The Velvet Martini Lounge

The Velvet Martini Lounge is my latest discovery and definitely one of the very best of 2024. It really doesn't get much cooler or nicer than this. With a vintage, Old Hollywood atmosphere, world-class live music (singer and pianist), and top notch cocktails, this is the place to be for an evening of fun.While our experience here was shorter than I would have liked, it was certainly memorable. To drink, I tried the La Abeja, featuring a simple combination of mezcal, honey, and lemon juice. We also ordered The Velvet Martini out of curiosity. While I loved my drink (La Abeja), opinions were mixed on The Velvet Martini. To eat, we split a pizza, which far exceeded expectations.Overall, this lounge is truly exceptional. I love the decor, ambiance, and everything about this place. Seating was extremely comfortable and relaxing, and I can't speak highly enough of the live music. This is definitely a unique spot that stands out in a city filled with plenty of great nightlife options. I would rank this spot at the top of my list.

Bestie selected Vitello's for his birthday dinner this year. His brother and I traditionally take him out to a place of his choice. We'd all heard of Vitello's but hadn't ever eaten here. I'm totally down for a spot where a dude murders his wife out front. I actually kind of like it! Adds a little razzle dazzle! Like a murder mystery dinner, without the mystery. I made a booking for the second floor lounge knowing they have live music and thought that would add to the celebratory aspect. I haven't seen much of the regular restaurant and we have had drinks at their other speak easy style bar some time ago but The Velvet Martini Lounge was really cute. I liked it, and kept asking myself do I really like this, is it too kitschy? Are they trying to hard to make it "jazzy" but I think my answer kept returning to, no. I was diggin' it and the live music. The female singer and guy on piano made an awesome duo! The drinks were fine. I'm typically a bourbon old fashioned or glass of red wine type gal, unless it's a Mexican joint then obviously its margs. The menu looked great, we all decided on something different. My bestie had sausage and peppers which he actually makes at home and is damn good so it surprised me he opted for this entree as it does when he selects something I make at home. I always find it challenging to eat out when I do a ton of cooking, so it really takes a certain je ne sais quoi to impress me much. We all started with salads, his brother and I had their dinner salad and my bestie had some sort of strawberry (my least fav berry) and arugula salad that actually looked pretty outstanding.I ordered the butternut squash ravioli in a brown butter sage sauce and his brother had the filet. We all cleared our plates so the food certainly wasn't bad in any way but I didn't get the feeling that I needed to rush back any time soon for the menu, if that makes any sense at all...The place really is nice if you feel like grabbing a cocktail, relaxing around adults, listening to music, and grabbing a nice bite to eat.It's not the type of place I'd select for my birthday, more of a - go check them out one random Saturday when you feel like trying something new type deal.I'd definitely recommend a booking, quite honestly I'm not certain you can just pull up on a Saturday evening and snag a table so do make one if you feel like checking them out. We skipped dessert because we had an ice cream cake at home but I would have been interested in knowing what was on the dessert menu.Service was great, we weren't in any rush whatsoever so the pace was fine. I think the live music helps ;)All in all we had a great evening together!

Loved my experience at The Velvet Martini. The food and drinks were delicious. Our server was amazing and took great care of my friends and me. I loved the live music and all the decor was very cute. The restrooms were clean. I would return.

When I read that Mariah Carey Carrie was doing a holiday-themed show here, I knew had to jump on the chance. Have seen her perform before but this time she was headlining her own show! So glad I went and here's why...I knew this place was intimate because I've been here when it was Sheila E's (yes, THE Sheila E..!) "E-Spot Lounge" several years ago. Have been waiting for a good chance to make a return visit. The lounge is housed upstairs on the second floor of the building, above Vitello's restaurant. There's not really a sign, so just enter the restaurant and go up the stairs. When we did, we were enthusiastically welcomed by staff ( no stiff, uptight, pretentious vibes here!) and offered either couch or table seating...(we opted for a table). They had mentioned that they were still setting up a bit...we were shown to a table in a prime spot (really any table/couch is prime!)...and given their menu.Menu is extensive and has Italian influences. We chose bruschetta, "in vogue" Caesar salad and "the Sal" pizza. Seriously, everything looked good...from cioppino to pasta to seafood to burgers. We also opted for a special drink called "Taste of Luzon (yes, Manila Luzon...!) featuring SERV vodka. This drink was delicious, with pineapple flavor! The salad and pizza were also very tasty and presented well. Was a bit hungry so I didn't have the chance to take pics of the food.Finally, MCC made her entrance as the show started. She really got us into the holiday spirit. The sound was perfect and sightlines were unobstructed as she perused through the floor amongst the crowd. For the record, MCC performed mostly MC's holiday songs, along with some classic MC songs/hits sprinkled in for good measure!We were constantly checked on by the staff to see if we needed anything else...more drinks, dessert perhaps? Being fully stuffed and had just enjoyed a great show, we rolled outta there into the night...Everything went well here (the way it should) and I highly recommend making a visit here especially if there's a performer you like. Plenty of street parking (like everywhere else in LA, read the signs) or valet available. Overall, a unique and well-established place that earns its five stars from me!

For our mother on hospice (we had to send her up to the lounge in their motorized chair), this place was a treat. She fell in love with the singer with his beebop hair style and velvety voice. He sang so many of her favorites. She will quite probably not seen the next Mother's Day, so this was extra special. Everyone was so helpful! The cocktails were exquisite - The Absinth one - death in the Evening - is memorable, so is the New York, new York! bourbon cherry bomb, and the cheese plate was an ample and high-quality snack for us all. The beauty of this speak-easy lounge transported us to a bygone era of luxe and relaxation.Thank you!! We will be back!

Overall good experience with delicious food, well-organized service, and a cool old-school nightclub ambiance. The live entertainment adds a lively touch to the evening. The service is attentive, though a bit more frequent check-ins from staff would enhance the experience. Despite minor gripes, it's a solid spot for a fun night out!

Such a cool spot! I can't believe I haven't been here before. When I drove up, I was confused as to where it was because I only saw Vitello's from the street. We made a reservation online prior to our arrival, and when we were sat around 7:30 it wasn't too busy surprisingly. We were sat on a sofa with a coffee table in front of it that had a decent view of the stage. Not ideal for eating dinner, but we got drinks and an app and it worked perfectly. The cocktails are DELICIOUS! I was so impressed. And they were STRONG. We enjoyed the Black Rose and the New York New York Sour. I don't usually like sours, but it was so tasty! We ordered the burrata toast to snack on as well. I was blown away! It was melt in your mouth good. Highly recommend. Our waiter, Christian was also lovely. Loved the overall ambiance of the venue and the live music was great. I really appreciated it wasn't extremely loud, and I was sitting pretty close to it. You could still easily carry on a conversation while enjoying the music. I even saw a couple get up and dance! I think this would be a great spot for date night or a birthday celebration. Parking can be tricky in this area, but you can find a spot in the neighborhood most likely. Valet was easy and pretty cheap (I think $8?) from what I remember.

Loved our night out with friends here. The food was absolutely delicious. We started off with an order of tater tots with our opening drinks and they were absolutely perfect. And the tv dinner was both hilarious and delicious at the same time. After dinner we moved to the couches to enjoy the live performance and sip the night away. All of the staff were so nice. The room was a pleasant dim lighting and combined with the amazing music make it a perfect date night spot!I will caution that there are plenty of stairs throughout the restaurant. I believe there is an elevator to take you to the lounge itself, but there are smaller sets of stairs to elevate some of the seating, so if you have trouble, it would help to let the lounge know in advance so they can reserve one of the tables on the lowest level for you!

"Heaven, I'm in heaven, and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak...And I seem to find the happiness I seek, when we're out together, dancing cheek to cheek..." Sorry, I got swept away for a moment...But, can't help myself...Vitello's keeps impressing me with all of their latest updates...Loving this new remodeled lounge...This is my NEW Happy place!!! The service was attentive, friendly, and all around amazing! Shayna, our server for the night, took care of our table going above and beyond. We loved her. They have a special menu for the lounge, however, you are able to order from the main menu downstairs at Vitello's. They have a piano player who entertained us for the evening with top 40 songs over the years as well as a Tarot Card reader set up at the bar area just a few steps below from where we were sitting. The room is rather large with booths, sofas and over stuffed chairs. Very cozy and inviting! *The drinks and food were very good. Check out my pics for what we ordered. *Must be 21 and older here *Reservations recommended for Thursday - Saturday*Plenty of street parking -read the signs. Free after 8:00 pm at the meters*Valet Parking available in the lot I highly recommend checking it out!

My husband and I were excited to come here for dinner. There was going to be live entertainment and we were ready for a fantastic night! Unfortunately, the other patrons were not there for the entertainment and they were in between us and the stage. It was hard to hear the singer (who was great). We confirmed with the restaurant's manager (I think he was the manager) that they do not turn up the speaker because the entertainment is meant to be background music. If the music is not the reason to go to The Velvet Martini Lounge, then the food must be. Sadly, it was not.4/5 - "Prime Rib": Thankfully, we ordered this and not just the appetizers. Good char and a nice steak. However, it is a ribeye steak... not prime rib. We prefer ribeye, but that can be a huge disappointment for anyone expecting prime rib. 3/5 - Artisan Cheese & Charcuterie: Pretty good, but I don't think that it's worth $393/5 - Doris' Dance: Citrus vodka, raspberry syrup, Combier and lemon juice. It was tart, but okay.3/5 - Shrimp Cocktail: Jumbo prqwns with house-made cocktail sauce. The sauce was weak (you could barely taste the horseradish). My husband thought it was ketchup...3/5 - The Black Rose: Jameson Black Barrel, rose simple and orange bitters. This is their Old Fashioned.3/5 - Garlic Mashed Potatoes: It was fine.1/5 - Swedish Meatballs: Terrible. Didn't even taste like meat. To add insult to injury, this dish was $20, so it was $4 per nasty meatball (of which we ate 2)1/5 - Cheesy Arancini: Panko fried risotto balls with mushroom, Grana Padano and mozzarella. This was a jumble of problems - undercooked rice, hard on the outside... Once again, we only at 2 and paid $18 for this.1/5 - Brown Butter Banana Cake: Banana spice cake, walnuts and brown butter frosting. Wow. Total BS. Dense cake. The only bananas are the 3 dehydrated banana chips on top! I'm not even exaggerating. They are not fresh bananans. It tastes like and old pre-packaged snack cake that they frosted and they had to use banana chips becasue fresh ones have to be sliced and served immediately. This way, it can sit forever in the refrigerator (which is what it tastes like). On top of all of this, they charged 3.5% for KITCHEN APPRECIATION. Oof. Are you kidding me? The food was overpriced and terrible. I definitely didn't appreciate the kitchen! The food came out to 2.4 stars. The atmosphere and vibe is great, but you can't hear the entertainment, so I am not going to bump it up to 3 stars. Nope, won't go back.