(323) 660-1882

2903 Rowena Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90039 34.10834 -118.26816

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Neighborhoods: Silver Lake, East LA

blairsrestaurant.com/

Price:

$$$

Last updated 5.11.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Late Night Dining, Romantic Dining, Hidden Find, People Watching, Dine At The Bar

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Cuisine:

New American, Traditional American, Seafood

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Blair's

Featured Review

Tara Lis

Contributor

The Scene – Orange and red tones warm the casual front bar area and the more refined main dining room. Stretched mirrors and black picture frames minus the artwork add curious nuances to the decorating scheme. Cosmopolitan Eastsiders outnumber scruffier locals in Von Dutch caps. Earnest servers express wine-list knowledge but lack fine-dining finesse, evidenced by timing missteps and forgotten requests. – – The Food – Chef Marshall Blair earned his gills at L.A.'s seafood emporium Water Grill, so it's not surprising that the fish dishes are enjoyable, but the hearty…

Editor's Tips

Where to Sit:
Avoid table seven in the main dining room--it sometimes catches condensation drips from the air-conditioner above.
What to Drink:
The small boutique-label wine list is highlighted by delicious Altamura sangiovese from Napa Valley. Non-drinkers can choose from French-pressed dessert teas.
Know Before You Go:
Reservations go fast--particularly on weekends--but a few tables are reserved for walk-ins. Otherwise, the bar offers full menu service.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “Service was great, great atmosphere, and good food, but the mimosas were 15 bucks a pop.”
  2. “It's not for people looking for a high octane, glamorous LA experience, it's just for people who love great food in a mellow and welcoming atmosphere.”
  3. “am dissapointed because I loved the atmosphere and the laidback feeling at Blairs.”
  4. “Good food there, friendly, attentive service, better ambience and cheaper.”
  5. “The ambience was nice, quiet, warm (it was freezing outside), pleasant background music, and nice warmly colored walls.”
  6. “Intimate atmosphere, excellent food and even better wine/beer/ale list, which is always changing.”
  7. “The rooms are tiny, and parking is nonexistent, but the food is terrific and the feeling is warm and inviting.”
  8. “Atmosphere was warm and cozy.”
  9. “This place is perfect for a quite, romantic sunday evening.”
  10. “The food is consistently excellent, the service is friendly and competent, and the atmosphere is genial and lowkey.”
  11. “The decor is great (a real step up from the Thai restaurant that preceded Blair's).”
  12. “But one night my boyfriend and I spontaneously decided to have a lavish romantic meal and I suggested Blair's as it was only 3 blocks away and not been tried yet.”
  13. “slight panic ensued when it looked like the only spare table was in the bar area (not recommended for a romantic meal for 2).”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “Every detail is perfectly executed from service, the food of course is so extraordinary and the desserts are works of yummy art.”
  2. “I'm from the east coat and incredibly picky about my seafood, and the crab cake starter and the halibut main course were completely amazing.”
  3. “The deserts were so good that between the two of us we had three.”
  4. “The ribs are incredible, the Caesars salad amazing and the desserts heavenly.”
drinks
88.88999938964844% positive
  1. “was as long as my arm and the server's recommendation was so brilliant I'm now looking for that particular beer in stores.”
  2. “GREAT wine.”
  3. “the inside of the doughnut was seriously like having creme brulee in a doughnut, and it was the best coffee icecream i've ever had.”
  4. “They play jazz all night, have a decently priced wine list with one of my favorite malbec's, and all the food is precisely done.”
  5. “After the soup dish was cleared we asked a couple of times for the wine menu to order more wine by the glass.”
  6. “2) the wine (albeit generous pours) is mediocre and OUTRAGEOSLY EXPENSIVE.”
  7. “Intimate atmosphere, excellent food and even better wine/beer/ale list, which is always changing.”
  8. “wines that we ordered werre great, and reasonably priced!”
  9. “slight panic ensued when it looked like the only spare table was in the bar area (not recommended for a romantic meal for 2).”
food quality
88.55999946594238% positive
  1. “We filled up on the delicious mac n cheese that we ordered as an appetizer.”
  2. “My husbands sweet potato gnocci was good, but I think it was a little too soft for his taste.”
  3. “The salmon was perfect, though the chicken was a bit dry.”
  4. “The squash soup was excellent.”
  5. “After the soup dish was cleared we asked a couple of times for the wine menu to order more wine by the glass.”
  6. “we had the rapini as a side dish, it was ok, nothing great but light and perfectly cooked.”
  7. “The food was very good, I will give them that.”
  8. “From the salads (the fried goat cheese/beet salad is my favorite), to the entrees (the pork chop [about an inch thick and meat that falls off the bone!] and the duck top my list!)”
  9. “It's excellent food, and you have to pay for it.”
  10. “The food was great.”
  11. “went for the crabcake which was good/very good and followed it up with a steak which was, again, very good.”
  12. “No it isn't the best food, but it is good food.”
  13. “I'll probably go back again and its just because the food was great”
  14. “The food is consistently excellent, the service is friendly and competent, and the atmosphere is genial and lowkey.”
  15. “The rooms are tiny, and parking is nonexistent, but the food is terrific and the feeling is warm and inviting.”
  16. “the inside of the doughnut was seriously like having creme brulee in a doughnut, and it was the best coffee icecream i've ever had.”
  17. “It can be a bit of a hit to the wallet if you're ordering expensive ales and the priciest dishes, but even then it's worth it -- plus you can get out cheaper if you're paying attention.”
  18. “Never had a bad meal here”
  19. “However, that is, unless you some of the best food in LA.”
  20. “the food was really good, especially the spare ribs that my husband ordered.”
  21. “The pistachio tart was so yummy!”
  22. “But one night my boyfriend and I spontaneously decided to have a lavish romantic meal and I suggested Blair's as it was only 3 blocks away and not been tried yet.”
  23. “great food, mellow vibe”
  24. “I've had the duck and the sweet potato gnocchi - both really tasty - and I've sampled a tablemate's linguine with Italian sausage, which was fantastic.”
  25. “Intimate atmosphere, excellent food and even better wine/beer/ale list, which is always changing.”
  26. “Service was great, great atmosphere, and good food, but the mimosas were 15 bucks a pop.”
  27. “They play jazz all night, have a decently priced wine list with one of my favorite malbec's, and all the food is precisely done.”
  28. “The caesar salad was quite good and the salmon was excellent.”
  29. “The prices were moderately expensive, and the food was just OK.”
  30. “So, I guess the food was very good, but you have to eat it quickly.”
  31. “the food was amazing.”
  32. “We decided to try Blair's this weekend and the terrible service ruined the meal.”
  33. “slight panic ensued when it looked like the only spare table was in the bar area (not recommended for a romantic meal for 2).”
  34. “However, this is nothing that would keep me from returning for the fantastic food; I can definitely see how the chef worked at the Water Grill.”
  35. “My Atlantic salmon was fantastic.”
  36. “The french fries were very good and the curried cauliflower was very tasty.”
  37. “I'm from the east coat and incredibly picky about my seafood, and the crab cake starter and the halibut main course were completely amazing.”
  38. “The food is pretty good, some dishes are bit too heavy, but you can tell which ones those are by looking at the menu.”
  39. “Still, this place has the most consistent and well-thought-out food in the neighborhood, in a nice mellow space.”
  40. “It's not for people looking for a high octane, glamorous LA experience, it's just for people who love great food in a mellow and welcoming atmosphere.”
  41. “Good food there, friendly, attentive service, better ambience and cheaper.”
  42. “had the roasted chicken which was tasty, but dry.”
  43. “The ribs are incredible, the Caesars salad amazing and the desserts heavenly.”
  44. “The short ribs (that were recommended by the server as the best dish in the house) tasted like my mother's stewed beef (i.e., great for a home meal but not a fine restaurant).”
  45. “Great food, Great staff.”
  46. “The food is decent.”
  47. “Blairs has Good food.”
  48. “But, a $200 meal shouldn't just buy you good food, it should buy you an experience.”
  49. “The halibut was tender with a very good crust, although the sauce was a little salty.”
  50. “Every detail is perfectly executed from service, the food of course is so extraordinary and the desserts are works of yummy art.”
  51. “To top off the rich entrees, we had bread pudding, which was really tasty but pushed us over the edge!”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “After the soup dish was cleared we asked a couple of times for the wine menu to order more wine by the glass.”
  2. “The food is pretty good, some dishes are bit too heavy, but you can tell which ones those are by looking at the menu.”
  3. “Service is very good and server's knowledge of menu is excellent.”
  4. “only wish they would change the menu a bit more (often), I aslo wish they would offer more vegetarian friendly options; my girlfriend is a vegetarian, so she never wants to go.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “The decor is great (a real step up from the Thai restaurant that preceded Blair's).”
  2. “The short ribs (that were recommended by the server as the best dish in the house) tasted like my mother's stewed beef (i.e., great for a home meal but not a fine restaurant).”
  3. “great place hidden in LOS ANGELES.”
  4. “It was such a good choice because this place is wonderful!”
  5. “great place!”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “I'll probably go back again and its just because the food was great”
  2. “:) but overall, we enjoyed our experience here and we will be back!”
service
82.34999656677246% positive
  1. “The short ribs (that were recommended by the server as the best dish in the house) tasted like my mother's stewed beef (i.e., great for a home meal but not a fine restaurant).”
  2. “The wait staff was friendly, unpretentious, knowledgeable and made us feel very welcome.”
  3. “Good food there, friendly, attentive service, better ambience and cheaper.”
  4. “was as long as my arm and the server's recommendation was so brilliant I'm now looking for that particular beer in stores.”
  5. “The food is consistently excellent, the service is friendly and competent, and the atmosphere is genial and lowkey.”
  6. “Our server was friendly & helpful, especially for our one vegetarian friend.”
  7. “We decided to try Blair's this weekend and the terrible service ruined the meal.”
  8. “The staff failed to let us know how much they were as a friendly warning, across the street on Sundays, Edendale Grill offers bottomless mimosas for 15 dollars a person and that is much more sane.”
  9. “It's not for people looking for a high octane, glamorous LA experience, it's just for people who love great food in a mellow and welcoming atmosphere.”
  10. “cancelled. Terrible service, especially for the price, and clearly management doesn't care.”
  11. “Great food, Great staff.”
  12. “the waitress was helpful but not overbearing and annoying as so many can be.”
  13. “We were seated almost immediately with no reservations and the wait staff, while over burdened, was very pleasant.”
  14. “Service is very good and server's knowledge of menu is excellent.”
  15. “Every detail is perfectly executed from service, the food of course is so extraordinary and the desserts are works of yummy art.”
  16. “The service has been pretty good.”
  17. “only wish they would change the menu a bit more (often), I aslo wish they would offer more vegetarian friendly options; my girlfriend is a vegetarian, so she never wants to go.”
value
31.81999921798706% positive
  1. “But to alienate your customer base with insulting prices for good (not great) product”
  2. “2) the wine (albeit generous pours) is mediocre and OUTRAGEOSLY EXPENSIVE.”
  3. “The staff failed to let us know how much they were as a friendly warning, across the street on Sundays, Edendale Grill offers bottomless mimosas for 15 dollars a person and that is much more sane.”
  4. “It can be a bit of a hit to the wallet if you're ordering expensive ales and the priciest dishes, but even then it's worth it -- plus you can get out cheaper if you're paying attention.”
  5. “The prices were moderately expensive, and the food was just OK.”
  6. “Service was great, great atmosphere, and good food, but the mimosas were 15 bucks a pop.”
  7. “Portions are generous and salads were fantastic.”
  8. “Expensive restaurants are not worth it.”
  9. “Food is good but way overpriced.”
  10. “As a holdover from the days of a much less gentrified silverlake I'm generally appalled by the arrival of overpriced, ill-concieved, and seemingly useless buisinesses that are popping up everywhere in the hood, but don't make the mistake of putting this r”
  11. “cancelled. Terrible service, especially for the price, and clearly management doesn't care.”
wait time
100.0% positive
  1. “was as long as my arm and the server's recommendation was so brilliant I'm now looking for that particular beer in stores.”
  2. “For a long time this was absolutely one of our favorite local eateries.”
3 Star Rating: Average

07/24/09

The food was great. The service was below average

Contributor at Citysearch

The food was great. I had the ribs. They were tender and melt in my mouth like butter. The waitress was not helpfull i had to rely on the busboy which by the way he should have been the waiter. I'll probably go back again and its just because the food was great

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/12/09

Oh, it's so good

by ponysea123 at Citysearch

Like the poster below, I've never had a bad meal here. Romantic dinner with my husband, check. Great place to take friends from out of town, check. Brunch spot where my toddler is happy as a clam, check. Love it. The tuna tartare is divine, and the trout with ginger broth is delicious. Everyone in the dining room looks happy and relaxed. I love this place.

  • Pros: food, wine list, service.
  • Cons: can get a tad pricey...
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

02/05/09

Never had a bad meal here

by chimmychimmycocoapops at Citysearch

Upscale New American dining that is never pretentious or snooty. Now that they've expanded the dining room, it's much more romantic and less hectic. I've had the short ribs, lamb chops, pork chop, and halibut here. All were fantastic. Great beer and wine selection. Never a scene.

  • Pros: Unpretentious upscale dining.Great food.
3 Star Rating: Average

01/13/09

Been to better restaurants - but convenience draws me in

by cantlivewithoutfood at Citysearch

I've have been to Blair's several times and I'm starting to wonder about this place. The food is pretty good, some dishes are bit too heavy, but you can tell which ones those are by looking at the menu. The service has been pretty good. I work nearby, so I go there for lunch from time to time and since I only live 4 blocks east of it, I go there with my girlfriends for dinner as well. Whenever I go there at night, there's a man that sits at the bar and walks around from time to time. I thought that he was possibly the ONLY male waiter they had, and was going to ask for a refill, but one of the girl's told me that he was actually the HEAD CHEF!!! WHAT???? Don't chef's belong in the back? He's always sitting there, chatting with the waittresses and I can't help but to wonder....who's making our tuna tartar and short ribs????? I wish I had his job of sitting around and making money. But until I can find myself a job as chef, I'l be crunching numbers. I go there for convenience. The food is decent. I don't each too much salad at home, but the salads there are definitely worth the trip. I think they need to make more elbow room there too. We usually go as a group of 3, but sometimes we feel like we're sitting at a table with other guests.

  • Pros: decent food
  • Cons: small parking lot and during rush hour it's hard to find street parking
3 Star Rating: Average

06/23/08

great place!

by jackie15 at Citysearch

went there last saturday night with my husband for our anniversary. we were really pleased with the food, the ambience, almost everything. the food was really good, especially the spare ribs that my husband ordered. and my canneloni was great too, not outstanding but really good. we had the rapini as a side dish, it was ok, nothing great but light and perfectly cooked. the crab cake was ok, it was not too oily, just perfect, just a bit pricey. for dessert, we ordered their donuts which was highly recommended and it was really fantastic!!! wines that we ordered werre great, and reasonably priced! my only problem was the the servers can't seem to wait before we were finished to take our plates!!:) but overall, we enjoyed our experience here and we will be back!

The Details on Blair's

Place Categories:

  • great place
  • friendly attentive service
  • great dining experience
  • great atmosphere
  • overpriced food
  • warm sophisticated art
  • heavenly dessert
  • gamy truffled mac
  • great wait staff
  • romantic meal
  • great more wine
  • ok nothing
  • fantastic atlantic salmon
  • helpful server
  • overpriced buisinesses
  • incredible short ribs
  • never pretentious upscale new american
  • mediocre expensive
  • warm dark woods
  • favorite malbec
  • warm rich saffron walls
  • expensive restaurant
  • great food
  • dry roasted chicken
  • helpful waitress

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