Morgan was a wonderful waitress!! The food was absolutely amazing, I usually have leftovers no matter what I order at a restaurant but I ate everything and we shared a desert! Definitely reccomend! The prosciutto appetizer, taglietelle and hazelnut cake are delicious. I'm gluten free and there was a good amount of options and the waitstaff was very kind and knowledgeable about the options for me!
One of the coolest spots in town with absolutely incredible food. Great mixed drinks as well. My girl and I love it. Well worth the drive from the Studio City to the east side.
Hippo is one of the best restaurants in Highland Park. It one of the few restaurants on the Michelin guide and for good reason! The food here is inspired by italian classics and the drink menu is curated to perfection for a sit down restaurant. I would suggest ordering a few plates and sharing everything with the people at your table. They serve complimentary focaccia when you’re seated, so make sure you factor that in when ordering.
I’ve been here a few times and a MUST order item are the hippo rolls with cinnamon honey butter. It is a perfect brioche that pairs perfect with their house whipped butter. The burrata is served with their house grilled bread. I think the bread is grilled in garlicky olive oil and topped with a healthy amount of salt.
The pasta options here are great as well. The pork and duck ragu dishes are rich in flavor and the pasta has a nice bite to it. Same goes with their bucatini and rigatoni dishes - they do a great red sauce here!
Don’t sleep on their meat/fish/game menu. The cedar smoked trout is probably my favorite thing on this menu. It’s served with corn and an addicting green goddess sauce. The fish is perfectly flaky and delicious.
Lastly dessert! There’s usually a seasonal rotating option that I always order. Always a good way to end a meal.
TLDR: Hippo is a great restaurant for any occasion. You really can’t go wrong with anything on their menu and the service is top tier.
Totally hipster little restaurant. Fun decor. Staff was very attentive and friendly. Food was wonderfully seasoned , fresh, and perfectly seasonal. Dessert was a great end to a great meal.
Cute place with great food! Everything we ordered was very tasty. Staff was friendly and I loved being able to see the whole kitchen staff working as we dined.
Truly delicious food, great service and a warm atmosphere. Perfect spot for date night or dinner with friends! Love the range of vegan starters, could do with another vegan pasta dish but the vegan bucatini is superb. Lots of gluten-free options too. Outdoor seating available with gas burners for warmth. Only downside is that they don’t allow you to bring your own birthday cake. But we still had a fantastic evening, would highly recommend!
The place was loud and busy but our food was served at a nice pace. We munched on burrata and fett’unta bread and
hamachi crudo while waiting for the main dishes. The spaghetti with clams and jalapeño pesto as well as the sweet corn cappellacci were amazing. I think the pastas are the restaurant’s star dishes . The grilled scallops and chicken were burnt. The latter came with a very salty aji panca sauce. The desserts were a sweet finish and we loved our drinks.
Pasta dish was exceptional. Robust yet balanced flavor (i.e. not overly buttery and had depth) and I appreciated that it wasn’t an overwhelming portion. The mezcal-based cocktail I got was also on point, ordered a second! Staff super friendly. Enjoyable and spacious atmosphere.
Yum! Bread was delicious. Get the prosciutto! We had the steak which we asked for medium rare, but it came out well done and was a bit chewy which was disappointing. Nice ambience and pleasant service.
Great service and yummy food. Not a huge beer selection but the outdoor patio set up is pretty sweet.
Ok came back 3 years later, Nov 2023 and food was amazing. Hippo rolls YUM
This place has been on the list for some time now and it did not disappoint. The food could stand on its own, but the service we had honestly served as the icing on the cake. I didn’t catch the name of our waiter but he (tallish with about chin length hair) was fantastic. We wanted a few suggestions off the menu and he did not lead us astray.
Before arriving we had our mind set on the duck ragú tagliolini (it was a popular in reviews), the hamachi crudo, and the butternut squash ravioli, but the list of ‘firsts’ (their appetizers) threw us. Everything sounded delicious and we decided to ask our waiter so we could observe his initial reactions and the way he described the food. We ended up adding the burrata with prosciutto, grilled cauliflower, and a bonus entree - grilled chicken thigh to the order. I gotta say that I was not that thrilled about the chicken thigh but boy did that turn out to be surprise of the evening. It was seasoned so well and grilled to perfection. Thank goodness the portions were not stingy. They also give you huge chunks of focaccia seasoned with salt as something to nibble on while you wait for the food to arrive.
By the end of the meal it was hard to make a call on which dish was a favorite. I suppose if I would say the hamachi crudo and grilled cauliflower stood out the most for the unique flavors the dish had.
While this would make for a nice date, I think you’ll have a more comprehensive dining experience if you go as at least a party of 4 so that you can order family style.
What a great place to discover on Figueroa. This is truly a gem on the street. I walked in and waited for the rest of the party at the bar. It was about 6 p.m. on a Monday evening. The bar area was busy with people sitting and having an after-work drink. The dining area was not yet filled up but did have people there enjoying their food. When the rest of our party showed up we were Seated on the patio outside. It is next to a parking lot but it was nice and quaint.
We ordered appetizers at the suggestion of the waitress and her choices were excellent. The Bufula Mozzarella, shaved brussel sprouts, steak tartare... For the entrees Sweet Corn Cappellacci, Bacon wrapped Scallops, and Duck Ragu. We all shared and enjoyed.
Parking on the street or a small lot next door. Great dining experience. Good food with excellent service... You can't do better! By the way, when we left the place was packed and there was a waiting list ....very understandable. Make a reservation and enjoy yourself!
We had the pleasure of being taken care of by Alejandro. He was very attentive and well versed on the menu. The food was amazing! You must get the “hippo rolls”, the cauliflower & the prosciutto for appetizers. The duck ragu and pork ragu were very flavorful with great portion sizes. Perfect spot for a girls night, family dinner or date night! I will definitely be coming back!
The food was really good+, but not amazing. It's a really cool, hipster vibe. It was a crowded weekend evening so reservations are a must and service can be a bit slow. You won't often hear me saying this but the food was just good enough that combined with the vibe, I'd be totally up for going back again. (I usually am adamant about not going back unless the food is amazing!)
The hanger steak with mole was perfectly charred and medium rare inside. It was so delicious! We really enjoyed everything and the service was great. Can't wait to go here again.
I've eaten at hundreds of restaurants in Los Angeles, and this is absolutely one of the best. We started off with bread, had the cauliflower dish and wax bean dish for appetizers, and shared the celery root pasta dish as our entree. The entree dish was smaller than expected, but we were so full from the other food that it ended up being the perfectly portioned meal.
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