Cara Restaurant

So I only came here because my best friends Dax and Monica said to. We walked up at night on a Monday so it was quiet and empty. I love me some twinkling lights so the vibe was great. We stood around for about a minute confused and then a waitress came out from the back and sat us. She was a delight and really attentive. We got the hamachi crudo and the truffle tagliatelle pasta as our starters because we brought a mahjong set to play. They were both BOMB. My brother ordered the smoked chicken and I the burger. Both were good - but SO much more mediocre than the two starters. It was like we had two different meals in one night. I'd come again to try their other mains and give it another shot. But overall half the food we had was stellar and the service and vibe were great so it's still a 5 stars for me!

I just realized this review has been sitting in my drafts for a year. The food, the service, and the atmosphere were all amazing. We were seated immediately by the pool and everything came out quickly. The ceviche was fresh, my pasta was really good, and my wife said all her items were great as well. I highly recommend giving them a try if you're in the area.

Cute little restaurant in boutique hotel. The service was good, cocktails great, and the lemon pasta absolutely amazing! My only complaint is the pricing. Charging $24 for a very small portion of pasta alone is absurd. Asking for $15 to add a 4-5 count of charbroiled shrimp (which I did) is just crazy. It would be much more worth it if they at least included more noodles and/or shrimp. Like, at least include a side of garlic bread or rolls or something. Additionally, we order ceviche (there were four in our party) and our waitress assured us that it was a shareable size, but it was barely ample enough for one person as an appetizer in my opinion. Will I come back again? Yes, because the pasta and cocktails were that good. Maybe just plan to leave hungry or be ready to eat again a few hours later. Lol?? I would have given this place 5 starts with no problem but cannot justify the price to proportion ratio.

Upbeat, airy, sophisticated, yet not pretentious, Cara oozes Los Angeles. Cara is a trendy East Hollywood establishment that offers eclectic Californian cuisine at an appropriate price, laid back, yet attentive service, and vibes that are carelessly chic.Cara's drink menu is excellent, offering a series of unique cocktails at standard prices for the area. I had the "Extended Stay", a vodka and blood orange based cocktail that was crisp and delicious. For appetizers our group of four had the Little Gem Lettuce, Prosciutto and Buratta, and Yucatecan Ceviche. The Little Gem Lettuce was the star appetizer, with crisp lettuce and tangy aged parmesan cutting against tart apples and sweet dates. A generous proportion for the asking price, this salad was a perfect start to a great meal, and perhaps the best item of the entire night. The Prosciutto and Buratta was rich but not exceptional, and the Ceviche suprisingly spicy yet and delicate.Following was the Lemon Pasta, Truffle Papperdelle, Grilled Shrimp, and a Ribeye. The Lemon Pasta was the highlight of this course, with an incredibly tangy, almost overpowering, yet addictive, lemon bite, topped with aged parmesan. The truffle papperdelle was rich, savory, but a touch heavy for my liking. The shrimp were large, cooked perfectly, with a touch of spice, letting the light shellfish contrast against the heavy items elsewhere on the menu. The Ribeye was fatty (even by Ribeye standards) and a little thin for more liking, but succulent nonetheless with a good crust. We concluded with the Olive Oil Cake and Sticky Toffee Pudding, which were both good. The Olive Oil Cake was a little rich, and while the creme freche could have been a little lighter for balance, it was effective. The Sticky Toffee, always a personal favorite, was well aerated with good crumb and able to keep its moisture despite a flatter profile than other iterations of this dish I've seen elsewhere. The marscapone was a heavy yet classic pair, although vanilla ice cream for this version would have been more effective.I would disagree with previous reviews stating staff seemed to be in a rush. Everyone, from the valet to hostess and waitstaff seemed at ease, despite a busy Friday evening. Our waiter Alex was attentive and patient, gave us recommendations that drove our decisions above, highlighted the Little Gem, and truly let us take our time for a meal and experience that somehow passed the three hour mark in the blink of an eye.Value is fairly standard for a restaurant of this type. The appetizers, drinks, and desserts were all well priced, and while the Ribeye and Papperdelle were a little pricey, it was not egregious. Ambiance is Cara's greatest strength. Set in the outdoor courtyard of an upscale hotel, somehow obscured by drapes and umbrellas, the restaurant is illuminated by sunlight by day and bulb-clad trees at night, while white walls, tables, and chairs lift the decor. Cara is very much about the vibes, and will be sure to delight a date or small group.Food: 4/5Service: 4.5/5Ambiance / Facility: 5/5Value: 3.5/5

Beautiful outdoor setting for cute dinner photos! I didn't love the lemon pasta, which this place is known for. But their lamb chops and shrimp are really great. Service is also really responsive and understanding. I wouldn't recommend this place as an actual hotel stay because there is barely any privacy and I imagine it gets really loud during dinner hours.

Nice dinner here in a lovely seat by the pool. Unexpected place for a restaurant right in the middle of a motel-style hotel, but I did not see any people going in or out of the rooms so maybe they are not open or just a bad motel ... I do not know but the food was pretty good!! The shishito peppers were my favorite thing that we had, an inventive mix of ingredients that works surprisingly well together. The charcoal chicken was also very good too - half of a chicken cooked slightly crispy and served deconstructed on a plate. Service was great and everyone was very attentive to drink refills, but the food took soo long to come. Our small group was there for almost three hours I think. luckily we had plenty of drinks and time to kill!

What a gem of a spot. Big fan. Both times I've dined here- once for dinner, once for brunch, have been divine. I'm still surprised that a hotel restaurant (and in this general location) could be one I see myself frequenting often but here we are.The space is so gorgeous- they really did a great converting it into what it is today. The vibes are wonderful- there's regular seating but also "poolside" (just by the shallow body of water in the center) which also has its own feel. Food is absolutely delicious, and nothing is outrageously priced. I think about the avocado beet grapefruit salad often but everything we've had from cocktails to desserts have even a delight. Solid presentation, taste, etc.Best of all, the service is just...chef's kiss. Please pass my regards to the Asian host who is such a joy. And the servers and even the front desk and how pleasant they are for direction people to the bathrooms by then when I am sure they get the questions all the time. Everyone is so sweet and accommodating and you don't ever feel rushed out. The perfect spot for friends, dates, business clients, colleagues. I love it.

Cara restaurant is located within the Cara hotel near Thai Town/Hollywood. First off it is an absolute vibe to dine here as we got seated next to their famous pool. Once the sun goes down the lights come on and just makes the entire experience better. Top instagramable place.Worth getting:-cocktails are 8/10. very unique and delicious -ribeye was a 9/10. cooked to perfection and seasoned well-lemon pasta 8/10. never had something like but it was quite delicious and citrusy from the hint of lemon -truffle fries 8/10. cant go wrong with this.Our waiter was extremely helpful and recommended a lot of things that we ended up getting. Always made sure we were topped off on drinks. 10/10 experience. Will be back for sureValet parking is $15 and well worth. They also accept cash as that was an option when I did valet for my car. Valet service was very nice and attentive.

Great dinner, and even greater as we had originally made a reservation on 4th of July at a different restaurant which happened to be as closed as it could be. We looked around in the area, and Cara Was an obvious choice. The ambiance on the porch looked very nice and relaxing. The staff was very attentive. Okay, that's all great but what about the food: it was splendid! To start with the prosciutto&buratta as well as the lamb skewers, followed by the branzino, a Cara cheeseburger, and the truffle pappardelle. All excellent. Crowning the evening with an olive oil cake and sticky toffee pudding was an all-around positive experience.

Tremendously average hotel restaurant. The space itself is probably the best thing going for it -- it's kind of unique and has an interesting indoor/outdoor feel. Nice and open/airy, but also doesn't quite feel like you're out on a patio or anything (if you can't tell by the photos, the space is mostly covered by a roof, but there is a section above the little pool that is open to air). Most of the tables had a heater. Ours was next to the pool and did not...I assume there wasn't enough room. Thankfully we had jackets, but it would've been nice if they'd at least asked if we were comfortable sans heat. Ordered two cocktails. They got one right...the second one not so much. Both were drinkable, neither were notable. Food was fine. Again, nothing special by any means. We shared a salad and an entree. Salad was totally edible and at times almost pleasant...and also completely unimpressive. The entree was alright -- salmon was fine, the rest was over lemon-ed, but again, edible. Dessert was uneventful -- yet again, edible but forgettable. Service was okay. Aside from the mess up on the cocktail, they did bring us two dishes we hadn't ordered...not a big deal but kind of odd. Server wasn't terribly personable, but perfectly nice. The price was reasonable I guess. We didn't have a particularly bad experience, but we also probably wouldn't go back.