Code Venice

This restaurant closed in Feb of 2013.

A belated review and might not matter anymore as they’ve since shuttered. Word on the street is they will open again with same owners but new management and new name.
Some of you might recall this was originally Dry Tour. There were issues with the way the restaurant was being run so they fired the GM and opened with a new name. Never had any complaints with when it was Dry Tour — a lot of the same dishes were on the menu when they changed the name to Code. And we were all stumped when they said they were closing down yet again after only being open as «Code» for a few months. I’m beginning to think the owner (s) just has ADD or something.
The turkey meatballs were my favorite on the menu. They played with the seasoning a bit over time but always tasted excellent. It was also offered individually on the HH hour menu for a great price.
Good selection of wines, reasonable markups. Always had an IPA on tap — was usually West Coast IPA from Green Flash Brewery in SD and think they had a Stone IPA or Ruination IPA for a bit. They also had Levitation and Delirium, IIRC.
When they opened as Dry Tour, they would have old Charlie Chaplin movies playing on the screen behind the bar. For some reason, I found that strangely comforting while drinking at the bar ’til the wee hours of the morning. When they opened as Code that went away and was replaced by VDJ mixes on Fri and weekend nights. Wasn’t completely adverse to that change either, but Chaplin was a unique touch.
They threw a nice Going out of Business party the last weekend they were open. Got to chat with some of the staff and they were all equally disappointed — not just for the sake of their jobs but at the loss of the good following of people they had.
Looking forward to what opens in place of Code — hopefully soon and hopefully it will be just as good.

Delicious!!! Friendly staff! We bought the kitchen a round of drinks and the chef came out to thank us! The chef sent us dessert on the house, which was insanely amazing ice cream!

I came here yesterday after raving about how delicious it is to my date. Much to our surprise everything was closed and locked during business hours. A passerby noticed our confusion and informed us that the place has been SHUT DOWN. Noooooo!

We had a great time on friday. I understand this was their last night which surprised me because the food was great. I especially loved the dipping sauce. A yummy tomato-​ish brew that replaced my ketchup habit. The staff were great as well.
Sorry to see them go. I hope they reappear somewhere else.

I like this place. They had a nice diverse menu that the waiter knew well. Great appetizers, good drinks, and we were happy with the mains as well. Loved the gourges and the brussel sprouts. The salmon and brick chicken were also quite good.
Noise level is high, as one would expect for a bar/​restaurant. Seating is probably best for groups of two or four. Nice atmosphere. It seems like this part of Venice is finally getting a facelift…

I have to assume most of these 5 star reviewers were paid or were somehow rewarded for giving a high rating. If they weren’t rewarded, then these people have never experienced a real tapas restaurant. Tapas places are springing up left and right these days and I’ve tried quite a few in LA, NYC, DC, etc., so I think my palette is somewhat refined and I can make fair comparisons.
I think the people who rated this place as anything better than average are probably only used to Primitivo’s attempt at spanish cuisine. I’d call Code (or Dry Tour) and Primitivo kissin cousins. Totally average but totally over-​priced food.
I can usually accept average food if the price is fair and they offer great service in a cool atmosphere but Code misses on all accounts. Still waiting for a truly great tapas place in Venice. Until then, I’ll have to keep trekking to West Hollywood.

This place is a sham. All of their Unilocal reviews are likely fake. I am guessing that is why the name was changed from dry tour (start over on Unilocal).
Have you ever seen a restaurant reviewed with so many people that have only rated 1 – 3 other restaurants before. That should have been a huge red flag but we decided to go anyway.
Expensive, average food, no parking, mediocre service.
We went as a party of 7 and not one person enjoyed the experience. Most 1 star reviews I read seem to be caused by a large fight with the staff or a serious problem with the food. We did not experience that but just all decided it is a bad place to go to dinner.
We tried the famous brussel sprouts, steak, short rib, risotto, and chicken but they were just not worth the price.
Don’t be fooled by the nice ambiance in Venice, go somewhere else.

I had a less than stelar experience here the first time around. Boy did they make up the second time around. The gourges, this time were full size (big difference) and the jam was amazing.
The atmosphere at night was quite nice, quite and enjoyable. Robyn the manager made sure that we were having a great experience all night.
One of the best surprises all night, was the brussel sprouts. I personally hate brussel sprouts unless fried with bacon lol. This place did it right with a chorizo brussel sprouts, and corn purée over the top. A MUST ORDER.
The steak frites came with amazing potato skin fries, a good steak and some great herb butter. The burger was also very good.
Just a tip: Order the brussel sprouts…

Code exceeded expectations. Open table lost our reservations and the manager Lucius still found a way to get us in. Service was great everyone genuinely seems really passionate about making this place work like they are all owners — thats rare in food service. Short rib Wellington was amazing. We had 3 bottles of wine so beyond that I can’t accurately say what happened after that… something with chocolate? It was awesome too. Why don’t people who live in Venice stay in Venice at night? Ill never understand that but maybe now they will. Go to Code and let them know what they are doing is appreciated and right. This is they way Venice dining should be.
Yes yes yes

The atmosphere … was a little loud and the table was cheap plastic and wobbly, even the candles were in cheap plastic holders. It was strange because the place really looks so nice. They have a huge TV right in the middle on all the time — which is a shame.
Food was pretty interesting. It was a little greasy and kind of over kill on the «comfort food» theme. For instance, the brussel sprouts were really good but too much bacon and the sauce was too rich and too much — but it was cooked well and great tastes just too much. Same with the mussels — there was a really thick sauce that was just overkill — but it was yummy, just too rich.
The risotto was perfect — cooked perfectly and nice flavor.
Service was spot on and wine was reasonably priced and quite good.

Went to the Misfit in Santa Monica, turned out there was a 45 minute wait so I suggested to my boyfriend we try to venture out to something new. I heard of Code, and have been wanting to go for a few weeks, and finally my chance had come. Soon enough, we parked our car and ventured into Code to be quickly greeted by a friendly host and hostess. Things were looking up, and promising.
The restaurant was nice, but it seemed to have an unclear message. I don’t see the vision of this restaurant. The cheap paper menus were a good indicator of the rest of the meal. Boring and minimimal vegetarian options. C’mon, we’re on the Westside, and all you can offer is potatoes and risotto?
We were hungry already, but no bread or any food to nibble on came out. Every upstanding restaurant should have at least olives or bread to serve before the meal. This should be standard. It didn’t come, so I asked for it. Only to be later charged $ 3 for the bread.
I ordered the vegetable risotto, and the boyfriend ordered the salmon.
Risotto was something resembling slop that would be served in a state prison. It was bland, gooey and had barely any vegetables. That was $ 14.
The salmon, according to my boyfriend, was not worth the $ 20 he paid for it. It was farm-​raised, according to our mildly abrasive waiter. It was served with a quarter sized portion of sauce and even less of a «side» of brussel sprouts.
Should have known the place wasn’t a true five stars when there were only 2 other couples in the entire restaurant on a weekend night. How does this place have 5 stars? When we left, my (sometimes sickeningly) positive boyfriend muttered, «…and that’s why I don’t like to venture out too often, because I end up paying for meals like that.»

I’m a little late on this review, but we came in with another couple and weren’t sure what to expect. (we had a gift certificate for Dry Tour, so we knew nothing about the change).
All i have to say is from the start, I fell in love with our waitress Stasia! She was hilarious, and helpful, and steered us in all the right directions. She also brought us a small taste of all the red wines, as I couldn’t decide. Above and beyond.
We had the lamb shank and Short Ribs and multiple appetizers, which were all amazing. The chef himself brought out 2 dishes to our table… just because… which of course made us feel special.
I can’t remember the dessert we had but it was Insane, not what I expected.
It definitely gets crowded there, as it’s one of the few good places to eat in that part of Venice, but what a great vibe. (it does get loud cause of the acoustics with the arches and tiles)
Anyway, go for the food and if you are lucky Stasia will be your waitress… I still love her, even though I haven’t been back yet to tell her ;-)

Every once and a while you come across a place that has the right mix of atmosphere, great people, and delicious food. Code Venice was a pleasant surprise, they have definitely hit the mark and seem to be dedicated to getting it right. Our waiter was very accommodating, making sure my friend with dietary restrictions was taken care of.
The squash ravioli we ordered was amazing even by my spoiled San Franciscan standards. I shared an order of the salmon and Braised Short Rib Wellington. Both were great, but the Wellington won the table vote with its subtle flavor. I look forward to going again the next time I am in town!
If you are looking for a fun meal with friends or a lively date night in a new spot, I would highly recommend checking it out.

Thank you Tyler for wonderful service and recommendations at the bar! :)
We dropped by for some Happy =) Hour — drinks and apps before our actual dinner. We were happy that we made it in for the happy hour prices.
I enjoyed their red house wine and he enjoyed their beer.
We ordered the cheese & charcuterie plate and gougeres. It was delicious and we wanted more! We also loved the eggplant jam– sweet & unique.
5 stars for their happy hour and wonderful service! Definitely recommend!

Yeah, so as always full disclosure, I’m serious about the straight shooter bent in my reviews I happen to know one of the owners… I think it didn’t play a big part in my visit. Seriously. I went with the suggestions offered and the order in which my wife and I liked the food was… Squash ravioli, turkey meatballs, fries. I also needed some hot liquid with lemon for a scratchy throat and they were happy to oblige. The staff are very good people. The insides, think Spanish Vault and a bit of dark oak, classy but comfy.
I think the happy hour (5−7pm) is supposed to be a good deal on apps so why not swing by and check it out.
This place used to be called dry tour… Yeah, I thought it prolly should be changed to something else; I’m glad they did. Read the reviews from dry tour though, I agree with most of them.
Extra star this visit because I’m biased but will adjust if things ain’t totally kosher on my second visit this weekend.
Enjoy a lovely beverage if you’re parched and worth a longer visit if you’re into trying good grub with your potent potables.
Enjoy!

I have been here a couple of time now and have been very pleased. The wait staff is friendly and responsive, the food is absolutely amazing and the house wine is some of the best I have had.
The décor is a real nod to the original architecture of the space with a modern update. Very comfortable and honoring of the history.
A MUST go to for locals & tourists.

An incredible restaurant in Venice beach! I celebrated my birthday there with a big party of 20. The service was outstanding, they were on top of it and served everything in a timely manner with a smile. The cocktails and wine were delicious. I enjoyed the seared ahi for an appetizer and the salmon dinner was superb! The atmosphere was lovely and comfortable with dim lighting, which is important to me. This classy place is a must visit! Go and take your friends there!

A great new addition to the Venice beach community!
Great food (creative and so flavorful but not too excessive),
great drinks (I got a cocktail and it was so good, my friend seemed to enjoy his wine too),
great service (waiters very knowledgable about what they are serving and have good advices)… what more can you ask for?
Oh and happy hour? check.
clean bathroom? check. (you can’t always expect this in a beach town)
open for special request? check! (we celebrated our friend’s birthday and they were more than happy to decorate deserts and appetizers)
So happy I found this gem, will be back!

Amazing. Shut up, get up, and just go.