Axe

I love it. Pros: Food, Food and Food Cons: Noisy, hot more

love this place. The 9 grain pancake on the brunch menu is out of this world delicious. In fact pretty much... more

love this place. The 9 grain pancake on the brunch menu is out of this world delicious. In fact pretty much everything at this place is great, incl... more

upscale venice scene, hip, some very good food with fresh ingredients... the desserts are wonderful, as is most everything... downside is the excruciatingly slow service, and a bit overpriced for the atmosphere and service (crowded, loud, cold, and servers with an attitude)... sunday brunch for 3 people was $75, and we did not get a lot of food (did see Hilary Swank leaving however) - so bottom line: trendy, hip, and cool bordering on pretentious. Small portions of food add up to ""expensive"" if you want a fully satisfying meal. Pros: delicious gourmet food from fresh, natural ingredients Cons: slow service, a little too expensive for the overall experience and atmosphere more

What can I say, I love AXE. I have been going here for a long time. The food is very clean tasting without to many disguising sauces to cover the great taste of food when done right. The service is a little slow. The atmosphere is soho New York with a california enviroment setting with celebrities, funky artists and beach bums. I highly recomend the Warm Brownie basting in a warm cream of milk. This will melt your taste buds into sexual desire... Yum Pros: Walking distance to great shops Cons: service is a little slow more

Me and my friend were attracted by the exterior and the signage of the restaurant, so, we decided to give it a try. It's a TOTAL disappointment! Super slow service-made us wait for almost an hour with no courtesy apology. A druggie server who work in slow-motion and always wondering around and act like he has no idea what's going on. By the time our food ""arrived,"" it's about an hour later. This whole lunch experience cost us almost 2 hours of wait and unbelievably incompetent service. Putting down ""have a nice day"" on the check won't make up the damage you gave us in a Sunday afternoon. Axe Off~!! Pros: cute signage Cons: service, value more

What looked like a trendy sunday brunch place turned out be the worst experience ever. My friends and I sat at our table for over an hour with nothing but drinks in our hands. The servers stood around and acted like they were indifferent of how the customers felt. Poor food presentation that is not worth its price. There is nothing impressive about this place, and it definitely does not deserve a 4.5 star rating. more

Axe is definitely my favorite restarurant in Los Angeles. I am very surprised by some reviews that deem Axe (yes, pronounced ""Ah-Shay"") mediocre or even bad -- it's got amazing food. Since I live off Abbot Kinney in Venice, it's an ideal lunch or dinner spot to walk or bike ride to. The owner of Axe is a committed supporter of local farmers markets and, in my experience, there are amazing fresh organic ingredients at the restaurant. It's often brimming with people, so I'd advise making a reservation in advance unless you go during a slow moment. I love the look of the place. It got a beautiful bright kitchen and warm wooden shelves with chunky Heath pottery dishes and Scandanavian cuttlery. The food is outstanding in every way. I've had food there only once or twice that I would consider only decent and I'm sure I've been there a few dozen times. The ""Farmer's Market Plate"" is a wonderful selection of vibrant greens, local produce items such as gorgonzola potatoes or yummy slow-cooked broccoli. The seasonal salads are always excellent as are the soup purees which, incidentally, are often prepared without cream or animal stock. There are other great appetizers (called ""Little Dishes"" there): the squid/shrimp pancake is a favorite. As is the garlic-on-toast bruschetta. During brunch, I love their multi-grain pancake (about $9 and could easily feed two people). For dessert, I (like many people in Venice) am addicted to the persimmon bread pudding (though it's seasonal). I seldom have entree dishes at Axe. I prefer to order a selection of salads and appetizers or soup. For this reason I don't find Axe to be expensive, a bowl of soup is $10 and a big salad is between $12 and $14. (I can't comprehend how one previous reviewer managed a $112 (?) bill for two without wine.) Speaking of wine, I've had many glasses of great California wines at Axe. The restaurant has a wonderful vibe where Venice neighbors run into one another, have a great meal, and enjoy a glass of wine. Pros: Wonderful Food, Organic Market-Driven Menu, Beautiful Space Cons: Sometimes Packed, Occasionally Loud more

This is a great place for young BMW yuppies who think they have landed! Service is spotty (where is the maitrd, if not out back smoking or banging a waiterperson)? more

I wanted to like it; I wanted to be part of this ""artsy, westside liberal"" hangout. But that didn't happen. The server was a little snippy-- I could have tolerated that. The decor was ""trendily"" absent and the seats were hard. Could have tolerated that too. Pros: unware of any pros Cons: the food, the atmosphere, the prices more

First of all, let me say that I don't mind paying for good food. That said, Axe is overpriced. My friends and I had a reservation for six on a Saturday night, and I'm glad we did. Otherwise we'd have waited far too long to be seated, like the ten or twelve unhappy looking people standing in the crowded doorway just inches from our table. Pros: Hip atmosphere Cons: Over-priced more

I really dig this place. The couple times I have eaten there I have always found the food to be creative and incredibly fresh. I like the fact that the staff is friendly without hanging out at the table. If you are in Venice (and are ready to shell out a little cash), then I say check it out. Definitely make reservation though. more

I went to Axe after trying (unsuccessfully) to walk in several times. The mint tea was delightful, very yummy and just like I had in Morocco. I had the chicken, which was pretty good and the chimichurri steak was really tasty too. The food is simply presented, and has good flavors. The bread was good too. The atmosphere was very amusing though - it was nice, but seriously I felt as though I was in an art gallery and they pulled together some tables and started serving food. It was very organic and plain, but several restaurants on Abbot Kinney are like that. more

The food here is decent at best. The wine selection is good, but overpriced, AND it's improperly stored! I can't stand the pseudo foodies rambling on and on about the vegetables that were from heirloom seeds, fertilized with organic chicken manure,harvested on the equinox, etc. Give me a break. more

Amazing how polarized CS reviewers are on this place -- people either seem to love or hate the food, service and ambience. I thought the food was outstanding (definitely try the steak) and the service friendly and helpful. The ambience was bland and a bit forced -- some art on the walls would be nice instead of trying to be artistic by having nothing on the walls at all. All in all, a good place to go -- especially earlier in the week when it's not too crowded. Pros: tasty, healthy food more

The interior is beautiful in a kind of cold way. The food is very good (lots of creative ideas for preparing vegetables) and feels healthy. A bit expensive. The service has a kind of snobbiness to them that makes it all slightly unpleasant. more

Axe is always good. Lunch is light and healthy. Dinner is heartier. The wine selection is small but good. The ambience is good, if a little loud (there's not much inside the restaurant to absorb sound). Try the lamb stew and persimmon pudding when in season (fall/winter). They are amazing. The only reason I am not giving 5 stars is because the service is somewhat indifferent unless you're ""somebody."" Make a reservation if you're going for dinner. Wish the back patio was open again! more

The best part about Axe (ah-joo) was the ambience- the restaurant decor was simple yet intriguing. My least favorite part about Axe was the food. The bowl of artichoke soup was oily and bland- came in the biggest soup bowl. The main course was steak and it was chewy and tasteless. I left feeling the restaurant with an empty stomach and a lighter wallet (not cheap for a bad meal). Pros: Ambience and decor is intriguing Cons: Tasteless and bland food, oily artichoke soup, expensive more

AXE is like reading US magazine...you don't want to do it, but when you do, you enjoy every minute of it. Pros: Great Food, very fresh, good wine list Cons: Noisy when crowded, pretentious at times more

A few caveats. I live in Venice and I am a regular at several places on the street. Two: I used to be a professional chef. Three: I have eaten here maybe ten times. Four: I NEVER write reviews. I have given this place its share of times to impress me and I'm done. Pros: Close to home for locals. Cool looking place, but makes no sense. Cons: Average food, horrible attitudinal service, salty salty salty more