful. Our waiter came by regularly to check in and give us updates without being overbearing. The other waitstaff were very attentive with clearing plates and refilling our water. Parking in the Arts District is usually pretty tough, though we got lucky today and found 2 hr street parking nearby. There's also the option of $13 valet. This has made it to my top 5 list. It's definitely on the pricier end but so so worth it for the high quality and insanely delicious food. I literally cannot wait to come back and try everything else on the menu!

Nice experience and good dinner! deco is very LA , with the plants, light colors, open feel :) The food was delicious and everyone seemed attentive and nice. A lot of the menu options are tapas/family style with lots of app options and a few entree options. That said, I went with my partner but I feel like it would be good for a big group so you can try different things and share amongst the table. Ordered: Duck Nduja, Mushroom Kebab, Sweet Potato Flat Bread, Lamb Neck Shawarma. The mushroom kebab and flat bread were delish! We also had a couple cocktails. They were good but just a little on the sweeter side for my taste

***DO NOT DO THE 9+ PEOPLE PRIVATE MENUS HERE.***Our set menu that we pre selected came out so incredibly slowly, so slow that we missed our reservation after dinner and that caused a commotion at the end of the night. Only one of our appetizers came in 40 minutes after we sat, and then after 50 minutes, then our spreads started to come out. I found this odd as we pre-selected these menu items, so the kitchen knew what they needed to prep for. When I brought this to our server's attention, he rudely said "look around, it's a Saturday night, this is how it's gonna be." And while I am fully aware that on a Saturday night there will be a lot of tables, I would expect professionalism in communication at the very least.Dinner ended up taking 3 hours, and as I mentioned, we missed our post dinner reservation because of it. We were coordinating with many people who weren't dining with us, and it created a headache as we had to rush to find another place to go that was open. For a pre-selected, coursed out meal, this is really not okay.Lastly, and most embarrassingly, the desserts came out without the candle that was requested. Even worse, we reminded a server, and they said "yeah, of course, we'll do that." So when the desserts came out without a candle, after we mentioned it, they awkwardly took one dessert off the table, lit a candle, then brought it back. It was very weird and a really awkward moment for the person whose birthday it was.Overall, this was very messy and a disappointment. For a whopping $1,784 bill, I would expect better attention to detail, servers who were not rude, and better flow. I brought it to the events team's attention, and they just offered additional dishes and champagne if I dine with them again. Why would I choose to spend money at this establishment again...? I would have appreciated a solve that didn't involve more dollars in to this business I no longer trust. Overall, such a disappointing experience for a restaurant I used to love.

Come here for vibes and yap. Inside is all the aesthetics you could ask for. Service is pretty good. It can be slow during rush times but overall, they have many servers and workers, all super kind. Bavel is known for their appetizers. More specifically, their humus and pits breads are delicious! I never really like pita bread but these are made in house and come to the table fresh and warm. It's like a pillow in your mouth. We ordered about 4-5 appetizers and an entree to feed 4 adults. 2 hummus dishes, cauliflower, oyster mushrooms, prawns, and extra hummus to share. Got the lamb entree to share. Every dish had different flavors and textures. Hummus was smooth, rich, creamy. Oyster mushrooms were charred well and tasted like steak. Cauliflower was spiced well, almost like a dry curry flavor. My friends and I loved everything we ordered. Not one bad thing to say about any of the dishes. It's a bit pricey for the portion sizes but you get enough to feel full even if it doesn't look like much. I would also say this is a fancier spot for a meal but it's so worth a try and great for a place to go on a date or with the girls! Street parking was easy to find on a. Sunday night.

3rd time here and I haven't yelped them? Blasphemy!Parking sucks because it's in the heart of LA, particularly the arts district. Got there a little early before our reservation time and they accommodated us quickly.Service is never an issue here. I love everyone that's ever greeted us and order served us.Ordered four things one dip, two appetizers and a meat entrée to share between two people. Some of the most unique and best food I've ever had. I recommend anyone who hasn't heard about them to try them at least once. Open kitchen concept and Great music! Not a place I go on the regular but because it is definitely pricey but worth it every time.

Bavel completely exceeded my expectations for elevated Mediterranean food! my partner and I came by for dinner after an afternoon in the Arts District, and were lucky enough to get seated at the bar without a reservation. I highly recommend making one in the future because there was already a small crowd outside the doors at opening. appetizers you absolutely cannot miss out on: the baba ghanoush with fried pita and oyster mushroom kebab. they also had a refreshing cherry tomato salad in the summertime that I sadly no longer see on their menu. for our main entree, we had the slow roasted lamb neck shawarma. it can take a little while to come out (around 40 minutes) so be patient! the process is well worth it. the meat just falls off the bone and layers perfectly with the fresh bread and the pickled vegetables they provide with it. the portion size was so large we only made it about a quarter of the way through before we asked for a box (the leftovers also reheat very nicely). the interior is gorgeous - I always love when a restaurant incorporates the outdoors into their interior design. we can't wait to come back - or try their sister restaurant, Bestia, next!

As soon as you walk in, you're greeted by a beautiful interior. This is a great spot for a fancy occasion. We were seated at the chef's counter and enjoyed watching them prep the food in the open kitchen. We ordered the grilled dorade, oyster mushroom kebabs, roasted sprouting cauliflower, and grilled prawns. The grilled prawns are a must order!

I first went to Bavel several years ago when they had just opened, and to be honest, I wasn't blown away. But I gave it another shot this year with a group of friends, and it turned out to be the best meal I've had in 2024. Before we get to the food, the restaurant itself is absolutely stunning, with great service and a lively vibe that reminds me of Bestia. It's the perfect spot for a special night out!Now to the food: the chicken liver pâté ($24), duck hummus ($17), oyster mushroom kebab ($24), grilled celery root ($25), and tomahawk ribeye ($185) were all incredible--every dish completely blew me away. The only letdown was the desserts - they didn't hit the same high notes as the rest of the meal.Safe to say, I'll be back.

At Bavel, every dish feels like a journey through the the Middle East, reimagined with a modern twist. While I've always known about Bavel through social media, I wasn't quite prepared for the feeling of awe from stepping inside for the first time and soaking in the beautiful sight of its hanging garden installation and modern yet urban interior, the latter of which is often characteristic of restaurants in the Arts District. Each menu item we tried upon our waiter's recommendation was exceptionally delicious. We ordered the following:- Hummus Duck "Nduja (5/5): The best hummus I've had yet with the fluffiest pita bread to accompany it. While the duck flavor didn't really come through, it was still scrumptious. - Oyster Mushroom Kebab (5/5): Smokey, savory, acidic, and juicy, I would take this kebab over meat any day. - Grilled Prawns (5/5): The harissa marinade combined with the smokiness from the grill imbued the prawns with a spicy explosion of flavors. The cucumber and cured zucchini tzatziki provided a nice, cooling balance. - Short Rib Shwarma (4/5): The meat was cooked nicely and fall-off-the-bone tender and the accompanying pita was a great vehicle to eat this with.- Chocolate Lavender Donuts (3/5): The lavender didn't really come through in these donuts so it was more like eating chocolate donuts. with chocolate ice cream. There was also some sort of cream on the side but it wasn't very sweet either. - Havah cocktail (4/5): This cocktail was described as sour and featured calvados, bianco vermouth, celery, apple, and lemon. Bavel's cocktail program doesn't feature many sweet, fruity drinks so this was the closest one recommended to me when I asked for that type of flavor profile. Bavel is a hip, trendy restaurant that's more on the pricier side, so it's great for a date night, a celebration, or a place to bring out-of-towners. Service was attentive enough and our waiter was helpful in checking in on us a few times throughout our dinner.

Second time's a charm. We visited Bestia yesterday and did NOT have the best experience; see other review.Quality/Quantity - Hummus Duck 'Nduja - This was so good. Creamy with the perfect balance of flavors. The bread that looks like a pupusa was just okay, nothing like we expected. And it did not even taste or feel like pita.Malawach - Recommended by our waitress, Feven, and this was a homerun! I can eat the ancient grain crispy layered bread all day. I would not even need the condiments. :) Oyster Mushroom Kabab - Perfect compliment to our Wagyu Tomahawk Ribeye. Only wished there was more. Maybe I should have ordered two servings...? Anyways, next time.32oz Grilled Wagyu Tomahawk Ribeye - When did my daughter become such a big steak eater? Where was she before I started eating healthier?!?! To be honest, this was just okay. I actually really liked the fermented mushroom creme, so I needed more bread, lol. Atmosphere - Open spacious restaurant.Still a very "loud" environment. The music was very loud, for us young and hip people... like me included.But this was a classier atmosphere rather than Bestia in my opinion.Open kitchen, see all my pictures.Plenty of street parking.I'm impressed that both restaurants do NOT have outside signage/ So if you know, you know, I guess.Clean bathrooms and again, outside sinks, thank you. Sorry I forgot to take pictures. Service - 5 stars. At the end of the meal, Feven told us this was her second day. Wow, we would have never guessed. She was an expert,knew her stuff, was so professional, etc. Way better service than yesterday's dinner and from a longer term employee!Price - $306, includes the 4% Healthy LA charge + generous tip.My wife just told me that the 4% charge is optional... I really hope it goes directly to our wait staff, and not to the owner.I still prefer businesses to just raise prices, instead of having these extra charges. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, pun intended. When we are paying $185 an entree, an extra 4% increase in price would NOT make a difference and would save me from having to type all this, lol.Even most of San Francisco is NOT doing these charges anymore, thank you!Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 2012. We are thankful today's experience was so much better than yesterday's experience at Bestia! Of the two restaurants, I can recommend this one more.