Upstairs 2

As fans of the Wine House we had high expectations for this place. It was very disappointing. Cons: Food, staff, price more

This is an interesting place. Upstairs from the Wine House (which is a wonderful wine store), this restaurant attempts to present the customers of the wine shop with a tapas menu alongside wine by the glass program. Overall this place is ok, and I recommend it for a late dinner on the Westside. The good: The place is open until 1am, which is a plus. I would recommend this restaurant for a midnight snack, as unfortunately in Los Angeles we have very few good restaurants which are open late. The wine list is impressive, including by the glass selection. It is a plus that the place offers 2.5 oz testings of all the wines on the by the glass menu. The food is good. Just, good, nothing special. The bad: The food is good, but I can think of a number of places in the vicinity where the food is far superior. While I would qualify the food as gourmet, it is nothing to brag about. In short, if you are looking for tapas, this is not the place to go for the best in LA. I had ordered two 2.5 oz glasses of wine, the second of which did not seem as if it had been filled fully. I am wondering if the place is jipping people on already overpriced drinks. I was also left with an impression that the waiter was pushing certain wines (we dined late, and I wondered if they were trying to sell already opened bottles). Pros: opened late, parking, good wine list Cons: average food, small dining room more

This is an interesting place. Upstairs from the Wine House (which is a wonderful wine store), this restaurant attempts to present the customers of the wine shop with a tapas menu alongside wine by the glass program. Overall this place is ok, and I recommend it for a late dinner on the Westside. Pros: opened late, parking, good wine list Cons: average food, small dining room more

If you have ever been a Wine House customer, you know that the staff is helpful, friendly and always willing to make a recommendation. I had attended tastings in the space that is now Upstairs 2, and it makes total sense for them to open a tapas restaurant there! Best of all, the same friendly attitude and knowledge carries over to this restaurant. I visited once about 2 months ago and found the food to be very good, and the menu is very user-friendly. They recommend certain wines with certain foods (Primitivo in Venice does the same thing), but the servers and sommelier are happy to recommend alternatives as well. The size of the portions and pours were reasonable for the money, and I find myself heading back tonight (need I say more?). more

If you have ever been a Wine House customer, you know that the staff is helpful, friendly and always willing to make a recommendation. I had attended tastings in the space that is now Upstairs 2, and it makes total sense for them to open a tapas restaurant there! Best of all, the same friendly attitude and knowledge carries over to this restaurant. I visited once about 2 months ago and found the food to be very good, and the menu is very user-friendly. They recommend certain wines with certain foods (Primitivo in Venice does the same thing), but the servers and sommelier are happy to recommend alternatives as well. The size of the portions and pours were reasonable for the money, and I find myself heading back tonight (need I say more?). My only complaint about the restaurant is that while the location is certainly easy to get to, the only view is of the 405 Freeway (which you won't see because they wisely keep the shutters closed). I think the lack of natural light kind of hurts the ambience and makes the place feel a little claustrophobic. The crowd seemed to be on the older side, but I'm sure they were wine-lovers all. If you want more of a scene, go to Primitivo instead. Otherwise, sit back and enjoy some great food and wine, because that's what this place is all about. more