Blue Velvet

08/19/2008 Posted by tysoncolby

These other reviewers are crazy! I went here with a group of friends for dinner and some drinks and the food were awesome along with our server was super nice. The decor is very trendy and upscale it kind of reminds me of NY. We had 7 in our party and I think I tasted the whole menu with not one thing tasting funny or over cooked like these other reviews state. Go for the stripped bass yum!

Pros: Food was very tasty, server was very nice, and very trendy

06/12/2008 Posted by jenheidir

If it’s raining outside, you’ll have much more fun staying at home than coming down to this place. Blue Velvet more or less turns transforms from a restaurant to a bar after 10 p.m., but when they can’t use the outdoor pool and fire pit area due to weather related reasons, the inside space isn’t well designed to allow for the flow of large crowds or to seat them. One reason to pick this place though over any of the other posh downtown bars interestingly enough is unisex bathrooms. The sinks are centered around a rock garden, and the faucets hang down from the ceilings. Drink prices are on par with other similar-styled bars in the city.

04/11/2008 Posted by JasonHK

I expected to taste a pretty darn good steak for 32 bucks. What I got was overcooked dry flavorless steak with chunks of fat all around it. It was comparable to the steak you can find at Denny's... My friend got the same rib eye steak and we both ended up sending it back. The lady manager there decided to charge 50% for the steak that my friend was picking at while he was waiting for the food to be taken back... She was really rude and did not know how to please her customers. I think that if a customer is not satisfied with something, it should be taken care of without a question. She was inspecting the plate with a knife trying to say it was half eaten. I was planning to have my b-day party there but not anymore... She ended up taking the 2 steaks off the bill after pretty much arguing with her and the other guy manager. My friend told them that we were going to have my b-day party there but with this kind of service and food, there is now way. And she had the audacity to tell us to go find somewhere else then. Other than the rude managers and the rib eye steak, the place was really nice. It took a long time to bring out the food as well when the place was empty.... hamachi and the salmon were pretty good though...

Pros: Ambience

Cons: Service

03/25/2008 Posted by vdcarson

It seems like it's a growing trend to find tasty appetizers and perfectly paired delicious wine, but sub standard entrees. This is the case with Blue Velvet. We did however, savor every bite of our delicious appetizers: from the freshness of the hamachi to the surprisingly delicate flavors of the butter lettuces and the robust taste of the braised bacon. The entrees were a great disappointment: a game hen that posed as unremarkable piece of chicken breast and a halibut dish with an imposing taste that seemed to overstay its welcome. We were given an impeccable tasting of desserts which included a russian tea cake, truffles, a mini chocolate cupcake and a melon marshmallow. The service was always gracious and the atmosphere, on a balmy Wednesday night, was delightful. Stay for the appetizers, wine and dessert, skip the entrees.

Pros: Appetizers, wine, service

Cons: Entrees

03/09/2008 Posted by llstudent

I'm a Grad Student living in the area and was invited here on a Saturday night for a friend's birthday get together. I loved the music - everything from Talib Kweli to David Guetta. It became very packed but the bartenders held their own, still diligently servicing their patrons. Patio area has a nice scene where you can gaze at the downtown skyline or sit near multiple fire pits and light up a smoke. Cons - I noticed the attire becoming "overly-casual" as the night went on and the crowd began to shift. All in all... good times.

02/11/2008 Posted by MelanieMMB

Worst dining experience ever. Recommended only for starry-eyed teenagers with no standards. (1) depsite reservation, waited more than 30 min before giving up and eating in bar. (2) once we gave up, still couldn't get waitress to stop by with any regularity. (3) waitress "totally, um, yeah, forgot" to put one of our orders in (steak) - but basically sprinted away after dropping off orders - we waited for a bit thinking she'd come back and then had to track her down to tell her. (4) when the missing steak came, it was bloody and cool to the touch (despite being ordered medium). (5) we had to track waitress down again - couldn't even find her, manager had to take care of it. (6) we split bill across cards and she still charged the whole amount (a few hundred dollars) to one person - so we had to find the manager again. (7) manager agreed to waive that person's share, but the waitress disagreed. She demanded that the affected person still pay the share and told him that if he didn't, she would still charge his card for the full amount - so, of course, we had to find the manager AGAIN. (8) unisex bathrooms are filthy - apparently men who eat at blue velvet can't aim. (9) bad neighborhood - our cars came back ok, but if the valets are street parking, I sure wouldn't count on it. UPSHOT: Overall, the food is decent but the service is so abhorrent that it overshadows it. I would never return, but the cluster of girls in their late teens/early 20s taking pictures of themselves in from of the cool sinks in the bathroom seemed to love it.

Pros: Food is ok (though pricey)

Cons: HORRIBLE SERVICE, sketchy area

12/01/2007 Posted by breconbeacons

I went here with some trepidation after reading the other reviews. I was taking a friend for her birthday before we went to the theatre, so the complaints of slow service had me worried. We got the tasting menu of 9 courses (I figured this would solve any worries about the server dissappearing or the portions being too small to fill us up). The server checked with the chef to make sure this could be accommodated within our 2 hour window. In short, everything was great. Our glasses were kept full, the courses kept coming, and it was a great way to try dishes I never would have ordered off of the regular menu. And the desert course was the largest, which was a great way to end the meal. The server gave us time checks as we got close to when we needed to leave, so I was very satisfied. Yes, the meal was very expensive, but I would recommend the tasting menu for a special occasion experience.

Pros: ambience, food quality

Cons: valets not at stand, price

11/23/2007 Posted by ondar

Blue Velvet is rebellious by nature which is great. An apartment/hotel that houses a top/hip/chic lounge and bar set amidst a soon to be redeveloped north side of Downtown L.A. Having drinks here with the cool L.A. skyline in the background is slick. Service is outstanding in the mellow darkness of the lounge area with ample plush seating and Dan who is a true mixologist and knows how to treat his clientele. Bartenders come and go but when one treats you and your crew very well, you remember and return. Great service and a unique product is how few but well known Los Angeles classics like La Boheme, Vinoteca, El Carmen and now Blue Velvet become classics in the L.A. "too cool for school", poor service period of today. For discerning patrons who have loads of style but strive for something new and very edgy - attack your fun and libations at Blue Velvet. Must valet park - no worries. Cheers! O

10/03/2007 Posted by leparisienne

For a restaurant with bourgeoise prices, the food is actually gourmet; the service is friendly (from both female and male servers); and the place has a great relaxing vibe (or maybe that was one too many of the speakeasy drinks I had and hence cannot be named). The kitchen is a little slow, so order an appetizer but the time spent waiting is worth the quality of the meal. My girlfriends and I met on a Friday evening for happy hour drinks and dinner. Happy hour is slow, no one is there but us and some people having a very early dinner (think 5:30 pm). After dinner, we hung out near the pool when more people showed up but it never gets uncomfortably crowded. The crowd is mixed, old, young, professional -- you name it, they're there.

Pros: Relaxing, friendly service

Cons: Expensive

09/17/2007 Posted by adamcoleman

One of my fave spots in LA. Highly recommend this place if you have the chance! Their cuisine is phenominal and the atmosphere is very chic and warm.

Pros: Everything

Cons: parking