palate food + wine

Palate's got great food. Bar none, there are some really creative and tasty dishes. The pork belly is great. The pickle jars are delicious. The wine selection is also very very good. Octavio Becerra definitely knows food and he's very hands on. I've seen him every time I've gone. He's always walking around the restaurant checking on things. I love the space. it's very modern and comfortable, although a little noisy at times. The pricing is reasonable as well. I've never felt like it was too much. The downside to palate are the desserts. Very unflattering flavors on some of the desserts. There was a panna cotta dish with rose water. But the rose water made me think I was drinking soap; too strong. I would like to see a dessert chef that better complements the restaurant. more

My husband surprised me with a lovely brunch on Mother's Day. I'd never been to the back area of Palate; we loved the space, especially my jaded fashionista daughter. Good food and the best Bloody Marys ever! more

I am not pleased.\r \r We had a live caterpillar crawling on our main entree.\r \r They took it away but never comped the dish.\r \r We waited for wine we ordered. I had to ask for it. I was thirsty. He saw me twice and ignored.\r \r I had no fork to eat my replaced meal with. I waited. I had to ask for said fork.\r \r I tried to make a reservation. I got hung up on. I left a message. They never called back. I was upset.\r \r I am making this simple. I am not happy. I did not tip well. \r Pros: Nice Decor Cons: Poor Service more

I dined at Palate a weeks ago and was seated at the bar in the rear because there were ""no available tables"" (funny, except for a holiday party in the central dining area, the restaurant was almost empty!). The bartender couldn't tell me whether the Riesling she was serving was sweet or dry, so I ordered a bottle of Sancerre, instead. The Sancerre was served warm (I'm not kidding). When I asked if she could chill the wine, she dropped the bottle in the sink where they wash glasses and dumped some ice on it! If that wasn't bad enough, I had to ask for bread three times. I won't go into detail about the mediocre food that I was served. Sadly, I don't think my experience was anomalous. This was the second time that I dined at Palate. The first time I made reservations, I was seated in the front of the restaurant and had to contend with a really surly waiter. If you want a really nice, tapas-type dining experience, drive to AOC instead. Pros: Interesting Decor Cons: Service and food. more

I wanted to try Palate ever since it opened. As a self-proclaimed Foodie, I love to try new places in the city. When an occasion arose for a holiday dinner with a friend, Palate was my first choice. Maybe my expectations were too high because of the hype. I like to study the website, menus, reviews, etc. before I go. This place seemed to have all the goods. I sat with my girlfriend near the kitchen. The appetizers were just okay - the cheese and meats weren't anything special, nor was the dry cold bread. The ""cucumber salad"" was about 7 fancy pickles. The squash soup lacked flavor and the raw pumpkin seeds were just annoying. My girlfriend had a hair in her salad, but the best part was when the sous chef came out into the dining room and started to shuck oysters on a banquette about 6 inches from my head with a sharp knife. Not sure if that was intentional or the kitchen was crowded? We complained and the sous chef returned to the kitchen. Kind of smelly and strange? The short ribs were good, but fairly basic. Service was lacking considering the price. Wine list wasn't exciting either. Overall, a disappointment. Pros: Ambiance, off the beaten path makes it accessible Cons: Service, food, price more

Waiter was in a bad mood from the minute we got there. He didn't know what ingredients were and didn't offer to find out. My tiny entree cannelloni had no flavor. The food took a very long time on a Wednesday night.... The menu was more like documents (too many papers on top of each other and very confusing). What more can I say. We felt very unwelcome and that the staff was too put-out to care. Its too bad because it looks nice inside. I do not recommend having a meal here. Pros: Atmosphere until you are too frustrated to care Cons: Service, Portions, Price, Poor Attitudes more

My Service was poor! Waitier alex needs to learn some manners! more

Waitier needs a bath! Were not in Paris! bad b/o more

I have been to Palate twice- once in November and once last night. I had a good experience in November & decided to go again, but this time to sit in the dining room rather than the bar... BIG MISTAKE!!! The service was horrible. We sat down and no one cared about us at all- no water or menu for over 10 minutes. After we ordered (prix fixe for me & cheese plate for my companion), I had to wait for over 45 minutes before my main course came after the salad. When the miso-baked cod finally came, the fish was bland and didn't seem fresh. Waiter never came by to ask how the food was or to refill my water. To top it off, the dessert came while I was half way done with the fish- absolutely rude! Sadly, the dessert (date tart) tasted like fig newtons. The best part about the meal was the cheese plate... which they don't even make. If this was fine dining... clearly we are in trouble. Good food is only part of the experience... what polishes and sets a fine dining establishment apart from others is the ambience, service, courtesy of staff, food quality, etc. Would I come back? Maybe (but that's because the first time was good...) but I will definitely sit at the bar. Pros: 2.5 oz. wine pours, a la carte selection, cheese selection Cons: Service, noise level, hot or miss food quality more

I have lived in LA my whole life and have been to some fantastic restaurants, but I must say that Palate is one of the best in the city. The staff is great and the food is exceptional. The prices are awesome as well, and in this economy it is a great place to go out and not spend a ton of money. I would recommend this place to anyone looking to go out and try something new. Pros: the tables in the wine shop, friendly staff, great food! Cons: Far away from the westside more

Gary Menes was not the chef you acted inappropriately in my last review. I was given the wrong name. Pros: Good Food Cons: Unprofessionalism; No respect for clientele more

I called Palate the day after my dinner because of our horrible service experience there. I've never done... more

I called Palate the day after my dinner because of our horrible service experience there. I've never done this before. Finally, the General Manag... more

When Palate Food & Wine first opened last May, I thought the restaurant was located in a mall. For those of you (who like me) thought it was located INSIDE the Americana at Brand, the restaurant is actually a few blocks PAST the mall (from the134 freeway). It's on the right side (on Brand blvd) in between Garfield and Chevy Chase Dr. Just look for the Mazda dealership and you're very close.\r \r What about the food? My husband and I loved it... so much that we ate there two weeks in a row. Chef Becerra was warm and inviting... like we were enjoying a meat at his home. Our favorite server was the charming Monica. Just like Chef Becerra, she made us feel comfortable and very welcome. \r \r During our first dinner at Palate, our table was next to where Chef Becerra was expediting orders... which is absolute HEAVEN for me, except my back was to the chef and kitchen! My husband kept ""oohing"" and watching as Chef Becerra was finishing the plates before sending them out to diners. I made sure I had the better view on our second visit.\r \r What we ate: Homemade butter with radish slices and fleur de sel, Pickled Persimmon $3, Porkfolio with Grape Leave Mustard $12, Potted Salmon Rillette $5, Short Ribs (with Pomme Puree) $19, Pork Belly (with Sweet Potato Hash) $17, Young Rabbit with Roasted Grapes $18, Scallops $12, Crostini with Eggs topped with Shaved Black Truffles, Cheese Course: (Puits d'astiers,Brillat Savarin,Epoisses) $12. Photos on MyLastBite! Pros: Inviting atmosphere and cool fromaggier station! Cons: I wish it was around the corner from my house. more

This place is AMAZING. By far the coolest place Glendale, Silverlake or even Los Feliz has to offer. The plates are fun to share. The food is ridiculous. The wine list is absurd and you're even welcome to bring your own. The ambience is cool yet welcoming. Hands down, worth every penny (menu could be way more pricey if it wanted to be) and a great place to bring friends, family or visitors..or even just a date with your better half. You can ask for your own table if you want a private dinner or the communal high top tables in the back which are fun and inviting with a lot of cheese making action around you. Well worth every penny and worth the drive! Don't let the other reviews sway you differently, this is the place! more

You guys are nuts. The food is totally overrated. Mediocre fish, ""root vegetables"" are simply carrots, give me a break. Plus the service (a waitress named Gemma) was perhaps the worst I've experienced in Los Angeles. Pros: Valet parking Cons: Gemma more

I went to Palate for their heavily advertised Thanksgiving dinner. The others in my party ordered turkey and enjoyed it. I ordered the ham and was very disappointed since it was so dry it was literally inedible. The scalloped potatoes were greasy. The service was a bit spotty which was surprising considering the number of wait staff milling around. The bar drinks were very good. The decor is stuck in a time warp from the early nineties. more

I had dinner with a friend at this place just last week. It was fabulous! The hostess, bartender and waitress were very polite and amiable. And, for once, the waitress actually knew the menu and what she was talking about! I ordered the braised veal breast and my friend ordered the lamb - both were mouth-watering!! As for their wine offerings (despite the fact that they do not serve Malbec), we were recommended a Syrah that was very nice... so much so, that we ordered three glasses. After our meal was over, we had an after dinner cocktail at the bar, at which point the owner and head chef came over to ask us how our meal was. He was very cool, fun, and down to earth... and later offered us a complimentary cheese platter. No way can I complain about this place!! I'm planning on going back soon to check out their wine tasting bar and lounge. The back end of the restaurant has a totally different feel, very trendy, yet casual. I can't wait! Pros: Good food & service Cons: The dining room decor; not a big fan of the over-sized goblet statues more

I have to let you know how disappointed I was with our meal. It started with our table not being ready when promised. We went to the buy and was all but accosted by the bartender. I have never been treated so rudely or aggressively by anyone in my life. He really should be fired. this is the first impression you have of the restaurant? Then we were finally taken to our table and served by a very nice waiter named May_lin. She seemed to know what she was doing, but when we ordered a 2nd bottle of wine it took her 15 minutes to get it and when it came it was warm and had to sit on ice for another 10 minutes. We finally gave up on the 3rd bottle because it took another 15 minutes to get it, and once again it was warm. The biggest problem was when our food was served, 4 of us got our orders and the fifth just sat there with no food. When had to aggressively waive our hands to get anyone's attention. Finally a busperson spotted us and we told him of our situation. My friend finally got his food about12 minutes later when we were all finished. No excuses' or apologies for the error of our food order. I have a very wide circle of influence in the area (I'm a resident and business owner in Los Feliz) and unfortunately can not recommend your place because of the service...and don't get me started on the prices. A little bit steep in this economy and for it's location between a Dodge dealership and Honda dealership.\r Pros: The hope of a good place to eat in Glendale Cons: Too expensive for Glendale. Poor service more

We had reservations through open table but were told that there was only a communal table . A little disappointment there as the communal table does not have white linen and is not in the main dining room\r The server (a French man) was outstanding and made up for our initial problem by giving us his own take on the dishes.\r the ingredients are good quality but the overall preparation is a little bland and way overpriced because the portions are all tapas size The assortment of prosciutto and salami as an appetizer was tasty but there were thin ridiculously small slices of each for $ 12 The heirloom tomato salad for $ 9 is too small The 5 pickled mini onions are for $ 3The cannelloni for $ 9 come in 2 micro tubes 3 inches long and half an inch thick The chicken for $ 16 cooked sous vide was very moist but bland. The sauce that came with it was not identifiable \r The recent review in the Los angeles times seemed to have liked the restaurant and apparently customers are coming in hords since the review and I understand why: it is a trendy clean restaurant from the same lineage as the partina restaurants maybe too loud and the ingredients are excellent but again she orders like she said ?the whole menu? . Of course and I am quoting everything is ""maybe under $ 20 ""but again maybe you have to order the whole menu\r No wonder she did not leave hungry like I did and thankfully I hade a left over lasagna verde in the fridge that saved my night.\r I would kindly advise to work on the sauces ( make them more vibrant and present) and increase the portions and I would be happy to come again and hopefully give this restaurant higher ratings. Also please DONT FORGET TO BRING BREAD to the table\r PS the general manager was not available to speak to us when we complained to the hostess about the table ( We were told that he was very busy) but the reality was that throughout the evening he was wondering around NOT THAT BUSY. \r more