Hatchet Hall

Wow!!! This place just got added to my very short list of favorites in LA. Came here over the weekend and glad I finally did.
When you first walk into this place you are met by hostesses that are very friendly and helpful. Their outside patio is very nicely decorated with lights, small trees, and heat lamps just in case it gets too cold. Inside there are few options for seating, they have a oyster bar, the drinks bar, and then short and tall tables. Lots of décor in here but all comes together real well.
The food is amazing, had the chicken liver, the ceviche style plate which was suggested by our great server. We also tried their bread which comes with a special type of butter. I normally dont eat butter but almost wanted to add the whole thing to my bread, very tasty.
We ordered a drink called the Redcoat, bourbon, lemon, honey, and cider… again i cant not say enough. This drink was so fresh and not one taste was overpowering the other. Very well made for sure, i would definitely drink this on a longer night.
This place is a must try, definitely make time to come and visit. I myself cannot wait to be back soon!

Great space with a lively bar and fun dining area.
Drinks were fantastic — I wanted something extra spicy, and the bartender gave me a super spicy version of the Southern Belle with vodka, elderflower, lime, and violette. Perfect.
Food:
* Octopus: tender and smoky, grilled goodness
* Dates with brown butter, sherry, and sea salt: nice balance of sweet and salty
* Rainbow Trout: aromatic
* Potatoes: so simple, yet so delicious. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.
* Pork chops with peach, maple, and brown butter: my favorite of all the dishes — the maple and brown butter sauce is addicting!
One downside is the service was non-​existent. We had to wait a while for our waiter. But once we ordered, the food was prompt. Would go back again.

Very beautiful ambiance, nice bartenders (I sat at the bar) and good drinks. The apps we had were great.
The one con is that the menu is pretty pretentious. it is incredibly unclear what everything is, and I actually laughed at the way some of the things are described… it’s hard to explain what I mean by this but all the items are written «described» like this: «Benne. Radish. Crab. Turnip. Avocado. Essence of something I’ve never heard of» And then it comes out and it’s a salad… maybe I’m just not fancy enough.

Ok this place has potential. Great area. I see they are keeping some of the old CREST look for nostalgia. I like the concept of «Gamey» meats. But sadly not much choice. We ordered the $ 95 Ribeye They insisted to cook it med rare even tho we asked for med. it came very tasty but most of it uneatable. Way to rare and bloody. We asked to recook it and they refused !
Music way too loud, can barely hear each other.
So I complained to mgr after he asked how everything was and much to my dismay he went out of the way to make it up to us. He gave a free dessert, free drink and explained why everything was the way it is.
So normally I would give it a bad review but bcz the mgr tried so hard I am upgrading this review and will come again. But now I know I have to reserve the patio for less noise.

We celebrated our one year anniversary here. Ambiance was great on the patio with olive trees and twinkle lights. Service was fantastic — everyone was super nice and attentive.
We started with the yellowtail appetizer with fresh peas and pickled garlic in a horseradish crème. So good! I loved every component of this dish and when you put it all together in one perfect bite, it was amazing!
Our next dish was the roasted stone crab. It was a bit messy to eat but so sweet and the sauce it came with was fantastic — garlicky, lemony with a hint of spice. Wish they had some french bread to sop up all the sauce!
Next came the pork chop with pork belly and black eyed peas. The pork was cooked PERFECTLY with a sweet mapley glaze that balanced everything out.
Their crispy potatoes cooked in beef fat were addictive as hell. Served with salsa verde and a white cheddar cheese.
Our final dish was the roasted octopus with runner beans and grilled treviso served withlemon aioli and salsa verde. I was looking forward to this dish the most but it turned out to be a meh dish for me. Maybe because everything else was so vibrant and bright but this dish seemed a bit muddy to me. I wished I had some of the horseradish crème from the yellowtail dish or the garlic lemon sauce from the crab. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a good dish — the octopus was wonderful and tender — just my least favorite of the night.
We enjoyed our dinner immensely — thanks for a great anniversary, Hatchet Hall!

Hatchet Hall is probably one of best things to hit Culver City. It’s a bit trendier than most restaurants and it is HUGE. You can choose to sit outside, high tops at the bar or regular tables. The bar is awesome and they make phenomenal cocktails (if you’re a bourbon fan, try the red jacket or the classic old fashioned). Their food (meant to be ordered and shared family style) is also incredibly satisfying. Highlights include:
–Octopus because who doesn’t like tender tentacle goodness?
–Benne yeasty rolls THAT HONEY BUTTER… enough said. We placed three orders of this between the 5 of us. The struggle SO REAL.
–rabbit schnitzle, crispy and juicy. totally on point.
Saving the best for last… buckeye pie. AH-​MAZING.
and it really doesn’t matter what i highlight, because by the time you’re reading this, they’ve already updated their seasonal menu. Pantry staples like the bread and oysters are probably not going away anytime soon. Be rest assured.
If you have a chance, go next door and check out Old Man Bar. A little speakeasy establishment making some serious bad ass cocktails notably (and naturally) whiskey.

Had the best experience here!
The service was wonderful and the ambiance of the restaurant is so killer. Totally loved every detail, from the vintage mismatching plates to the lamps, bar chairs, and wall art, it was the so lovely.
We had the oysters which came with a lemon horseradish sauce, WOW. SO good.
Then we had the asparagus caesar with a soft boiled egg. I’m going to try to replicate it, it was amazing.
Then we had the fish cakes! I can’t remember what type of fish. But everything was delicious and timed perfectly. Seriously loved this place.

We were so disappointed with Waterloo & City closed down. Their food was amazing and it was a restaurant conveniently located in our neighborhood. But I am very pleased that this new restaurant that is opened up in the same location is also very unique, and delicious.
Cocktails: we had; East Harlem. Red Coat. Pimm’s Cup No 37. and Southern Bell. We loved all the cocktails. Not too sweet. They hit the perfect mark.
Appetizers: Oysters, Seasonal pickles, Smoked cat fish dip, and Octopus.
The Octopus was our favorite. I had just recently ate octopus at a greek restaurant who claimed it was their signature dish, but theirs was dry, and this was moist and yet not chewy. It was just perfect! The smoked cat fish dip was a little too salty. Oysters were fresh. Seasonal pickles were a little sweet for me, but I get that some people like them that way. Presentation was great.
Main Entrée: Pork Chop
My husband loved this. I don’t like eating too much fatty meat, which this was. So it was a-​ok to me, but he said it was very juicy.
Desert: Benne Bread Pudding
This was delicious but I wonder how much butter was packed into it. At every bite, I could smell and taste the decadent buttery taste and it was delicious but I just hope I didn’t eat a 1000 calories just to be eating this desert.
We paid some where around $ 180 plus tip. I think the bill was fair.
Overall: I would definitely come back here. Added bonus to this place which I have no idea why they do not advertise, is that, they shop only locally from southern California and also, I was told every thing was organic. Knowing that, if that is true, I would pay this bill to support my community and also eat healthfully.

At 10pm on a Friday night, this place was probably a little too hipster for my liking — too many millennials trying just a little too hard to be cool. However, that can always be forgiven for a great place to eat.
Everything is served family style, and so that helps with the prices. Though the proportions aren’t huge. Splitting dishes was perfect for 2 people. Our waitress was nice and somewhat prompt, but she wasn’t that helpful on how much to order.
We were told to come here for the rolls specifically, so we ordered them and they did not disappoint. Each serving comes with 2 rolls. We also got the ham, which was spectacular! It’s piled high and sliced thin. We got the Kentucky ham that was $ 13, there are two more expensive options, but this one had a good mixture of smoky & sweet flavor and paired very well with the rolls.
Pig was very much the theme of the night, so we also ordered the pork chop… and it was phenomenal. The sauce was perfect and the pork belly on top was amazing (or so I hear, my husband ate it all).
They were out of the bread pudding, so we ordered the cookie plate for dessert. It was good, not great. They have a bakery on premises, so I guess I was expecting more. The salted chocolate chip cookie was the star attraction, but there was only one on the plate. It also comes served with a cup of ice milk and while cold milk and cookies is awesome… it’s weird to share that.

I came here to celebrate a girlfriend’s 40^th bday. Wow. All I can say is wow. We had the endive salad, octopus, trout and potatoes. All plates are big enough to share for two. I am going to bring my husband here next time for sure. The bread pudding was the best I’ve ever had.
The ambience is very quaint and romantic so it would be a perfect date spot. I noticed a room with a large table in it, so it would also work for large groups.

Loved this restaurant! Made reservations right when it opens at 5:30 and got seated quickly. One thing I will mention is that kitchen doesn’t open until 6pm so in that half hour feel free to order drinks or quick food like the benne yeast rolls that were so good, seasons pickles or even oysters.
We ordered a couple of plates that inhale nothing bad to say of them. Chicken liver amazing, grilled octopus, trout, and beef potatoes were all great. My favorite plate was the Argentinian grilled chicken, I mean wow just so flavorful!
For drinks we just ordered a bottle of Riesling for $ 48 — totally worth it! For dessert the bread pudding and the peanut butter pie — both were perfect!
I can honestly say that everything was really good and enjoyed my dinner experience here. I’ll be coming back!!!

Overall a very enjoyable dinner. Service was good, but the food was a little slow to come out. It was very dark and the menu’s font was small, so bring your reading glasses. I’m in my 20s and struggled to read the menu.
We got the benne yeast rolls, artichoke, grilled octopus, Argentinian bbq chicken, rainbow trout and a side of broccoli.
The Bennett yeast rolls came with honey butter, making it decadent and delicious. I already know I will crave those little rolls regularly.
Other standouts were:
— The grilled octopus w runner beans, salsa Verde and lemon aioli;
— The Argentinian bbq chicken w salsa Verde
— The broccoli that came out looking more like a salad, with small shredded pieces of broccoli instead of big chunks. But this dish packed a major punch of flavor.
The artichoke was decent and the trout was thoroughly underwhelming. The fish was cooked well but the pea cream on top was a total miss.
Overall, well cooked, tasty food with a nice ambiance (the patio is adorable) I will definitely be coming back for more.

Came here for an anniversary dinner with my coworkers & was pleasantly surprised!
The décor is so adorable. I love their mismatched vintage plates, old school cartoons drawn on their menus, etc.
They seem to change their menu quite often so they might not always have what you want. After seeing so many pictures of the scallops, I really wanted them but sadly they weren’t on the menu today.
The service is also really great. The waiter and staff are always checking up on you, refilling your water, & changing your plates.
STARTERS
We got the benne yeast rolls, seasonal pickles, & half a dozen of malpeque oysters to start. The rolls were just okay but the honey butter was delicious. The seasonal pickles were very interesting. I think I ate a radish initially but it had the texture like a potatoe! I liked it more after eating a few more bites. The oysters were so fresh & clean tasting (no fishiness at all!) & i loved the horseradish sauce it came with.
ENTREES
We also got the chicken liver, grilled octopus, rainbow trout, argentinian style barbeque chicken, and beef fat potatoes. Everything was good but I would definitely get the octopus, chicken, & the potatoes again! They do a great job with pairing the flavors together nicely for each dish. For example, I usually don’t like liver but the chicken liver was very palatable when it was paired with the apple vinegar sauce (though a bit salty!)
DRINKS
We got a bottle of the riesling. My whole table really like it. It has a great rounded finish to it and wasn’t overly sweet.
DESSERT
We got the sticky toffee bread pudding & peanut butter buck eye pie. Both were pretty good! The peanut butter buck eye pie kind of tasted like salted caramel.
Tips:
— there’s valet but there’s also a lot of street parking!
— kitchen doesn’t open until 6pm for dinner but you can order drinks & appetizers first
— $ 1.59 oyster happy hour (only for the malpeque oysters!). You can only order either a half dozen or a dozen at a time.

Came here for dinner over the weekend to celebrate the lover’s birthday. Service was great, ambiance was nice, the people was polished. It was a lovely evening.
A: Octopus — the most tender octopus I have ever had. I like the grilled spices on it, wasn’t a fan on the giant beans but still, a good dish
C: Cream peas — I felt they took a broccoli stalk and diced it into small pieces and poured cream all over it, I didn’t like it but the boyfriend did
A: Potatoes — love the potatoes, crispy and cheesy
A: Chicken liver mousse — a little too salty but that’s ok, eat it with the cream peas and you’ll be fine. I like the sweetness taste and the rich thick layer of the mousse accompanied by the chucks of live, yum, tasted great the following day
B: BBQ Chicken — meh, it was ok. Very tender, almost thought they didn’t cook it through but they did, how they got it that soft was pretty impressive
A: Blood Moon — woooo, the alky content in this thing, so delicious, I had two!
B+: $ 4 bread! A tad bit better than Flores and Son, it’s all about the toastiness and cinnamon butter
F: Oysters — I don’t eat oysters but I smelled it and that horseradish sauce was a nightmare, I felt nauseated after that. I don’t know how you guys do it.
I really like the patio and décor of this place, it feels romantic and shabby chic. Will be back for drinks.

Not bad but also not as good as Waterloo.
Like most folks I was pretty disappointed that Waterloo closed. It was honestly one of my favorite restaurants in West LA. This disappointment is one of the reasons it took me so long to actually try Hatchet Hall. The inside of the restaurant is the same layout as it always was but the décor and style are now completely different. Service is still fine. Portions are relatively small making a meal here not a good value. My food thoughts are below and while nothing was horrible– it just isn’t as good as Waterloo (i know. ive said this several times already). Food choices below:
Pork chop– one of the better things on the menu.
Beer potatoes– a real winner. Don’t miss it.
Squid– Also liked this.
Chicken liver– very very good and im not a big fan of liver!
chicories salad– meh
They get negative marks for being sold out of a few things i really wanted to try: yams and trout.
Desert–
Peanut butter cake– Did’t love this
Apple sundae– loved it.

Love this spot! :) I hadn’t tried it since it changed. Waterloo & City (the restaurant that was here before) was also fantastic — it’s pretty similar. Here are the plates I tried:
Steak tartare — I was really excited for this one but in the end I wasn’t really a fan. It really lacked flavor. Luckily this was the only dish I didn’t enjoy that evening.
Chicken Liver — not at all what I was expecting. I was thinking it would be a mousse, similar to the one that was served at Waterloo. This one was served on a thick piece of bread and it was divine. Super yummy — order it.
Game Hen — delicious! It came with potatoes and sautéed onions and mushrooms. It was quite tasty and I would highly recommend it.
Yams (side dish) — also amazing. Topped with lots of butter and herbs; twas a good choice: D
Dessert — we tried the peanut butter slice of cake. It sounds weird but it was excellent. I’ve been craving it since then.
And the service here was fantastic! Everything from the sommelier to the hostess. Definitely check it out if you have the time!

Hatchet Hall is another restaurant that tries so hard to be fancy and edgy it kind of forgets to make everything taste good. Definitely charges a hefty price on everything though.
Benne Yeast Rolls — Buttery sesame seed rolls that come with an extra helping of butter, but $ 2 per dinner roll
Chicories — Oddly (extremely) bitter assortment of greens
Pork belly — Just fried cubes of pork belly without garnish or much seasoning, side of jalepeno infused vinegar
Scallops — $ 24 gets you three scallops. Comes with reduction with bits of pork belly.
Nantes carrots — BEST THING WE ATE — tender roasted carrots with an umami herb/​garlic/​sesame mixture mixed with a honey yogurt sauce. An interesting and bold flavor. However, even this dish had its problems — the larger carrots that were undercooked and hard to eat.

Dining at Hatchet Hall provides all the love and comfort of your grandma’s cooking! Like your favorite pair of sexy ripped jeans, Hatchet Hall combines the elegance of fine dining and the casual flare of your favorite trendy watering hole– it can be dressed up or down, depending on how you wear it for the night.
Heels? Ok! Sandals? Ok too!
Dinner is served family style so you get the opportunity to try a little bit of everything on the menu with each course, which is great, because the menu is constantly changing.
Sorry Vegans, vegetarians, or gluten-​free dieters… this menu really does not seem to accommodate you. However, if you love proteins and butter, you will be very happy!
The oyster bar is legit– shells get shucked (excuse my French!) right before your eyes, and unlike other places serving up seafood, you get a choice between many kinds of oysters, each supposedly with different flavor profiles (they all kinda taste the same to me, but they are yummy!) Served with a horseradish vinaigrette, so leave the Tabasco sauce for the noobs.
Must try:
Ruby Trout! ($ 25)
Chicken Liver! (more like Chicken lover!) ($ 13)
The carrots! ($ 8)
The roasted acorn squash! ($ 8)
The roasted autumn squash salad (yes, I gorge on gourds) ($ 13)
The quail (if you like little birds) ($ 19)
EXPERT TIP: there are purse hooks all along the bar, the oyster bar AND the community table! This is WILDLY appreciated as a woman who always carries a really heavy purse.
The cocktails are always fresh (as in this menu is crafted regularly as well), and the wine list is innovative and democratizing. I’m usually a tad intimidated by wine lists anyway (although I love my barbera’s, chiantis, and pinots) but the wine-o’s (somms, I’ll be respectful) are incredibly knowledgeable and have curated a list that they want you to inquire about!
Which was a thrill for me to engage with them, they were entertaining as well as smart.
I’ve not spent as much time in the back bar, aka the Old Man Bar, but if I liked to unwind over a whiskey and feel soothed by dim lighting and taxidermied animals, that would be my place.
Overall, I love Hatchet Hall. It brings credibility to this end of Culver City/​Mar Vista/​Venice /​Los Angeles that is greatly appreciated by the locals! Valet parking for $ 6, OR bike parking for free!
I’ll be back soon!

I’m still trying to process how I feel about this restaurant. The old Waterloo & City was good but I guess not good enough to keep me wanting to come back more. I think I’m starting to feel the same way about this place. Very hipster and trendy vibe but if you are looking to have a decent conversation over dinner this is not the place because it’s so loud. There were some dishes that stood out and some that were so so.
Ham plate — I believe this is one of their specialties but you only eat one or two since it was pretty salty.
Benne yeast rolls– These rolls were so good I had to order a second but $ 6 for bread is a little pricey.
Wood Grilled Octopus– very tender since it taste like they boil it first before it’s pan fried. Dish was just ok.
Roasted Game Hen — The sauce in combination of the tender hen was delicious. I think I could have eaten this entire plate myself if I didn’t have to share with everyone else.
Pan roasted king salmon — standard issue. Pan seared.
Cast iron duck breast — my second favorite of the night. Tender duck breast pieces with a light sauce was all you needed.
Crispy sunchokes — fried and crispy and tasted like fried potatoes.
Chocolate Hazelnut ice cream cake — Good but definitely worth the price. $ 11?
Overall I think I would have liked this place more if it wasn’t so expensive. We paid a good amount for a party of four but I still felt hungry when I left. Just didn’t feel like it was worth it. Sorry Hatchet Hall, there are so many other places to eat in LA and for the pricing point I feel I can get better.

Yum come for oyster hour, it’s not too crowded… yet
The oysters are a decent size and served with a horseradish mignonette
No drink specials during oyster hour but beers are $ 8 cocktails are $ 12
Order the country ham with the yeast rolls. The ham is super thin salty delicious cured heaven!