Here's Looking At You

Came here for a girls' night with my friend and it was perfect! I feel like this is a hidden gem.The ambiance is very cozy and our server Abby was outstanding. We ordered the Grilled Eggplant, the Veal Rolls and the Mussels. Oh my! There were explosions of flavors happening with every single bite! The cocktails were incredible too. Highly recommend to make a reservation and give this restaurant a try.

I don't like eggplant. Their's is sublime with hazelnuts and an amazing cream sauce. Steak frites was standup, with the curly, crunchy frites just perfect. Service was exemplary.Happy. Happy. Happy.

This is a tale as old as time. Or as old as Metropolitan gentrified foodie culture. A fusion restaurant with Asian touches on simple American classics, get's rave reviews from local outlets, they proudly display a a beaten up "Best Of" sticker and the glory days of them being a hot spot is shown through a respectable drink menu and a few creative dishes on the menu. You expect restaurants and bars to go down. It's inevitable. What you don't expect is for them to treat you like YOU'RE getting paid by them. Here's Looking At You is just way too into itself. From the Elk heads on the wall that look they belong in a Lake Tahoe clinic to the haughty staff. I've given this place THREE CHANCES and every time the staff has shown me that not all money is equal. FIRST VISIT: It was nice. Happy hour (more like "drink specials") with classic tiki drinks. Frog legs were everything I hoped they'd be as in the LA Times IG photos. But here comes our first glitch. My server (I won't say what THEY looked like, but I'll say they favored the mascot for a certain Syrup company before 2020) asked that we put all our food in at the same time. That's a little odd. First time here. We can't see if we're full? See if we like it? Perfect example of a haughty staff that throw's out classic customer dynamics.SECOND VISIT: I grabbed a drink at the bar. The bartender was not friendly (no smile, small talk, "thank you") which is okay. People can have a bad day or just do their job and nothing more. But when you DON'T DO YOUR JOB and forget my drink because you're talking to your boyfriend/doppelganger - the not being friendly is more noticeable. The hostess/owner (only staff member that has displayed decency) had to ring a bell to let the bartender to know to get me my drink and take a break from flirting with his look alike. Strike two.THIRD VISIT: I come with my African American friend. We get the pancake mix/table syrup server again. She touches my fork when putting a drink down. Disgusting. We order food and drinks. It's good. Really good. So good we turned a blind eye to being told "we don't have hot sauce" despite the fact it's on a menu item and I imagine they make bloody Mary's. But again, haughty staff. I should note I was with an African American friend and have been every time I've come here. And every time there was a respectability glitch. The same server that requested we put all our food in at the same time, asked if we would mind moving to the bar to accommodate last minute walk-in's. Why us? There were so many more people that were here longer than us. Why do we get the honor of being asked that? Only Black people in here and we get asked? And no offer to take something off our tab? Just asking to Rosa Park's it?This place clearly has a strong bias for who they want coming in and the level of service they are willing to provide. My next step will be an email to Better Business Bureau. It won't do anything but if you saying nothing, nothing changes. But I'm sure they'll go on to be nice to the karaoke singers and people that look like them.

I had another great experience here, this time with some wonderful creations from bar director Danny Rubenstein, who perfectly mirrors the creativity of combos of the kitchen. Again, not everything was perfectly executed (eggplant was undercooked) and again, some of the dishes were too salty (the albacore), but some were splendid (frogs' legs were a standout), and I'd like to say this:This place is a bargain.Yes, it's expensive, and the portions aren't huge. But you need to compare this not to a 2-star ethnic restaurant, but to a tapas bar, or to a high-end Michelin-starred place. And it's WAY more inventive than the tapas bar, and you get to experience some really interesting mixes of flavors that you'd only get in a higher-end, more stuffy place which would be twice the price of this.Service and ambience hit the right balance between casual fun comfort, and romantic. Criminally underrated here.

Service was top notch. Friendly, professional & so attentive! Food was so unique, fresh, affordable and they're not kidding when they say family style because the portions are perfect! We were all hooked on their Ceasar salad and tartar! The rest of the dishes were equally good. Small menu so we wanted to order everything! Ambiance felt so cozy. We all loved this restaurant and will definitely be back.

Amazing cocktails. Been here a few times. The food is good; tad over priced for what it is but it's the "tapas" trend. The real winner is their late night happy hour burgers. The staff is incredible and very helpful. Great date spot.

HLAY has the best burger in LA. I love burgers. I've been on a mission to find the best burger in LA and have always left disappointed in the past. But this burger checks every box. It has a nice thick patty. A delicious sesame seed bun. The meat is incredibly juicy. The sauce and cheese blend to create a perfect umami and the curly fries are the perfect cherry on top. The only downside is it's only available during happy hour. I will be back! (At 8:30 pm)

Nice spot! Cute, good vibes. Parking is a disaster, of course, because it's Ktown. We sat at the bar as walk ins and our server was really friendly. Started out with a drink that had a housemade poblano pepper syrup which was super unique and tasty. For a bar, the food is really interesting and we tried a bunch. A crudo that we loved, frog legs which were surprisingly great, some delicious shishito peppers, and a few other dishes I wasn't quite as into. Overall, a great spot, but the prices are quite high in proportion to the portions you get. But still, I'd come back and I'd recommend it to my friends.

We made a reservation for their late night happy hour and walked over after our show at The Wiltern. The ambiance was hip and bustling and we sat at the bar which was a great option. Both the food and cocktails were amazing. We started with the House Pickles which were not pickles but a plate of pickled items. I don't really like pickled items besides pickles so I wish I knew that ahead of time. We had the Steak Tartare which was also very different to any other rendition I've had but I really enjoyed it nonetheless. We finished off the meal by sharing the happy hour Steak Frites and let me tell you, that steak was cooked to perfection. The curly fries just rounded it out perfectly with that dipping sauce.The cocktails were the most fun part. They're so innovative and include ingredients like pork belly-washed gin and grilled mango-infused scotch. I would come back any day and I love that they offer a late night HH.

We were here for cocktails only. The receptionist found us some seats in the waiting area, tended to us while the bar was full, moved us to the bar and got our orders in. Bar area was also wonderful and checked in multiple times. Drinks were amazing. Go here for a nightcap or if you want to feel cared for