The Bottom Line
Pros
- Ingredient/flavor combinations are unusual but absolutely divine.
- Prices are reasonable.
- Ambience is lovely, especially for outdoor dining in the warmer months.
- Live jazz wafts in from The Foundry next door on open terrace summer nights--a plus for jazz buffs.
Cons
- Portions are petite, in the tradition of nouvelle cuisine.
Description
- European size plates are a nice alternative for an evening of drinking and tapas.
- The foie gras (which rotates on the specials menu) is buttery and incredible.
- Dinner entrees are priced between $13 and $25, with the average main dish being about $16
- They are closed Mondays and open for dinner Tue.-Thu., 6 p.m.-12 a.m., Fri.-Sat., 6 p.m.-1 a.m.
- Order two glasses of any wine and they will open any bottle.
Guide Review - Review of Vinoteque on Melrose in Los Angeles
It’s not every day that you have the pleasure of giving a restaurant all five stars. If my experience at this European eaterie/wine bar was any indicator, Vinoteque on Melrose deserves every one of them.
From the moment you walk in through the narrow walkway, which recalls the outdoor eateries of Greece, your experience is full of enjoyable nuances. These include the charming candle-lit outdoor front dining area and the inside of the restaurant--whose window tables open up for al fresco eating. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly in the right way, adding to Vinoteque’s enchanting vibe.
The menu is filled with unusual dishes that include seemingly strangely paired flavors. There’s the watermelon salad with English cucumber, feta cheese, basil and EVO, and the halibut with roasted beets and horseradish ice cream, of all things. Be open to the creative selections and you will be amazed at how spot-on Vinoteque's culinary creators are with these ingenious combinations.
Some perfectly unforgettable dishes are the frisee salad of lardons and panko fried poached eggs, the braised short ribs with parsley puree, carrots and cippolinis, the bone marrow crostini with oxtail jam, and the supple salmon with sunchoke, spinach and pickled cherries.
The plates are small but I felt perfectly content without being stuffed, after dinner. I even had room for delicious desserts like the fabulous almond apricot cake with brown sugar ice cream and vanilla creme fraiche, and the thyme roasted peaches with pecan crunch and olive oil ice cream.
Vinoteque on Melrose
7469 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
310-860-6060
www.vinotequela.com
