Taste on Melrose

We chose Taste based upon their reasonable appetizer menu. For a bottle of wine, 3 appetizers, and service it was under $70. The fries were more like potato chip strips, as they were super thin, but long like a fry. The crabcakes were better than most of the ones we've tried at some of LA's best seafood restaurants, seared crispy but not burnt on the two faces, the center was all crab (not googey or crumbling apart - perfect consistency), and zesty with red pepper. Two are served on a mini bed of arugula with a healthy dallop of sauce. The grilled artichoke could have been zestier (garlic?) or carmelized on the grill longer, but it was still cooked fine and fun to eat. Our server was attentive, we'll definitely be back.

Pros: street parking after 7

Cons: outdoor noise on patio

Posted 08/13/06

We went here for brunch on sunday; at first I thought the menu was pretty limited, but our eyes jumped right over to the "favorite salad" (we ordered it with chicken) and the breakfast panini. Little did we know that each of us also got a complimentary appetizer (and these were very sizable portions) - roasted tomato soup (the best I've had), fruit salad (perfectly ripe fruit), or mixed greens. The food that we ordered arrived promptly and the portions were huge - the panini was over stuffed and served with country potatoes; and everything about the salad was sooooo delicious. Really the best meal I've had in a casual restaurant. Oh yeah, and their bread was delish too.
The staff was attentive, yet not overbearing.
Overall, a really really nice place (can't wait to go back for dinner).

Pros: Great food, normal prices

Cons: Parking's limited

Posted 07/31/06

We got there at 5 on a weekday and it was empty. We really didn't need a reservation at all, but I imagine later at 7 or so it's busy. The portions are large, the menu items are inventive. It wasn't as cozy as I expected from the outside. It is not dressy as it may appear from the pictures but instead casual and gourmet.

The food is delicious. The mushroom risotto that came with my salmon would have been an excellent meal by itself. If you like Hot Chocolate don't miss the entire Hot Chocolate menu!

Pros: sides, hot chocolate menu

Cons: industrial

Posted 06/22/06

I decided to give it a try since this place had a great rating.
Its a nice little place but food? food here is not like any other places. it does taste different. but I don't think I will ever go back.

Pros: ambiance

Posted 04/26/06

Every weekend I go to brunch and try new places, but I think Taste has been my absolute favorite as far as quality of food and price. I went with my boyfriend and our friend who does restaurant PR and we all agreed it is the best kept secret in LA. The brunch comes with a starter of soup, fruit, or salad and every selection on the menu sounded as good as it tasted. The homemade ketchup was excellent for out breakfast panini and roasted potatoes. Seeing the cloth napkins, we were expecting an outrageous bill but for three people we got out of there for under $40, and not the least bit hungry. But best part...there were plenty of open tables, unlike the scene in front of Doughboys, Toast, or The Griddle where you can wait for an hour for a restaurant that doesn't hold a candle to Taste.

Pros: service, no wait, price

Cons: no pets, even outside

Posted 04/11/06

My friends and I stopped by on Sunday for Brunch and I have to say that it was truly the best time we have had at a restaurant in awhile. The banana french toast with nutella was fantastic as well as the crab cake benedict. I loved the food, the prices and the atmosphere!!!!!! The servers were friendly and attentive!! Will be back every sunday!

Pros: Food, quality, service

Posted 04/10/06

My wife and I were looking for someting different to eat as we always like to try new restraunts. We stumbled apon Taste on melrose ave and had one of the best night's out we have had for a long time. The restraunt had a great atmoshphere, even though we did not have a reservation we were seated after a drink at the bar. The staff were very friendly at attentive to our needs. we started the meal off with a grilled artichoke and ahi tuna, very delicious i could of ordered it again. My wife had the salmon with risoto which she is still raving about and i the short ribs, one of there top sellers our attentive British waiter told us. We finished the meal off with a berry cobbler. The best meal out we've had for a longtime and great value. We will be going back.

Pros: great service, inexpensive, great atmosphere

Posted 04/06/06

The food is mediocre at best. But it is cheap for WEHO neighborhood. We started the night with your basic, standard starters -- calamari fritti and pomme frites. Not sure how they can get fries wrong, but our orders came out soggy. Perhaps they were sitting around in the kitchen too long....My halibut main course was decent, but my BF's penne was too salty. When we mentioned it to the waiter, he just shrugged. Next time, I'd rather eat at cafe at the Fred Segal for a fraction of the cost.

Pros: Cheap, Nice environment, Not crowded

Cons: Boring menu, Obnoxious service

Posted 03/29/06

I do not get the hype...
Ove crowded, noisy and service lacking. My husband had to ask for water 3-4 times before we got it

Pros: food

Cons: noise, service

Posted 03/17/06

Visited LA from SF and chose Taste based on reviews here. Needed a romantic spot for a special occasion within my moderate travel budget. My expectations were exceeded. Salmon was average but risotto was outstanding. Short Ribs GOOOD. Food came out superfast, and waiter was both attentive and helpful recommending wine and a local bar. Would recommend to those looking for upscale comfort food or date spot.

Pros: Romantic, Value, Good dishes

Cons: none

Posted 03/06/06

Had a nice weekday lunch with my girlfriend yesterday. Came as they exactly opened, so obviously seated asap. Tried the much-reviewed salmon spring roll- yum. The salmon is very mild, and they fried the wrappers just right. The caprese sandwich was so-so but the fries were awesome. The ahi tuna appetizer was really tasty, too. My friend had the penne - really creamy. The service was really attentive, the only problem was that it seemed there was only 1 waiter for the whole place, so wait for the food was a little longer than usual. Parking is easy during the day (lots of metered parking). 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, 1 dessert, 2 drinks pre-tip only came out to $63.

Pros: Great Food, Easy Parking, Nice Atmosphere

Cons: Can Get Slow

Posted 03/01/06

I used to love Taste, and I used to be a regular. But the last couple of times I have gone, the food just not what it used to be. My beloved romaine salad was a bit charred, my friend's tomato basil soup was inedible, the short ribs were tender and flavorful, but a very heavy dish with the goopy potatoes, and my pork chop dish was downright bad. The meat was tough and dry, the mac n' cheese sidedish was burned on top and dry throughout (with not a hint of truffle flavor as advertised) and the greens were salty. I hope whatever has gone awry will soon be fixed. Until then, Taste is not on my dining list, sorry to say.

Pros: Location

Cons: Food quality has gone down. Menu always the same.

Posted 02/17/06

I went there for Valentines.
Food was really good,especially the raspberry champagne.
It was a bit of wait even with reservation ,maybe cause it was a holiday.
Good ambience

Pros: Good Food

Cons: Wait

Posted 02/17/06

Taste has good food for good prices. The dim lighting makes it romantic and chic. Friendly wait staff. I don't like trendy places where people like to be seen and this is not one of them.

Pros: value, ambiance, creative menu

Posted 02/14/06

We were looking for a romantic night out and we got one. Definitely make reservations because the place was packed, but still nice and romantic since we ate on the patio. The food was amazing. I've never had such good food come out of the kitchen so quickly. The wine was a bit pricey, but I kind of expected that. We're definitely going back.

Pros: food, service, atmosphere

Cons: price

Posted 02/10/06

The atmosphere is what really makes this place. The food is quite good, and the service is fine for L.A. The ravioli is excellent, and they have a decent wine list. Nice for a romantic dinner.

Posted 02/09/06

I went on a Monday and it was pretty quiet. The ambience was nice, and the food was good! The wine deal was the best! On Monday nights, the bottles of wine are half off which I think is huge! We had a pizzetta with gorgonzola that was good and I had the salmon which was pretty good. My friends had the steak and they enjoyed it as well. I would definitely go back!

Pros: Monday wine deal, food, cute ambience

Posted 02/09/06

Always on the lookout for a new eatery, we thought "Taste" might be a good choice. While the food was pretty good, the service was off. We had barely sat down when we were repeatedly asked what we wanted to eat and or drink. With the arrival of the main course, we told our waiter that we felt a little rushed since we just finished our appetizers and had barely sat down 20 minutes ago. She was proud of her efficiency. To make a long story short if you are in a rush and want to eat your food really fast, you should go there. But you could do that at McDonalds for a lot less money as well.. :(

Cons: tight seating, rushed

Posted 02/01/06

All the people that complained about the service seemed to have gone during dinner/peak hours. You can expect service to be slightly worse during those times of the day. I went during lunch with a friend on a weekday. There weren't that many people, and we were seated promptly. Service was great, constant refills, the manager came over to us several times to check on us. I had a fettucini caprese(ok) and my friend had a beef tenderloin pizetta (delish.) Food wasn't too pricy, most of the items were under 15, and our bill came to 30 bucks, including 2 drinks. Not too bad. And I forgot to mention my friend and I were in very casual (jeans, t-shirt) clothing and they still treated us very well.

Pros: service, food, ambience

Posted 01/30/06

I finally had a chance to try this new restaurant which did not let me down. Service was very good, food was tasty and it came in big portion - good deal as a whole. The beef tenderloin pizzetta was delicious and so did the creamy mushroom risotto. The devil cake was also perfectly done. It's a very enjoyable evening.

Pros: tasty food, good service, nice decor

Posted 01/15/06

The food was bland, and for the price, I expect a little flavor. The service was great. My party of 4 was seated right away on a Thursday night. The wine was pretty good, but both my guests and I were bummed out by the food. My roommate and I love Ago, but Taste is closer to our apartment so we thought we'd give it a shot. Not so good. I'll wear flats and make the treck to Ago. I live two blocks a way from Taste, but I don't think I'll be back for anything other than a glass of wine.

Pros: Decor, Friendly Staff, Neighborhood spot

Cons: TasteLESS food, Pricey

Posted 12/12/05

First, I do have to mention a point about a previous review of this restaurant. It's always amazing to me how people in LA yack and yack about waiting for 30 minutes for a table. I wonder if some LA'ers have ever been to other large cities. The Only town I have lived in where people expect to be seated immediately and not wait for 15-30 minutes is LA. Try NYC! or Chicago!! yikes...30 minutes is a blessing. Drinks at the bar....it's great. Have fun! Don't rush!
Anyway, this restaurant has amazing decor, great service, and the food is very well done. It is nice to find a restaurant that adds a little flair to American cuisine. I wouldn't miss the covered patio or close romantic setting. Don't miss this one...even for 30 minutes.

Pros: Decor, Food, Ambiance

Posted 11/10/05

unfortunatley, my evening at Taste got off to a bad start having made reservations for 8:15 on a wednesday night and not being sat untill 8:45. after finally sitting at our table, the slow service continued. our waiter was below average, at best. the chicken dish i ordered was good, not great. even though the decor is quite beautiful, i will not not be returning to what i consider a very mediocre retaurant.

Pros: decor

Cons: service

Posted 10/06/05

My friends and I gave Taste a try and we had a fantastic experience. Our server was very kind, and when offering tips on the wine list he wasn't pushing a pricey bottle, but recommended his favorite, which was absolutely tasty and reasonable. We felt comfortable and welcome. He was very attentive throughout the entire evening and the ladies at the table especially enjoyed his Irish accent. The menu is divided into two large sections: starters and entrees. For starters, we ordered the heirloom tomato and mozzarella salad and the pear and caramelized onion pizzetta. For our entrees, we chose the special of the night, which was halibut, and the Chopped Roasted Chicken Salad. I would order all of those again. We finished with the desert sampler and loved every bite. Everything we selected was terrific and reasonably priced. We had no complaints the entire evening and really enjoyed ourselves.

Pros: Reasonably priced, Great menu

Posted 09/21/05

Well I went there for my birthday and had a mixed time. We arrived at 6:30 to an empty house which is fine. And it did fill up as time progressed. The problem is that our server, as he got busier, became more and more negligent in his duties. Our dinner was more or less complete inside of 45 minutes and then we waited for 30 minutes for dessert. The food was good albeit not exceptional and the portions large. The manager was good enough to take care of our dessert for the long delay but it is not a large restaurant and the waiter was a little flakey. I would venture to say he was hired for the wrong reason.

Pros: Good portions, not expensive, great decor

Cons: bad service

Posted 09/20/05

Worth every penny, and you do not need many! The food was amazing and the decor was very comfortable and stylish. Our server was a bit slow, but management made up for it. We were very please and can not wait to go back for more!

Pros: Food, Decor, Price

Cons: Service

Posted 09/20/05

My girlfriend and I ate at Taste for the first time last night. We were seated quickly (around 9pm on a Friday night) and service was friendly and prompt. We had a special of heirloom tomatoes & fresh mozzarella, then a chicken salad and rigatone pasta. While everything was very good, the rigatone was a real standout - and I really don't even like pasta that much! The decor is nicely done, but the restaurant is a little cramped, especially inside. It's nice to sit outside, even more so because they DO NOT permit smoking on the patio - how pleasant!

Pros: everything was good

Posted 08/27/05

"taste" is such a nice and surprising addition to the west melrose restaurant scene... no attitude, delicious and satisfying food in a really lovely setting, all at good prices (even the wine list!)... what more could we hope for? last night's special caprese of heirloom tomatoes was worth the trip alone. do make reservations... there's more than one reason both seatings were full here on a thursday night, with guests lingering after dessert. i almost felt badly for those waiting on the sidewalk outside... go and enjoy!

Pros: great value, lovely place, satisfying food

Posted 08/12/05

Expectations were high but Taste dissapointed on several levels. Despite being extremely hot, our waiter was mostly unattentive. Busboys did all the legwork. And really, the food was just okay. The braised wine shortrib lacked any complexity. My boyfriend had the duck...it was good but we have had much better. I suppose the pricing is competitive but it's not superbly cheap as other reviewers would have you think. Entrees are $16-20, everything a la carte. Great ambience but we won't be going back, just b/c there are too many other places to explore.

Pros: ambience, hot waitstaff

Cons: bland, slow service

Posted 08/09/05

I had an expense account dinner here for 3 people and even though I wasn't paying for it I still felt swindled. The problem is that this restraunt was highly rated so I went in with big expectations. Well there is no way that this place deserves a 9.4 rating.

We tried 3 different wines by the glass and each one was worse than the last. The service was great but food was uninspired.

Posted 07/01/05

had a great time at Taste. service was great, food was better and the prices the best. the salmon rolls with the spicy, sweet sauce were awesome and i don't even like salmon. were were a group of 5 and we all ordered different dishes to try it out. all were tasty except that the spicy, garlic shrimp with blood oranges should've been called just orange shrimp. ended with this chocolate cake desert layered with caramel, whipped cream, nuts, banana and ice cream that sounded way too sweet, but was not at all. very good dining experience overall!

Pros: food, ambience, price

Cons: corkage fee

Posted 06/12/05

I happened into this place in my neighborhood a couple of months ago when they were just beginning to put this place together. After learning that the guy opening this place was the son of Cathy Halter I became immediately excited. She is the Executive Chef and has two of her own places on the Island of Kauai. I eat at no other place when I'm on the Island. She really understand flavor, and I can't think of a more perfect name than "Taste" for her new menu. Additionally, they have hired a woman who has many years of experience with one of the big restaurant companies to run they place. I can walk to the place from my house and I've been about twice a week on average since they've been open. BRAVO!

Pros: Great Menu, Terrific Value, Good Service

Posted 06/06/05

Gotta Try!! Although it's a new restaurant and working out its kinks, you HAVE to try. The pizzettas are great to share and the red wine chuck roast is wonderful. The spicy garlic shrimp was good but a tad bit on the bland side. enjoy!!

Pros: Food, Service, Ambience

Posted 06/04/05

We come here every Sunday for brunch and it is always tasty food and a great atmosphere. We mainly come for the delicious kobe burger, but the patio and the very friendly staff are reasons why we always come back!!!

Pros: Inexpensive

Posted 05/25/05

If you're looking for the "next best place to eat", this is it. I of course could not get a table at Ago, so I decided I would try this new restaurant just a block away. I loved it! We sat on the patio out front and enjoyed a few cocktails before dinner and then I had the BEST Spicy Garlic Shrimp ever. Taste is a beautiful restaurant and it's actually not expensive if you can believe that.

Pros: Food, Patio, Price

Cons: none

Posted 05/20/05

They have a great wine list and absolutely delicious food. What more could anyone want?

Pros: wine, starters, main courses

Posted 05/12/05