Best Authentic Restaurants in Downtown

I recently visited L’appart and while the food and atmosphere were excellent, my experience was unfortunately overshadowed by the rude and unprofessional behavior of our waitress. The dishes we ordered were beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. The ambiance of the restaurant was warm and inviting, making it a great place to relax and enjoy a meal. However, the service left much to be desired. The waitress was curt, dismissive, and seemed irritated whenever we asked for assistance. It felt as though we were an inconvenience rather than valued guests. While I would love to return for the food and atmosphere, the poor service makes me hesitate. A little more courtesy and professionalism from the staff would go a long way in elevating the overall experience. I hope the management takes note, as this restaurant has so much potential. I visited this restaurant 3 times before and I never had problems with the attitude but this time after their renovation, they hired a new staff and this time I didn’t feel welcomed.

This is the second time we come here, but our first for their brunch. We did a double date here to catch up with friends and it was near their apartment in DTLA (5 min walk). Safe to say our friends were very satisfied and so were we. The service was great. They came often as long as we had our little sign that we wanted more meat and they will serve us. They also took the time to answer our questions. The cold and dessert bar were definitely enjoyed! The meats were all cooked to perfection. I like that they let you choose the side or piece of meat you want. Some like it more rare than others so it’s a nice touch. Can’t go wrong with the chimichurri. The chocolate cover strawberries self serve bar was amazing! We tried desserts this time around to share with the table and we were not disappointed! The passion fruit mousse, peanut butter cake, and chocolate cake with a coffee to end our meal was perfect! It was nice to come in at 11:30am and it was a calm start to their brunch but by 1pm the crowds were in. Safe to say we will be returning because we appreciate the food and service for the price. It’s a good place to celebrate or a special type of date night or lunch!

The grilled half chicken was amazing. Cocktail special was festive and the ambiance was warm and unique.

Great time. Great service. The food never stopped coming.

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!