The Bar Room at Porta Via
424 N. Canon Dr.Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 274-6534
I've walked to Porta Via for a decent custom omelette or steel cut oatmeal, back before it was served at Jamba Juice. I was excited to stroll down for an inexpensive specialty cocktail, or a nice bar night, but now that I've gone, I know it wouldn't be worth repeating. We were led to The Bar Room at Porta Via by a particularly egregious error on TastingTable, promising half-priced drinks and free appetizers. Instead, the Bar Room was celebrating its grand opening with two-for-one well drinks and full priced appetizers.
It has an ideal space, right next to Porta Via, and opens fully onto the sunny, fenced in patio. Yet, it was so dark inside that we crept in thinking it wasn't open yet. We asked to sit outside so we could see our food, and were put at a Porta Via table. White table cloth and glasses were an upgrade from the pseudo-rustic, actually rusty chairs that make the ambiance of the Bar Room patio.
The well drinks were as expected, though my first gin and tonic was normal, and the second surreptitiously strong. The sweet potato fries were sweet and crisp, but with an over vinegared blue cheese dressing. The calamari was average, and got soggy. Chef's choice flatbread pizza had mozzarella, basil and a hint of spice, but sat, essentially, on a cracker. A similar creation is available at Palomino for half the price.
Though hunky, attentive servers did their best to make up for Tasting Table, and knocked 15% off the total, this is not an experience to recreate at full price.
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