by S C. on Admittedly when we decided to go to Top Flr, I was lowering my expectations a bit since I was told this was a place to be seen. Of course, I left the possibility of being pleasantly surprised intact. We were in the cramped waiting area at the bottom of the steps, a group of buff dudes pushed past us so I further kept my critical eye in check as they were about to hit a rush of customers. As we were seated I noted the surroundings. Grayscale color scheme and modern design. Simultaneously going for both a sleek and intimate look. However there was not the foresight to dampen sound so on the top floor, and more than four people at a half full room will turn an intimate dinner to a cafeteria style atmosphere where you can barely hear the person next to you. Good thing I wasn't trying to have a romantic dinner. A note on the decor: I admire doing fancy things on the cheap. If you can make black and white paint look like you spent a million bucks on a place, great! However if it's obvious you didn't spend a million bucks on atmosphere, your customers may be less forgiving about the pricing on the food. So onto the food... The drinks department had no surprises. Pricey cocktails but foiled by the fact that there was an affordable lager; the $3 Sessions lager. Other weirdness with drinks I attribute to the aforementioned stampede of marines and a bachelorette party who showed up after that. Once the food showed up, it was quite a mixed bag. The flatbread appetizer with tomatoes and arugula was fair but presented rather impractical as the arugula was left in large pieces and subsequently fell right off the flatbread as soon as I picked it up. The mac and cheese and salad we got were solid. What was inexcusable was the sand in the kale. A place putting on the pretense of haute cuisine should not have let that get past them. My lamb chops were quite tasty. Certain parts were a tad dry but mostly juicy and flavorful. The duck had outstanding flavor was a bit undercooked but this actually worked in my favor since I prefer slightly chewier meats. My fellow diners did not concur. The tofu dish we had was imaginative but dry. If the sesame encrusted tofu were more tender I would have been quite impressed. Overall I felt that in a less pretentious atmosphere I would have been much more lenient but Top Flr's ambitiousness left it falling significantly short of its mark. the waitstaff did what they could with the crowd but it was mostly the decisions in design and layout and the difficulty that the kitchen had in making a potentially innovative and ambitious menu come to fruition.
by Mary K. on If I could change my last name to Cheesesteak, I would. That being said, I was expecting Geno's to be better. Maybe it's all that hype. Really raises your expectations. I like Geno's enough, though the super finely sliced steak wasn't quite so satisfying. I guess I like a more substantial steak. Not chunky or hearty, just something that doesn't disintegrate in my mouth under the weight of all that cheese, onions and bread. I'd have to say Steaks on South is my favorite.
by Nelson Scopel on this is my favorite restaurant in LA. no other mexican food can compare. i live right nearby and hit up happy hour as often as possible because their margaritas are perfect and the service is top-notch. anytime i have a friend in town i take them here and they love it. the only bad thing about mexican village is that its closed on sundays.
