Black Market Liquor Bar

Delicious food and drinks in Studio City.

Came here for a friends birthday with a group of us. We got the private room in the back which was nice. We did a set menu but we were able to try a lot of things surprisingly. I have to admit, I was really excited about the cauliflower but unfortunately it wasn’t anything special. The sauce that came with it on the side was a good lemon flavor that made it a little easier to eat. The brussel sprouts were delicious on the other hand! We got a cheese platter which had a truffle cheese on it which was really good too. Unfortunately, some of the ricotta dishes we got didn’t really have much flavor. We didn’t sit inside with everyone else because of the private room, but the ambiance seemed to be nice. The chips and dip was delicious! Lastly, the dessert with the marshmallow on the side was a little overwhelmingly sweet… but not bad either.

Very disappointing after all of the good reviews.
Ambiance? Very dark inside, hard to read the menus without a flashlight. We asked for other candles to see the menus but were not provided any. Music is loud and people were unfathomably yelling at each other to speak. My friends and I were able to speak in regular tones and hear each other so not sure why people were screaming.
Service? Definitely have had better. Both waiters (our initial one left mid-​way) seemed uninterested and uncaring, looking around constantly while we were speaking to them and not offering any opinions or suggestions although they knew we had never been there before. I’m curious as to which servers others with such a positive experience encountered because they must not have been working last night.
Food? Eh. For us this was the most disappointing. Very mediocre dishes, not big on flavor, creativity or sustenance. I’ve had all of these dishes before, done much better for less at no name places not in CA. As huge top chef fans, this was definitely not what we were expecting.
Drinks? Not recommended.

All I can say is WOW! My old college roommate took me and my wife here for dinner last night. OMFG it was fantastic. Between the 3 of us we had 15 items. Every one of them was delicious. Everything about Black Market rocks. The service was fantastic (Monday nights are the least crowded), the ambiance was great, and the food was off the charts awesome. I live 500 miles away but I will be back.
Go to this restaurant — you deserve it!

ughh this place frustrates me, all they have to do is hire more staff and Black Market would be the best in town. I had a reservation at 9 and was running late so tried to call, however THEY DO NOT ANWSER THE PHONE AFTER 6, due to the fact that its loud and there is none to answer the phone because they are «occupied». Okay cool if you are that occupied at least be on top of the service.
Any who the reason I am leaving 4 stars is because our server KENNETH MICHAEL WAS AWESOME. A part of me died when he said he was leaving and someone was taking over the table. He was so theatrical and such a fun time.

Omg, I have so many favorites here! Most of the food I had was consistently good. Been a while since I found a place that serves really good food from the start to the end. Take note that this place serves only tapas food, so portion is really small and good for sharing. It’s pricey but it’s worth it when the food makes you happy!
FOOD:
1. Meatball, so flavorful and juicy ⁴⁄₅
2. Ricotta Gnudi, we can’t get enough of it, ordered plates after plates after plates, it is so addictive and it just melts in your mouth. ⁵⁄₅
3. Brussels Sprout, crispy and tasty ⁴⁄₅
4. Short Ribs Slider, soooooo delicious, sooooo juicy and flavorful. Not a fan of ribs but I love it!
Slider ⁵⁄₅
SERVICE:
~ Great Service. Our server is one of the best I’ve seen. He’s so cheerful, friendly, gave good recommendation of food and very attentive to our needs.
INTERIOR:
~ Dark, cosy, relaxed.
PARKING:
— $ 6 valet

What a hidden gem! I have never been disappointed by black market liquor bar. Great spot to being a friend visiting, or great casual date spot to still impress! Creative drinks, creative small plates.
Ambiance is an upscale trendy gastro pub type feel. Good heated outdoor patio as well. Note: no sign on the door so look out for the unmarked black building on the corner.
Highlights:
Ricotta gnuddi is a MUST. Melt in your mouth good. Ask for extra bread to dip in the sauce. Too good
Deviled quail eggs are unique and delicious — great app to start off the meal
Trout is always a crowd pleaser
Wait staff has always been incredibly nice and helpful as well. Great experience.

It’s taken me forever to finally try this place on my TO DO list forever. One reason is THERE’S NO SIGN! Which is insane. I seriously would never have found it if it weren’t for walking past the valet stand with the name on it. Why is it a secret?!
You walk in, and it feels like New York. In a good way. Big booths. Dark wood. romantic lighting.
Also, their menu changes daily, which is great, except when you have food allergies and you go online to see what you can eat, you don’t know. And it says «no substitutions» on the menu. Although it also says to inform your food server if you have an allergies. Although the allergies listed didn’t include gluten. So I was nervous and really didn’t know what I’d walk in to.
But gluten free/​dairy free people unite. This is my new favorite place. And I’ll tell you how amazing they were. Miller grabbed a menu (paper, printed daily) and took about 45 seconds to MARK every single item on the menu whether or not I could eat it, yes/​no/​with a slight change. There were a ton of options. And everything I ate was pretty amazing. So thank you Miller. That almost made me cry. You’re my new favorite place.
AND, they’re open late. Like at least 1AM. Brilliant!

«Well, my Mom used to feed me nachos from the bar at The Grand before I was off the bottle, and I turned out normal.» — Arrow, Season 3, Episode 21
I’ve watched Top Chef and Food Network since the beginning of both. Panida P and I happened upon BM after she picked me up at Bob Hope on a Saturday and I had no idea that Antonia Lofaso was the Executive Chef. I adore her!
We sidled up to the bar and didn’t move for a few hours. We are and drank our way through the menu and enjoyed every moment. I started with the Eastside shot — so refreshing and delightful with cucumber. I didn’t feel like I was day drinking to get drunk. Panida had the Boulevard Sour and it was pretty good as well. Our bartender was busted by me pulling a purple substance from the tap. I inquired and so he pulled me a half glass of Julian hard cider from Julian California called black and blue. Infused with blueberries and blackberries and it was amazing. I’ve been on the hunt even since.
On to the food:
Burrata, farmer’s market persimmons frisée, basil pickled chili — totally delicious. I’m a huge lover of burrata and this one one of my faves. Not enough bread to cheese ratio, but they brought us more.
Charred brussels sprouts with grapes and romano cheese (no nuts). I had to have them leave the nuts off because of my allergy, but they had no issue accommodating. They were so caramely and nutty in flavor — the grapes were the perfect sweet foil to the rich and nutty Brussels.
Chilequiles — tortilla chips, cooked and toped with all sorts of goodies — peppers, queso fresca, fresh California avocados, a crispy tortilla and a fried egg. Plus some micro greens and cilantro. Heavenly through every bite. I was sad to share it it was so delicious. Perfect hangover food.
Deep fried fluffer-​nutter, peanut butter marshmallow and fresh bananas. Holy queen mother of all fritters. I am a founding member of the fritter fan club and I have found the holy grail. This was the ultimate in frittery goodness. We almost didn’t finish it, but good lord we buckled down and did our part for humanity. We had to roll out of there and go back to the hotel and take naps, but dammit it was worth every single peanut butter bite filled with marshmallowy ooey gooeyness. Antonia — I am forever grateful to you.
I’ll come back again and again. Next trip to la-​la-​land and this is my first stop, if for no other reason than to drink a cider and eat a fluffer nutter at that gorgeous bar!

This is my favorite spot for a special, but casual occasion. The decoration style of the restaurant is fun and the menu is different and makes you want to try everything. I’ve only been twice since it’s not exactly in the area but I’m going to go back every chance I get! We heard about this place because we watch a lot of cooking shows and there have been countless references to the executive chef and the restaurant itself so we knew we had to try it. Our server this time was Ryan and he completely made up for our previous experience. Ryan is the BEST!
We had the deviled quail eggs, lobster roll, short rib slider, mussels, cavatelli, and we ordered the kimchi wings but for the second time in a row the other server we ordered from forgot to put our order in. Maybe the third time we’ll finally get to try them! Everything else was delicious though. My favorite by far were the mussels. They just melt in your mouth and the toast on the side to dip into the rich buttery broth is to die for. However, the thing that could possibly be my new favorite anything is the date cake. It sounds boring but my goodness is it amazing! It’s a delicious moist cake drowned in a sort of toffee pudding syrup. Ryan even threw in a scoop of Nutella ice cream for us because he awesome is what he is. Now, I can’t say much about the liquor aspect but everyone else looked like they were having fun! Love, love, LOVE Black Market liquor bar! Thank you, Ryan!

I had multiple friends recommend Black Market to me, and I have to say– I wasn’t impressed. I also didn’t realize this is a tapas/​small plates restaurant… which I wish I had known because I would have expected the insane prices!!! Seriously, it’s listed as $$ here but it’s definitely in the $$$ range, since every plate is in the $ 13-​$ 18 range and they are SMALL plates.
Having said that, some of the food we got was decent. I really enjoyed the Fried Cauliflower and the BBQ Short Rib. We also got the Young Kale Salad, which was good but relatively plain.
Lastly, we got the Carnitas Bao, which was an interesting idea but I wasn’t a huge fan. TINY portion of carnitas for the huge bao.
Ended up spending ~$ 90 for 2 people (4 dishes and 1 beer) + $ 6 for valet (since there’s no parking in the area). A little overpriced for my taste.

The pros: great food, tasty appetizers, eclectic wine selection, beautiful interior, cozy exterior, perfect Ventura location
The cons: I only have one stomach

Had a very rude experience here tonight and don’t think any of us will be back. Came here with 4 friends at 9:30pm for a quick drink to catch up and they were not accommodating. With multiple tables open, they still insisted that we couldn’t simply stop in for a beer. Upon reasoning with the hostess, they decided to grant us the «privilege» of spending money at their establishment. Oh wow, lucky us.
Ordered a beer and a couple cocktails. When I asked the bartender which drink was which, the bartender rudely replied by pointing at the beer and saying «that’s the beer, and that’s the cocktail». Thanks genius, I would have never been able to guess that. He seemed very stuck up and angry with us, which was weird because we were being 100% polite, and hadn’t even had our first drink yet.
Oh, and another thing– they wouldn’t let us scoot two tables together, and when we grabbed 2 extra barstools to all cram around 1 table, they said it was a fire hazard and it could only be 3 people per table. What the heck. The place was half empty! Any other bar would have allowed it. Don’t come here with a group (rather, at all) is my advice, unless you want to leave disrespected, frustrated, and annoyed.
Anyways, this place can definitely be avoided. The workers are too rude to reason with. Not worth the money, and the big (fatter) white male bartender is a bad, mean person. No one here was friendly at all.
It’s a shame because we all literally live across the street. This was starting to be my local go-​to hangout, but after this experience, we will take our business elsewhere. That is exactly how NOT to treat your paying customers.

Well, was introduce to this place by a friend who had been to this place before and really enjoyed it. We met up there for just drinks and appetizers this time around, but from looking at the menu it definitely left me a bit curious to try the food out myself.
Originally it wont pop up to you because their sign isnt exactly visible so dont miss it. They do valet parking being that it is a main street and street parking is pretty hard to find.
So the drinks here were pretty good and well made. Very good mixtures and techniques in creating them which add a little bit of a crisp taste to them. I also enjoyed the décor here which is dark, but gives it a rustic/​private-​ish feel at every table.
So we shared a cheese plate which had very tasty cheeses, 100% honey comb, artisan bread (you can ask for more if you wish). It was nicely presented and a nice amount for sharing.
Overall i enjoyed this place for mingling, there was a lot of chatter, music in the background and very nice atmosphere. I would definitely recommend this place and I will definitely be back for dinner here.

I had my birthday dinner here and it was a fun experience overall! My friend and I got the following items:
Crispy Brussels Sprouts — I wasn’t sure about the grapes at first, but I do think they made for a nice contrast by adding some acidity to the dish. The pecorino Romano on top and the texture of the sprouts all combined really well.
Meatballs — Nothing too out of the ordinary, but a nice bright tomato sauce with pesto and cheese. The garlic bread was nicely crisp and good quality, and we even got some extra bread to soak up the delicious sauce. Pretty filling for the price too.
Fried cauliflower — my friend liked this more than I did — a bit plain without the aioli. I’d recommend asking for some lemon to squeeze over if you’re not a fan of creamy sauces.
Ricotta gnudi — a bit rich for my tastes, but my friend absolutely loved the brown butter sage sauce. The gnudi had a very similar texture to gnocchi and this dish was a decadent experience overall.
Nutella ice cream — they brought this out for free at the end and it was great! Definitely had that distinct hazelnut flavor instead of just tasting like chocolate. We were already full but couldn’t help eating half.
We really enjoyed our night overall, and the vibe was fun and busy on a Friday night. The food was good start to finish but just short of blowing me away. I’d be happy to come back to this or Antonia’s other restaurant!

Great spot. The décor is like the rest of them at the moment with the bricks and rot iron and burlap sacks but it’s pleasing to the eye. The food is fantastic, super flavorful and a variety of dishes (from ahi to pork to chicken to veggies and deserts they are know for — «fluffer» something or other), I had the Brussels sprouts and the burrata salad and the cauliflower and all were scrumptious. They have both small/​shared plates and larger as well. They are known for their cocktails — I had the Sting of the Bee; a gin, honey and lemon concoction. Went down nicely. Twice ;) Parking sucks on Ventura but they conveniently have valet. The seats outside had reservations so make one of those if you will, otherwise the bar inside is large and they have quite a few tabletops and booths also to sit at. Service was great, too.

My favorite watering hole in the city. Let’s start with the silver tequila old fashioneds. Need I say more? But every time I go, the food and drinks are always on point. Which makes sense given that this joint belongs to my favorite Top Chef contender: Antonia. The fried cauliflower with lemon aioli, kimchi chicken wings, deep fried fluffer nutter, meatballs… never had a bad dish here.

All I’m saying is PATIO DONE RIGHT. This place didn’t used to have an outside patio, but that was THE BEST thing they could’ve ever done for this place. I went once before and walked right back out because the acoustics inside were so amazing that it was like walking into a Bose speaker. I’m talking Bottega Louie, lose your voice telling a story to your friend sitting next to you loud. I don’t know what happens to ears after the age of 30, but they get weak. They give up on life and just get effing weak. The outdoor patio eliminated that issue for people like me aka old. What this means is that all you over-​30s folks can stop on by and finally enjoy this place! FREEDOOOOM!
Did I just start a review by raving about an outdoor patio? Possibly. Judge for yourself.
This is in fact a liquor bar so cocktails are a must here. Their selection is huge and their cocktails are delish! Our waiter was so good that, for the undecided, all he needed was a feeling for what you like and he came back with a nice surprise. The best thing is that the food didn’t suffer just because it’s second fiddle to the liquor. They’re not just tapas they threw together to accompany the drinks, the food truly shines on it’s own!
Between four of us ordering and sharing two plates each, plus one dessert, I thought there would be at least one bum out of the nine dishes – but WOW, not a one. Everything was really top notch delicious. So it’s kind of a guarantee that you will enjoy your food. Standouts for me: Fried cauliflower, Shrimp toast, and Ricotta gnudi (basically gnocchi but made of ricotta).
Now, I tried to explain to my over-​the-​hill-​residing friends this thing called «Valley portions.» When you go to a shared tapas-​style place in the Valley, everything is bigger. Like, if westside tapas are Rhode Island, mid-​city tapas are Alabama, and DTLA tapas are Colorado – then VALLEY TAPAS ARE EFFING TEXAS. Of course, they didn’t believe me, drove all the way up, and were hungry – so I couldn’t blame them for wanting to order 2 plates each knowing their L.A. food scene education. And then lo-and-behold…Valley portions were finally understood. There’s no one spoonful each person in the Valley, folks! As such, my theory for this place: 4 ppl = 5 plates + 1 dessert + 4 cocktails. The Ricotta gnudi is the one small thing, so account for that if you get it.
One last thing: The Deep fried fluffer nutter for dessert. Does it look like a Porto’s potato ball gigantisized by nuclear radiation? Yes. Does it feel and taste like you’re in a delicious, nostalgic fluffer nutter heaven when you’re eating it? Yes. Can it be described as a warm deep-​fried blanket around you heart? ABSOLUTELY.
If you’re on this part of Ventura Blvd. in Studio City (hopefully on a weeknight), I would say this is your go-​to for a fun, foodie, light boozy, laid back hangout/​catch up with a good group of friends. I dare not come here on a weekend though…

My first time being here was last night and I really can’t wait to go again. It was calm and cool for a Tuesday at 7:15 when I arrived. Pretty full. All booths were nearly full. A few people at the bar, and I gravitated over to it as I was meeting someone there for the evening. What a good decision! I had one of the best bartenders, Gustavo. I asked all kinds of questions about the drinks and food. He had the time to indulge me and he was spot on with his recommendations. (He did say Thursday through Saturdays were really packed so I’m glad my first time being there was this Tuesday.)
I ordered the Black Cuban… wow. Superb. Gustavo is a true mixologist. The drink was perfection. He suggested another drink I was eying up on the menu but I couldn’t resist having another Black Cuban. or was it 2 more? Haha. I was in heaven.
Off the food menu everything looked amazing. We ordered the quail deviled eggs… incredible! Wish there were more to eat but then ordered the smoked trout… so so fantastic. I could not have had a better night out. I think we stayed until 10 and the crowd was getting a little louder and all seats pretty much full. But a diverse crowd, music was great, not typical pop radio which was a welcome change. All around fantastic night! Thank you for the thorough enjoyment! Will DEFINITELY be back!

Had a great time at Black Market this past weekend! What a delicious brunch spot, plus you know I love a good patio when I see one ;)
The chilaquiles were to die for. (Some of the best black beans I’ve ever tasted right there)
My friends salmon was also delicious but they were on on the smaller side. (If we’re being honest I could have eaten two of those things) so I’m glad I went with the Chilaquiles.
And I love how I got to pick a few different juices to try with our mimosa’s!
Our waiter was good. Nothing to write about, really. He said hello, took our order, checked on us and got us what we needed. Could he have been friendlier? Maybe. But I’m not complaining and I will be back for more Black Market!

Amazing food! The only reason why I’m giving it 4 starts and not 5 is because its so noisy inside you can’t have a conversation with someone sitting next to u lol.
Some of food we got :
Burrata with toast (very fresh)
Trout toast (so yummy!)
Brussel sprouts (very good)
Meatballs (so good, but it’s only 3 per serving)
Shishito peppers (nothing special and not that spicy)
Korean BBQ wings (the sauce they use is amazing, no need to dip them in any dressing)
Fried cauliflower (delicious)
And for the dessert we go the fluffer nutter, which is basically a giant fried marshmallow with peanut butter and bananas inside, I repeat PEANUT BUTTER AND BANANAS. It was very good, would have been better if it was served with ice cream!
And for the drink:
The red hot and bothered (giving it 5 stars)
It’s a super spicy drink made also with starwberries! It was also very strong! I had two and I had a good buzz.

I’ve been here twice and had good experiences both times. My first time was during a weeknight and my most recent visit was a Saturday night… I’d come back on a weeknight when it’s not crowded and loud. It was so loud that it was difficult to have a conversation. I don’t know how often they changed the menu but when they do, they only change some dishes and not the entire menu. I liked the «Peel & Eat Shrimp» the best. It’s messy to eat but the aioli dipping sauce was great with it. And of course, make sure to save room for the Fluffer Nutter!
[TIP] It’s tapas style so you’ll have to order a few items. It will get expensive though… For 2 items and a dessert, it was already $ 50.

I love this place! It’s a great chill bar with good food and service in the Valley. I came here on 2 occasions. Once with my husband and had a good time. It was a Sunday night and just as packed as when I came on a Friday. We sat outside in the patio. The inside gets loud and crowded quick. The patio has good heating so we were warm despite it being January.
The second time we went we made reservations for 11 of us. I asked for the patio. it’s was a Friday night and were seated 40 mins late. The manager and staff went out of their way to make it up to us. They have us a bigger table and checked on us frequently. We had a blast. Totally worth the wait.
All the food is great but definitely try the quail eggs, steak tar tar, short rib sliders. Hand crafted drinks are my fave! Try the Red hot and bothered… has a great kick. I can’t wait to go back.

I went here last night with my girlfriends for a fun night. When I called for reservations and requested for a booth seating, I was told that all the booth settings are reserved but will leave a note in case there’s an available when we arrived. They seated us in a booth, however, it starts to get uncomfortable after 2 hrs of seating there. Some of my friends complained of back pain upon leaving the restaurant. Otherwise, the ambience is trendy and good. I just wish they would place seat foams/​pads.
Food wise, they serve tapa style, which I think is a good idea especially if you’re going to come here primarily for drinks and some food to munch on. I had their BBQ short rib burger as recommended by our cute server, and I loved it! The meat is soft, sweet but with a right saltiness. My friends had the trout, chicken wings, friend cauliflower and shrimp, which all of them tasted awesome!
Drink wise, I had their old Cuban cocktail which was okay. I also tried their pain killer and I’m not usually into drinks with coconut flavor in it but this one took my breath away. Some of my friends were not pleased with their drinks and couldn’t take another sip. But I have to commend this place for good service because our cute server offered to change my friend’s drink multiple times to get the drink that she likes. It says on their website that they change their drink menus every week but also, they have a list of their classic drinks.
I will definitely comeback here.

The place was good. But I don’t know how often I would go back, especially compare to the restaurants in NYC. The Deviled eggs and Brussels sprouts were my favorite, they were very unique. The short rib slider was good but didn’t wow me at all. Kimchee chicken wings were a little too sweet for my taste, I think they were just a little over priced for what it is, especially to Asians, but worth trying for once.

Black liquor bar… maybe I should have just came for the drinks…
I came here a couple of months ago for dinner, to celebrate my birthday with a couple of friends. I had seen some of their pictures online and was excited to try some of their dishes. To my surprise their dishes were like kids meals, the portions were so tiny!
My first disappointment was the corn on the cob that I had seen on Unilocal was no longer on the menu. So instead we decided to start off with the dill potato chips and deviled eggs. The chips were good but again a small portion and the deviled eggs were so tiny they looked like little pennies, it was almost a joke. (They look bigger in the picture.)
We also ordered the cauliflower and brussels sprouts which the waitress said these dishes were made to be shared but really, who was she kidding? There was barely enough to satisfy one person! It would be acceptable if the dishes were cheap but I just didn’t think they were worth the money.
We were seated out on the front patio. I really loved the seating outside especially because inside seemed very dark, loud and cramped. It felt great to sit in the fresh air and enjoy the night. The only problem was that our waitress seemed to have forgotten about us. We had to wait so long for service that I had to get up and look for someone on several occasions. We were there a few hours and i just felt like they should’ve checked on us a little bit more. This place is probably perfect for a couple of drinks and a snack but not great for dinner.
Tip-​be prepared for parking to be rough unless you valet.

Douchey as hell. Waitress was incredibly rude took our order and rushed off while I didn’t finish telling her my order. She didn’t bother to ask if we wanted a 2^nd drink, or relight our candle at the table. My date got a burger and it was cold to the touch, while I waited 25 min for my order and still got nothing. I had enough and just canceled my order.
The pictures looked good on Unilocal and the reviews. Too bad I didn’t get the pleasant experience i saw online. NEVER COMING HERE AGAIN! !

Date of service: April 20, 2015
Meal: Dinner, dine in
All Ratings out of 10:
Quality of food: 10
Food to Spend Value: 9
Quality of Service: 10
Overall Rating: 10
Sometimes you go somewhere expecting it to be great and are severely disappointed. Other times your expectations are tempered and you are completely blown away. I didn’t know what to expect from Black Market Liquor Bar, but it had great reviews and seemed like a cool take on the shareable plates genre. Little did I know how blown away I was going to be!
With 2 people for dinner we decided to order 6 items. We started with an order of the deviled quail eggs, which were bedeviled with ahi tuna and dill. The order came with 3 eggs halved (so 6 halves total), and the flavor was astounding. The richness of the quail eggs combined with the ahi and dill was a perfect combo, and it was a great way to start the meal.
The next item was the fried cauliflower. The cauliflower was fried in a light but very tasty batter, very much tempura like. It was served with lemon aioli for dipping, and the chef knew what he was doing when pairing the two. Each cauliflower was very flavorful while not being too heavy with batter, and the dip finished each one nicely.
Next came out the ricotta gnudi, and it was a culinary masterpiece. The ricotta stuffed gnocchi dumplings were very flavorful, and they were sitting in a sauce of brown butter and pistachios and topped off with grated cheese. Each bite melted in my mouth and brought forth an array of flavors that were amazing.
The meatballs with garlic crisp and basil were called out frequently on Unilocal,and that was the next item that arrived. There are meatballs, and then there are Meatballs. These were most definitely the latter, and they were off the charts. The sauce they were served with was crack like, and even after the meatballs and bread were gone I was practically licking the plate. The meatballs themselves were bursting with flavor and were the perfect texture. I easily could have eaten several more orders of just this plate, and it was probably my favorite of the evening.
The clams came in a bowl prepared with ‘nduja (a spicy spreadable pork sausage for the uninitiated), fennel, chili and parsley, with a side of garlic ciabatta. The clams were perfectly cooked, and the accompaniments added a very nice texture and color to the overall profile. The sauce was delicious with a very robust flavor, and it was also a perfect complement to the 4 large pieces of garlic ciabatta. I found myself soaking up every last bit of sauce it was so good. This was a very different take on clams than I have had, but it is easily one of the best takes I have had.
The final plate was the pork shank ravioli. It came out as several stuffed ravioli noodles covered with stracciatella and arugula. Like everything else that night, it was an amazing set of flavors that worked very well. The pork shank was tender and quite flavorful and went very nicely with the ravioli, and the sauce, garnish, and shredded cheese in each bite was also delicious. It was a great plate to end dinner with.
I was intrigued by the deep fried fluffer-​nutter, so we decided to order that for dessert. It is essentially a concoction of peanut butter, marshmallow, and fresh bananas that is deep fried to form something that looks almost like a big fried moon pie cookie. Cutting into it revealed the contents, with piping hot marshmallow oozing all over the cutting board it was served on. Bananas, peanut butter, and marshmallow naturally work together, and the light tempura it was all deep fried in was fantastic. It was a unique dessert for sure but absolutely delicious.
The service was outstanding, and our waiter was extremely helpful with any menu questions. The food came out in a natural order of lighter to heavier, and each dish came out shortly after the previous one was finished, pacing the meal nicely. The portions were all a good size and were prepared extremely well. For both the quality and the quantity the prices also seemed to be reasonable, though it isn’t an inexpensive restaurant. As far as shareable plates places go, this is one of the best I have been to in LA, and I look forward to the opportunity to return in the future.

My bestie planned my birthday party here (see A.S. Review below.). It was in the private room (see my cousin Lena’s review below.)
Loved, loved the private room. I think it’s such a cute option for a special occasion. You really feel like a vip and it’s just so fun that you walk through the kitchen to get there.
I’ve been here on other regular nights just to grab a bite and I’ve always had a great experience. The food is super fun and creative. The ambience is not sleazy and generally draws a good, classy crowd.
Overall, I think it’s a good valley option for a weeknight or Saturday to catch up with friends and enjoy some small bites. Thanks Black Market :).

Not your average bar food! Normally, I wouldn’t have dinner at a bar, but the food here is actually really good! We loved pretty much everything we got and we ordered A LOT! Standouts include: aquachile (hamachi), fried cauliflower, and ricotta gnudi. The drinks are also awesome! my favorite was the red hot and bothered (jalepeno infused vodka, strawberries, and ginger beer), basically a sweet and spicy moscow mule. Yum!
I can’t comment on the vibe of the bar as we had a private room which was VERY private. It was all the way in the back and kind of dungeon like with the black walls all around. It’s really nice for private parties if you just want to have your own space. Our waiter was very attentive and he continuously checked on us so we never felt stranded back there.
If you live in the valley this is definitely a spot to add to your rotation!

This review pains me to write because I’m so in love with this place from the owner to the look and feel of the restaurant. I have been wanting to eat here since it opened and I finally was able to and I’m devastated to say it wasn’t good. Perhaps my expectations were so high that nothing could impress but my friend who came with also had a lack luster experience. There were good points but mostly low. Perhaps the chef that night, perhaps just an «off night» whatever the reason. Disappointment was the outcome…
Starting with the good. The fried cauliflower was amazing! Perfect start light and crispy and the lemon aioli was a light and creamy and perfect.
Deviled quail eggs: Solid, perfectly cooked and balanced seasoning. I’d eat these everyday.
Then things took a turn for the worse…
Heirloom tomato salad. This is one of my favorite things to order when I go out. Here however there was a central theme. Acid. Overpowering acidity from the capers to the balsamic reduction it was so one note and made your whole mouth feel raw.
Smoked trout: presentation was very nice and the trout itself and hard boiled quail eggs were good, but not great especially given the style. It came in one giant piece of bread with a knife. Hard to cut, and would’ve been better as precut. Easier to share.
Oxtail over pasta. The oxtail was cooked perfectly then fell short on seasoning and the pasta was about 2 minutes under.
Service was great pricing was even great. The food though. The FOOD! So upsetting.
I’m sure I’ll return but with so many choices around my neighborhood it’s hard to say when.

Man Black Market is the spot in Studio. It’s like how you would want your little Gastropub to be setup! For the record they don’t have a happy hour
Parking: Sucks a big one; however I always park around the corner near the studio right there in the residential area. (It’s free)!!! If you don’t mind a little walk, but they do have valet if your into that type of thing
Service: The service was a solid 5! AJ was our bartender n he was awesome. Honestly felt like I’ve known him my whole life. We had some good conversation (granted it was a Monday so I feel like I got the best side of him) «that’s what she said» and our server was Ryan. Cool guy super laid back and was all about exchanging in ridiculous jokes and banter
Décor: dope dope dope they got a brick arch in that b***ch. Marble behind the bar and a rustic wood through the bat. It’s like a cabin ran into a chipotle with money. That’s how that place looks! Only down side n I wouldn’t have noticed if my friend didn’t point it out but they got no paper towels in the bathroom, only the blow dryer. Never really bugged me until he mentioned it but I like using the paper towel to open the door n keep my hands clean so it was kind of ewwy
Food:
Short Rib Sandwhich
Damn it was bombers. Multiple layers with a juicy flavor. It’s def up their on short rib list for me; however it’s a baby sandwhich like Costco sampler size for $ 9. I’m not gonna lie though I’d get that again
Clams
Now no question the best clams I’ve ever had. Juicy with like a hint of Thai spice in there. N the best part is they give you garlic bread to sop up the juices! Oh man I’m all about bringing in garlic bread for the juice!
Corn Ravioli
Honestly it was only ok. I’m kinda snobby with pasta cause I make my own, so I think for the general public it’d be good. Now kudos they do make their own pasta; however I did notice that the tips were a little stiff n firm from possibly sitting near warm temps or just got hard over time. As well the corn stuffing was only ok for me. The consistency wasn’t bad for what it was but I think it was a little to starchy n not silky enough if that makes sense. If not think about it and it might come to you.
Chips
Ehh I’m not a vinegar chip person but it wasn’t ½ bad the consistency was great and the presentation was outstanding! It’s literally a leaning stack of chips. These waitresses were killing it carrying that thing out!
Overall a solid joint and will def go back to experience the rest of the menu!

TAPAS + LIQUOR
I never travel inland but when I do it’s for food!
It’s recommended to make reservations as this place can get packed. Didn’t need to as a friend of a friend knew the owner and were set upon arrival. They have indoor and outdoor seating, if it’s nice outside — sit outside. The tables are a bit tiny and if you order a lot it can feel crammed. Service was good but towards the end we were waiting for our bill for awhile and wondering what happened to our server.
CHARRED BRUSSELS SPROUTS — Almonds, grapes, pecorino. Can’t go wrong with brussel sprouts! The pieces were kind of big but nothing about them was bitter. The flavors married well together and loved the grapes in the ingredients. Every bite tasted that much better with a piece of grape — they should add more to the dish! RECOMMEND.
SMOKED TROUT — ciabatta, pickled vegetables, and quail egg. Heard it was «the item to get» so with the hype it was ordered. If I didn’t see the pictures on Unilocal,I wouldn’t know what to expect. It’s basically a very long piece of toast like a bruschetta but with smoked trout and other vegetables. Easily can be shared amongst 2 – 3 people. It was messy to eat as we had to cut the ciabatta into pieces. The smokey flavor of the trout and the pickled vegetables were an interesting combination — I think something mixed in the pickled vegetables was a little too tart and overpowered the smoked trout. Don’t get me wrong — this was still a very delicious dish but I would have preferred smoked trout flavor over pickled vegetables. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
BBQ SHORTRIB SLIDER — raisin fennel, arugula, confit tomato brioche. It was basically a «mini burger» — tad bit larger than a slider and tad bit smaller than a burger. Just a note, SLIDER, not sliderS… its a single order! I was able to cut the slider in half and share it but this can easily be eating by one person. The shortrib was super tender and juicy but everything about this slider seemed typical — nothing really grabbed my attention that makes me want to keep eating it. RECOMMEND.
Will I be back? Yes. Love the atmosphere and like how they serve small dishes.
Until the next review…

Tough competition in Los Angeles for gastropubs.
I can’t give more than an A-​Ok (3 star) rating here.
I came in last Saturday night. We were a party of 4. Their Unilocal page says there’s no reservations but evidently, there is. Wish I had known that…
EDIT: Okay, NOW it says they take reservations…
We drove by a few times missing it, as there is no sign (at this time, anyway.)
The booths are comfortable for 2 or 3 people, but 4 is really pushing it. They’re curved so your legs are constantly touching each other.
The other seating options are high pub tables with stools with NO backs. Hate that.
The bar had those same stools. People were all hunched over. No thanks.
Service was okay. Food was slightly over-​priced in my opinion.
The clams are a big deal here but we found them to be just «too much.» REALLY rich and decadent … the sweetness of the caramelized onions dominated. I like my clam dish more naked and clean. I didn’t have more than a few for this reason. You may love them. I didn’t.
Super tiny drinks. I’ve never seen such a small martini glass.
The only 2 dishes that stood out to me was the tiny short rib slider. Very tasty. The smoked trout was also very good.
No happy hour
I’d come back if it was someone else’s idea.
There are other gastropubs I like better very nearby.

GET THE CLAMS!!!
I cannot stress enough on how much you need to get the clams. The small bowl is packed full of flavor. The red sauce is rich and delicious. It is perfect for dipping your toasted bread in. Jessica Y and I were super close to licking the bowl clean.
We also had the brussels sprouts and the soft shell crab po boy. Both of the dishes were delicious too. The po boy was on the pricier side though for the portion size.
They have a good beer, wine and cocktail menu. There are several rotating beer selection on tap.
We sat on the outdoor patio, which was quite nice. The inside also is well designed. The service was good and the food came out pretty quickly. Parking is a little bit of a pain unless you valet. I ended up finding street parking though after circling a few times.

Damn my 5-​star streak. Either I’m in a good mood these days, or. I don’t know, Black Market is really freaking delicious.
Black Market truly has the best clams I ever had. Top Chef contestant Antonia Lofaso’s clams with red broth + garlic toast is SO GAWDAMN delicious. I never wanted this to end.
I think the claims were supposed to replace her award-​winning mussels (in white wine sauce), but was not on the seasonal menu. I hope I get to try it soon, although the recipe is online.
Softshell Po’ Boy was really delicious too (but regretfully, small) and the brussel sprouts were charred just right.
Service was awesome. They have awesome drinks (didn’t get to try cocktails), but a solid list of wine and beer.
CLAMS. MUSSELS. DO IT