Recess Eatery

I live in Highland Park and originally avoided Recess because I heard it was overrated and expensive. But now I’ll let you in on the secret — happy hour oysters for $ 1 a piece on Tuesdays after 5pm through July. I almost didn’t want to share but I also want them to keep this going so you’re welcome :). They are fresh and buttery and pair well with their classic cocktails. The potatoes and cauliflower are really yummy too. Love the atmosphere and everyone I’ve encountered working there has been super friendly. A+

Food and service were great. We were a party of six for dinner and ate in the back courtyard under string lights. Appetizers, salad, entrée, and dessert were solid. I highly recommend to the neighborhood locals and to the greater LA community.

What a magical night! Could’ve sat at a regular table, but chose the community table with a clear view of the kitchen. It was definitely the right choice. It was great to watch all the prep of our food. The food was magnificent and the drinks were strong and tasty. This place has been completely remodeled and is stunning. All of the staff, including the chef were friendly and helpful in making just the right choices of food. So happy it’s in the neighborhood. Can’t wait to return!

I have yet to eat here — but the service and drinks /​atmosphere are great.
I’ve been reading the negative reviews and an interesting pattern to most of them are the lack of grammatical precision one would expect when taking anything into serious account. If you’re going to hate on a place, fine, but be smart about it.

Ended up coming here on a Friday evening and it was me and my boyfriends first time here. We were jaded from an earlier incident at a local establishment and thought, «This place looks cool and we’re upset so we should grab a drink here!» Boy, was that a great decision!
The staff was extremely friendly and the food was outstanding! Pricing was what you’d expect for the area but a beer with 8.7% ABV was $ 7! What!!!
All in all, we will totally come back here and happily sit at the bar for a pleasant, relaxing experience. Top Notch!

This is our third visit in two weeks. I am a fan of this restaurant. However, tonight my wife’s entrée which is a regular on the menu missed a couple of key ingredients. The chicken which I raved about on the initial revue missed on two elements. The chicken dish did not have the white beans it normally has (and adds a lot) and the haricot vert substituted a green bean. While the flavor was still there the dish was not as advertised and thus a little disappointing.
On a more positive note the market fish of the day was halibut with mashed potatoes and spinach and was excellent. I still feel this is a great place to go and will be back but attention to detail needs to be maintained if they wish to be really excellent.

We had an incredible dining experience last night at Recess. I say experience because it was the complete package: a beautiful atmosphere, fantastic service, special attention, and incredibly delicious food! The cocktails, cheese plate, and oysters were perfection. And our mains, ahi and a t-​bone steak — out of this world! The staff were happy, helpful, and friendly. And don’t forget the desserts! It felt like we were on vacation! A bit of NY or SF here in Highland Park! It was the perfect balance between casual and high end food. Loved it! Can’t wait to try brunch!

The Halibut was delicious but the service was terrible. The waitress in training dropped a glass bottle at our feet. Glass and water were everywhere. The dinner took over an hour to get to our table and there wasn’t even an acknowledgement of the delay. Although the space is beautiful, the food and the service are not worth the $$. I really wanted to like this place, but I’m afraid we won’t be back.

Loved everything about this place! The décor, the bar, the bathrooms, THE FOOD! I cannot wait to come here again and often! Everything was great! Service was perfect. We were there with a party of 18 and they were very accommodating with everything!

Wow. The outside is a nice brick with open window and outside seating
Nice menu with the Armenian touches
The inside is a nice floor plan with different type of seating the outdoor has a nice fireplace
Came in for dinner with boo he had the burger and was blown away I had the fish and wow
Portions are too small only con
Sat in front of line cooks and I can see the passion and quality control
We love this place
We will definitely come back

Ahi tuna is a salad. I loved it. I would get again. I would strongly recommend it.
White wine sangria and red wine sangria — dangerous. Can you pleaseeee offer these in pitchers?
Redondo basket — calamari, shrimp.meh. I’ll try another starter. Quick to come out, heavy on the paprika.
Petite filet — nicely plated with grilled/​seared vegetables and a sear to caramalize the onion. We’ll give you another chance.
Service — nice servers, quick, attentive.
Ambiance — calm back patio that you forget that you’re in the hustle bustle of LA/​York. Fireplace, olive tree, jasmin vines, overhead heaters. Inside is dimmer.
I’ll definitely be going back. As well as recommending to others. Also, for check in on the Unilocal app there are bottomless mimosas at brunch for $ 18?! I’m there!

Unimpressive. Bummer to spend $ 15 on a wet burger that comes with literally (I counted) 10 small fries in a ramekin — spare us the pretentious joke and just advise on the menu it doesn’t come with fries. Burger itself was mostly supported by the gruyère, otherwise fine despite the unripe tomato helping the brioche bun hold up. Dolma’s flavor and texture resembled the acidity and metallic bite of canned tomatoes found in something similar to Midwestern goulash, not into it.
The remodel is pretty, the service was fine, a little delayed considering how few people were dining — but the server was all on her own.
Seems like a representative of Recess responds to anyone who doesn’t like the spot, but I think I’ve been fair expressing my opinion. The price point isn’t justified by the experience — the food doesn’t taste like something I’d want to pay for again.

Meh. While drinks here are pretty good, everything on the menu is exorbitantly overpriced, especially considering the fact that it’s in Highland Park. Why is a burger $ 15? Why is a caprese salad $ 20!!! For cheese, tomatoes and basil I have to pay more than I’d pay for my drink? Get out of here. I’ll make you 10 caprese salads for $ 20.
In fact, we were so hungry when we arrived that I could’ve eaten just about anything, but we literally didn’t even order food because the prices were ridiculous. You may as well find better eateries in DTLA or the west side if you’re going to be paying that much.
I don’t expect this place to last long here unless they adjust menu prices to reflect what you’re actually getting.
PS: Also note that I am definitely not alone in stating that the menu prices are very high for what is being offered.

What a great addition to York Blvd! Recess is a beautiful restaurant, with top notch drinks and food. We stopped in for brunch recently and had the eggs Benedict — yum! The dinner menu is great too, and the evening atmosphere makes for a lovely date night.
Welcome to the neighborhood Recess!

I decided to come check this place out with my boyfriend, we wanted to get breakfast were they have bottomless mimosas. Well anyways my boyfriend calls this place first to see if they offer bottomless mimosas and they said they did!!! Great! Okay so we decided to eat here once we get there and ordered our first mimosa they tell us they don’t do bottomless wtf!!! That’s why we called to see if they did! And they said yes now there saying they are not anymore!!! That’s pure bs!!! And 2 damn mimosas were 28 dollars are you crazy! Whats wrong with this place!
And also to be honest the breakfast didn’t look to good either and the menu was confusing… I feel like there trying too hard with this restaurant, overall not a good experience here and definitely for sure not coming back here… save your money and go eat somewhere else were it’s cheaper and I bet even better!

First off, the space is beautiful. However is looks like it was designed for older, corporate people. It’s like a place you would take your parents, not your friends. Not a great fit for the neighborhood… much less hipster alley.
The food is kind of a disappointment. I went when they first opened and it was ok. Was hoping it would be better by now. I had a burger, the patty was good but the lettuce was limp and should have been thrown out. The bacon was somewhat rubbery. My friend enjoyed his ahi, although it was tiny. He wanted to hit the Cuban truck afterwards.
And you pay a lot for the so-​so food. When you look at the menu it looks reasonable. However that’s probably because you can’t tell what is an appetizer, salad, or main. I don’t know if they mean to be deceptive, but it doesn’t fare well. For instance the burger was $ 15 which appears reasonable until they mention that if you want fries it’s an extra $ 8. My buddy’s ahi was mid to high 20s and it ended up being a salad portion.
One of the most annoying things is that if you want water they refuse to give you tap, claiming it’s because of the drought. However they’re happy to sell you bottled water… not the most environmentally conscious choice. I tend to think they’re just being a bit greedy.
The wine list appears to have been created by someone who wants to appreciate wine but who doesn’t actually enjoy it very often. Lebanese wine anyone? There wasn’t even a Marlboro Sauvignon Blanc on the list. I’ve had one good experience and one undrinkable one. It’s a roll of the dice.
Overall I really wanted to love this place, but it just doesn’t work. I don’t mind paying top dollar for a fantastic meal; but the food just isn’t good enough to justify the prices. I think they’re just trying to pay off 3 years of construction expenses and not paying attention to the food.

Nice atmosphere and perfect place to get that early breakfast and late sunday brunch. My girl and I got the eggs benedict and french toast. The eggs benedict were made to perfection and the hollandaise sauce complimented the dish well. The french toast was fluffy, sweet with the fruit on top and crisp on the outside with enough syrup on top.
However, it is pretty overpriced.

What’s not to like?! This place is so nice and such a great addition to York! Beautiful interior, bar, back and front patio.
We came for brunch and everything we got rocked! The pancakes are sublime, the eggs Benedict was amazeballs (perfectly cooked poached eggs), super delicious burger and a good fried chicken sandwich.
Marisa was our server and she was efficient without being pushy and has a cute personality.
They also make a mean Bloody Mary and have a lot of wonderful options.
Plus they take brunch reservations. Hallelujah!

I enjoyed my food, beer, and overall feel of this place.
I had the edamame fattoush with chicken and the witbier from the draft beer list. The salad was great but I felt that it was overpriced at $ 17 + $ 6 for the chicken.
I have been to the other Recess location on Brand Blvd. which is also great. This location felt more like a place you can have a romantic dinner or a nice evening with friends.

Sweet spot! It catches your eye as you drive by, and the folks are as friendly as the drinks are splendid. Make your way to the back porch, cozy up under the heaters, and check out the the goodies they’re growing in the garden to add to what sauces you. Locally sourced, indeed.
I’ve not had dinner here, but would certainly recommend it for a nice date. My friend and I found it a welcome reprieve from the strip of other yelling-​to-​hear-​you bars surrounding it. Anywhere you sit, you’ll have a nice view, and provided you bring good company, you won’t want to leave. Sure, it may be a recess, but it’s certainly no hole in the wall.

The service here wasn’t that great. But the food and drinks are amazing! You must try the Sangria both white and Red

This place just opened. The short ribs were awesome! Old Fashioned cocktail was good. Great atmosphere too!

We’ve waited YEARS for this place to open. And finally visited last week. Some food was good; some was terrible.
We ordered the cheese plate, caprese salad and short rib. They were delicious, pretty good and terrible, respectively.
The caprese salad came first, along with the short rib which was sent back because we asked for no potato. Then, came the cheese plate appetizer, after we asked for it two times. Then the short rib again, this time with sautéed kale only. The caprese salad was good; the tomato base was a mealy, probably because tomatoes aren’t in season in winter. The other components were tasty. The cheese plate was good. One of the best I’ve ever had. The honeycomb was a nice touch. The sautéed kale was good, but the short rib was inedible. Touch and dry and gritty.
Because they forgot our cheese plate, the chef gave us dessert on the house. It was a kind gesture. We will be back because we’re walking distance and appreciate beautiful spaces with good enough food.
Still, at a very similar price point, Ba Restaurant right down the street serves up better food. Much better.

Excited to have this new restaurant in our neighborhood, especially after such a long wait. The décor is lovely. The hostess-​station still seems to be working out some kinks, which is to be expected so soon after opening. Our waitress was really nice and efficient. We had the pan-​roasted chicken and the short ribs. Both were tasty, but both had the same problem: the meat was kind of tough. I think maybe the chicken was cooked too long, the short ribs not long enough. Overall, though, the experience was very promising!

We returned here after a fairly positive experience on their opening night 11 days ago. Sadly, tonight was beyond disappointing. The staff was clearly inexperienced and the food was subpar, especially relative to the price. With the expanding dining choices in the neighborhood, Recess is going to have do much better than tonight to stay in the game.

My boyfriend and I stumbled (actually stumbled, after having some beer at Block Party) to Recess around 10:30pm on a weekday. We asked the hostess if they were still serving food and she had this look like, «aaaagh it’s probably too late but I don’t want to say no because we just opened» but said yes (kindly). My tipsy soul thanks you.
The place was pretty empty, one or two other tables occupied and the bar had some drinkers drinking. Our waitress was super nice and recommended two delicious cocktails. We were like «YEAH» because tipsy. Boyfriendo got a tequila based drink and I got a rum and chai beverage. It was too good. I drank it like it was only chai. The little intelligence I had left stopped me from round two. We looked at the prices and were like, «ohhh we are on a fancy date but by accident! Screw it.» We went on the share the ravioli and short rib. Our plates were covered in drool by the time we were done because those dishes DID NOT QUIT.
It’s a fun addition to the neighborhood, filled with kind people, good cooks, and bartenders that probably like to be called mixologists. Get it, mixologists, I’m not hating.
I’ll be back, but probably more for a special occasion vibe than a impulse meal.

Heard that Recess finally opened, so we went on Monday night, one week after launch. Very pleasantly not busy, we sat at the bar and were attended to by two excellent bartenders, Matt and Pablo. We are pretty choosy eaters and selective drinkers, but were happy with our food and drinks. I had the tap IPA and my wife had the Duchess of York cocktail, a play on the margarita, with a habanero foam, cucumber juice and lime zest. Beautifully made and presented, nicely balanced. Not too sweet, each ingredient with its own identity. I’d love to try more of the cocktails, especially considering the vast array of interesting bottles– digestifs, aperitifs, whiskies at hand. At the moment, menu is concise as the kitchen hones its skills and focuses on perfecting the dishes. We shared a truffle pasta. Delicious, not overly creamy. Great service, very friendly service and cocktails. Neat ambiance– the patio is cozy with a fireplace (yes, it DOES light up!) Not busy when we went, so at the moment, Monday is a good day to check it out. It is a step up from York in terms of price and quality, but it not a bad thing, good to see some variety for the nights you want to be a little fancier. Recommended, can’t wait to see the menu expand!

This place is really a 4.5 stars at this point, but I felt compelled to «round up» based on several harsh reviews. Ease up, folks — they’ve been open about a week! The ambiance, food and service all deserved 5 stars in my humble opinion. We were a party of 4 on a Saturday night and had no issue getting seated promptly, received attentive service and ample water (they provide a bottle for the table) during our meal. The owner even took the time to stop by our table to say hello and thank us for coming. Yes, it is pricey and the communal table needs a few adjustments for seating comfort, but ultimately the dining experience was an absolute pleasure. We look forward to go back and experience the full menu once that’s an option. We tried each of the 4 main choices on the limited menu — the pasta, short ribs and caprese will not disappoint!

Beautiful décor, the fire place on the patio is great! Service was friendly, slow but expected for a just opened restaurant. We ate light shared the oysters and ravioli. Ravioli was AMAZING– we wish order two orders. We will be back! As for the oysters… tasty but not sure if our stomachs agreed… and we eat them frequently and never had issues.

When I saw Recess in Eater LA’s list of most anticipated restaurants for 2016 I just had to check it out.
The restaurant, located in a gentrified area of Highland park, is trendy yet down-​to-​earth and without attitude.
The staff was friendly but only somewhat attentive-​the only reason why I gave 4 instead of 5 stars.
The food was delicious. My group ordered every entrée and shared them family style. I would only recommend this if you truly enjoying sharing as the portions are certainly not family sized.
Their Ahi tuna was amazingly fresh!
Their Braised beef was delectable
Their Tagliatelle was tantalizing
And the their Panna cotta was super satisfying!
I highly recommend this place!
Note that they are only opened for dinner during their first two weeks of operation! I almost spontaneously went there for lunch! Luckily I called in advance haha

What a cool surprise on York Blvd down the hill from Occidental College!
I really enjoyed the style, the cocktail mixologist, the food, the patio and the communal table in the center where I met some very interesting locals while listening so some funky bosa nova jazz and live guitar which made it an extraordinarily pleasant ambiance.
It’s like Brooklyn and Berlin just came to L.A.
The brick, the wood, the style, the historic building created a very convivial feeling I was truly impressed and the chef is so creative he nailed everything the way I like it.
I can’t wait to go back again… only its quickly become very popular so I recommend getting in there early to save a table for friends. Can’t wait to sit in the patio by the fireplace and the peppercorn trees… great job Recess!

The food was fine. My dates short rib was good, my ravioli was interesting but a too salty. My review would give it maybe 3 stars for the food, in the context of the Highland Park trendy bar atmosphere.
The service was terrible. With a reservation for 7:00 we were told we were sitting outside (no heaters in winter?). No, I don’t like to shiver wearing my coat while I eat. They were hard pressed to find seats for us inside, although there were many tables open and we did have a reservation. They ended up trying to seat us across from each other at an overly wide and uncomfortable communal table. Again they were hard pressed to sit us at least next to each other so we could talk during dinner. We sat with our shins hitting a metal bar. I felt like an uninvited afterthought. By the time we left, two-​top tables and seats next to each other were still empty around us.
Our waitress didn’t ask if we’d like another drink at any point, nor did she offer us dessert. :(
Later that night, around 10:00 pm I received an email from Recess Eatery cancelling my reservations??? What a really, really disappointing experience.

After hearing so much good press about the Glendale location, we decided to try one near our home. Not too impressed. I get the restaurant just opened; however, they it is there second location.
Service: Bad from the hostess who just seemed not to have a clue. Granted, we did not have reservations. She said they were booked; but when I pushed back she suddenly had a table. I would also say that never during our whole meal was every table taken. Server did not come back to us enough; we needed water 2x and had to ask. It then took even more time to get our check and then even more time to get it picked up. Weird since they had so many reservations and at first could not seat us.
Food. Only so-​so. I had the Braised Soft Ribs. Was not braised long enough so meat was not super tenner and had a weird taste. My husband had the Ahi Tuna; good but was an entrée but seemed more like a salad.
For the price, I expected a much better experience.
Not sure if we will go back… maybe?

I had a great dinner here! Food, service and ambiance. Everything a good restaurant should have. The place is gorgeous and can’t wait the back patio is finished. I’ll be back soon!

Bartenders are really professional and make excellent drinks. Particularly pablo who actually took the time to explain what drinks are good to pair with my food. I had the ravioli which was great. My partner had the ahi tuna which was also good. A bit pricey, but overall a good experience. Kitchen can use more help it seems but the bar made up for it overall. Highly recommend!

This place is a little expensive, which seems to indicate that the target audience is people who don’t live in Highland Park. With that being said, having a fine-​dining anchor on this street does more good than harm, considering the availability of bars and cheaper eats elsewhere.
The food was delicious without trying too hard to impress, and the cocktails were great too. If you won’t make the trek to Highland Park for the food alone, you will for the design of this place. Spacecraft did an amazing job of utilizing the old brick building to create a classic American space with modern sensibilities (i.e. communal tables, a visible kitchen, and integrated bar). If you’re coming here for a first date, the back patio would be a very good choice.
All in all, Recess is a great bet for the future of Highland Park, as well as the concept of the chef-​owned restaurant in LA. If you want the food to be the center of attention, this place might not be that great for you. If instead you look for the experience of a restaurant to be a good enough canvas on which to create meaningful experiences with people you care about, Recess will not disappoint.

I will definitely be going back to Recess. This is just what Highland Park needed. We went during the soft opening and it was great. Food– my husband had the short ribs and it was awesome. I had the ahi tuna salad and enjoyed it. The drinks are great. They are very delicious and creative. We also had the desert and it was yummy. Love the ambience as well.

Recess you finally opened and you were worth the wait! Although it was a soft opening, the food, the drinks, the service and space were amazing. The Valedictorian (braised short rib dish with horseradish mashed potatoes) was the perfect dish for a cold winter night. It was flavorful and felt a high end home cooked meal. We ordered the bartender’s choice for our first cocktail and it was so good we ordered another one before our meal came! You should also try their signature drinks, especially the Duchess of York (tequila, cucumber, lime with a habanero foam), delicious! And finally the space, oh that beautiful space. The exposed brick, the open concept, the perfect lighting; it all came together perfect. It’s the perfect place to take family and friends that you want to impress wth great food and a design dream. I can’t wait to dine in that patio on a summer night. #happeninginhighlandpark #recesshighlandpark

We went for the soft opening. There was naturally a bit of timing issue, that is sure to work itself out in the coming days. And the communal seating in the middle was a little awkward, as the table is quite deep. But the couple across from us was happy to switch so it was each couple sitting across from the other and that big table made it feel more private. But the food, the food was fantastic! We eat out often and frequently at places with a higher price tag, and this was easily the best meal either of us had had in ages! Abdessian is clearly passionate about what he does and it shows in his work. Great flavors, playing, and service! Will definitely return!

Starting strong with 5 stars because, although it was a soft open and limited menu, the food was very delicious especially for the price. We got the ravioli and the short ribs. Of course you can’t go wrong with either option but both were definitely hearty and so yummy! I ordered a really good gin/​mescal drink that I can’t remember but I hate gin but loved the drink so there you have it. Our server was super cute and down to earth. Thank Bowie! Nobody wants a stuck up place in Highland Park!
Strong start! Can’t wait to come back when the menu opens up!