Girasole

01/06/09

Fantastic food, service pretty good

by lisastitch at Citysearch

We often are just walk-ins here. Usually have to wait a few minutes, but not too bad. We avoid the popular times like Saturday nights. Once we actually made a reservation and had to wait about 10 minutes, which was annoying. But once you sit down, the waiters and servers are extremely nice and professional and don't rush you.

Everything we have ever eaten here has been fantastic. The food is simply delicious - the flavors come together wonderfully, every dish is perfectly executed.

One of our favorites.

• Pros: food, service
• Cons: sometimes need to wait for a table for a little bit, parking can be a challenge

A neighborhood Italian jewel dishes up authentic Venetian fare.

by Martha Burr at Citysearch

In Short
A chatty, hip mob crams into this narrow space, but fortunately a high ceiling and cascading lights enlarge the room. The menu of remarkably authentic Venetian trattoria fare includes plates of bresaola (dried cured beef) drizzled with olive oil and shavings of Parmesan. Pasta dishes include a seafood linguini sporting a tomato sauce and tender squid, clams and mussels. Veal scallopini is pounded tender and thin, and drenched in a lemony white wine sauce. Regulars still save room for tiramisu and the panna cotta.

02/02/08

The Manager Really Blew It

by Jacobknowsbest at Citysearch

My wife and I enjoy good service and part of good service is delivering expectations. We have a child and we pay a baby sitter to watch the child and so if we're told we can have a table at 7:30pm, it helps when the Manager / Host actually gives you a table in that time zone. In this case they made us wait for an hour and after buying a thirty dollar bottle of wine we were quite bummed to have to bag it and go home. The Manager apologized when I told them we couldn't wait any longer, but as far as I'm concerened she should have offered us a free meal in the future for the pain & suffering she inflicted on our starving bellies. In the meantime, we wasted 15 dollars on our baby sitter as well.

• Pros: looks good
• Cons: bad service

08/07/07

A New Yorker's Favorite in LA

by el9z at Citysearch

It took a friend in from New York who had owned Marta's, an Italian Restaurant in Manhattan to introduce this gem to me. I may not be Italian but I lived in Bologna for a year and loved the family atmosphere created in all of the restaurants no matter the price point. Girasole certainly captures the the sense of intimacy that family conjures. The BYOB policy is the icing on the cake to complement the soul satisfying meal. The simply superb food more than makes up for what the square footage lacks in space. It's perfect for a twosome or foursome but can get awkward for parties of more. The closeness of the tables allows for friendly chatter among guests if you wish to be adventuresome. Otherwise it lends itself to intimacy between you and your guest(s) . Added value: the BYOB opens the possibility of exposure to new and different wines introduced by your neighbors at the table next to you. The service here is personal and professional. The ambience is A+. Soft lighting, beautiful art on the walls, subtle yet makes a statement. I'd say everything about GIRASOLE is quaint, simply divine and so I take all my New York , Chicago, and San Francisco friends there. They love it and always want to return, so we do.

• Pros: The BYOB policy, parking, nearby entertainment,
• Cons: small so it fills up fast

05/23/07

Oh, Be still my Italian Heart!

by eveandadam at Citysearch

This place is the best little cafe ever. I am a New York Italian, stumbled on this jewel, went for dinner with my husband, and can't stop going back. It was wonderful, from the butternut squash soup to the BEST Osso Buco (and I know my Osso Buco, trust me) to dessert, nice that you can bring your own wines, great service, prices are fair, it is a must do if you want a nice, intimate delicious dinner.

• Pros: Delicious food, great service, good wine policy (byob)
• Cons: small, sometimes hard to get seated, especially on weekends

04/11/07

Authentic Italian Cuisine

by theelsons at Citysearch

A midpoint randevouze, we've been meeting our friends for lunch at Girasole regularly for several years. The service is professional and unobtrusive, the decor is pleasant, the food... divine! One member of our party is a frequent traveler to Italy and has nothing but the greatest praise for authenticity of preparation and quality of the fare. The restaurant is small, cozy, and immaculate. If your idea of Italian food is to be found at the Olive Garden you've come to the wrong place... anyone who tells you differently must be a competitor.

03/07/07

Pedestrian

by aj1marcan at Citysearch

Cozy=cramped. This place is tiny. If you don?t like having someone at another table on your elbow don?t bother. We?ve eaten there three times now as this is a halfway meeting point for friends in Silver Lake. It?s not bad food at all, but it?s average at best. I imagine it?s on par with Olive Garden. Service is good and it?s inexpensive.

• Pros: Inexpensive
• Cons: food not great, very tight quarters

01/30/07

Romantic and Quaint Neighborhood Italian.

by lovechow at Citysearch

After visiting only recently for my Husband's birthday, Girasole has taken on the title of being my favorite Italian restaurant in the Los Angeles area. The setting is evocative of the mediterranean while exuding the charm of a small neighborhood favorite. The Menu is appropriately extensive (something for everyone) and the food is perfect! An added bonus is the ability to bring your own bottle of wine to enjoy sans corkage fee. While I wouldn't choose to bring a large group here, I would most defnitely bring out of town guests or recommend Girasole for a romantic dinner. All in all, nothing was missing and everything was very well appointed. Reservations seem necessary on any night...

• Pros: Romantic and Delicious!
• Cons: Parking in Larchmont often crowded.

10/04/06

cute and cozy ristorante

by rcheng213 at Citysearch

this is one of my favorite places to go because one, the food is excellent. two, the ambiance is really cute and cozy, very much like a ristorante in little italy in NY. and three, you can bring your own wine (or alcohol) with no corkage fee! what more could one ask for other than a really good dinner date. =) they also have a "to die for" dessert called panne cote (sp??). this is definitely a must try kind of place.

• Pros: byo-wine
• Cons: small...so make reservations!

02/24/06

It's a great find!

by ladining at Citysearch

I tried three times but could not get a table. I finally made it today and could understand why this tiny Italian kitchen is always full. Food was of similar quality of that in high end ristorantes. Minestrone soup, liguinie with shrimps and diced tomatoes, tiramisu, cappuchino... all were delicous. Service was also very professional and friendly. Prices are pretty much in line with those in West Hollywood although it's just a family-run restaurant with minimal decoration. After all, it's a very pleasant experience. Bear in mind, the BYO policy (no corkage fee) is definitely an advantage!

• Pros: good food, good service, easy street parking
• Cons: tight space