L A Paella

In Short – A cozy restaurant with lace curtains and imported knickknacks on the walls, friendly staff treat diners like house guests. Meals start with bread and garlic mayonnaise, followed by selections from the extensive tapas menu. Make a meal with a pitcher of sangria and nibbles of Serrano ham, slices of sweet fig, Manchego cheese and sherry-sauteed mushrooms. Namesake paella--shellfish, chicken and sausage in rice--is served from a large skillet with flourish. –

Editor's Tips

Know Before You Go:: Order paella early, as it takes about 30 minutes to prepare. When making a meal from tapas alone, order two to three dishes per person.
Parking:: The tiny one-way street is difficult to access--enter off San Vicente and Fifth Street and park at the meters, which are free after 6pm.

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User Reviews (33)

ambiance	96.14999771118164% positive	“The restaurant is cozy and romantic, and the owner is always friendly.” “Excellent tapas - Romantic ambiance” “It was pretty busy but the service was fast and the ambience was just like being in Madrid again.” “Great ambience, cozy, great food” “Great, authentic tapas, friendly service, cozy restaurant - an amazing find in LA.” “Great food, great prices and cozy atmosphere!” “Exquisite, cozy, and friendly owner!” “Quality of food is awesome, service is superior, atmosphere is very pleasant.” “Great service, great food, and great ambience.” “Great atmosphere!” “We were pleasantly surprised by the very friendly service, authentic Spanish tapas and cozy atmosphere.” “With the wonderfully attentive Spanish staff, the charming candlelit atmosphere and delicous tapas, you can't go wrong.” “If cramped is romantic then this place is as romantic as it gets.”
dessert	100.0% positive	“Finally we ordered desserts from their wide selection, a flan and a creme burle, which were both really delicious and suprisingly, they're not very sweet, which is good after having so much good food~”
drinks	100.0% positive	“The Spanish wine was excellent as well.” “They had Alhambra, but not Mahou which was a bummer- Mahou is the best beer in the world : ) Definitely will go there again and highly recommended.” “especially love the sauteed mushrooms, grilled shrimp, and clams in white wine sauce.”
food quality	95.31000137329102% positive	“After having lived in Spain for 15 years, I consider myself a real Spanish food lover and La Paella is the only authentic Spanish restaurant here in Los Angeles.” “been in L a Paella lately and is the best Paella I ever eta before is a great service to much with the great service I really recomend this restaurant to people who like the good food” “My roommate was able to pick the Paella up in a pan it stayed warm for an hour and the presentation of the food to our friends was awesome.” “The menu has many delicious tapas and an incredible paella.” “The food is incredibly flavorful and is probably one of the most authentic in the LA area.” “The food is not good.” “Finally we ordered desserts from their wide selection, a flan and a creme burle, which were both really delicious and suprisingly, they're not very sweet, which is good after having so much good food~” “Great, authentic tapas, friendly service, cozy restaurant - an amazing find in LA.” “Great food, fast service.” “Awesome authentic tapas” “Great ambience, cozy, great food” “But the food is great, and the staff were wonderful.” “Great food, great prices and cozy atmosphere!” “had the paella with the seafood mixture, very tasty.” “The food had so much flavor, and the service was impeccable.” “The food was amazing.” “The food is excelent ,the service fantastic and the owner is the best host in town.” “We were pleasantly surprised by the very friendly service, authentic Spanish tapas and cozy atmosphere.” “In regards to the food, we really liked the chorizo, scallops with oil & garlic and the manchego cheese dish.” “He is actually from Valencia (Spain, not Magic Mountain) so you know the dishes are authentic.” “The food is excelent ,the service fantastic and the owner is the best host in town” “The Paella Marinera was really tasty~ Service was excellent, the owner came over and asked how was the dishes, the server was really helpful in recommending their must have dishes, and kept us enjoyed the whole course of our meal.” “Highly recommend getting the cold seafood salad "ceviche" style, it's very refreshing and perfectly seasoned.” “Great food!” “Quality of food is awesome, service is superior, atmosphere is very pleasant.” “We lived in Spain for a few months and are part Spanish so I was anxious to try some authentic Spanish food in LA- unlike a few other restaurants who say serve Spanish but its not really Spanish.” “La Paella is probably the only place in L.A. where you can get authentic Spanish tapas.” “Great service, great food, and great ambience.” “especially love the sauteed mushrooms, grilled shrimp, and clams in white wine sauce.” “Our favorite tapas were the mushrooms and chorizo.” “Great food & Good Atmosphere” “The food and service are excellent.”
menu variety	100.0% positive	“Finally we ordered desserts from their wide selection, a flan and a creme burle, which were both really delicious and suprisingly, they're not very sweet, which is good after having so much good food~” “The menu has many delicious tapas and an incredible paella.”
overall	100.0% positive	“been in L a Paella lately and is the best Paella I ever eta before is a great service to much with the great service I really recomend this restaurant to people who like the good food” “The best Spanish restaurant in town”
return potential	100.0% positive	“They had Alhambra, but not Mahou which was a bummer- Mahou is the best beer in the world : ) Definitely will go there again and highly recommended.”
service	93.17999839782715% positive	“.....My partner and i ordered a pitcher of sangria and our server was there to refil our glasses for us with perfect timing!” “Quality of food is awesome, service is superior, atmosphere is very pleasant.” “The restaurant is cozy and romantic, and the owner is always friendly.” “Great food, fast service.” “The staff is friendly and is always readily available without being overbearing.” “With the wonderfully attentive Spanish staff, the charming candlelit atmosphere and delicous tapas, you can't go wrong.” “The food and service are excellent.” “But the food is great, and the staff were wonderful.” “We were pleasantly surprised by the very friendly service, authentic Spanish tapas and cozy atmosphere.” “It was pretty busy but the service was fast and the ambience was just like being in Madrid again.” “The service is bad and the place is not clean.” “been in L a Paella lately and is the best Paella I ever eta before is a great service to much with the great service I really recomend this restaurant to people who like the good food” “Great, authentic tapas, friendly service, cozy restaurant - an amazing find in LA.” “It's a beautiful, little restaurant with a charming and helpful staff.” “The Paella Marinera was really tasty~ Service was excellent, the owner came over and asked how was the dishes, the server was really helpful in recommending their must have dishes, and kept us enjoyed the whole course of our meal.” “The food is excelent ,the service fantastic and the owner is the best host in town.” “Great service, great food, and great ambience.” “The food is excelent ,the service fantastic and the owner is the best host in town” “Best Paella , Best Service, great customer service” “The food had so much flavor, and the service was impeccable.” “Exquisite, cozy, and friendly owner!” “Having said that, once you are seated, the service is excellent.”
value	100.0% positive	“The only things I don't like are that you have to order at least 2 orders of paella, and the prices are a little steep for what you get.” “Great food, great prices and cozy atmosphere!”

11/14/11

Excellent Food and Service. Nuff Said.

by gregorygilmer

What more can be said? The only disappointment was the dessert selection. But you'll be too full from all the great food to really let that bring things down.

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03/04/09

Great Spanish tapas and ambience

by sk1017

La Paella is probably the only place in L.A. where you can get authentic Spanish tapas. I especially love the sauteed mushrooms, grilled shrimp, and clams in white wine sauce. The restaurant is cozy and romantic, and the owner is always friendly. Great place for a date and also good for groups.

Pros: Authentic tapas, cozy, fun
Cons: Crowded

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02/11/09

Exactly like stepping into a taverna in Madrid

by juanthefoodie

I went here a few years back. We were going to go to the Ivy nearby on a Friday night- however, we decided to go here since it was a little hole in the wall, literally. We lived in Spain for a few months and are part Spanish so I was anxious to try some authentic Spanish food in LA- unlike a few other restaurants who say serve Spanish but its not really Spanish. Best tapas- the tortilla espanola, jamon serrano tasted just like in Spain. Best Part: REAL SPANISH BEER. They had Alhambra, but not Mahou which was a bummer- Mahou is the best beer in the world : ) Definitely will go there again and highly recommended. The owner was there and was super nice to us, maybe because we spoke Spanish. It was pretty busy but the service was fast and the ambience was just like being in Madrid again.

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01/14/09

The best Spanish restaurant in town

by Sue73

I don't think that Mr. foodcritic711 has been at LA Paella at all, he or she only want to criticize that place. Anybody that has been at LA Paella knows that this guy is not talking about the same place or he/she is lying. Just reading the two first sentences it's a prove that he has never been there because it's obvious that it's not true. Parking has never been a problem and the space between tables is more than we are use to see in the majority of restaurants, at least you don't have to listen the conversation of others. The food is excelent ,the service fantastic and the owner is the best host in town

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12/31/08

Stay away from this place

by foodcritic711

The place was horrible. There's barely any room to move around (very tight quarters). It was very hard to find parking. The portions are very small, the dishes are nothing special, and I still was hungry after leaving the place. Owner and waiters kept on coming by and trying to sell wine. The waiter kept on mooching for a bigger tip after 15% was given. Stay away from this place. It's a waste of time, money, and food.

Pros: Can't think of any
Cons: BAD FOOD, BAD SERVICE, ANNOYING WAITERS AND OWNER, NEVER COMING BACK AGAIN

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Editor's Tips

11/14/11

Excellent Food and Service. Nuff Said.

by gregorygilmer

03/04/09

Great Spanish tapas and ambience

by sk1017

02/11/09

Exactly like stepping into a taverna in Madrid

by juanthefoodie

01/14/09

The best Spanish restaurant in town

by Sue73

12/31/08

Stay away from this place

by foodcritic711

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