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Interior - Bavel, Los Angeles, CA
Award-winning

Bavel

4.8
4.8
4349 Reviews
$31 to $50
Middle Eastern
A Middle Eastern restaurant in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles.

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 138 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • 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.
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • 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

What 4,349 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
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Downtown / South and East LA

    Best Food

  • Downtown / South and East LA

    Most Booked

4,349 Reviews
  1. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    overall4food4service5ambience4
    Food was excellent, as always. Except deserts, pear cake was v good but the rest were meh. (we tried them all) Chocolate would be a nice addition :)

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  2. OpentableLover

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    overall4food2service5ambience4
    Bavel is a overly priced restaurant. Service was great and servers were working hard but the quality of food dropped tremendously.

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  3. NancyB

    Toronto

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Every single bite was AMAZING! Our server was famtastic too. We can’t wait to go back!

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  4. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    5 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    overall3food4service2ambience3
    I’ve been to Bavel a few times but tonight was a strange experience. We had an early reservation at 5:00pm. We sit down and our server pours water without asking our preference and asks if we’ve been here before and dietary restrictions. We give him our response. A minute later he comes back and asks us the same question, we give him the same answer. The way he spoke to us was also very casual and impersonal. We ordered the whipped cheese, mushrooms, prawns, rack of lamb. Any time a food runner dropped off an item they slammed the plate, muttered the ingredients and rushed away. We even tried to ask them to repeat themselves but the music was so loud they couldn’t hear us either. Every single dish that was dropped we didn’t hear a word. Our server also never checked on us to see how we liked our first or main course. The mushrooms and prawns are always perfect here. The whipped cheese was great, but no spoon was provided so we were forking at the cheese until we were able to flag someone down. The lamb came cold but wasn’t able to tell anyone since our server didn’t come back until we were done. We had a 5pm reservation so we assumed it wouldn’t be the peak of service and we would get a little more service. Bussers would be on standby to clear our plates the second we are being close to done. I had to ask to let me finish as well. Tonight was a very awkward experience and we left as soon as we were able to pay out.

    Is this helpful?

  5. SLRSL

    Los Angeles

    21 reviews

    5.0

    21 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Everything we ordered was delicious! The standouts for me were the fried pita, oyster mushroom skewers, and lamb neck shawarma, which came with delicious pickled vegetables. The service was also exceptional. The restaurant is loud and parking is tough, so plan accordingly. I still feel like these hot spots in the Arts District are like little oasis’s and this one makes venturing downtown worthwhile. Highly recommend Bavel!

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  6. joyp

    Hawaii

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall3food5service1ambience5
    delicious appetizers, good music and ambiance! I wanted to treat my friend out for a good time but our server was condescending from the start and messed with the vibes. He was funny in a sarcastic and rude way. Definitely rubbed my friend and I the wrong way.

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  7. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall3food3service5ambience3
    Food was delicious but for the price point, serving portions are too small. The spreads like hummus, etc were merely smeared on small plates. Not much to share contrary to their concept of a sharing experience.

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  8. AKON

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 23, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great service and great food. Very cute restaurant. The fish was amazing!!!

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  9. jffinn

    Los Angeles

    12 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on November 22, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    always a great experience. food is excellent; interesting and delicious beverage options. and outstanding atmosphere

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  10. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 19, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Truly fantastic. Every dish was wonderful and incredibly well made. The ambience was great and the service quick. Cannot recommend enough.

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  11. DanA

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 18, 2023

    overall3food4service2ambience3
    Good food, nice decorum and fun atmosphere in the kitchen. However, the beer they sell as a point is really only 12 ounces, which apparently they did not know. They did not even believe me, and the bartender went as far as measuring it, and he then agreed and apologized. Apparently they've been selling it like this for years, very strange. The noise level is high, and you can only hear the bass of the sound system, very annoying.

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  12. Djblondy

    Los Angeles

    11 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on November 17, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    great atmosphere and delicious food. perfect for a friend date, business dinner, or date night.

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  13. Sarah

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 16, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great food, service and music . Highly recommend.

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  14. Jeff

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 15, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    I would come back here multiple times for the oyster mushroom skewer alone! We made a vegetarian dinner out of the spreads and appetizers (all entrees meat/fish etc) and were delightfully full by the end of it. Such unique flavors and textures from their sauces and spreads to veggies and breads. A little too loud at times outside, but still had a great time!

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  15. JakobB

    Yosemite

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 15, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    best version of eastern Mediterranean food I had for years! And also very interesting wines, not the standard ones you get in every restaurant.

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  16. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 15, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience5
    Overrated. This is one of those fun places that even at 5 pm, they won’t sit you until everyone is there (even with horrible LA traffic affecting different peoples arrivals) and you have to order everything together at the beginning - spreads, apps, and entrees. Food was good but we’re not writing home to grandma…

    Is this helpful?

  17. IreneG

    Los Angeles

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on November 13, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Food was delicious. Ambiance was airy, light and romantic. Service was good.

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  18. RandyM

    Los Angeles

    5 reviews

    4.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on November 13, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    The place was nice and the hummus was some of the best ever.

    Is this helpful?

  19. OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    4 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 13, 2023

    overall2food5service1ambience2
    The food at Bavel is great. Unfortunately we could barely enjoy it because our waitress and staff did not properly manage the pace of the meal. This despite having been told at the outset that we had to order all savory dishes at once and she would “manage the pacing”. I should have known that was false when we were rushed through the ordering process, including having been asked twice for our order before our drinks even arrived. The food came too quickly and piled up on our table. The waitress and staff checked in repeatedly to clear items as we were still obviously eating - including trying to “refresh” our plates (messy from the BBQ shrimp) while we were still eating the shrimp and asking us if we wanted dessert while we were still finishing the main course!! We were there for less than an hour and a half in total, with all of the food having been delivered under an hour from when we sat down. For a $250+ meal, I don’t want to be rushed so much such that I can’t enjoy the food or the experience. A restaurant with a small plates sharing menu should be able to better manage the pacing of the meal. The result was an overall disappointing experience despite the delicious food. I typically refuse to put in my entire order up front for this reason, but I had trusted the waitress at the outset when she mentioned pacing. Big mistake!

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  20. KatherineP

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 13, 2023

    overall4food5service4ambience3
    The food was very delicious and I am glad that I came. The flavors were amazing.

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  21. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 12, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Delicious food! Amazing staff! The atmosphere was great. We will definitely be back. If you like sweet drinks and mezcal - get the Aria. It was the best. Baba ghanouj was our favorite at the table. Only downside is that the outdoor seating doesn’t have nearly the atmosphere as the indoor seating. We asked to switch our tables, and we felt so much better. The staff was very nice and accommodating. My one recommendation to the restaurant would be to make that outdoor area have a little bit more ambience so nobody feels like they’ll have less of an experience on the patio. Everything else was incredible. We’ll be returning.

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  22. BATNL

    London

    54 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    54 reviews

    Dined on November 11, 2023

    overall4food5service3ambience3
    The decor in this restaurant is lovely with plants hanging all around. The food is very tasty; good flavors and some zing. The chicken liver spread, which is accompanied by a fruit sauce that has some vinegar, was one of my favorites. The dorade was also excellent, as it was well-flavored, fresh, and not overcooked. Unfortunately, although we explained our time constraints to the waiter when we placed our order, the fish was served too late so we had to rush eating it. The only real negative is the noise level. It is insanely noisy, making it impossible to converse.

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  23. Susan

    Los Angeles

    28 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    28 reviews

    Dined on November 10, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    We had such an amazing meal...the service was just perfection, each dish was better than the next. The server recommended dishes to us that we would have never ordered (what even IS celery root) and it was absolutely fabulous. We've been meaning to come here for years and are SO happy that we finally made it. I wish it wasn't so far (with LA traffic) to get to it!

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  24. JuanR

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 10, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Amazing food to share, good quantity and variety. Wine selection is pricey but amazing, cocktails are reasonable and pretty good too

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  25. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 10, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    One of the best restaurants I have ever been too , very expensive but worth every penny !!! professionalism at its finest from the host to servers , bus boys , everything !!! . every course was served in style , with such unique artistic flair . You do not feel rushed in between courses nor do you feel like you're waiting to long , they time it impeccably well . outstanding choices in wine with your own personal sommeliers . I recommend the mushroom kebab , prawns , chicken liver pate and the lamb chops !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  26. Allad

    Orange County

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on November 9, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Love this restaurant!! Introduced our friends. They loved it.

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  27. FoodFan

    Las Vegas

    11 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on November 8, 2023

    overall4food5service4ambience2
    We focused on spreads and appetizers - duck liver pate, babaganoush, oyster mushroom kabob, grilled celery heart, spicy lamb pide. Every one was delightfully conceived and perfectly executed. Our server took time to annotate the menu to note allergies, and was generally informative and gracious despite the workload imposed by a crush of diners. On a Tuesday evening the restaurant was packed. An overflow of hopeful supplicants spilled down the steps and onto the sidewalk. Inside, the noise level was cruelly intensified by a flood of loud, dull music. The food was wonderful but conversation impossible.

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  28. MrChetty

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 8, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Excellent in every way but very, very high level of noise caused by the sound system causing everyone to talk loudly.

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  29. LarasRG

    Stuttgart

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 8, 2023

    overall3food3service4ambience5
    Went for Hummus, Beets, Mushrooms and Beef Cheeks. The star was the Beets. Expected more from what foodie friends told me about this place.

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  30. narocan

    Los Angeles

    22 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    22 reviews

    Dined on November 6, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    great service and amazing food. Highly recommend it.

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  31. MichaelN

    New Mexico

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 6, 2023

    overall3food4service3ambience2
    Good food but pretentious, very noisy and the service was rushed. For the prices they are charging, the non-food aspects of service and ambiance should not be so hectic, loud and rushed. Felt like we were eating inside a conveyor belt. Overall, despite good food, not really an enjoyable dining experience and that’s a shame.

    Is this helpful?

  32. DANIELAB

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 5, 2023

    overall3food4service2ambience4
    Service was terrible, there was a lot of items already sold out at 10 pm, restroom was super dirty and the food was just OK - was trying to go to this spot for a long time and was very disapointing, would not recommend.

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  33. CharlesK

    Charlotte

    10 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on November 5, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Amazing! Staff, venue, and food were fabulous! Went out of our comfort zone on some items and we are so glad that we did! My only wish is that they had a little less bitter drink selection but that’s just my personal preference. Also no substitutions on the mescal drinks, I personally think it takes like shoe polish. This is a no miss for sure. Get in and get in early, they run out of many things around 9 it seems.

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  34. DianeG

    Philadelphia

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 5, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience5
    Overall, we had a great time. However, we waited nearly 30 minutes to be seated for our 7:30PM reservation. We also were seated outdoors since someone was taking too long to pay for their bill at an indoor table. So rather than waiting another 15-20 minutes we took the outdoor table. It was for my partner's birthday so I was a disappointed by the service and wait time, especially since we had a reservation. The food itself was great, with the exception of my mushrooms being cold. My boyfriend really liked his drink, the schwarma, and we both liked the spreads and my entree.

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  35. OpenTable Diner

    Las Vegas

    14 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on November 5, 2023

    overall4food3service3ambience3
    Booked table months in advance. Get a crappy table on the patio in breezy cold corner. So little ambiance. Food is good. Not great. I would say dorade was fabulous. $20 hummus. Meh. Instead of elevating your normal Mediterranean food. They make it all a bit weird. Charge extra If you want more pita. Even though spending $300 on a meal. Waiter acted like could take or leave us. We weren’t his priority. They pushed food out fast. Rushing it along.

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  36. MatthewR

    New York Area

    3 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 5, 2023

    overall2food2service2ambience4
    Small portions for the price. Over staffed and people standing around. Plus slow service. Good to be priced based off of appearance not substance.

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  37. VICTORC

    Los Angeles

    34 reviews

    5.0

    34 reviews

    Dined on November 5, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    FOOD AND SERVICE WAS OUTSTANDING. PRICE WAS RIGHT

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  38. MordechaiB

    Central Coast

    7 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on November 4, 2023

    overall3food3service3ambience3
    1. The menu doesn't change and it makes the food experience boring. 2. It was cold at the patio. Repeated requests to turn on the heater was not address by Bavel personnel. It appears that personnel did not know how to do it. Only in the last 30 minutes it was finally turned on. 3. The service was mediocare at best, no personal touch. Personnel appears to be in hurry al the time, no attention to customer. 4. The noise level was too high, makes it difficult to converse. 4. My family ate at Bavel at least dozen times. Based on the last experience, we will not come back again.

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  39. etkt

    Milwaukee

    81 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    81 reviews

    Dined on November 4, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Inventive and flavorful food. Excellent service and energetic vibe.

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  40. WilliamL

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 3, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Perfect for getting together with friends. Food was delicious.

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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 4349 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 138 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Bavel

500 Mateo St, Los Angeles, CA 90013-2222

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Cross street
    Santa Fe
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown
  • Hours of operation
    Daily 5:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • 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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