The Abbey
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Phone: (310) 289-8410
- Cross Street:
- Santa Monica Boulevard
- Hours:
- Daily 8am-2am
Editorial Review for The Abbey – by Brian Baltin
The Scene
An unassuming but comprehensive coffee bar and outdoor lounge leads into a maze-like setting, which gets more complex and exotic the deeper it goes. Subsequent rooms are drenched in ineffably warm red and gold lights, highlighted by a sublime Arabian patio with recessed cabana mattresses draped with swaths of white fabric, and the contradiction of a burning fireplace and cooling mechanized fans. An expansive roster of fragrant martini choices--fruit and chocolate-based--helps distinguish the sophisticated vibe. The crowd is mixed and unpretentious, largely gay male, but with a strong gay and straight female presence, and frequent hetero couples, clearly drawn by the enveloping feel and an eclectic food menu.
The Draw
The flawless atmosphere and attractive patrons (and bar staff) compensate for the daunting cocktail prices. The proximity to other hot spots doesn't hurt either.
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Insider Tips
ParkingThere's all-day parking at the Pacific Design Center, and allotted time slots in two other lots: 8am to 6pm at 627 N Robertson, and 6pm to 2am at 8727 Santa Monica Blvd.
Where to SitThe cozy cabanas are fair game during the week, but on Fridays and Saturdays, patrons must maintain a collective $100 bar tab to sit inside them.
When to GoThe coffee bar begins serving at 8am, but the bar doesn't open until 11:30am.
User Reviews for The Abbey
03/29/2008 Posted by mhb1954
Went to the Abbey today. Not a bad drink, but for $12, it ought to be good. Service started ok, but ended rather annoyingly. It took way too long for a simple appetizer, which likely neede some prep... ok, it tasted ok, it was the crab and spinach dip. I complained because it was soupy... so we needed more chips for it, for which they charged me another $2... oh, wow.... ok. Then having ordered this appetizer, we had some plates on the table, but the wait staff kept coming by every minute when there wasn't much left and wanted to rip the plates away from us. There were still a few morsels to eat, and still a few drops to drink... But I finally gave up after four intrusions by waitstaff hands in fewer than five minutes... so they finally took our plate, and so did they also take from the tip... NOTE TO MANAGEMENT: THIS IS NOT an appropriate way to manage tables by continually reaching for plates when the customer is not quite done. Then, to top it off, my cash payment of the bill with several $20 bills... and the waiter returned "most" of the change, the paper part, but left of the remaining cents... I guess he assumed that they would be part of his tip. Well, they became part of his "less than 10% tip," which was more like 6%. I am happy to leave 20% whenever I get good service, but when I get assuming and pushy waitstaff, I give as little as possible. The Abbey is a nice place for sure, but its service levels leave something to be desired... it never ceases to amaze me how when some places get so popular, that they mess themselves over by poorly training their waitstaff and making the issue of quickly turning tables a priority over quality of service.
Pros: Atmosphere, but it's becoming somewhat caustic!...
Cons: Lots of people to watch
11/23/2007 Posted by gychii
The Abbey in West Hollywood is a long-running restaurant/bar/club with a consistent crowd. The line gets long on weekends but otherwise, simply walk in and go straight to the counter to the far left. Order some grub, get a drink, then find a table for some great people watching. Alternatively, go to the newer roofed area to the right for a cozy drink by the fireplace. The bartenders tend to be hot, but a little too busy to be friendly -- most of the time. Generally, a good place to meet friends or go out for a fun night of elbow rubbing with Weho's hottest, even the occasional celeb (usually hiding in the back cabanas).
Pros: Strong drinks, Friday evening happy hour
Cons: Very expensive but good martinis
