The Dresden

The Dresden is a quintessential LA landmark, featured in numerous films like Swingers and Anchorman. It is a mandatory visit for any LA native and a worth a small detour for anyone looking for a decent steakhouse with great vibes and history.Our group of three went on a Thursday evening. After drinks we started with the Escargot ($18) which were surprisingly dry and flavorless, paired with a garlic bread. Following we shared the Chateaubriand for the table ($125), which was a delectable cut of meat cooked to perfection and paired with mashed potatoes, broccoli, and other veggies. Finishing was the white-out cake ($9) which was fair but somewhat dry.The service was friendly but slow. Our waiter, who was kind, was terribly overworked covering too many tables, and our wait to take our orders and check was longer than expected for a steakhouse. The vibes are excellent. No doubt helped by the dim lighting, the historical, 50s era seating, plush tall furniture, and wooden scaffolding are striking and fitting for such a landmark. There is excellent utilization of vertical space. The space is cozy, perhaps a touch sleazy, but undoubtedly iconic.Perhaps the Dresden is feeling pressured by moderate reviews or a long list of competitors on its street creating challenges in modern times, but the prices are very good, or even inexpensive compared to what I would expect from a historical venue. A full dinner with drinks and dessert came to $65/person, a very reasonable final tally.The Dresden is a landmark worth a single visit to anyone in Los Feliz, or multiple visits for anyone who falls for the vibes and are looking for a well priced dinner in one of LA's hallowed halls of history.Food: 4/5Service: 3.5/5Ambiance: 4.5/5Value: 4.5/5

The Dresden is a Hollywood landmark located in Los Feliz and it has been operating for over 70 years, yes you read that right, it all started back in 1954! Recently I had the pleasure of experiencing a great night there for dinner and drinks and then more drinks in the lounge/bar area with some awesome live music. After entering the establishment and facing the small lobby/lounge area, you'll see separate sides to the place. On your right will be the dining area/restaurant side featuring red stained walls, white clothed tables and white leather booths, tall wooden pillars, and awesome light fixtures. On the left is the main lounge/bar area featuring a bar countertop and a bunch of tables where you can also grab a bite; the bar area features live music on Wednesday-Sunday evenings with mostly jazz music. The whole place has a great feel with dim lighting and a perfect classic retro type of feel. Currently the restaurant features a menu offering a mix of American, Italian and French type fare. There are different items/menus for the restaurant side and lounge/bar side. For the restaurant side starters include calamari fritti and escargot bourguinonne, they have soups and salads such as a French onion soup and caprese salad, and main items include items such as prime rib, chateaubriand, chicken piccatta, cacio e pepe and various pasta dishes. The lounge/bar side features soups and salads, various sharables such as mozzarella marinara and baked mac n' cheese, and finally various sandwiches including a angus burger - yes a burger is a sandwich. On the recent visit I had the following:Calamari Fritti - Crispy golden rings and tentacles served with house-made cocktail sauce. A little chewy for my liking but good. Escargot Bourguinonne - Oven baked and served over white wine garlic sauce with bread. Haven't had escargot in awhile and it was really good, loved the bread to dip in the juices. Chateaubriand - 20oz tenderloin, hand carved tableside served with mashed potatoes, parmesan-roasted half tomatoes, button mushrooms, and seasonal vegetables. This was a shared item since really it's too much and in fact it's presented as being for "the table". The meat was extraordinary and so tender that I was able to cut it with a fork. The mashed potatoes were fine and the vegetables were good as well. Vesper Martini - Gin, vodka, Lillet Blanc, lemon peel. Nicely made and delicious. Ordered several negroni's in the lounge/bar area and enjoyed!Service was great both in the restaurant and lounge/bar and on the particular night enjoyed some funk music. Prices are fair and comparable for the type of establishment and to the times. Parking includes metered street parking but also various valet around the back and in a alley. Can't wait for my next visit!

Parking is $8 if your eating at the Dresden but $9 if your going elsewhere and is Valet only. They will give you a ticket to pick up your car afterwards. This place is a nice step back in time. Loved the decor and the Ambiance.The food was good enough to enjoy and maybe warrants a return trip but nothing to die for except that carrot cake! Chefs kiss! It has outdoor seating with privacy walls lined with foax foliage and lights. Ambiance here is vintage elegance. Feel free to dress up if you'd like but the dress code is not strict. This place is small and has 2 separate experiences. The bar side w/ live band entertainment and the dinning side which is more romantic with the dim lighting and small booth seating. We were a party of 8 and it felt a little crammed. Our waiter was very attentive and spot on with the service and gave us plenty of time to peruse the menu. Ordered the Garden salad as a starter, Roasted Eggplant Fettucini, Eggplant Parmigiana, and a side of mashed potatoes.Everything is a pretty filling had to take some home.Good place for vibes.

Excellent jazz spot, great (and strong!) drinks, ambiance on point, nothing but good vibes. I'll definitely be back! We went on a Friday night and it gets super busy, I'd definitely recommend making reservations in advance.

There are few places that compare with the mid-century vibe and decor of the Dresden. Their bar is one of my favorites, and I've spent many an hour there nursing martinis and listening to music (still mourning the loss of Marty & Elayne) or prepping for a movie or book signing down the street. However, aside from the bar menu offerings, I hadn't eaten in the dining room in years. But friends invited me so I thought why not? So glad I did! We started with their very decent friend calamari (which I've had in the lounge), fried artichokes, and escargot followed by a surprisingly good Caesar salad. Then I dove into their lamb chops. The only other place I usually have them is at Musso & Frank and these hold up very well to those. The service was impeccable, and attentive but not intrusive. I may have found a "new" neighborhood regular.

If you love Hollywood vintage this is the spot! The decor in every room is true vintage elegance. The bar area has booths and a piano with old rock walls and red leather couches . The dinner area has beautiful pillars and light fixtures with white leather booth seating. The calamari appetizer is one of the best in the city and the drinks are chilled to perfection. The food is delicious and I guarantee you will want to lick your plate (but don't do it) . The service is personable, professional and on top of our all of our requests and needs. It was an amazing family Christmas dinner ! Thank you so much Dresden and staff

First came to eat in the Dresden Room over 30 years ago. Again went multiple times in the early 2000's to see & hear Marty & Elayne whose duo singing lounge act was legendary.....Kind of like a Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé. 20 years later, I'm dining with friends, and I'm time warped back to a place that never seems to physically change which in this case is a good thing.  Old school mid 20th century restaurant & lounge with impressive pristine, white leatherette boothes & chairs to add a subtle lush sophistication. Spiral black wrought iron chandeliers twisting down like stalactites. Black stained wooden 2x4 lumber beams as vertical accents which seem a bit awkward like a movie set that doesn't seem quite finished. Waiters are dressed in ties, black vests, white dress shirts which seem to hark back to at least the 1970's if not earlier. Pacific Dining Car, Dal Rae, Taylor's along with Dresden all seem to to convey what typical luxury dining was like when our grandparents were young. Musso & Frank also comes to mind, but that goes back to the late 1910's. 0) Warm Focaccia-like bread soft & moist with mild garlic butter.   1)  French Onion Soup had a comforting, deep beefy broth infused with a sweet onion under tone. Broth soaked, classic piece of toasted french bread. The cheese covering the soup didn't seem to be Gruyère with a more pronounced fermented, dairy Umami, but more like a bubble gum, bland white cheddar. Still a deal at $9. 2) Veal Marsala: Medium thin cuts of white veal lightly sautéed & coated with what may be corn starch thickened sweet Marsala wine & beef broth. Baby artichoke hearts seem bottled & in subtle vinegar. Button mushrooms add a bit of earthiness. Mashed potato scented with butter was the accompaniment. 1-2a) ANTINORI, "TENUTA GUADO AL TASSO IL BRUCIATO" Tuscany, Italy, 2018Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah varietals blend into a black fruit richness. Blackberry, dark plum, dark chocolate, bit earthy, smooth acidity balanced by fruity sweetness. Tannin was still a bit strong giving a grittiness on the tongue. Aerating il Bruciato in an oversized decanter would have mellowed out the tannins. My swirling the wine oxygenated it so that by the time I was half way through, the wine acceptably presented itself.3) Coconut Whiteout Cake: Multilayered soft, plush, dense white cake with thin layer of apricot jam in between along with velvety vanilla custard. Coconut flakes, whipped cream frosting. Spotted by red raspberry syrup. 3a) Regular coffee's bitterness and acidity was a good counter to the richness of the dessert. We got to Dresden at 5pm on a Saturday and were the first ones there so dinner service by the kitchen was fast. Waiters here are efficient and unobstrusive. Food is closer to 3+, but being able to go back to the previous mid-century upped the stars to 4.

Bartenders with their backs to us, bartenders small-talking customers next to us for minutes on end with zero acknowledgement of customers. God forbid the fellas want a drink

Really cool spot! The dining area is perfect for a date night with big white cozy booths and cool decor. Our dinner was delicious. I had the trout and my partner had the prime rib. Very reasonable prices. Our server was attentive even though he had another table to serve with about 20 guests. The hostess and man refilling our waters were also very friendly. The lounge looked very lively and fun with a live band. Definitely want to come back and check that out at some point. I can't wait to go back!

My friends and I stumbled into this very chic and elegant restaurant after cancelling our plans to meet at Mirate due to rude servers. We were welcomed by the hostess and seated fairly quickly in the dining area. The vibe of this restaurant is very old Hollywood and it was such a wonderful experience. The food was good, the service was good, and we enjoyed celebrating graduations and birthdays. Thank you to our server Cassandra for being so kind to us in celebrating our friend's birthday.