Best Restaurants that are Worth The Drive in Echo Park

We've dined at the original Civico in San Diego before, and were excited to try their new location in Los Angeles and bring along our close friends who are vegan to test their vegan menu as well. To no surprise, their food was absolutely perfect, and on a rainy day the ambiance, wine, and flavors were cozy, friendly, and we didn't feel rushed to scarf down our meal and move along. The textures of the vegan cheeses were all divine, and the tiramisu (which we put head-to-head) were both to die for.

We were the 1st to arrive at 5pm when they open and it was great, because our original seating was by the door and we were able to scoot over to the window view, which was better for our comfort. So glad we were accommodated. It was my dad's 84th birthday celebration and he wanted to have an unforgettable Veal Parmigiana. Every review had pointed to Rao's and I know my dad loves huge portions. So when the meal came, I could just see my dad's eyes light up! We ordered the stuffed mushroom and Vegetables for the Day and chose Broccolini. All was prepared spectacularly. Tasty, hot and just the right portion to split with my family of 4 all together. Our server was the best, so gracious and when I asked if we could put his birthday cake in the fridge, they later brought it out with candles lit and dishes to serve the cake and sang my dad his birthday song. We got coffees that were out of this world delicious. Went perfect with our cake. I highly recommend Rao's for any lifetime celebration, but even for a lovely dinner, we will be back. My niece ordered the Carbonara and said it was the best she has ever had.

Overrall, great experience, flower package was a plus for anniversary celebration

I took my mom here for her birthday who is half Japanese and she had a wonderful time! We all really enjoyed experiencing flavors that were unique and fun to share with each other. We all ordered the omakase and ordered the almonds and chinmi separately. Maybe the only ding in the experience was the servers mispronounced omakase, which was weird considering it's a high-end Japanese restaurant. They don't put the emphasis on "ma", rather they make it sound like kamikaze which is off-putting at the ordering stage. I loved the Grilled California Holstein Beef Strip the most. It was so simple to look at, but the flavor of the beef with the salt crystals was divine. Loved the fresh seaweed shot with grapes! This made all of us say Wow! The omakase came with a mackerel sushi roll which wasn't on the menu, but it was a flavor bomb. The steamed rice was beautiful with the pork jowl. I could eat that rice on its own though! The miso soup was super tasty! I would skip the shiitake tempura but it's part of the omakase. Too oily, don't eat the whole thing. The new katsu with wagyu beef is a huge amount of food. My mom ate 1/4 of it and had to take the rest home, but my boyfriend ate the whole thing! The cocktails were fantastic, along with the sake pairings throughout our meal. The bartender was stellar. Loved the Yuzu Reviver (vodka) and the Old Fashioned. We left feeling full and satisfied, but not stuffed. It was all delicious! Expect a 2 1/2 hour delectable experience! Enjoy!

Worth a visit for breakfast whether you're shopping the LA Flower Mart or not! I changed up and went with the shrimp n grits. The grits were better than most in town and the dish was flavor-packed! I could go for more grits in the serving though. My date had the crab benedict which she loved, with the exception of the biscuit. I had to agree, it was a little too dense. You can't miss with the chicken and waffles here. I also tried the Rose Mojito for the first time and the second time, lol! Really good, so be careful!