Ceremony Bar

I honestly don’t know where to start. Actually let me just first mention our waiter, who was great. I don’t remember his name but he warned us about a lot of what you’re about to read. He was gracious and funny and kind. I tipped well. This is coming from someone who has a lot of respect for the food service industry. I try not to give out 1 star unless I really feel neglected and disrespected by a restaurant.
1. Any Latin-​inspired place that’s playing non-​stop radio pop music should not be trusted.
2. Décor was beautiful. Never judge a book.
3. What we ordered: black bean & queso taco (boring), cauliflower tacos (the only actually good food I ate), guacamole (very overpriced, watery, under-​seasoned), «cuban» sandwich (misnomer if I’ve ever seen one), their version of a Moscow Mule (very sweet, we actually watered it down).
4. The service, other than our main server, was very weird. My water glass was empty 90% of the time, no one would even look me in the eye. They dropped the food and left. They asked if I wanted water and didn’t wait for a response, they just walked away.
5. The food came out SO slowly. First came my black bean taco, followed TEN MINUTES later by the cauliflower tacos, and then FIFTEEN minutes later came the sandwich. I was done eating long before Nico got his food.
6. So overpriced. Don’t even bother honestly.
All in all I would not return even though my waiter was great and understanding. He even took the sandwich off of our bill because it was disappointing enough where we didn’t want it. Another Studio City Ventura Ave disappointment, all glitz and no substance.
PRIORITIZE THE FOOD AND SERVICE — DECOR SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A PLUS. Take care of your customers, not the ambiance.

So they took the cozy and intamate feel of the Next Door next to LaLoggia and called it the Ceremony bar, and coverted the front wall facing the street into an open bar sitting area. Wow, very different feel. No more cozy intimate feel. Not sure if the fireplace was there or gone, but the space feels very different. Not bad, or good, just not cozy. Now its like an open almost outdoor like feel, which is great also. There is a sliced VW classic bus in the enty area of the place, and its kinda cool, but no one is manning it. I think it felt dead, and like a idea that never took off. Maybe it was a weeknight? Regardless other than that the place has little character, or autheticity of charm. Just feels like its missing something… I guess I have to go back and spend more time.
So the drinks are pretty good. Nothing well crafted, but nothing sloppy either. I can’t write about the food as I didn’t eat. Come here to drink and look out on to Ventura Boulevard, and enjoy a cold drink.
I would surely come back with friends as its a good spot. in the valley. Close to other eateries, bars and such.

As a graduate of a prestigious culinary school, you could say I KNOW good food.
The taco menu is incredible, some of the best in LA. My favorite was the pork belly. Cameron (shrimp) comes in second.
The ambiance is relaxing but upscale. Our bartender/​server (for lunch service) told us he has been working for the owner for 21 years. I would saw the man knows how to treat his employees.
Really enjoyed my time there– go when you’re in studio city!!! I’ll be back for happy hour!

Tacos were such a nice change from the regular. The pork and both kinds of shrimp were amazing. Also the cocktails so yummy. Nice and relaxing night out. And my daughter loved the chocolate lava cake I brought home for her.

Food here was ok, the drinks were pretty strong and unique in flavor. Not the first place I would choose personally to go out but it didn’t disappoint.

It’s ok … Nothing amazing going on … I walked in not one person acknowledged me … I sat in the other room away from the bar … Still no one spoke to me all good I had read the reviews about the poor service then my date came in and told me to get off Unilocal lol … Here goes … Tacos … Coo atmosphere … Watermelon Agua Fresca … Mediocre staff …I tried speaking to my waiter in Spanish because he was struggling with his English but refused to speak to me in Spanish … Nga I’m Mexican !! Lmao … Overall OK experience … Wouldn’t be my first choice for tacos … Oh yeah it was hella dark in there … Please light the place up better thanks.

To be quite honest, we only came in because Firefly was filled to the brim.
When we passed, the place was pretty empty. Very confusing during such a prime time on a Friday night.
All we did was get a margarita, but it was very delicious and well-​mixed. The place is gigantic, and the tequila bar had many options.
There is nothing wrong with this place, but it seems to not pull in a crowd. Maybe it does better in the day? Not sure. Would still recommend.

Came here on a date with my wife and we ended up sitting in the middle of a large party. They still made sure to take great care of us. It’s a really cool spot with great tacos and cocktails.

If I could rate this place on food and décor alone I’d give it 5 stars. Dia De los muertos inspired art, great lighting, and the open air feel… amazing! Had pork belly tacos, there are no words to describe how delicious they are. We also tried the tropical and chapo tacos, they were great!
The service here is horrible! We had to get a waiter to take our order, we had to waive the bartender down for drink refills, and we had to find someone to pick up our check to pay it.
If you got your service together all of these bad reviews would have probably been great reviews.

Literally, all I can say is WOW!!! I swear this place is A1!!! The tacos here are a food orgasm!!! You have to try the following tacos (1) Chapo (2) pork belly and last (3) the shrimp taco!!! They are seriously delicious!!! Another must try is the cucumber drink

My friend and I were looking for somewhere new to grab drinks one night and we remembered seeing Ceremony Bar a couple of times while driving down Ventura. It was one of the places we’ve passed and thought it looked really cute and would at some point check out.
We were sooooooooo disappointed!
The ambiance and décor is super cute and before it got bad had talked about wanting to come back for brunch or lunch sometime. We sat at the bar and ordered a couple of drinks. Not once did the bartender ask if we wanted another round. Our glasses had been empty for maybe 10 min before we had the «should we do another round or go somewhere else» discussion. At that point we were planning to stay but it was as though the bartender was avoiding eye contact (so strange) and the bar wasn’t busy by any means. By this point we decide we’re going to check out a place across the street. My friend had her card in her had waiting to catch the bartender’s attention to pay our bill, but again he ignored us. We weren’t sure if he was comping our drinks or what. I stood up and then my friend stood up and waited hoping he would get the hint that we were trying to leave and either give us our check or tell us it was on him. The whole experience was strange. After giving him another 5 min. we walked out. Not a second later the bartender was chasing us down telling us we hadn’t paid. We followed him back and tried to explain the confusion. He was so rude and made a scene. We weren’t trying to NOT pay. We told him we had been waiting, my friend had her car out and he proceeded to tell us that we were supposed to flag him down to pay. He said the guy next to us paid, but the guy had just ordered and the bartender told him his total. Where as when we had ordered, no total was given and he didn’t ask for a card to hold the tab.
We asked a server that was walking by to speak to a manager and she told us the bartender was the manager.
Needless to say, the service was terrible. As cute as the place may be, it does not make up for rude service. Also, either the server was lying about who the manager was or the management staff needs some serious training in customer service.

YOU WAIT FOREVER JUST FOR CHPS, we just left from having lunch and are still hungry, the Enchiladas sucked, no rice no beans and when we order rice we get WHITE RICE? Isn’t this a Mexican restaurant?
I am Mexican and we serve yellow rice, what a joke.LOL.
Besides we had to yell for our check since the place is completely empty. if you decide to go for a lunch, bring a burger in a brown bag so you have enough food to eat.
Good luck Ceremony Bar!

Nice, little & unique bar for a Monday night… drinks where good & my chicken tacos were even better… staff was attentive & made sure my friend and I were good throughout our night. It wasn’t too busy for a Monday night, but that was sure a plus for my BFF and I. Highly recommended for anyone that is in the Studio City area.

Just your typical Ventura Blvd. vibe.
Came here with a few people for drinks and snacks and wasn’t 100% disappointed. The food was a bit bland. HINT: Mexcian & Cuban food should not be bland. Especially the guac. It tasted like they decided to just purée the avo and put 2 stems of macro greens on top. Thumbs up to the cauliflower tacos. Using jicama as the tortilla was brilliant. Again– maybe some salt? pepper? lemon? lime? bland bland bland.
I would probably just come here for the drinks. Since their appetizers didn’t really impress me much, I don’t think trying their other food will happen.
As far as service goes, it was early in the evening and they were fantastic and attentive. But it could be because we were the only other party in there and kept ordering more food after realizing their appetizers only came in 2s.

I’ve been debating this review for a few days now. I’m torn because I like this restaurant and have been several times but the lack of responsibility for the mistake made is irreparable.
We booked a party in the upstairs room two weeks in advance for 20 guests. We confirmed with Frank, the owner, via text and then came into the restaurant five days before the actual party.
When we showed up 30 mins before our guests we were told the party room was double booked. As you can imagine our disappointment we showed our confirmation with the owner to the wait staff. Frank wasn’t there yet and when he showed up didn’t come to talk to us. They set us up in the bar area. I asked to speak to frank, and his response was «to make the best of it.» He also said the other party had «won» and we «lost because they set a pre-​fixed menu» I told him it wasn’t about winning or losing and that if we had been offered a pre fixed menu we would have selected it. His customer service skills are seriously lacking. He was rude and acted like the blame couldn’t have been his problem.
Unbelievable. It was too late to move to another venue so we put close to $ 2000 into the pockets of a place that couldn’t bother to try and do more than give us a free dessert.

This place is alright. I have been here a few times. Overall it’s a cute place to come and grab a few drinks. However the food; not so much. I would recommend coming here for the drinks not he food, not even appetizers.
Most of their food is just super bland quite honestly. I didn’t even like the chips and guacamole nor did I like the hummus with hearts of palm. The dip was just a o runny… the ingredients ratio was totally off. The guac tasted like smashed avocados and that’s it! Nothing else. Super bland. The Moljacete wasn’t flavorful enough. I was looking for that earthy smokey taste and I just got tomato sauce if you will. The steak itself was good though, well marinated and tender. I did enjoy that a lot. The ceviche was REALLY FISHY. I know it’s supposed to be, but it just didn’t look or smell ok to me. Again, nothing horrendous just nothing great.
The atmosphere is great. Cute restaurant on Ventura in beautiful Studio City. Good young and hip crowd. Nicely decorated Spanish style.
Drinks are really good. We ordered a couple rounds of shots and we let the bar tender choose and they were great. We ordered some margaritas with a twist and those too were great. Overall the bartenders here know what they are doing. So the drinks aren’t too bad.
Come for drinks not the food.

Went to Ceremony for dinner on a Friday night. Cool décor, nice bar area. A very friendly and helpful waitress greeted us. First I got the La Morena, which had vanilla infused vodka, and the rim was coated with some kind of flavored sugar. It was an okay drink, not exactly something I would try again — maybe without the sugar it would be better. Somehow the flavors didn’t match up right for me.
We sat at a table, and I got a Shrimp Quesadilla, which was good but kind of small. So I got a small chicken taco as well. No sides of anything were on the plates, just a little garnish.
Since I didn’t really care for my first drink, I ordered a basic margarita for the second one. My margarita was fine, but my friends margarita was bitter. She took hers back and they made her a second one, and her second one was still bitter. She tasted mine, and our margaritas did not taste the same. But technically, these are not margaritas — they are lime juice with tequila. We really did not think there was any Triple Sec in them. And a margarita needs to have Triple Sec, otherwise its just Tequila and Lime Juice.
So the cocktails were actually somewhat of a disappointment. If I went back, I would try something different. The food was good, just small portions with no sides. The atmosphere and décor make it a wonderful place to hang out, so I would still go back just for the ambiance.
Oh, and by the way, they do offer a Happy Hour, with is 25% off. So that was nice to see on our final bill.

Brought to us from the owner of La Loggia is the small next-​door eatery Ceremony. Instead of Italian, like the classier neighbor, Ceremony focuses on Mexican and Cuban fusion set in a bar atmosphere on this busy strip of Ventura Boulevard.
The Ceremony dining room is split in two with the large bar on one side, including an upstairs indoor balcony, and a few smaller tables on the other. There’s even a neat vintage VW van cut in half and mounted to the wall which acts as a prep station for some of the dishes!
The menu is relatively small, but each option is as tasty as the last! One thing that is a must-​have from the Temptations section of the menu is the guacamole (prepared fresh with corn tortilla chips). It’s the perfect way to start the meal while still looking over the menu.
Most of the dishes are small and meant to share so we usually just do several things to split amongst the table so we get a sample of everything! After we finished the fresh guac, we got the crispy ahi tuna tacos (two corn tortillas, Napa cabbage, avocado, and micro greens), the shrimp tostada (with tomatillo, avocado, and pickled onions), the crispy cauliflower tacos (two jicama tortillas, panko crusted avocado, tomatillo sauce, and radish), and the chicken enchiladas (with panela cheese and red and green sauce). Each of these were great, but I’d say my favorite was the cauliflower tacos. It’s not a very glamorous menu item, but the cauliflower was toasted to a perfect crisp and the tomatillo sauce gave it a nice kick!
If you’re in the mood for Mexican fusion, or maybe just a stiff drink, Ceremony is great. Just look for the vine covered building with a valet stand since there’s no signage for either restaurant.

I give this place a hopeful 3 star review– but truthfully it was a two star service.
Atmosphere: The atmosphere was awesome! They had a really great set up with this adorable old Volkswagen car leading to the entrance of the kitchen. The décor and modern upscale day of the dead theme is awesome. In the main room with the bar they have big opening in the wall (windows sort of??) that open up to the street to get a cool breeze and a great view.
Food/​Drink: The food here is a bit overpriced for what you get. We stuck to the chips and guac which was so delicious but 9 $, speciality drinks were ¹³⁄₁₄ $ — I tried the Mexican Mule which was quite tasty! And the craft beer was avg 7 dollars– and the the food was typical mid teens. We decided we were not the hungry and wanted to get a shrimp quesadilla. First off it was awesome! Secondly, not worth it. The cost of their street taco is 4 $ — cost of quesadilla is 8 $— their quesadilla is nothing more the a HEATED taco— literally the same size just
warm.
Service: There service as seen on the many reviews below was rough and the reason I give it 2.5 stars. Our server was just soooo clueless on life and his job! I ordered a beer — he came back 15 min later and was like wait what kind did you want again??- IT was not even Happy hour and it was a Monday night! The place was not that busy at all!– thus began the poor service. This delay on service occurred again and again and again through out the night and with ordering food. Finally he came back and we asked for the check and it took OVER 30 MIN. To get it all paid for soo frustrating. We wait and wait for him to come pick it up so finally I had to go hand it to him and then it took another 20 min t get it back. I don’t know if he forgot or what. He ten have it to another table — our credit cards and all. I know he was probably new and struggling I do feel bad writing this review but it was rough and I showed up 30 min late to my next place. The owner was very sweet though and pulled through for us in the end and we really appreciated that.
Thus ends my novel*

Atmosphere is A+ whomever designed it knew what they were doing. Feels very upscale which can be a downside when looking for casual dinner. The large window in front brings the outdoors in which I am a huge fan of. Price wise it’s on the higher side. $ 13 signature cocktails were a bit of a turnoff, being that there weren’t anything very unique on the list. $ 10 regular margaritas which was a bit more in tune with reality. We only went there for post dinner drinks so I can not say about the food. The menu is well crafted as far as it ‘sounds’ good I will most likely come back to give the food a try.
Biggest positive — Atmosphere is great so you really do want to go back.