Polo Lounge - Significant Changes
Had dinner at the Polo Lounge the other night. While it is not a place that on usually thinks of when choosing the top dining establishments in LA, its service, great patio and decent choices of consistently good food, made it special. Now they have a new chef and a menu that has been cut back so much that the term "sparse" comes to mind. The portions appear to have been down sized to "small bite" size and the prices seem to have increased as much as the size of the dishes have been reduced. My wife had a piece of fish that was around $47 that could not have been 3 inches square. To be fair, it came with some side vegetables and a couple of bites of pasta; but almost no fish. The tuna tartar was a fraction of the portion they used to serve. What food there was was done well and the service and ambiance is still impecable; but for me it is now a place for a nice/expensive brunch on the patio and/or hotel guests.
By BSW6490
on Oct 20, 2011 10:02 AM
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Is the Polo Lounge burger still on the menu? Hope they didn't mess with that.
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Their website menu shows a Grilled "Kobe-style" burger with truffled provolone cheese on a brioche bun...and all for a mere $38, plus tax and tip. ;-D>
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The burger is on the menu. Actually, on my previous visit, I had it and it was very good. Pretty sure it was closer to $28 a few months back; but as I said, the prices seem to have gone up and the portions down.
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Kind of sad. As an aside.....the best tuna tartare I've had in town is served at the cafe at Santa Monica Seafood. It's really amazing. Can't remember the price, but it's very reasonable. Of course, the atmosphere is not the PL....but still a terrific version of the dish.
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the current menu on the SMS website lists an Ahi Tuna Tartare with avocado, cucumber, tomato, chili sauce, basil & balsamic reduction (with pita crisps) for $15. is that the one? definitely a better bargain than the $23 tartare at the PL, particularly if the portion is as small as the OP indicated.
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sadly,
sounds like this is the end of an era.
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"... this is the end of an era. "
Gosh, you make it sound like they're on their last legs - a hair's breath from seeking bankruptcy protection. Just in case you may have forgotten, or were unaware, the Beverly Hills Hotel is part of the Dorchester Collection which is owned by the Sultan of Brunei, and/or one of his relatives. It really couldn't be in stronger financial hands!
http://www.dorchestercollection.com/o...
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Beverly Hills Hotel
9641 W Sunset Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
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era does not necessarily mean financial success
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didn't mean "financial" success at all.
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Never intended to insinuate that they were in financial trouble. I said "it is now a place for a nice/expensive brunch on the patio and/or hotel guests." Food, service and ambiance are all still good. Prices are ridiculous, portions are very small and menu is limited. It is the end of an era in terms of the Polo Lounge being a top choice for dinner at one of the better restaurants in town.
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i think you were intending to respond to JBC, not to me. . . .
i understood your meaning completely.
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Yes I was.
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i will defer to others who have lived in l.a. longer than i, but when was the polo lounge ever "a top choice for dinner at one of the better restaurants in town"?
certainly not in the past dozen years at least.
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I don't believe that the Polo Lounge was ever considered a top choice for dinner. It has always been more of a "power breakfast" and lunch place.
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Late night burger joint (celebs galore), too...
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I appologise for the broad use of "top choice". It has had its moments for many and has had a far more expansive and reasonably priced (still always expensive) menu in the recent past. The point is that there have been recent changes.
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it used to be one of my "top" choices when i was chauffeuring around guests from out of town.
after reading BSW6490's review, i won't be including it on the tour anymore.
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