Best Casual Restaurants in Playa del Rey

Best restaurant in Venice. From the food to the service, Gjelina is a must do in LA.

In an area where finding a really good restaurant can be a sketchy proposition, Belles was a solid option. The location near Venice Beach is good, but obviously touristy. But the Tiki Bar vibe was totally awesome!! Great ambience and the food was very solid as well. We shared 2 apps and split a dinner and everything was delicious. Service could have been a little peppier, but hey, you're in CALI. We got a couple of Tiki cocktails which were awesome, and priced where you'd expect for a top notch Tiki Bar. One thing I'd warn anyone about are the wine pours. We got 3 glasses of wine priced at $17, and they were easily 1/2 of a standard wine glass pour. The glasses were small and the pours were even smaller. I regretted that we didn't send the small pours back (which I can honestly say I've never done) and requested a different drink. If you go the wine route, invest in a bottle. Bottle prices were high for the varietals available, but a much better value than the "by the glass" pours and pricing, which were basically (and I'm not going to pull any punches here) a complete rip off. As my wife said, "that wasn't a pour, it was more like 3 sips!"

The food was delicious. I had a cheeseburger and my friend had the lobster bisque. We stayed inside since it was chilly outside. It was also chilly in the restaurant as well. Service was great!

Having grown up in the restaurant biz and after running one of the most successful joints in town, I must say, THIS might be one of the most quintessential places in all of Southern CA. Makai (sp?)greeted us like we were family. Can’t wait to come back.

Best staff..amazing experience every time we go. We absolutely LOVE MO’s