Bliss 525

My friends were in Long Beach for a conference down the street, we just stumbled upon Bliss and decided to give it a try. Service was great, the décor was great (lots of Halloween items since it was Oct.) The only thing missing in the equation of success was the taste of the food. Since I wasn’t too hungry, I ordered Mac n Cheese, which tasted similar to those from the pre-​packaged blue boxes at the market, but 5x over priced. My friend ordered pasta in alfredo sauce, and of course I nibbled a couple bites. Too bad the flavor wasn’t quite there, the sauce tasted as if it were from a jar. I’m scratching my head thinking why spend all this money here when I can go to the store and buy the same items for the same taste…
Plenty of street parking, safety in numbers.

Closed.

I would give this place 2 stars, but the extra star was for the ambiance.
Always wanted to come to this place because it looked so pretty on Unilocal.Wanted to like this place too. Parking was plenty in their lot… fitting about 20 cars I think.
When you walk in, it’s not sparkling pretty like in the pictures. It’s actually kinda old looking, but it was still pretty. The place was empty on a Saturday afternoon. We were the only guests they had to serve (aside from the party out in the patio). There was going to be another party upstairs as well.
For lunch, this place is definitely pricey. Shrimp scampi does not look like shrimp scampi. It looked more like it was drenched in Alfredo sauce. Philly cheesesteak was ok. Needed some salt. Baked lasagna was ok. Fries were good. The pickle looked weird. Not crunchy and cold. It looked soggy. Maybe it was a special kind of pickle?
We checked-​in for the Unilocal 10% off. They said it will be taken care of. They didn’t put it on the bill and we forgot to check, so make sure you check if you want that 10% off on those pricey lunches. ($ 19 for shrimp scampi. $ 17 for lasagna. $ 13 for philly cheesesteak). Portions are big though.
This place is definitely nice to host a bridal or baby shower. Maybe if you order the appetizers for your party it might be better. I wouldn’t come here again for lunch or dinner though.
The wait staff was nice.

My lady amigo invited me here for dinner as she had a gift card for this restaurant. I was checking out their website to get an idea as to how to dress for this place and from the website it looked pretty fancy. I called them up and they said it looks fancy but anything goes so I wore shorts, tshirt and a ball cap. I was totally under dressed! hahaha… But the place was pretty much empty so I didn’t care.
I had the grilled vegetable medley as I felt like being healthy today. It was pretty darn good. Loved the grilled veggies. I think I am on my way towards becoming a vegetarian. My date ordered the short ribs which I ate some of and they were really tender.
Overall I liked the food here. I came here in the early evening so the restaurant was dead but I am sure if I came here at 8pm it would be lively and a lot of fun.

We were here just July 4^th weekend on the Saturday and it was the first time for either one of us. I think its a relatively new restaurant. I live in LB until 4 years ago and worked in downtown LB until 2 years ago and I never heard of this place!
We came down on the Harley early Saturday evening around 6:30pm. There was only a few others in there. We had dinner in the bar area where the bands usually perform. There is a formal dining area at the back and events and large parties upstairs and a patio outside upstairs and down, we did a self-​tour.
The service was okay, but I’d like to come back when they are busier and see if its still decent. The drinks were okay. The BF had is his usual Seagram’s seven and coke and I had a margarita on the rocks. He had the salmon and it was cooked perfect and moist. Its the grilled fillet of salmon glazed with a bourbon-​peach BBQ sauce and served with mashed sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes were not favorably (strange mix), but the fish and sauce were delicious. I had the Caribbean pasta which was really good and not one bit greasy. I find a lot of heavy creamy sauces to be made with butter and too greasy, this was just right.
For my first visit I would give:
For the food: 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Ambiance: This one is difficult and we were one of very few in there, but the décor and layout is pleasant and indigenous for the Arts Downtown LB district.
We both talked about going back another time.

We went for the sunday brunch this time, pretty great.

I would have said it was A-​OK but I am leaning more towards «I’ve experienced better». We had a part of six people and first walking in, the front door, it seemed closed so we went around through the bar to ask for a table. The main serving room was empty and we were the only people there.
They accommodated us and were incredibly flexible. The service was wonderful. The bus boy (forgot his name) and the server were really nice. To be honest, I would give them four to five stars but the food was just. EH!
We had ordered some salads, some Mexican meatball soup, Bliss burger, the brushetta chicken, crab cakes, roasted beef sandwich … and some shrimp scampi. Okay, now let me start with the drinks — thankfully the server knew that we were in mourning because the Kings had just lost and they made our drinks a little stiff. They could have been better. Do not try the Key Lime martini, lol. I wish that they had told me that they can’t make it and I would have been happier to order something else. When I finally got it, it was drinkable but I’ve had better.
The food … Crab was okay but I felt that it could have been more warm. The soup had a little kick. The salad was just a salad. The bread rolls were warm and buttery. Now the food was just. I don’t know, maybe it was the hype but when I got my chicken, it was not that great. It wasn’t dry but it wasn’t flavorful. The mashed potatoes were not fully cooked but then there were some discussion that they may have been boxed? The vegetables were bitter probably because they were over cooked or not. cooked well? Who knows. The roast beef was good along with the sweet potato fries. I didn’t try the burger or the scampi but there were no complaints. Anyway, the bread pudding was yummy and when we told the server how our food was just okay, she comped us the dessert. That was nice of her.
I can’t say that the food is good. I don’t even know the style of the food. It doesn’t fit the place. I wouldn’t try this place again. I think there are better little joints in the area.
BTW, they have a band jazz blues night. Great music but couldn’t hear myself think.

Bliss 525 is located at the corner of Broadway and Atlantic in down town long beach. It is an upscale restaurant that offers good food at upscale prices. If you want to impress a date, it is a good place to go. It has a small parking lot that is attached to the rear side of the building. The upstairs patio dining area is worth renting for special receptions a few years back on of my friends was married there.
However, the real deal is the week day happy hour. The appetizers are half price and the well drinks are reduced. On Wednesdays that have unlimited pasta for 10 bucks. I would go hungry and it turns out to be a good deal

I made reservations for Mother’s Day for 12:30pm. Here’s my review:
Parking
Pro — They have a parking lot! Awesome!
Con — You park yourself but you still have to pay $ 3. Why? For what?
Décor
The bar was cool and loungey, with a live band setting up as we were leaving. The restaurant was nice and bright. I’d say it was a low key fancy. It was pretty empty though, so I felt silly for even having a reservation. I just assumed, being Mother’s Day, that every place would be busy. Especially since they had a special Mother’s day menu available.
Service
Elaine was awesome! She was friendly and attentive.
Food
Complementary Rolls — Served warm with butter.
Cup of Broccoli Soup — Creamy and bursting with broccoli favor. $ 3
Half Caesar Salad — I wanted a side salad but they only offered a garden variety so I ordered the half portion of Caesar to start. It was adequate. $ 6
BBQ Salmon — Amazing! I have salmon all the time and the BBQ sauce was a nice twist. It was also moist and fell apart with every insertion of my fork. It was a HUGE piece but it was sooooo delicious I wanted more! Instead of the mashed sweet potatoes I substituted the garlic mashed potatoes. They needed salt and even after adding some they were just ok. But who cares when you’ve got that big piece of salmon calling your name. $ 19
Fish and Chips — I’m not a big fan but my mom said it was delish. It was a few big battered pieces of cod with fries and surved with a bottle of vinegar. I did like the fries. $ 12
Drinks — Coke (flat) and ice tea, $ 2 each
Overall
The salmon alone is worth returning for. Throw in the chic ambiance and Elaine and you’ve got a good time.

Maybe more like 2.5 but I’ll be generous. A group of us came here for a party/​show last night. It was upstairs and it was set up nice. The restaurant itself is quite nice and there is even parking in the back if you know how to find it.
The food here however is really mediocre. Even my diet coke… was flat. My friend ordered hot tea and the water was lukewarm. We ordered the Spinach and Artichoke dip and that was really good. Then we had the Hummus trio which was dry and bland. We also ordered the Mac and Cheese and a salad. The salad was small and they bring the dressing in a tiny shot glass so we had to ask for more. The Mac and Cheese was TERRIBLE. There was so much grease in the bottom of the bowl… GROSS!!!
The service was a bit disorganized but to be fair they only had one girl servicing a big group. They could have spared another person. I’d go back for another show but I’d stick to ordering a sandwich or something.

I know I’m going against the tide here but my experience at Bliss 525 was less than stellar. It’s not the worst food and service but it was below average as a restaurant. Service was slow though our server was very polite and cordial. The food was bleh. Not downright inedible but neither my boyfriend nor I thought our meals particularly tasty. In fact, I couldn’t tell you what we ordered. It was that non-​descript. Plus there was a DJ in the bar area and the noise spilled over into restaurant. I wouldn’t recommend the restaurant and if given a choice would not return.
Judging from other reviews maybe your best shot is the bar and live music with light appetizers.

Bliss 525? More like Bliss 5 bajillion 25, am I right?!
I went for Valentine’s with a woman I tricked into being my girlfriend. They had a deal with four courses for $ 50. I was very, very impressed with the price and quality of the food. The server was a gem and I’d like him to be the best man at my wedding.
I’ve gone a few times for the bar and was pleased with that as well.
Oh yeah! They’ve got an effing ton of parking too! Truly a rarity in this gem of a city of ours.
Also, make sure to take close attention of the stair case if you go. What do the shapes remind you of?
Do it!

First off, I’m being VERY generous on the three stars here. We had heard good things about the bar, but we’re not familiar with the restaurant. Then we got a Groupon offer, so we took it.
We made a reservation on Open Table, but once we got there we figured that was not necessary. For a Saturday night, it was pretty quiet. Since it was a nice day, we asked to sit outside on the patio. We walked through the bar, which actually had a good crowd and they were setting up for some live music.
Initially, everything was going fine, then the appetizer came out and we immediately got swarmed by flies. They were everywhere. It got so bad that we had to move into the their dark dining room.
Then the food came out. I had ordered the Caribbean Pasta and the wife ordered the Peppercorn Salmon. The food was pretty bad. My pasta tasted like Hamburger Helper. My wife’s salmon was overcooked and the rice was undercooked. We only ate it because we were hungry and it was edible.
Aside from that, they do have a good service staff. We were well taken care of in regards to drinks and checking up on us. I almost felt bad for them because the restaurant was practically dead.
So, I would say stick with the bar, because the restaurant is a dud.

After mistakenly buying a deal for this restaurant on Groupon (the boyfriend thought it was in San Diego, not Long Beach), the unexpected experience proved to be a good one. We realized that the deal was about to expire so we headed up to the L.A. area for a day trip last weekend. After spending the day exploring Santa Monica and other local beaches, we were hungry and ready for dinner.
We made reservations, although they weren’t actually necessary as there was plenty of open seating on the Saturday night. Service was prompt and friendly. We decided to try the mac and cheese appetizer. While it was delicious, the portion size seemed rather small for the $ 10 price. For dinner, I opted for the French dip and my boyfriend tried the Bliss burger. I must say that the French dip was by far one of the best that I’ve ever had! The bread was fresh, there was the perfect amount of meat and the cheese brought an extra bit of flavor. I got the regular fries as my side while the boyfriend chose the sweet potato fries. Both were wonderful!

A long time ago, M. and I had a dinner date here when it was Café Gazella. Bar and dining areas are the same, but the parking and the new bike lanes were not-​so-​stellar.
M. saw this online and wanted to check out the Happy Hour. The wavy bar design was the same at it was the last time I came here, circa 1995. They have either live bands, karaōke or an 80’s theme night, so they try to keep the place hopping during the week.
However, I wasn’t incredibly impressed with Happy Hour. $ 4 this, $ 5 wine and their standard full and HH menu. They also advertised $ 2 off beer which I thought was borderline deceptive; why don’t they just say $ 4 pints? Granted they had a decent selection (we opted for IPA), but the whole $ 2 off just rubbed me the wrong way.
We did try the buffalo wings; 3 drummettes and 3 wing pieces with teriakki sauce (b/​c M. doesn’t like things super spicy) with little pieces of celery and carrots. Could’ve done without the artsy-​fartsy veggies and just brought out the standard spears.
Service was very friendly and wasn’t at all busy when we arrived a bit after 5pm. The owner/​manage did ask a couple of guys why they had a gigantic video camera and where filiming a scene in the bar area. Dudes, it’s usually polite to at least ask first, or call ahead; I wasn’t even given a photo release!
Not bad, but not good enough to probably warrant a return trip. I’m just not a big fan of downtown LB mainly because of the pain with parking and the fact that their HH was most other bars prices. Does anyone want my discount because I checked in? Can say with a high degree of certainly that I’ll most likely never use it.
$ 16.86 for three IPA and six chicken wings, sans tip.

The website made this place look good, but not so. While the immediate neighborhood is a little shady, they’ve done a good job making it a haven inside. The hostess and bar server were excellent service attendants. It took a while to get service while seated. Once interacting with the server at the table, service got significantly better.
The food was awful – and we both agreed on the elements missing in each other’s plates. I had the short ribs. My guest had the meat lasagne. My meat was tasteless and the mashed potatoes were actually purée. My guest’s lasagne was overpowered by a sauce that tasted worse than Ragu.

Got a $ 30 Amazon Local a while back. Been craving a hearty protein meal so I chose the:
Cajun Rib-​Eye Steak ($ 28)
— 12 fl oz Rib-​eye with a mashed spiced yam and stir-​fry vegetables
— Requested medium-​rare but got medium instead
— The meat was relatively tender
— Good dry cajun rub and meat was really juicy
— first several bites were good but as the meat got warm the excitement was gone
— The mashed spiced yam was unique; I liked it a lot
— the vegetables were eh; too oily and not seasoned
— I would order again if I was craving meat
Side salad ($ 2.50 extra with entrée)
— nothing special
— basically the spring mix from Costco with sliced grape tomatoes
Environment: casual yet upscale-​like. There is a bar setting, dining room, and patio. Every night seems to have a different theme. For example Tuesday is Karaōke night, Saturday has live jazz music. Seems like a great place to grab drinks and hang with friends especially during the summer nights when the patio is appealing. There are also several large TV screens and upbeat music for entertainment.
Service: decent. Nothing special since I came in rather early.
Parking: free parking in the private lot (at least during a Tuesday afternoon). It seems like in the evening there is valet for a fee. There is always metered parking for $ 1 an hour (max 2 hours).
Overall, decent place. The prices are a bit high. I didn’t try the other food so I’m not sure if it’s justified. I would come back again to try the night life here.

I recently returned and tried the hamburger here, as it has gotten good reviews. To give it the best chance for me to go Wow over the burger, I tried the build your own burger option. I selected the red onion and bacon for my options. It was okay. The burger is large, and although a couple of bucks more, I do prefer this over the hockey burger across the street — but basically, a ¹⁄₃ lb bacon cheeseburger with fries for $ 10? At least the hockey burger is a novelty.
Service is great, the ambiance is great. The food itself, to me, doesn’t support the prices, but I still think it would make a good place for a small office gathering — just for the atmosphere.

I’m going to start with the caveat that we were there for NYE and a set menu. I don’t think it should matter much but to some it might.
The crab cakes were wonderful… some of the best I’ve had in CA. The butternut squash soup was good but a little too thick for me. The flavor was fine but nothing to write home about. The rack of lamb was good… it was a little fatty but overall can’t complain. The sides of corn pudding and sweet potatoes both hit the spot. I also had a gingerbread pudding for dessert, which was good but not something I’d get again. I tried my wife’s crème brûlée but it just didn’t do it for me– it was lacking a little something something! ;)
The atmosphere was alright… there seemed to be several no-​shows on RSVP. The band in the other room added to the atmosphere although I was hoping for music other than R&B. In general, I think the effort of this place is A+ but without marketing/​advertising it’s going to sink. My wife happened across it somewhere but there was nothing out there about new years or otherwise. I wouldn’t even know anything about it if it weren’t for her telling me about it. I would love to have them draw in a bigger crowd and maybe a bit more of a sophisticated one, since that’s what it looks like they’re aiming for?!
The service was spot-​on… very attentive server. Everyone was great but having food that’s a bit better and a crowd that produces much more energy is what this place needs!

I came across some reviews about this place today on Unilocal,then called a friend and she had just read a review in the paper about it. «OK, Let’s go check it out»!
We made a reservation (wasn’t necessary), arrived and were seated quickly. The service overall was very friendly and attentive. The dining room has a very classy — upscale look and feel to it, very nice.
THE FOOD:
They brought us nice large slices of a warm, soft sourdough bread with butter to nibble on while waiting for our food. Very yummy.
MAC N CHEESE: Now I MUST try mac n cheese when it’s on the menu of a new place and today was NO exception. Man-​O-​man, this is some DAMN GOOD Mac N Cheese! It was gooey, it was creamy, it was cheesy and VERY, VERY GOOD! Best I’ve had in a LONG time!
SMOTHERED PORK CHOP: pan seared, served over garlic mashers (VERY good), mushroom gravy pored over it, plus pan roasted veggies. The pork chop was cooked just right, the gravy was DELISH and the veggies were al dente the way they should be! Yummers!
CAJUN RIB EYE STEAK: My friend Susan ordered this, medium rare, which came with veggies and sweet potato mashers. (Note: We are both pretty sure they sent out the wrong steak, it looked like the New York, rather then a Rib Eye). She let me taste. O… M…G… I don’t think I have EVER had a steak SOOOO TENDER, WOW! It almost melted on my mouth. The sweet potato mash was very good too!
BBQ’d SALMON: Was pops choice. It was served with the same sweet potato mash & veggies. I tasted the salmon and… yup, it’s salmon!
WHITE CHOCOLATE & RASPBERRY BREAD PUDDING: I was looking over the dessert options and HAD to try this one! WOW… OOH EMM GEE… WOW… YUM… WOW (what more can I say?). Made with croissants, it’s light, it’s fluffy it’s SO flavorful, it’s SOOO GOOD! Do not pass this one up!
Bliss 525 has now been open for six (6) weeks and I think it’s going to do well. The food is great, the service is very good and the atmosphere is very classy and welcoming!