Animal Restaurant

Probably my favourite dining experience in LA, along with Angelini Osteria. The dishes are unique and prepared exceptionally well. You know that any place that uses Aesop hand wash in the bathroom is going to be good immediately… ha. Do not miss the chicken liver on toast. Sounds simple but my lord was it incredible. The only thing I didn’t like as much was the crab dish, but everything else was great. I need to come back to LA just so I can eat here again tbh.

One of the modern classic institutions in LA by Jon and Vinny. Ten years later, it’s still going strong and if you can’t get a dinner reservation at Jon & Vinny’s, head over and eat here instead. The menu is, unsurprisingly, full of plenty of meat dishes with eclectic global takes on classics or mashups. All the sourcing is from seasonal farmer market fare like the other JV places. I recommend for starters getting the chicken liver toast, beef tendon chips with pho onion dip (like dipping spiced chicharron in an Asian french onion dip), the pig ears served fried like heuvos rancheros, melted p’tit basque with chorizo and cheese is good although the cheese wasn’t exactly a melted texture so there had to be some knife cutting. We chose the charred cabbage for a vegetable fish which was very smoky, fragrant, and crunchy coming from crushed peanuts. For more main dishes, the grilled turkey leg w/ white bbq sauce, lamb shoulder steak with some sort of hot sauce, and duck confit were delightful. And you have to get the tres leches cake for dessert, which we ended up ordering an extra.

I eat at every new restaurant in LA and yet Animal is one of the very very few that I will return to on a several-times a year basis. I accidentally walked into Animal on opening night 10 years ago and I have been one of their most loyal customers ever since. I must say the innovation and bold flavors here make it, in my opinion, the pound-for-pound best meal in LA. If you're adventurous, the pig ears are fantastic. The Boner Burger (off menu) is the best burger I've ever had and the Turkey Leg makes me never want to have turkey anywhere else.

No joke, these guys have ruined thanksgiving for me. The turkey leg is unreal. Also the pork belly sliders are just insane. pretty much anything on the menu is phenomenal. GO GO GO GO GO. Don't bother with anywhere else. And the cheese cake pudding with Guava ice is one of the better desserts you'll have in your life. I could go on and on with this place. It's THAT good and THAT innovative with it's offerings.

Animal has been one of my favorite restaurants in L.A for the past 5 years. While this is a great place for the Carnivore and as much as I have indulged my carnivorous sensibilities here, the irony is that my favorite dish here is the Tres leches! It's the most moist & sweet Tres leches I have ever had and it gives me a foodgasm every single time. While that was the standard order I placed for my dessert, decided to explore the rest of the menu this time. It didn't go as well as I would have liked. I will be staying away from the oxtail poutine in the future, found it a bit too heavy and the tamago scramble was ok. The Prawns though was absolutely stunning and the chicken liver toast was outstanding 👌!!

I realise it's been a while since I came here (the loco moco isn't available anymore) but I'd still like to share my experience with Animal..

Ambiance and service, were of course, excellent. Food was incredible. We ordered the poutine + oxtail gravy + cheddar, chicken liver toast and of course the foie gras loco moco. Everything was sumptuous. The foie gras was incredible. I love my foie gras and I'm so happy they were generous with it as most places, for obvious reasons, are selfish with the quantity they give out. Since everything was so savoury, we finished off with the absolutely simple but incredibly divine tres leches + dulce de leche. Would definitely come back here to try out more of the food.

Went here for dinner while I was in town and it was fabulous!! We went with quite a few plates to share and took the waiter's recommendations...marrow, chili shrimp, duck confit, pig ear and hamachi... everything was delicious!! Amazing flavors. Great balance. One of the best meals I have had in a while!

Parking isn't easy so Uber if you can.

Plenty of seating if you come early but probably best to make a reservation.

Trust the staff...they have an excellent understanding of the dishes and all of their suggestions were on point!

+ Foie Gras Loco Moco
+ Chicken Liver Toast
+ Spicy Beef Tendon Chips
+ Marrow Bone
+ Boner Burger (Bone Marrow)
+ Oxtail Poutine

Had an amazing meal at Animal. Tapas style. Everything we ate was amazing. At first I was a bit hesitant about the Chicken Liver Toast, but after reading so many reviews about it, I had to do it. It was so good that I had to order another. The Oxtail Poutine was a bit too salty after eating the Bone Marrow Burger, I would recommend getting one or the other and not both. All the food was very good. Anything with bone marrow, just know it will be very rich. The Foie Gras Loco Moco was the best thing I had that night, we're splitting hairs here. I would go back just for the Chicken Liver Toast and the Foie Gras Loco Moco. Be a little adventurous here, you won't regret it. Highly recommend this place.

Vegetarians...go far far away because this place is all about eating all different kinds & parts of animals. I ate like an animal and tried so many dishes & everyone was amazing. Seriously one of the most creative menus I've ever seen in my life.

Truly one of the most inventing and delicious restaurant in LA. You won’t find these dishes anywhere else. Prices are actually reasonable and you do leave full. Highly recommend the sirloin carpaccio and the congee.

Excellent service. Food was very well prepared and full of flavor. No substitutions allowed (which is understandable). Trendy but casual setting. Valet available. Difficult to find street parking.