AOC Wine Bar, Los Angeles, CA

From what I heard about AOC I was expecting fantastic service but not-so-amazing food. To my surprise, I received quite the opposite.

I do appreciate how they didn’t call me up 10 times to confirm my reservation like others did. I am a woman of my word and I keep perfect track of my schedule, especially when it comes to food.

There were a lot of memorable dishes. Their version of the bacon wrapped date was even one notch higher than my favorite tapas restaurant - Firefly in Las Vegas. The combination of the crispy bacon and the melty Parmesan was magicial. Arroz negro with squid has the most unusual richness of flavors. The charcuterie we have tried - lomo iberico, lomito, cabecero - were just pure art. Let’s not forget about their arctic char. It was one of the best I have had in terms of texture. It was cooked to perfection and I don’t think it could get any better.

Food was excellent but service was lukewarm. Our server was courteous but not particularly enthusiastic. Food and drinks were brought to us often without introduction. Some dishes took much longer to prepare and our server rarely check up on us. For a restaurant in this caliber, the service is just meeting the bare minimum requirement. I like the ambiance. It was classy and romantic. The tables were too cramped together though. Would really prefer some more comfortable seats for an intimate evening.

I wouldn’t say this is a must try restaurant in LA but it is not a bad place to dine.