One of LA's most exciting jazz spaces, Vibrato Grill Jazz embraces its guests with a warm and elegant interior, a state of the art sound design, and world-class music. The savory menu of contemporary American cuisine features prime steaks, mint-crusted ahi-tuna, and a wide variety of colorful desserts, while the expansive bar offers refreshing signature cocktails. Vibrato offers a unique and rare space where where jazz aficionados and food connoisseurs will feel equally at home.
Vibrato Grill Jazz
Our favorite American restaurant, the food at Herb Alpert’s Vibrato is sophisticated but not fussy, with very creative, serious appetizers, delicious salads with great, fresh dressings, prime steaks, elegant fish dishes, luscious sauces and-- my “most important” course--great desserts (the chef was first a pastry chef)! The good, obviously fresh ingredients include organic, sustainable and grass-fed options. The space is warm, glowing and romantic, with sleek curves and a dramatic floor-to-ceiling fireplace. It makes me happy to eat great food while listening to great music in a gorgeous, intimate ambiance with excellent wine, service, and fair prices! Unlike many jazz clubs I've been to where the food is a second-rate afterthought, Herb Alpert's Vibrato has the fine cuisine and wine to make it a favorite regular hangout even if they didn’t present a different, top-notch musical act every night. Most nights have no cover, since they only charge for big-name acts or big bands about 3-4 times a month (and when they do, it's usually $20). With such a variety of great music, we go often. On an easy evening, we might end up at the generous, curvy bar with a friendly, music-savvy group. We’ll order from the appealing Bar Menu, which includes creative well-priced appetizers from their regular menu, such as my favorite-- Lamb Lollipops with Port-Marinated Figs, and my SO's favorite-- Crispy Calamari with Chipotle Aioli. We both also LOVE the Fingerling Potato Knish with Smoked Wild Salmon, Champagne-soaked Toasted Mustard Seeds and Lemon-Dill Crème Fraiche, among a half-dozen other tasty choices, all of which we eventually tried... and liked! The Beverly Glen Canyon-Mulholland location is easy for us to meet friends from over the hill (5-7 minutes from Ventura and Van Nuys Blvds, or 15 minutes up the canyon from the Westside). The regular dinner prices are reasonable for what you get, with prime steaks and free world-class music, but dinner and wine can be a bargain, too. Great deals: a selection of 6 high-scoring wines (mostly 90 points and above) for under $40 a bottle, available every night; plus a Prix-fixe Menu on Sundays and Wednesdays with 3 courses for $39 (3 choices for each course) and full-sized portions such as a sliced, pan-seared Ahi Tuna with mango, avocado, lime-cilantro salsa (delicious and HUGE), a sliced flat-iron steak with tasty accompaniments, or my favorite-- a crispy-breaded, tender (pounded, skinless-boneless) whole chicken breast schnitzel with the tiny wing bone still attached, served with a tangle of gently garlic-scented sauteed baby spinach and tomatoes. There’s even a Wine Pairing with the 3-course prix-fixe menu for just $15 for 3 glasses (3 ounces each)! YUM! There’s just no way to NOT love this place. The staff members are friendly, with no attitude, even though there are plenty of celebs and VIPs among the regulars. Why wouldn't there be? The place is stunningly beautiful, yet low-key! Perfect for showing out-of-town friends some classy, real, L.A. style, this is the ideal L.A. restaurant. I strongly recommend reservations. Foodie Jones
