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Rivera

1050 S. Flower St, Los Angeles, CA 90015 (Central L.A)
(213) 749-1460
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Ranked #72 of 5,157 restaurants in Los Angeles
Price range: S$31 - S$125
Cuisines: Spanish
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Restaurant details
Good for: Romantic, Business, Outdoor seating, Entertaining clients
Dining options: Dinner, Reservations, After-hours, Dessert
Dining style: Casual Elegant
Neighbourhood: Central L.A
Cross street: 11th ST
Transit: Easy transportation options, rare in Los Angeles, make the experience still more stress-free. The Metro Blue Line Pico stop is literally a jalapeño's throw from the entrance of RIVERA, and the restaurant offers the city’s “Hail A Taxi” service, conveniently bringing additional fleets of cabs into the proximity of burgeoning L.A. Live venues.
Description: Best New LA Restaurant 2009" John Mariani -Esquire “I ate at Rivera more times than I really needed to. I couldn’t help myself.” S.Irene Virbila -Los Angeles Times “Sedlar has been exploring the culinary relationship between Spain and the Americas for his entire professional life.” Patric Kuh -Los Angeles Magazine “The tequilas, infused with vanilla, passion fruit, or rose blossom, are irresistible.” Best of LA 2009 -Los Angeles Magazine “Best Los Angeles Latin Food” “Best Los Angeles Celebrity Chef” Citysearch 2009 Chef John Rivera Sedlar celebrates Latin food in all its diverse varieties. RIVERA’s menu reflects decades of Sedlar's passion for Latin culinary history and gives new relevance and relish to familiar foods from the sultriest of latitudes: tamales, mole, ceviche, feijoadas, fideos and jamones. The restaurant offers a unique tequila program, mixology by innovator Julian Cox and wines from the regions of Spain, Portugal, Madeira, and more.
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51 reviews from our community

86% Recommend
    32
    11
    3
    2
    3
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
Jenison, Michigan, United States
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
3 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 May 2013

Rivera's staff and excellent food made for a great ending of a long work week. The staff was very attentive to our 16 guests as we ate around the Red Dragon table. The menu was unique and the food was wonderfully prepared. A great dinning experience all around! This restaurant is a gem and is hidden behind the Luxe! Creative,... More

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Moorhead, Minnesota
Top Contributor
299 reviews 299 reviews
228 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 91 cities Reviews in 91 cities
158 helpful votes 158 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 April 2013 via mobile

It is an incredible place. It is where food meets art. The ideas are fresh and yet traditional, the execution flawless, the the presentation pure artistry. Many of the plates are presented with food paintings that is part of the flavor combination. I can begin to list them but I will cover a few highlights. The corn tortilla imbedded rose... More

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See 4 more reviews by kawidd for Los Angeles
Southern Calif.
Contributor
20 reviews 20 reviews
4 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
15 helpful votes 15 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 April 2013

Service was superb! Food outstanding! Tis was our second visit. The first time we got the pre-fix menu. It was fabulous but too much food. Started with gazpacho- wonderful! Beet salad great. Sweetbreads ordered by friends made them moan with pleasure. Loved the lamb chops and duck. Unusual food for adventurous eaters. Place is packed but quiet. Make sure you... More

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Austin, Texas
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
7 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 April 2013

Great small plates/tapas. Some of the best presentations I have ever seen. Great wait staff, and very delicious food. The lamb chops were excellent, the tres flans for dessert were good with unique sauces. Although I liked the dessert, I would order something a little richer.

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See 8 more reviews by ShannonTX for Los Angeles
Salt Lake City, UT
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
3 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 April 2013 via mobile

A group of us had dinner at Rivera last night. The food was good, albeit expensive. But expensive is acceptable as long as the service is also good. Here is where Rivera falls apart. Our waiter was very inattentive; we had to go to the hostess twice to request service. Then when we tried to pay, the waiter refused to... More

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Senior Contributor
49 reviews 49 reviews
36 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 10 April 2013 via mobile

Truly sensational experience. One of those true rare foodie experiences for latin foods. Creative and perfectly prepared and presented. This is not your neighborhood mexican place. Fantastic cocktails: vibrant and inventive. Down side is a bit pricey; just go prepared. Also can be a bit noisy, but that adds to the vibe.

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See 4 more reviews by Cirenrets for Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
4 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 10 April 2013

The foods is out of this world , and all cocktails are delish!!,,,I want to go there every weekend. The 3 restaurant menus are excellent, you have to come back many times to try everything on the menus. All the dishes are excellent. Highly recommended .

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See 2 more reviews by bessyandino62 for Los Angeles
San Diego, California
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
10 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 March 2013

We dined on a busy Fri night and had a meal of tapas. Our waiter was wonderful, the food was so delicious, even the $$$ jamon . A popular spot very near Staples Center, plan ahead.

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See 4 more reviews by Travelingnurse055 for Los Angeles
ann arbor
Senior Contributor
26 reviews 26 reviews
14 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 16 cities Reviews in 16 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 14 March 2013

Here for a meeting and staying at LA Live. My colleague booked a reservation based on Zagat reviews. Truly excellent from start to finish. Very professional, helpful and educated server. Made great reccomendations. We opted to share 4 appetizers rather than order entrees. My friend was having a glass of wine and I was ambivalent about the choice; the server... More

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See 4 more reviews by eleniAnnArbor for Los Angeles
Pasadena, California
1 review
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 March 2013

We never had a so nice Dinner like in Rivera Restaurant, amazing Food, we like the interior and modern decoration , the Drink exellent ... I will comeback and recommend to everybody Excellent!!!!

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