Dakota at the Roosevelt Hotel

05/13/2008 Posted by TrueAngelino

The new team at Dakota has turned the place around. I eat there about three times a month the bartenders are amazing the servers friendly however sometimes a little pushy but non the less the food has been consistant and delicious. Seasoned perfectly and served hot! Great Job.

Pros: Ambience, Quality of product used

03/19/2008 Posted by ilovetoeatinla

I eat at Dakota quite often; in fact, almost once a month. However, this is the first time I have been compelled to write a review. The food is fantastic and the service is equally as good. I feel sad for the guest who felt that his/her server was pushy and snobby. The guest was obviously just having a bad day and went in with a chip on the shoulder because anyone who frequently dines at steakhouses would know how to spell bearnaise. Anyway, I always find the service to be consistently top notch and almost comparable to NY service, not exactly but close compared to most Los Angeles restaurants. My most recent visit was last week. After being in New York on business for 10 days I just wanted to come home, relax, and have Dakota. I started with the Heirloom Tomato salad with watermelon and fromage blanc, which was incredible. As always the Ribeye was FANTASTIC, however the server suggested combining the, ahem, Bearnaise sauce with the Red Wine Bordelaise, another OUTSTANDING suggestion from him. He was very informative, knowledgeable, and charming as well. I had never tried the Fingerling potatoes before but he assured me I would enjoy them and I did. I skipped dessert and opted for an espresso instead since I still had work to finish up. The only quam I had was that my espresso arrived in a coffee cup and not a demitasse cup. The server personally apologized for the coffee cup letting me know that he searched all over the building for one and even promised to bring his own the next time I eat there, which made me smile and remember why I enjoy Dakota so much.

Pros: Food, Service, Atmosphere, Lighting, Design

Cons: Music, Broken Tables

02/18/2008 Posted by epicuriousla

So, I ended up at Dakota by accident. No really. It was only after I agreed to dinner at "The Roosevelt" did it dawn on me. But let me tell you, had I been offered the chance to think about it, I probably would have declined, and that would have been a mistake. Very rich atmostphere, deep chocolate tones, low light, very romantic. Unfortunately, I do not feel like our server matched the quality of the establishment. She was a little snobby, and it sort of set the tone for the rest of the meal. I've never worked as a server, so I don't know what goes on behind the scenes (I have an idea) but, after initially discussing the "a la carte" style of the sides, and suggesting that we share (there were three of us), she didn't even let us finish ordering before she mentioned the sides again. I found that to be a little pushy, and condecending - we heard the first time thankyouverymuch. And it's not like I've never been to a steak house before, and nice ones at that: Ruth's Chris - check, Capital Grille - check. After we all ordered, sides incld., she feined deep concern for our growing appetities by suggesting a salad because it was going to take the food a while to arrive. I'm glad we fought that one off- the food was certainly not too long to arrive, and we had plenty of it. So, about the food - amazing! It pretty much made up for the attitude! My medium 6 oz filet was "like butta," just incredible!! Tender, flavorful. I had the bernaise, yea, the texture combo was perfect. Mixed Mushroom side was equally amazing, tender, delicious sauce; not sure what was it in other than it must includea narcotic. Poached asparagus was perfectly done and fresh. We did get fries, which always seems like a good idea, but we did it to ourselves - not amazing in any way, shape or form, don't do it. Total waste. Overall, I was so taken with my filet and it's overall quality, I would recommend this place to those looking for a special evening, and I too would return.

Pros: Incredible food and atmostphere

Cons: Slightly pushy, snooty server

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

02/18/2008 Posted by ggriffitts

This is a beautiful restaurant in a great location. The wait staff is attentive, but the bartenders have a little too much attitude. This restaurant should stick to what they do well - STEAKS. I made the huge mistake of ordering the Lamb Duo. It was basically three toothpicks stuck in a Vienna Sausage for $36. It was disgusting - the chef should be ashamed of such a horrible entree display for such a ridiculous price. Also, stay away from the fancy appetizers and stick to the basics. Avoid anything with " tar tar" in the description, but go with anything with "wedge". These guys have a chance to do great, but they better avoid the stuff they don't do well (the LAMB for example). Beware of Lindsay Lohan sightings at the valet - you may never get out of the parking lot.

09/03/2007 Posted by rc5247

Great steak, great service, fantastic.Our steaks were perfectly cooked, apps were excellent. This is one of the better restaurants in LA for the money.

Pros: food,service,prompt seating

Cons: none

05/14/2007 Posted by elisehwall

The interiors of Dakota are warm and inviting. We were seated promptly at a booth with deep seating and low backs. The lighting was not too low and the acoustics were comfortable. Our server was pleasant and was not annoyed when we asked too many questions and for our picture to be taken over and over! We started with the crab cakes and seared ahi tuna. The crab cakes were interesting where the cake was accompanied by a layered crab "cake" with a base layer of onion gelee. All the dishes are ordered individually and we shared the asparagus and truffle fries, both delicious. I ordered the beef filet which was prepared perfectly by the chef. We of course had to order desert as well! The chocolate bars were very rich but the fruit medley tart was to die for! I can not wait to go back!!

Pros: Food, Interiors, Location

01/27/2007 Posted by agalstia

We went there on a Friday night and the place was half-empty. We were surprised to see this, since most restaurants of that level (i.e. Mastro's) are bustling at that time. However, we sat down since we were such a large group. The ambiance of the hotel is very pleasant, it's slightly dim, the chairs are cushioney and comfortable, yet, the design is very chic and classy. We ordered the tuna tartare as an appetizer and it was absolutely delicious. The side orders we had included the truffle fries, truffle mac n cheese, onion rings, and green beans. All of them were delicious! However, the quality of the main courses were very poor. A few of us ordered the black cod and the waitress asked how we would like the fish cooked. I have been to a great deal of restaurants (even more sophisticated than Dakota) and found this question to be quite odd. However, I just said I wanted it cooked the normal way--which the waitress suggested was medium well for fish. As it turned out, the fish was VERY undercooked, raw, and gooey. It was not flaky as cod should be, and so we asked them to take it back and recook it. When it came back out, it was only slightly better, but still pretty raw. It pretty much tasted like sushi. For dessert, we ordered the chocolate soufflee and apple cobbler. The chocolate souffle was pretty good, but apple cobbler was way too sweet. Overall, I don't think the small portion sizes and quality of food at Dakota justify their extremely high price point. If we wanted an expensive steakhouse, we'd just go to Mastro's, as their portion size and quality are totally legit for the reasonably high prices they charge.

Pros: ambience, service

Cons: portion size, prices, food preparation

10/13/2006 Posted by mytzplyx

Useful information for you based on my experiences: Valet = $12 Average steak price = $35-40 Quality of steak = Top notch. The rib-eye is the best. Size of steak = big Appetizers? = Foix gras is excellent, but not worth the $25 b/c the portion is very very small. Most of the other appetizer portions are also tiny and really not worth the price. Sauces = Get the dakota steak sauce. It is very very good. Drinks = good drinks, good mixes.

Pros: Steak quality and size. Appetizer quality. Service. Ambiance.

Cons: Appetizer sizes.

09/10/2006 Posted by sanjays

I have been to the Dakota a few times in the last few months and am always impressed. I eat out for work frequently and am familar with many expense account restauraunts this is one of the few where there is both a calm, comfortable atmosphere where you can have a good conversation, excellent food, good service and a great scene. I only wish they had private room for small parties.

Pros: Great food and scene

Cons: A congested area that makes it difficult to reach the restauraunt

09/10/2006 Posted by perkapita

Between myself and my guest we sampled a few sides, the lamb, steak, and salads. The meat was like 'buttah!', both lamb and beef. Just fantastic. Asparagus a -little- overcooked, but the salads, etc., and esp. the truffle/parmesian fries...yummy! My guest really loved her wine (and she knows about these things); and I drank happily at their 'well'. Drinks not amazing, but just fine. The thing about this place is...the -service-. That's where they really shine. As this is a 'hot spot' and you could expect a little attitude, a little aloofness, but not even close. From the reservations girl to the hostess, to the waiter, the 'bread boy' - everyone was friendly, informed and on-the-spot. No waitiing around for that cup of ice or extra whatever. You asked, they brang, and happily. It was absolutely refreshing for some of the higher end restaurants we frequent. Meal for two (with 20+% tip), closing in on $300. The entrees are delicious, but the sides are priced seperately and the drinks are not cheap. Still, a very happy experience and we'll be going again! Highly recommended. (One caveat: it is noisy. The seating is comfortable and intimate, but there's a lot going on around you. If you want quiet and romantic this may not be your place.)

Pros: great food, excellent service, old hollywood new again!

Cons: noisy, a little pricey.