(310) 664-9787

1009 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291 33.9923 -118.4722

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Neighborhoods: Venice, West LA

axerestaurant.com

Hours:

Wed-Thu 6pm-10pm

Fri-Sat 6pm-10:30pm

Sun 9am-3pm

5:30pm-9:30pm

Price:

$$

Last updated 6.20.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

Check, American Express, Diners Club, Discover, Visa, MasterCard, Debit Card

Restaurant Special Features:

Brunch, Date Spot, Dine At The Bar

Cuisine:

Californian

Notable Chef:

Joanna Moore

What People Are Saying About Axe

Featured Review

Martha Burr

Contributor

Pronounced "ah-shay," this vibrant spot may be all natural in substance, but the style is all about industrial themes with its polished concrete floors, steel-accented open kitchen and stark, unadorned white walls. Lunch and weekend evenings are when the place really picks up, and crowds of hip, artsy Westside liberals pour in. The California cuisine is organic, fresh and artful. Start with appetizers like flatbread and spread (hummus, cucumber radish and herb salad) and soy braised beef shortribs. Main courses include half roasted free range chicken marinated in herb and New York steak with…

Editor's Tips

Where to Sit:
While the table by the door can be drafty, it's perfect to spot the occasional celebrity coming or going.
The Extras:
Trouble getting a table? Ask to sit at the counter, where you can also watch the chefs in action through the exhibition kitchen. (Just be warned: It's noisy.)
Look Good:
Save yourself the embarrassment of referring to the restaurant as "ax." It's pronounced "ah-shay."
ambiance
84.61999893188477% positive
  1. Your food is mediocre, and the atmosphere is like a garage with lighting.
  2. 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.
  3. Service is generally good and the ambience is funky and relaxed.
  4. 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.
  5. the restaurant has great ambiance.
  6. downside is the excruciatingly slow service, and a bit overpriced for the atmosphere and service (crowded, loud, cold, and servers with an attitude).
  7. Okay, so they didn't serve anything that would win Michelin stars, the garden has to be among the most romantic restaurants in town.
  8. The ambience is good, if a little loud (there's not much inside the restaurant to absorb sound).
  9. And as for the atmosphere, I liked the minimalism but not the cramped feeling of sitting in the entryway beside some annoyed patrons waiting for a seat and giving my table the eye while obviously wondering when we would finish and get out of their way.
  10. The flare and the love and passsion for good food creates an atmosphere that persuades you to order more and more just to watch him masterfully create your dish.
  11. Great service, great food, great atmosphere!
  12. We ended up sitting in the back and had a romantic dinner- I highly recommend the flatbread and the side of green beans.
  13. Amazing how polarized CS reviewers are on this place -- people either seem to love or hate the food, service and ambience.
dessert
87.5% positive
  1. the fish was flavorless and was overpowered by the beets inside ( too sweet) , My husbands Duck was good and the veggies were yummy and then on to dessert.
  2. This was the best value of the night, at 3.00 for three tasty, rich truffles - and believe me, I'm a harsh critic of chocolate deserts.
  3. huge disappointment considering I normally love their desserts.
  4. The goat cheese & bread should be called "cream cheese and wonderbread" b/c that is what it tasted like (previous reviewer also noted this "dense tasteless whitebread").
  5. the desserts are wonderful, as is most everything.
  6. The mixed salad is amazing, the sea bass delicious and the hot lava-like chocolate brownie dessert to die for.
  7. highly recomend the Warm Brownie basting in a warm cream of milk.
  8. The seasonal salads are always excellent as are the soup purees which, incidentally, are often prepared without cream or animal stock.
drinks
85.71000099182129% positive
  1. Speaking of wine, I've had many glasses of great California wines at Axe.
  2. also had a wonderful red wine, LOUS red, which was perfect with our meal, and the Brownie pudding was a nice finish!
  3. They also offer a nice selections of wine to pair with your meal.
  4. Expensive wine list.
  5. loved the fresh mint tea, until I saw the bill and realized that it was 6.00 for a few mint leaves and some hot water.
  6. The mint tea was delightful, very yummy and just like I had in Morocco.
  7. The restaurant has a wonderful vibe where Venice neighbors run into one another, have a great meal, and enjoy a glass of wine.
food quality
79.86999988555908% positive
  1. have to say the kindness of the staff combined with the absolutely amazing food makes this the place to go to impress a date, entertain friends, or just enjoy a nice dinner with nice company- HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
  2. had a bad meal for two costing $112.00.
  3. The food was enjoyable, however for the incredibly high prices I had expected it to be a little more inventive and intruiging.
  4. The river salmon was delicious.
  5. Your food is mediocre, and the atmosphere is like a garage with lighting.
  6. These things are certainly true, and I'll admit I did enjoy the nine-grain pancake.
  7. Axe has great healthy, organic gourmet California cuisine that is visually impressive and delicious as well.
  8. Small portions of food add up to "expensive" if you want a fully satisfying meal.
  9. There are other great appetizers (called "Little Dishes" there): the squid/shrimp pancake is a favorite.
  10. The mixed salad is amazing, the sea bass delicious and the hot lava-like chocolate brownie dessert to die for.
  11. have eaten here a handful of times, and everytime there is a little air of pretentiousness, mostly from other patrons ( we got looked up and down by a table of 12 of our peers upon entering), but the food really is excellent when you order right.
  12. They were not even the slighest bit crispy, seems like all they did was sliced up the potatoes, soaked them in stale oil and not even bother with a pinch of salt.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. First of all, let me say that I don't mind paying for good food.
  16. The bacon was cold and given to me in three extremely small slices and tasted like it was left over from the day before.
  17. The goat cheese & bread should be called "cream cheese and wonderbread" b/c that is what it tasted like (previous reviewer also noted this "dense tasteless whitebread").
  18. Highly recommend the flat bread with spreads.
  19. On top of the mediocre food, the service was dreadful.
  20. Good food, good service
  21. Hot food was only warm, cold food sat under the lights.
  22. The ricebowls at lunch are a favorite, the ribeye or burger and all of the market fresh veggies are a dinner favorite.
  23. the food was very good, different.
  24. The bread was good too.
  25. The scone was pretty dry but the worst side was the crispy potatoes.
  26. The restaurant has a wonderful vibe where Venice neighbors run into one another, have a great meal, and enjoy a glass of wine.
  27. Great service, great food, great atmosphere!
  28. We ended up sitting in the back and had a romantic dinner- I highly recommend the flatbread and the side of green beans.
  29. also had a wonderful red wine, LOUS red, which was perfect with our meal, and the Brownie pudding was a nice finish!
  30. The food is outstanding in every way.
  31. it was HUGE, a full bowl of the most delicious, juiciest, ripest tomoatoes I have had this season, and the roast chicken is to die for.
  32. The food is simply presented, and has good flavors.
  33. creative food
  34. One of the best Organic food
  35. The food here is expensive, but it's tasty.
  36. They also offer a nice selections of wine to pair with your meal.
  37. The food is very good (lots of creative ideas for preparing vegetables) and feels healthy.
  38. The "Farmer's Market Plate" is a wonderful selection of vibrant greens, local produce items such as gorgonzola potatoes or yummy slow-cooked broccoli.
  39. The greens were fresh, but the parmesan was practically non-existent and wasn't able to counter-balance the bitter flavor of the greens.
  40. The food here is decent at best.
  41. My wife and I come here often for the 9-grain pancake which is delicious.
  42. The food is very clean tasting without to many disguising sauces to cover the great taste of food when done right.
  43. loved the fresh mint tea, until I saw the bill and realized that it was 6.00 for a few mint leaves and some hot water.
  44. Te flat bread appetizer with assorted spreads is to die for!
  45. Hip-factor shouldn't apply to brunch - that's the good, comforting, hangover-killing meal that is about culinary satisfaction prior to collapsing on the couch to watch football or read scripts (or both).
  46. The mint tea was delightful, very yummy and just like I had in Morocco.
  47. The rice bowl was pretty good but the sandwich was extremely salty.
  48. Even if it was the best meal I've ever had - I do not dine out and pay money to be in an environment where that kind of language is within earshot!
  49. The puree corn soup and flat bread w/ spreads were excellent and the chicken entree was flavorful.
  50. thought the food was outstanding (definitely try the steak) and the service friendly and helpful.
  51. The food was great - you could tell the ingredients were fresh, especially when the chef came out to pick some items right off the tree!
  52. 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.
  53. Axe has a built a reputation on fresh, organic ingredients and the ability to craft healthy brunches.
  54. the fish was flavorless and was overpowered by the beets inside ( too sweet) , My husbands Duck was good and the veggies were yummy and then on to dessert.
  55. Yes, the service is slow, but they're always friendly and the food is worth it.
  56. Don't get me wrong - the food is amazing.
  57. The pancake was superb but the way I was treated far out weighed the taste of the pancake.
  58. the food was GREAT.
  59. Amazing how polarized CS reviewers are on this place -- people either seem to love or hate the food, service and ambience.
  60. left feeling the restaurant with an empty stomach and a lighter wallet (not cheap for a bad meal).
  61. It got a beautiful bright kitchen and warm wooden shelves with chunky Heath pottery dishes and Scandanavian cuttlery.
  62. Good food?
  63. upscale venice scene, hip, some very good food with fresh ingredients.
  64. The food was horrible.
  65. Anyway, the steak was taken off the bill (server rightfully pushed for that) and I did receive a complimentary salad to go, which I suppose was a decent gesture of his.
  66. thoroughly enjoyed the heirloom tomato salad with Burata and basil.
  67. The flare and the love and passsion for good food creates an atmosphere that persuades you to order more and more just to watch him masterfully create your dish.
  68. We ordered several courses, and the appetizers did not disappoint - the flatbread and pork belly were both delicious.
  69. This place left a seriously bad taste in my mouth though -and not just from the food.
  70. The seasonal salads are always excellent as are the soup purees which, incidentally, are often prepared without cream or animal stock.
  71. This was the best value of the night, at 3.00 for three tasty, rich truffles - and believe me, I'm a harsh critic of chocolate deserts.
  72. Good food, a little pretentious, but a hip venice scene
  73. am very surprised by some reviews that deem Axe (yes, pronounced "Ah-Shay") mediocre or even bad -- it's got amazing food.
  74. It is just overall a restaurant that is overpriced with fairly interesting food.
  75. If you don't mind paying too much for moderately good food, go to Axe.
  76. The salads and appetizers were tasty and nice portions.
  77. had the chicken, which was pretty good and the chimichurri steak was really tasty too.
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. They also offer a nice selections of wine to pair with your meal.
  2. The "Farmer's Market Plate" is a wonderful selection of vibrant greens, local produce items such as gorgonzola potatoes or yummy slow-cooked broccoli.
  3. there used to be a great server, she was attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the menu.
  4. They have a great brunch on the weekends, amazing salads for lunch, and their small plates on the dinner menu are fantastic.
overall
100.0% positive
  1. This is a great place for young BMW yuppies who think they have landed!
  2. All in all, a good place to go -- especially earlier in the week when it's not too crowded.
service
55.05000114440918% positive
  1. That waiter should have told these horrible people to pay up and beat it.
  2. Anyway, the steak was taken off the bill (server rightfully pushed for that) and I did receive a complimentary salad to go, which I suppose was a decent gesture of his.
  3. The service is great, and we were greeted with a smile.
  4. there used to be a great server, she was attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the menu.
  5. The wait staff are miserable, slow & have a lousy attitude.
  6. Pretentious patrons, pretentious staff
  7. The wait staff are rude, unattentive horrible.
  8. we went for dinner a few weeks ago, had horrible service.
  9. On top of the mediocre food, the service was dreadful.
  10. It was ok, good service, etc but I think I will be looking for more affordable and interesting restaurants in the future.
  11. thought the food was outstanding (definitely try the steak) and the service friendly and helpful.
  12. stark contradiction to her undeniably negative demeanor and downright abusive ways towards the good people on her staff, Joanna Moore repeatedly cultivates an unsavory environment for life to grow.
  13. like the fact that the staff is friendly without hanging out at the table.
  14. Shockingly terrible service & attitude
  15. The couple sitting next to me said they felt the same as me about the horrible service and they both expressed sorrow that I was being treated such abhorrent disdain from the staff.
  16. Amazing how polarized CS reviewers are on this place -- people either seem to love or hate the food, service and ambience.
  17. The service was great.
  18. downside is the excruciatingly slow service, and a bit overpriced for the atmosphere and service (crowded, loud, cold, and servers with an attitude).
  19. Our waitress, wonderful, and very helpful.
  20. Let's admit it--we love our organic, sustainable, farmers-market friendly restaurants, but we generally don't want to think about the labor conditions of the people who make our dining experiences possible.
  21. They seemed pretty friendly to the locals, but everyone but the lady who took orders gave us pretty bad attitude.
  22. The service is a little slow.
  23. Yes, the service is slow, but they're always friendly and the food is worth it.
  24. Great service, great food, great atmosphere!
  25. Good food, good service
  26. We were greeted by the hostess, a friendly, long haired blonde who informed us that a table for two would be awhile.
  27. While the service was a bit slow, the staff was friendly and very helpful in making recommendations.
  28. The Chef is a known for her crunchy granola wicked witch of the west reputation, and she can't keep good staff.
  29. The waiter and waitstaff was absolutely wonderful.
  30. The service that followed was appalling.
  31. It was not edible and the service was unacceptable along with the attitude.
  32. have to say the kindness of the staff combined with the absolutely amazing food makes this the place to go to impress a date, entertain friends, or just enjoy a nice dinner with nice company- HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
  33. Multiple people at the table, including a professional chef, ordered the dandelion greens--all decided they were undercooked and quite bitter.
value
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. That said, Axe is overpriced.
  2. The food was enjoyable, however for the incredibly high prices I had expected it to be a little more inventive and intruiging.
  3. Yes, the service is slow, but they're always friendly and the food is worth it.
  4. This was the best value of the night, at 3.00 for three tasty, rich truffles - and believe me, I'm a harsh critic of chocolate deserts.
  5. It was ok, good service, etc but I think I will be looking for more affordable and interesting restaurants in the future.
  6. The salads and appetizers were tasty and nice portions.
  7. left feeling the restaurant with an empty stomach and a lighter wallet (not cheap for a bad meal).
  8. Even if it was the best meal I've ever had - I do not dine out and pay money to be in an environment where that kind of language is within earshot!
  9. The food here is expensive, but it's tasty.
  10. 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.
  11. downside is the excruciatingly slow service, and a bit overpriced for the atmosphere and service (crowded, loud, cold, and servers with an attitude).
  12. huge disappointment considering I normally love their desserts.
  13. Small portions of food add up to "expensive" if you want a fully satisfying meal.
  14. We tried it out once for dinner and could not find anything we liked for a decent price and wound up looking elsewhere.
  15. It is just overall a restaurant that is overpriced with fairly interesting food.
wait time
52.08000183105469% positive
  1. The service is a little slow.
  2. We were greeted by the hostess, a friendly, long haired blonde who informed us that a table for two would be awhile.
  3. While the service was a bit slow, the staff was friendly and very helpful in making recommendations.
  4. downside is the excruciatingly slow service, and a bit overpriced for the atmosphere and service (crowded, loud, cold, and servers with an attitude).
  5. The "Farmer's Market Plate" is a wonderful selection of vibrant greens, local produce items such as gorgonzola potatoes or yummy slow-cooked broccoli.
  6. Yes, the service is slow, but they're always friendly and the food is worth it.
  7. come from a very long line of professional French restraunteers and I could find this as a finished product on the East Bank, near the sewage plant.
  8. The wait staff are miserable, slow & have a lousy attitude.
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

02/02/12

Fantastic healthy food although pricy

by tbay

I hadn't been to Axe in a few years due to their rude bad-mood service and expensive food. However, I revisited Axe last week and was pleasantly surprised. The server was extremely sweet and the food was superb. I got the homemade sausage bowl with yogurt, lentils, and brown rice ($18) and my friend got the vegetable bowl with a bowl of soup. Their ginger tea is so good. We both got a tea, and total was $50. Not cheap, but worth the healthy good tasty food and finally nice respectable service!

1 Star Rating: Poor

10/21/10

Consistently sub par

by KSawyer

Really don't like this place, Had a bad experience a year ago and went again and it still sucks. HORRIBLE service and the food is subpar at best. There are so many other places to go on Abbot Kinney

1 Star Rating: Poor

04/23/10

almost..but not quite

by gavinmy

ok, i was here when this place first opened in 1999. there used to be a great server, she was attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the menu. the overall vibe was really chill partly because of her. i was a regular because of her and the pancake! man, how things change. i just moved back to venice from costa rica. man, what a disappointment. where to start..the service-horrible! the food-not what i remembered. i long for the old days even more now. anyone know where that girl with the black hair went to.....

  • Pros: interior
  • Cons: service
1 Star Rating: Poor

03/06/10

Huh???

by fergusthegreat

You would think a little joint on Abbott Kinney would get off its high horse, but apparently this neighborhood has gentrified beyond even the locals (of which I count myself one). I called to make a reservation for 4 for a Saturday night and had to give a credit card #-- and if you don't cancel three hours ahead of time, they charge you $20/person. Joe's doesn't do this - need I say more? Please don't mistake me, I do not want to sound like a snob, but I do eat out frequently at nice restaurants and the last time I gave my credit card # to make a dinner reservation was at the Viceroy on Valentine's day (totally understandable due to the high volume of the night). That gave me an uneasy feeling about this place so I double-checked the menu (thankfully T minus 3 hours 15 minutes to lift-off).

Black-eyed pea soup, collard greens and skillet cornbread - $20. Huh??? To a Georgia peach (born and raised) this is brazen highway robbery, although it may seem exotic to SoCal folk. This is traditionally considered hearty fare for people on a budget (that's a nice way of saying po' folks food, y'all), and the best, the VERY best I've ever had it (that I actually paid for it, which exempts my grandmother's cooking) cost me $5.99 at the Collard Green Cafe in Atlanta, voted best collard greens in the city 10 years in a row. If you want the best black eyed peas, collard greens and cornbread of your life, do NOT pay for it on Abbott Kinney. I canceled my reservation.

Axe (pronounced "a-shay" with affectation), take note: I don't care how expensive your real estate is, you ain't foolin' me, for $20 there is no way you will ever impress me with your black eyed peas and greens. Good luck, or good riddance.

  • Pros: No idea. Decided not even to darken the door.
  • Cons: credit card # required to reserve a table, is this LA Story?
1 Star Rating: Poor

11/22/09

WORST dining experience of my life

by Jane D2

This was the WORST dining experience of my entire life and I have eaten at many restaurants.

To begin, we tried to add a fourth person to our reservation and the hostess went into a snit and was so rude to us. Apparently they had us set up for three people at a two-person table. There was no one in the restaurant when we got there, but according to the hostess there was no other options. After explaining that our third and fourth patrons were 8months pregnant and 6'6" respectively, the hostess finally "accommodated" us and sat us at a four top.

The service that followed was appalling. The busboys swarmed around the table asking every few seconds if they could take our plates though we were clearly still working on them. This happened repeatedly.

After dinner, we were paying the bill and still nibbling on our dessert, when the waiter came over and had the audacity to ask us to leave so they could seat another party. It is important noting that not only were we not there unreasonably long, but we had just spent a LOT of $.

As we were leaving, I asked the hostess if we needed to get valeted. The woman didn't even deign to look up but muttered that it was complimentary. When I got outside, the valet was $5, but that last bit just topped off the whole evening.

As local Santa Monica/Venice people, I am shocked by the lack of service and manners. I have dined at Michelin star recipient restaurants in France that had more manners than this place.

PASS

  • Pros: Bread pudding
  • Cons: Service (or lack thereof)

The Details on Axe

Place Categories:

  • good organic food
  • great service
  • love axe
  • fresh organic ingredients
  • more affordable farmersmarket friendly restaurants
  • loved place
  • nice dinner
  • mediocre food
  • favorite fresh veggies
  • always excellent seasonal salads
  • great hangoverkilling meal
  • loved fresh mint tea
  • delicious organic gourmet california cuisine
  • friendly staff
  • very amusing atmosphere
  • pretty bad attitude
  • rude wait staff
  • fantastic small plates
  • good people
  • wonderful lous red
  • great taste
  • absolutely wonderful waitstaff
  • worst dining experience
  • normally love desserts
  • wonderful waitress
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