Eight-18

Exciting little Toluca Lake discovery that has since unfortunately closed. The tapas list is quite extensive and after the first few tastes you want to sample them all! Our waiter did a great job recommending wines to complement our dishes. The prices were reasonable enough that we just kept calling the waiter back to order more and more. Very fun place for a group of friends or maybe a quick date. Don’t expect dinner-​size portions so go in the late afternoon or maybe after dinner.
Wonderful little tapas/​wine bar — an endangered species in the valley.

Place is closed, but will soon be reopening as Malbek! Known in Pasadena as an Argentinean restaurant with great steaks, wine, and exceptional service!
Can’t wait!

The vibes, dim lighting and the dark atmosphere is good for intimate conversation.
The food was hit or miss, mostly. Loved the mac & cheese, didn’t care for the desserts at all (tasted frozen).
Wine selection was decent, but when –1 star for offering me a Fat Tire and not having it available. It probably would have been warm anyway. It is a wine bar, after all.

This is one of those (slightly more expensive places) for me where I feel like I can go and get my moneys worth food wise. The food is simple but usually very tasty. I really love the mac and cheese and the boneless short ribs, although sometimes its different its always very very good food. Quality ingredients I would use in my own kitchen, seems like the chef enjoys his job and it shows in his food.
Pretty good wine selection, fair prices per glass and bottle (although its cheaper to buy a bottle across the street at trader joes and pay the corkage)
Beautiful set up inside, comfy seats at the booths and the bar, and the wonderful all-​mighty purse hooks under the bar.
Sometimes the people here are really taken by themselves, but you can avoid them.
Awesome DJ’s sometimes live music
not bad at all

Good vibe
Small wine selection
Food was tasty
Service could have been better (Service cost them a star)

We went for our pre-​new years celebration… normally we’ve gone for dessert and drinks so it was our first time trying out the food… It was soo freakin good. we ordered the mac & cheese, tequila chix (think that’s what it’s called), and pizza… perfect small tapas portions… I was very pleased … (: Although one minus… they no longer offered the pinot noir I like by the glass…
Perfect date place… or the I need a good glass of wine, before I head home place…

Love the ambiance and the service plus the wine is superb :-)
The place being small adds to the charm. The location is a bit difficult to find but only because it’s tucked between other stores along Riverside Dr.
We ordered some clams, their more sophisticated version of good old french fries, fried chicken drumsticks and cajun shrimp. Everything was simply good. no gimmicks, just good wine and excellent tapas.
I would definitely come back.
It’s a plus that they also have live music. We went on a Thursday evening.

went here for valentines day and I highly recommend it.
The ambiance is great. The wait staff is very knowledgeable and friendly and they don’t disregard those they think don’t know anything about wines. I too am a sucker for wine bars and this one always makes me feel welcome.
When we couldn’t agree on a carafe of wine the waitress brought us a flight to taste and then let us pick. that was service! We had a gorgeous sangiovese.
We also had the mac and cheese whichwasn’t too rich. And we had the empanadas which gladly didn’t taste frozen.

Finally! A place with great service… wonders never cease.
Came here with my dinner companion for a little wine and a little tapas. Our server, who was a dead ringer for the current Anne Boleyn (The Tudors, Showtime) knew her wines and guided us to a great Cava. Then we wanted cheese with our Cava and she helped us choose a great Munster, something I can’t pronounce, and a Stilton. When she wasn’t sure she went to the manager who steered all of us in the proper direction.
Lord in heaven they were all so very good. When I was in Spain you couldn’t feed me enough tapas, I was still hungry. We had olives, almonds, cheese and a dish of mushroom risotto and I was full. Doesn’t seem like a lot but you nibble, you drink and you have a great conversation over some time and you realize, nope that’s enough. Everybody and their mama now has Prosecco on the menu but not everyone has two different Cava choices.
The décor is great — upscale, sophisticated however the music selection leaves a little to be desired. Seems like the night we were there someone had put T-Pain’s greatest hits from their IPod on the system — not really matching the whole mood and vibe, I would’ve preferred jazz or perhaps some forward thinking ambient techno. I think they have a DJ on their busier nights and I am sure this person plays better music to fit the scene.
As my dinner companion pointed out the menu overall is a bit simple and uninspired, there was nothing we had to have. However what was brought out was fabulous so you can’t deny the quality.
Get T-​Pain outta 818 and you have yourself a classy joint worthy of a great date.

This place is excellent!
Nutshell: Great local spot with creative and tasty small and medium plates plus a respectable cheese and wine selection. Gets a bit loud but oh well.
Blowout: Went here to celebrate a new gig and I’m sure glad we did. Really friendly server and she knew her stuff too! The dining room is small and kinda frantic but comfortable despite the noise level. There is quite a bit of seating at the bar and a half dozen or so tall tables with stools and then a few deuce banquettes.
The menu isn’t huge but it’s packed with excellent selections, enough so that it was tough to make a decision. They have small plates, medium plates, a great cheese selection and a nice array of salads. Oh yeah, check out the deserts too.
Everything was excellent quality, good portions and reasonably priced. 3 of us enjoyed a nice selection, plus wine and sparkling water for under $ 100. Not bad in my book.
Go, check it out, make a reservation. Have fun!

First thing I noticed when I walked into this place was how tiny! Second thing I noticed was how insanely loud it was. Everyone seemed to be yelling at one another over the loud music the DJ was playing. I made reservations for 4, but there were only 2 of us. They had our table set up right in front of the door in the middle of the bar area. It was kind of like the make shift bastard table. It was a very awkward place to sit. They don’t have chairs with backs just these super high bar stools. Kind of uncomfortable.
We ordered the Eight-​18 salad, crab cakes, organic broccoli, and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. The salad was pretty good, it had poached raisins, candied cashews, stilton cheese, and field greens I think. The dressing was a really good balsamic vinaigrette. The crab cakes were SUPER fried, almost on the verge of being burned. I picked off the outside and ate them (probably should have sent them back, oh well). It was really stringy crab meat in the middle. I didn’t really like it. Organic broccoli seemed over cooked, but it was okay. The wine was good.
Service was pretty good also. Our food came out quickly. The salt and pepper shakers were really weird. It was like little spoons with salt on one and pepper on the other. Was I supposed to try and shake some off on to the food or pinch it and season it that way? I didn’t really want to touch the seasoning so I tried to shake it off the end and I got a pile of pepper on my broccoli.
There was a quieter room in the back, but I’m assuming that was for private parties. The bathroom was the worst décor I’ve ever seen. I was sort of stunned since the restaurant/​wine bar area was so nicely decorated. I don’t really care, it was just like WHOA… lol.
Probably never coming here again… or maybe I’ll try it again on week day. Might be less loud and crowded. Bodega in Pasadena is better I think. I need to try this Minibar place also it seems.

I went to Eight-​18 for the first time last night with my co-​workers. (We originally meant to have drinks at the MiniBar on Cahuenga but it was closed and good ol’ Unilocal came to our rescue).
The ambiance is lovely and mellow. An older crowd for sure so it was a nice change of pace. I rarely go to wine bars but I must say that my experience at Eight-​18 helped me appreciate them more.
Our tapas were delicious and we all raved about the bruschetta — very simple but very tasty. We also ordered different cheeses. Our waitress, Amber, was very helpful in helping us choose cheeses, explaining their different flavours to us to make sure we chose the right ones for our tastes. The presentation of our cheese platter was amazing and the cheeses were delectable! Definitely be adventurous and try everything. It was really fun going around the table and having everyone in our party give their thoughts on the various samples.
I will most likely come back again and bring my other wine and cheese friends. Also nice to explore that part of the valley. I never knew that Toluca Lake had so many neat places to eat in that strip on Riverside.

Valley side.
I visited Eight-​18 last night for the first time for a friends birthday dinner/​get together. While I don’t usually frequent wine bars, I can still appreciate them and what they have to offer.
Eight-​18 is located on that strip of Riverside Drive in Toluca Lake where a few other restaurants and bars have popped up over the years. Places like Prosecco, Lucy’s 51, Timmy Nolan’s, Sebastian’s, etc, and now, Eight-​18 give the neighborhood a good selection of drink and eat.
It has a good a good modern look to it with classy looking wine lockers that line the far wall when you first walk in… I assume the lockers are for the regulars. I could tell we were definitely getting special treatment, as one of the girls in our group knew both the owner, Brad, and the absolutely stunning waitress, Amber, who served us. But with that said, I could tell the service was good and that the staff was plenty.
Food was very tasty and delicious. From the cheese platter given as an appetizer, to the chicken skewers, cobb salad, mac and cheese, everything was flavorful. No complaints… other than…
The menu was a one-​sided page deal that had all that was offered listed. As our party ordered our different appetizers and entrees, it seemed like choice after choice was not available. Tuna Tar Tar… nope. The lamb… try again. I could swear there was one other item, but it doesn’t come to mind. Anyways, it always irks me when a restaurant «runs out» of an item… much less two or three. And it’s not like the items were some obscure foods. Something for this place to work on if it’s a common occurence.
All in all, Eight-​18 is a cool restaurant. Good food, good drink and a good mix of people. And for you single guys, it makes a good date spot. It would have received 5 stars had it not been for those items that were not available.

It’s been a couple of months since my last dining experience here, but I still lust after the cheese plate. Seriously, it was that good. I have yet to rediscover the cheeses we had anywhere else. The best part of the cheese plate was that we were able to choose the cheeses ourselves. They had them listed from mild to robust to make the selection easier. The list was amazing! There were cheeses from all over the world!
The other food we had was also tasty. We had a couple of disappointing dishes, but overall it was solid. The evil and decadent brownie dessert was also a highlight.
I enjoyed the happy hour carafes and the large selection of wine. We imbibed a Super Tuscan that, once opened up, was lip smacking yummy.
Our waitress was great and had some good suggestions. Service was not a problem for us, as I’ve read in other reviews.
The high cocktail tables were fun for those of us, like me, who grew in the shade. I like to feel tall from time to time.
Overall, I really enjoyed this little wine bar. I look forward to going here again!

Four stars is being generous in light of the horrible service we received, but this place seems really great with a lot of potential.
First of all, it’s very small and nice/​cute. The crowd on Saturday night was very very random, which made it entertaining. The music was OK, but way too loud to have a conversation. The DJ went into an 80s block, which kinda sucked but made this one group of girls very happy, so he kept with it.
The wine list is great and the menu looked amazing. I say looked b/​c I didn’t actually get to order. The kitchen was closed apparently. So why did they seat us with menus? Just to taunt us with all the wonderful things we could have had, had we come in earlier? Or was the kitchen open when we got there, but closed while we were waiting for the slowest waitress ever to bring us our wine selections? Seriously, I picked one wine to taste, but when she took 20 minutes to bring it to me, I decided that I would order it no matter what, b/​c I didn’t have all night to try something else! Unfortunately, I hated the wine. But my friend I was with said hers was good so we just ordered a carafe to split. Crisis averted. Phew.

Great addition to the burgeoning restaurant area of Toluca Lake. Just on this block you now have 818, Lucys’ 51 (right next door) and Prosecco right across the street.
818 is a Tapas and wine bar, a concept that always comes and goes in LA, but in the end, usually just goes. Unfortunately, very few tapas joints here have long legs. This one will hopefully be a keeper, a marathon runner and not a sprinter.
The décor is basic with clean lines and muted colors, yet stills pulls off warm and comfortable. My wife and i sat in the front window on a long padded bench which we shared with several other patrons. Very European.
To start, we ordered pomme frites which were smallish, crisp and good. We also ordered some prosciutto and salami ($ 5 each). Both were excellent… fresh, salty and clean tasting. For cheese we shared 3 items ($ 15): a P’tit Basque, a Roquefort (Carles) and a non-​memorable third. The blue was outstanding… I wish I had ordered 3 of those.
Next we shared the crab cakes. While I REALLY like most things spicy, I felt that the spiciness of this dish overshadowed the delicious crab meat. Crab is one of those food items that less is often more. Let the salt of the sea dominate the dish. Good but not great.
The paella was good, but again, not great. Once again, sea foods should impart a certain «sea» flavor, but it was missing in this paella that contained mussels, pieces of fish, 2 good sized shrimp and some chorizo. I imagine that for times sake, the seafood is not cooked in the rice, but rather added after wards. I understand.
For wine, I started with a nice viognier from California while my wife had a merlot. I then ordered a Cab/​CabFranc/​Sangiovese blend from Calfornia that was very tasty. After my glass, I ordered a carafe to share with wifey. The name escapes me now but when it comes to me, I’ll post.
Overall, a very nice dining/​social evening. I am only giving four stars because I found the prices a bit on the high side. With tip, my night was $ 150. I have spent much more on much less, but still…

What a great little place! So glad its here now. Chill in a cozy, classy environment with great tapas food and wine.
Walked in on a Saturday night ’round 8pm and were sat right way. A few tables open. A reservation couldn’t hurt, we got lucky.
A wall of wine bottles covers the right hand wall as you enter. A small bar to the left of entrance… and quaint tables sitting up in high cocktail table style with a dabbling of a few low to the wall couch-​table thingys (that’s a technical term). There’s also a back patio.
Service– EXCELLENT! Upbeat, happy staff that even gave me a few wines to try to decide what I wanted to order. Plus, one of us wasn’t drinking so they were even cooler about that (given we obviously weren’t going to order a bottle or caraf!). No pressure, just great service. Cabertnet «summers» was lovely.
Food I tried– crab cakes, brushetta– FAB. Risotto was good but very garlic-​esque (beware!).- still good though. Mac n Cheese also FAB, had an edge to it, loved it.
Dessert– Chocolate bunt cake with warm center. YES. GREAT.
Music in the background was cranking, but you could still hear one another fine.
Overall really enjoy this place! Am so glad its a nice option for chiling with a glass o wine or eating with friends in my neighborhood now. :)

In the wine bar desert that is Burbank, Wine 818 is a welcome relief.
I took my two favorite LA-​wine-​lush friends here last week and they were so impressed they nearly forgave me for making them drive all the way to Burbank.
The wine list changes often, which can only lead to one of my favorite things — free wine sampling!
The small-​plates food is good, very good, in fact.
If you are breaking your diet, I recommend going all the way with the mac and cheese and the filet mignon. Otherwise, the salads and paella are less heavy and very tasty.
The service is awesome. In the two times I have eaten here, the wait staff were friendly and knowledgable. The after-​meal service was even more impressive. I accidently left my credit card at the restaurant after consuming afore-​mentioned wine and following a quick phone call, it was posted back to me promptly the next day!
My friends commented the atmosphere was «very SF», which might explain why I like it so much. Definitely going back.

Yet another reason to love living in the 818!
Thank you wine gods for this amazing gift in my hood! I stumbled… not literally, more like strutted… into this beautiful new place the other night and all I can say is wow. The wine list is superb and apparently changes up often to keep it interesting and the menu, um, wow. I cannot wait to go back to this place and make it my new watering wine hole.
Why did that sound so dirty?
Will report back with more after another trip :)

Very cute wine bar. Went for a birthday party a month ago and had great service I must say. Our waitress was more than accomodating and never got an attidue to our 25+ party. Even switched up the jazzy chill music for the hiphop heads. We had the whole outdoor patio which felt like someones modern living room.
I had no tapas, just vino, but didn’t love the ones I tasted. i’d give them another try for sure, good date place, very intimate.