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Interior - Bavel, Los Angeles, CA

Bavel

4.8
4.8
4010 Reviews
$31 to $50
Middle Eastern
A Middle Eastern restaurant in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles.

Make a reservation

2 people

9:30 PM


Booked 149 times today

Additional information

  • Dining style

    Casual Dining

  • Cuisines

    Middle Eastern

  • Hours of operation

    Daily 5:00 pm–11:00 pm

  • Phone number

    (213) 232-4966

  • Payment options

    AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

  • Dress code

    Casual Dress

  • Executive chef

    Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis

  • Catering

    Please email events@baveldtla.com for more information.

  • Private party facilities

    Please email events@baveldtla.com for more information.

  • Neighborhood

    Downtown

  • Cross street

    Santa Fe

  • Parking details

    Street parking also available

  • Additional

    Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Popular dishes

What 4,010 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseEnergetic

Loved For

  • Downtown / South and East LA

    Best Food

  • Downtown / South and East LA

    Hot spot

  • Downtown / South and East LA

    Most Booked

Sort by

  1. MarkF

    New York Area

    8 reviews

    4.0

    8 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    overall4food4service5ambience5
    Beautiful space. Food was beautifully prepared and presented. Highlights: humus and eggplant dips with piping hot fresh made pitas. Prawns, Quail, Celery root and Oxtail tagline. Also recommend the mushrooms and carrots. Wish we ordered the lamb neck. Nice wine list and good service to match.
  2. MiriamZ

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Delicious! Great, attentive service and beautiful setting.
  3. SabinaA

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    overall3food5service2ambience1
    Absolutely incredible food! Really loved the meal itself. Did not like the ambiance (very crowded, noisy and uncomfortable seating) and found the service to be unfriendly and lacking in warmth.
  4. Foodie

    Los Angeles

    60 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    60 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience3
    The food was excellent. The celery root was delicious. The grilled dorade was beautifully prepared….with wonderful flavors. Waiter was very helpful, even granting our request to get more fresh air by opening up the overhead cover partially.
  5. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall4food4service4ambience3
    Overall okay.. Really expected more from Bavel. Ordered the prawns...good, not great.. The mushrooms.. Lackluster.. Not enough sauce for them either, pass. Yellowtail crudo, excelent. Mains- Shwarma is good. Now the star of the night was the tagine.. Delectable. We're kinda foodies and I'm a pretty good cook so our expectations are high, but still.
  6. julied

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall2food3service3ambience1
    I made a reservation for standard seating and noted that it was for an anniversary (20th ). I also put in the request section for a secluded table. We were instead put in the center of the outside patio at a table for 2 in between two other tables of 2 that were maybe a foot distance from us on either side. It was probably the worst table we could have been put at. I was thinking a corner table or a booth inside, but no. It was so noisy at that time I could not even speak to my husband . We ordered an appetizer and promptly left to go somewhere else. The appetizer ( hummus and oyster mushroom was delicious though).
  7. Zeneater

    Los Angeles

    38 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    38 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Bavel takes Mediterranean cuisine to the next level. Complex flavors with unique nuisances. Staff is wonderful .
  8. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    AMAZING apps- get the duck hummus, grilled mushrooms, and fried quail! Loved the flavors in all of the dips plus the service was outstanding. Will definitely be back 10/10
  9. JeromeC

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 23, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Food and service was fantastic. Great experience overall. Even got a table when we had reserved counter last minute.
  10. MNaik

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 23, 2023

    overall4food5service4ambience3
    The food and decor is amazing and transports one into a whole different place! However, we found the noise level very high and it was difficult to hear each other or even the server. The service also felt a little rushed, especially when some of us were still eating and the staff wanted to take our plates away. Definitely recommend for special occasions and good food, conversing becomes a little bit challenging though.
  11. KyleH

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 23, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience4
    Food and drink were phenomenal. That mixed a Casual atmosphere makes Bavel the perfect spot for any celebration
  12. Professor

    New England

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on May 23, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Super food! Super service ! Definitely recommended
  13. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 22, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    AMAZING! Every dish we selected was outstanding …..the celery root was beyond!
  14. eatwell68

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 22, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Everything we ordered was amazing n terms of unexpected flavor combo. Our favorite is the shrimp and mushrooms. We love the scallop crudo but this time it was not on menu.
  15. ScalingUP

    New Orleans

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 22, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    Second time back to Bavel and brought some foodie friends of ours along for the ride. Seated promptly in their outdoor al-fresco area for their 5pm dinner session. 4 adults + 3 kids (all under 7). Shared 2 dips (masabacha and baba ghanoush) - both dips were delicious as were the breads that accompanied it. Appetizers - Carrots, oyster mushroom kebab, grilled prawns. Stand out awarded to the grilled harissa prawns - it was really flavorsome with the right level of spice. Carrots were a nice sweet touch over whipped feta. Entree - Grilled Dorade (2) - because my 7yo son eats the entire fish himself - we really love this dish because of the tasty chermoula seasoning. For those who have not ordered this before, take note they were this dish head to toe meaning the entire fish is served (head and all) on the serving plate. It was a bit much for one of our friends haha but nevertheless, do try this dish! Lamb Neck Shawarma - another dish FTW ! tear off chunks of super tender lamb which is sitting on laffa bread, add some pickled vegetables and tahini and you have yourself a little bite sized filled morsel of goodness. Dessert - Pavlova, Chocolate Donuts and something else which I did not get to sample. What would otherwise have been an amazing evening at Bavel was lost in this section. The chocolate donuts (3) was served with a tiny bowl of chocolate sauce (less than 5ml) and a huge bowl of cream - when we politely asked if we could get a little extra chocolate sauce for this dessert, we were told that this is not something that they could accommodate. I get that what you do for one, you should do for all...but there was seriously a lack of chocolate sauce with this dish. Maybe double the amount and add on an extra $1-2 to accommodate this but don't tell a diner who has just spent over $500+ on dinner and drinks that a little extra bowl of chocolate sauce was 'not something you could accommodate'. Would I recommend Bavel to a friend? Not really sure anymore
  16. MelindaJ

    San Francisco

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on May 21, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Bavel does not disappoint. Everything we ate was fantastic and paired with delicious and innovative cocktails. The menu is also very gluten free friendly and the staff was knowledgeable and able to help me navigate avoiding gluten with ease. Highly recommend.
  17. MichelleT

    Dallas

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on May 20, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    What a delightful experience!!! The restaurant was beautiful, service was helpful and prompt, and the food was unique and delicious! Go if you get the chance!!
  18. markryan

    Los Angeles

    22 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    22 reviews

    Dined on May 20, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Always a great time, wonderful food, attentive service team, love this gem of a place!
  19. JeLan

    New York Area

    22 reviews

    5.0

    22 reviews

    Dined on May 20, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    The food and ambiance are always phenomenal here. The service is quick and professional - our wait staff anticipated our needs before we even knew we needed something. We came with a large party and our out-of-town guests were thoroughly impressed. Thank you!
  20. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 19, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Get the lamb neck shawarma, and be ready to use your hands!
  21. EtienneE

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 19, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    This was my second time at Bavel and it does not disappoint. The food and service are truly top notch. The celery root, something I would never consider ordering on my own, is truly remarkable and memorable. The bartender and som are also amazing. Will definitely return. Great for vegetarians and GF peeps too!
  22. OpenTable Diner

    Toronto

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 18, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    I was visiting from Toronto and Bavel gave me a good reason to come back to LA. Amazing food and service.
  23. Anshul

    Dallas

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on May 18, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Went for my birthday and it was fantastic, will definitely be back
  24. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 18, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience5
    Excellent!! Great outdoor patio and food. Would def come again
  25. DeAnnaS

    Philadelphia

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 16, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Amazing amazing! Highly recommend the grilled prawns and lamb neck!
  26. JosephK

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 16, 2023

    overall3food3service2ambience4
    We came here basically with big anticipation all due to the reviews I ran across. Big disappointment, the portion of food is oh so small, the waiter had this arrogance about him, overall I liked the food at the girl-goat place around the corner, much better ambience at the Manuela’s down the street, and value? Forget about it
  27. JimM

    Los Angeles

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 15, 2023

    overall4food5service5ambience3
    Uncomfortably loud. Difficult to have any type of conversation. Everything else was great
  28. Pencil

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 15, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Good environment, very good food. Service was also top notch. Would recommend!
  29. RosalindB

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience5
    Amazing food! Possibly the best meal we’ve ever had.
  30. jfontelera

    Los Angeles

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    I will admit - I had a bad experience with Bestia so with the same owners, I was thinking (definitely not hoping) that I'd have the same bad experience. I was pleasantly wrong. Bavel was such a great fine dining experience. Staff was extremely friendly, food was stellar and the ambiance was energetic. I took my mom here for pre-Mother's Day dinner and she love everything about the restaurant and could not stop talking about it. I would love to come back to Bavel and experience a brunch.
  31. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Always enjoy the vibrant atmosphere and delicious food.
  32. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on May 13, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great food! Come here multiple times always get the lamb shawarma!
  33. Jaden

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 12, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Amazing food and good environment. We ordered a ton of food and it was all 11/10. Would highly recommend to anyone.
  34. SarahS

    New England

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 12, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Delicious—great place to share dishes and try a little bit of everything!
  35. leegee

    New York Area

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on May 11, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Fantastic Mediterranean food and good drinks. What a cool restaurant. I had the baba ganoush and lamb neck shawarma. I really wanted to try the carrot but just couldn't fit another plate into one dinner.
  36. JBZ13

    Los Angeles

    24 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    24 reviews

    Dined on May 10, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Wonderful food. Super delicious, from drinks to appetizers to entree and dessert! Worth the wait until seated. Very popular restaurant
  37. ScottCooper

    Chicago

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 10, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Fantastic service and every dish was amazing. Very hip and fun atmosphere, but quite loud. Not great for anyone who has trouble hearing over background noise.
  38. ChrisM

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 9, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great space, drinks and meal. We all thoroughly enjoyed our dinner
  39. Diner1

    Memphis/West TN

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 9, 2023

    overall2food3service1ambience5
    The food was nice, but the service was not. We had to wait in a long line even with reservations and were then informed that we'd need to be out by a specific time to accommodate the next reservation. Throughout the meal, the waiter kept recommending ordering more food and wine. At the end of the meal, when we had just been poured dessert wine, the waiter told us we needed to be out in 5 minutes. The whole meal felt rushed, and like they were shoving food/wine down our throats to make money. In addition to that, this restaurant's overall feel was uppity and snobby. The waiter scoffed when we didn't recognize a menu item and seemed offended when we didn't take his recommendations. Really disappointing as I've been looking forward to trying Bavel for a long time.
  40. DanaG

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 8, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    The food was AMAZING. Sarah was INCREDIBLE! She certainly made our experience wonderful.

Safety precautions

  • Cleaning & sanitizing

    • Surfaces sanitized between seatings
    • Common areas deep-cleaned daily
    • Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
  • Screening

    • Sick staff prohibited in the workplace

FAQs

Bavel offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (213) 232-4966.

Bavel is rated 4.8 stars by 4010 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

9:30 PM


Booked 149 times today
Google Map for Bavel

500 Mateo St, Los Angeles, CA 90013-2222

Additional information

  • Cross street

    Santa Fe

  • Neighborhood

    Downtown

  • Hours of operation

    Daily 5:00 pm–11:00 pm

  • Cuisines

    Middle Eastern

  • Dining style

    Casual Dining

  • Dress code

    Casual Dress

  • Parking details

    Street parking also available

  • Payment options

    AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

  • Executive chef

    Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis

  • Additional

    Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

  • Phone number

    (213) 232-4966

  • Catering

    Please email events@baveldtla.com for more information.

  • Private party facilities

    Please email events@baveldtla.com for more information.

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