11/04/09

Great service, atmosphere and food!

by mussermusic

My husband and I love this restaurant! The owners, Frank and Regina, are wonderful hosts and truly care about their business and the happiness of their customers. It is pricey but worth every penny, so we go there when we can. We have always had great service and the food is delicious! They also have wonderful live music that is not too loud for a small space. The atmosphere is red-very romantic and well maintained. We highly recommend it!!!

• Pros: everything is good-and they have great live music
• Cons: It is small but great for intimate, romantic dinner

07/02/09

Spanish Getaway in Playa del Rey!

by vnessa563

Inside, is a romantic, festive, and amazing little gem hidden in Playa del Rey. The wine and dessert (bread pudding and panna cotta especially!) will never disappoint. The owners are nothing but completely helpful and at your disposal, whether is mulling over a wine choice, or making after work idle chit-chat. Great to go with girlfriends to wind down after work, or on a date. Weekends are busier with an amazing musical duo that transfer you from a little beach side town to a Spanish getaway.

05/16/09

Don't Miss This Restaurant!

by CCScott

One of greater LA's best kept secrets, this Playa del Rey gem offers an intimate and sensual atmosphere, a stellar wine list, excellent service, and an enlightened menu that will make regular guests out of first-timers. With Picasso inspired decor and bossa nova ambiance, the world of Minotaure is the perfect cure for the less romantic rituals of city living.

03/19/09

Minotaure Shines

by celascott

One of greater LA's best kept secrets, this Playa del Rey gem offers an intimate and sensual atmosphere, a stellar wine list, excellent service, and an enlightened menu that will make regular guests out of first-timers. With Picasso inspired decor and bossa nova ambiance, the world of Minotaure is the perfect cure for the less romantic rituals of city living.

06/30/08

Could Have Been Better

by m_raven415

At a friend's recommendation, our group of five went to this restaurant on a Saturday night. My first impression is that the restaurant was small but cozy. It has a great atmosphere. It was not that crowded so we were seated right away. Since there were 5 of us we each ordered a different dish to share. The reason why this place only got a 3 from me was that their chicken was not good, we ended up eating barely half of that dish. However the salmon was delicious. Their sausage was decent, nothing to rave about. The salad was nice and fresh. We also had their sangrias and that was good also. Another factor that contributes to the 3 star was the price.

I boost it up to 4 stars because they have a live singer at such a small place, adding to the great atmosphere.

• Pros: Great atmosphere
• Cons: The chicken, price

06/20/08

Wonderful food at this hidden gem

by alirg

The atmosphere is very romantic with the red boas hanging over the bar, and the dining room is particularly intimate. The service is UNPARALLELED, as the waitresses here not only listen to what kind of wine you want, but also bring you samples of their favorites as well, enthusiastically hoping you'll find a perfect fit. Not only that, but the food is DELICIOUS. The Swordfish and Shrimp Ceviche is one of the tastiest dishes i've EVER had. There was also a singer singing classic covers one night, which made the atmosphere that much more special.

• Pros: Service, Food, Atmosphere, Romantic
• Cons: none that i can think of

05/28/08

best kept secret in Playa

by amandajet

I must have passed this place a thousand times and never noticed it. My girlfriend and I decided to try it on a Thursday night and we were so pleasantly surprised. First there was live music which I would have never imagined to work in such a small space but the singer and guitar player were very good and very comfortable playing to such a small crowd. Our server was excellent and fun and she suggested a white wine, which we tasted before we ordered it, that was amazing! We ordered a few tapas, the dates and the bacon shrimp were very good and the lamb and sea food special that were recomended were to die for! The owners took us to the back of the restaurant to see the view and made us feel at home. Overall, we had a great, memorable experience.

• Pros: Unique experience
• Cons: A little pricy

04/15/08

Everything is SO good!

by cindybanescu

What a great spot to frequent with colleagues, close friends, and family! The service has been exceptional each time we have dined, and the food always fresh and flavorful! The ambiance is enjoyable and intimate.

The hosts know their wines and menu items to a T! I have recommended The Minotaure to many of my friends and family and will continue doing so.

The salads, appetizers, and meals are all so good - the other night I tried a new special - a chicken picatta, packed with flavor, chunkie spring veggies, and tasty cous cous which I have never really cared much for in the past, but this dish came out steaming hot and was yummy to the last bite!

A wonderful cappucino and bread pudding was shared for dessert and was an aditional compliment to the evening.

I look forward to going more often this summer!

• Pros: Great parking after 6 p.m.

01/22/08

Great Tapas Restaurant

by vivaelpaz

Minotaure was recommended by friends of ours. Wow, what a find! We were greeted warmly by the hosts/owners and made feel really welcomed. Although they were rather busy our waitress took the time to explain the menu and specials to us. They have a very fine wine list and their wine recommendations were right on. We tried 4 different tapas (for the two of us); they were all delicious but the paella valenciana must be one of the best we ever had. Minotaure has a lovely atmosphere and pays a lot of attention to details. We were surprised, being entertained by live music without a cover charge; a duo of Spanish flamenco guitarist made us feel like we are on vacation in Spain. As we were first-timers the owner offered us a dessert on the house; never thought bread-pudding can taste that good. The outstanding dishes, graceful service and warm atmosphere made it an incredible dinning experience. We definitely will be back and bring friends and family along.

• Pros: Great food, live music, romantic, great wine selection and service
• Cons: make your reservation early

01/14/08

worst restaurant experience ever!

by auroramirablis

wow - this was the worst evening i have had in a very long time. the service was terrible, the food - when it showed up - was plain, and the ambience was very "boudoir" (we watched table after table use a flashlight to read the menu! yes, we had lots of spare time waiting for service and food) we got the wrong dish, several times - were never asked if we wanted more water, and we ended up sitting there waiting for food to come out one dish at a time (doesn't work for a table of 8 when there are only 5 items on a plate). oh, and if you are a vegetarian or vegan eater don't even bother walking through the door. what few veggie-friendly dishes they offer are all made from the same ingredients and the vegetable paella doesn't even have safron in it! we were told towards the end of our stay that they were short staffed that night, but the owners did not make up for it and bringing out the wrong dishes has nothing to do with being short staffed. oh and don't bother with the bread pudding or flan - neither dish had any flavor at all.

the entertainment was excellent (guest singer), but unfortunately she did not make up for the terrible service and boring food.

• Pros: lots of street parking
• Cons: cramped space, can't hear conversation, slow service, inaccurate service, flavorless food