The Kress
Categories: Dance Clubs, Asian Fusion [Edit]
Neighborhood: Hollywood6608 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood, CA 90028 (323) 785-5000
- Hours:
Tue-Sat 5:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. - Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Happy Hour: No
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: Outdoor Area/Patio Only
- Coat Check: No
273 reviews
Neighborhood: Hollywood
"I love this place! The food, the service, the atmosphere and the view. This is definitely a date or anniversary spot. It is romantic and…" read more »
30 Reviews for The Kress
The restuarant is for foodies.
The club's decor and venue is fit for sophisticated beings.
Kress employees may not be perfect, but seems to portray willingness and hospitality.
The complexity of this Asian-Inspired restaurant and posh club should be checked out first hand; not rated by blog junkies.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
Reminds me of the casino in Oceans Thirteen minus the slot machines. Came here for dinner because Celadon was closed(remodeling i think), Bella stopped seating and closed early because it was "slow"(it was barely 9p.m), and Parc just offered a "Summer Time" bar menu that just had appetizers.
The dinning room was nice and open. Very decorative.
Sat in a booth big enough for 8 people(it was just me and my roomie) and next to a party of about 15 people right in front of us enjoying chocolate fondue. Sucks to be next to a group obviously having more fun than you. Anyways.
Food was alright. Overpriced for what i had. White Fish with avocado mousse and pepper compote that tasted like out of a can. Roomie had the duck, which was good but came with crepes?!
The Staff was attentive and on point. Seriously met about 6 people that worked there throughout dinner. Almost annoying but my water glass stayed full.
Surprised to find out they own the whole building. Anxious to experience the sushi bar upstairs, but i wouldn't want to be caught dead in their club.
I want to go to place where there are so many people trying to get in (like sperm trying to find an egg) that I have to fight to get to the front of the line because I know the bouncer..he like dated my roommate 3 weeks ago- CHECK
I want to go to a place where people look you up and down trying to figure out if you are a celebrity..or, at the very least ,an extra on "The Hills". - CHECK
I want to go to a place where I can talk sh*t about: 1.) that girl who has her tits popping out so people wouldn't know she has a lazy eye; 2.) the girl who thinks she's the next playmate as she platinum blondes her hair and just purchased two flotation devices, but gets mad at you when you stare at them (the devices i mean); 3.) the girl with the huge dragon tattoo on her back thinking it just made her thatmuch more attractive; 4.) the girl who was doing a line of pepsi on the toilet seat in the girl's bathroom.... Because, that's what I like to do on Friday and Saturday nights - CHECK
I want to go where 1/2 the guys wear Affliction/Salvage shirts one size smaller than they should be wearing- CHECK
I want to go where I can valet my leased BMW/Mercedes, but need to call my parent's to make sure they don't mind me charging $15 drinks on their card - CHECK
I want to go somewhere where I can show off my newest LV purse, tiffany charm bracelet, MAC eye shadow, AND Forever 21 cleavage top that just strategically goes low enough so people can see my tramp stamp - CHECK
I want to go somewhere I can smile at a guy, he will come over and buy me a drink. And then I can leave him after finishing the drink he bought me. - CHECK
I want to go somewhere where Farsi (spoken at the top one's lungs) is the primary language spoken on the patio. - CHECK
I want to go somewhere where losers ridiculously & disgracefully pull out their digital Canons to take pictures of someone remotely famous. - CHECK
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (2)
Cool (1)
For dinner place was empty yet they had us wait for them to set up a table for 4 people.
Only one bartender behind the bar while waiting.... So we couldn't even get a drink.
Ordered some apps, sushi, and sake....
Took forever to come out.
Forgot to give us any Soy Sauce and trays.
Waited another 15mins for someone to come by to ask.
Had to pour our own Sake... 100 dollar bottle should be poured.....
- Offered to give us free dessert .. I guess that was a kind gesture but no thanks didn't look too amazing.
We had a bottle on the rooftop which ended being the only reason I give it an extra star.
If you are coming for dinner I would suggest a million other places then here.
Only come for the rooftop lounge.
Don't believe the Hype... THE END.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Why is the entrance in a parking lot on the other side of Hollywood. I'm sure I'm not the first to be confused with the situation, but the security at the restaurant side off of Hollywood were helpful in leading us in the right direction. I'm told that this is one of the more new hot spots in Hollywood, but I don't really see it staying that way for long. Although there are different levels to the "club" I was stuck on the first floor by my table on the dance floor. I've been in the nightlife industry for many years so I'm used to outrageous prices, but $425 for a bottle of grey goose is absolutely ridiculous. That's more expensive than high end clubs in Manhattan and well if I got at least a little sparkler with some hot girls dancing behind the bottle than I probably wouldn't complain, but I received neither and left feeling I had been a bit ripped off.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
I had fun at Kress, but I have fun anywhere I go. I'm rating the club, not the restaurant (I didn't dine here), 2 stars.
The "line" to get in the club was a disorganized mob of people in the back parking lot. There really didn't seem to be any order to madness, so if I didn't have a connection (thanks James and Paul!) to walk us in through the front, I definitely would have been discouraged at the sight of it and gone elsewhere.
Once inside the club, we waited much too long for (more expensive than usual) bottle service. But the waitress was adorable and very friendly.
Not much to say about the club itself. Crowd was decent, music was fine.. it was a typical club experience.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Raul is hilarious....CHECK!
For me it was CHECK PLEASE!!!...let me get out of here as the experience left me wondering what they are trying to do...a serious restaurant or some kind of hipster club...seems like both not working!
One visit and BYE BYE....for ever!
We met one of the DJs through a friend and were invited to opening night. I can't remember the last time we went to a club in Hollywood. Seriously, it's more convenient to go out in Miami or Vegas than deal with the hassles of the Hollywood scene.
We did enter through the parking lot to the rear. There's no sign for the club, which is always a good sign to me. Just look for the valet guys in the purple polos; you won't be able to find them later.
We tried out the restaurant and, to be honest, the food was not that memorable. I'd give it maybe 3 stars. Sushi was not that special, but I do think the Peking duck was tasty....that's about all I can remember. They make a point to tell you that everything is served family-style, but the small tables and huge serving dishes are not conducive to sharing. Plus the entrees are not dissected into smaller servings, so sharing becomes a rather inconvenient affair. Portions were also small, so we found ourselves wrestling for food. To top it all off, it was way overpriced for what it was, so very glad we weren't picking up the tab!
After dinner, we were escorted up to the rooftop. From the sound of the other reviews, I guess it's pretty exclusive and near impossible to get up there, so I don't know how or why we were so privileged. It was a very nice space with lots of comfy couches. No real dance floor, but people seemed to be dancing wherever they were perched.
The crowd was beautiful - more gals than guys - and very fashionable....not your typical bridge and tunnel crowd out on a Saturday night. Of course, you had your skanks and table sluts, but they always make for great people watching.
Music was good, drinks were good. I'd definitely check it out again.
Do beware, however, of the valet situation at the end of the night. The valet was way understaffed and a friend had to wait 45 minutes for them to retrieve his car. Luckily, our car was parked in the front so we just asked for the key and sped out of there before the chaos.
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (4)
Cool (4)
I went to Kress last week with two friends to celebrate our 10yrs of knowing each other. The Kress is the prefect spot for a special occasion dinner. It's expensive, so just know, you're going to spend a lot of cash going in and you won't be shocked when the bill arrives.
Our sexy server was none other than Yelp-star herself, Ms. Beth T. She was flawless in every way. I'd expect no less from her.
If you're a tea drinker (and I am) you'll like the test tubes of tea they bring to the table for you to sniff and choose you tea. It elevates the whole tea drinking experience.
Problems? Yes, there were problems, but they were not so distracting that we noticed much. The hot rock the Hot Rock shrimp comes on is too round and the shrimp kept falling off. Cool but not functional.
One of the hostesses ( I think it was Hazel) gave us a guided tour for the clubs both in the basement and on the roof. Looks like it could go either way depending on the crowd. In Hollywood, there's a fine line between cool and d'bag.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (2)
Cool (2)
Enter through parking lot?? Quoi? Say what?
Gorgeous girls in jimmy choos and manolos having to walk 100 yards to get to the front door...no way for a cab to even get there or driver to drop them off?
It was just strange.. and struck me and I remain miffed and slightly annoyed.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (1)
Cool (4)
Wow. I think this place is very over-rated.
First off, the food was very very ordinary. The lobster wraps had a very funny taste and were not fresh at all. The salmon was tiny, but the flavor was alright, though it was on top of creamed corn like substance which was odd. The shrimp tempura roll was like every other time I had had one. The bread and hummus/mustard they give you to start was kind of odd, probably because the sauce really tasted like mustard flavored hummus. The "lovely" martini was good, though a little sweet.
The club downstairs was really kind of sleezy. First of all, it was like a swamp. Spilled drinks everywhere so anyone with open toed shoes had wet feet all night, and it was so humid. It felt like August in a New York subway. Guys would rub up on me and their shirts were so wet with sweat, I wanted to vom. The music was pretty good, but the dj must have A.D.D. because he would not let one song play for more than a minute, tops. The drinks were pricey and weak.
The crowd was really not thrilling. I am not a snob or anything, I just thought the whole restaurant/ club came off as pretentious, but it was like any other Hollywood club on the way down. Big girls, dirty guys with long hair, and really old folks (seriously one couple must have been in their late 60s). Just kind of an odd night. Definitely will not be running back to this "hot spot."
Basement Club Review:
Well...the basement is supposed to be for the 18-25 year old crowd. Not exactly my age range. I found myself quite intoxicated here by the bartenders first round of drinks, thanks guys.
The actual club interior was dark and clubby looking, think opposite of Area's interior. They had Go Go dancers which I have to say, enjoyed, as the man I am. :) I guess I would say its the prototypical club. Guys trolling for girls, girls getting free drinks then leaving guys, bartenders annoyed by drunks, and a DJ that used a MP3 player. Its really nothing special..so my review is nothing special. Its more of a scene trying to get in the place then the actual place...but whats new?...
Would I go back? If V gets us in right away, sure. Id like to try the restaurant.
(PS: if you dont end up getting in, just go for the car show in the parking lot. Take a look and youll see what I mean...)
My friends and I got on the guest list for a private party at The Kress and luckily we were able to get on to the top floor (roof) before they closed it off. The view is very unique and the place is pretty much brand new and very trendy. This place originally got 4 stars for being spacious and easy access to the multiple bars but had to knock it down for the Hollywood/LA douche bags who have nothing else better to do then go out on a Tuesday night.
OK, we are FINALLY officially open! After two months of fine tuning, etc I get to work!
Having tasted some of the food I can offer some favorite suggestions - the Peking Duck is some of the best I have ever had, the Lobster and Champagne roll is fabulous and the Lemonberry drink is yum. This is the first restaurant I have signed on to work at in my life without tasting the food first and I am glad I can truly back it up now.
I think there are still some kinks to work out as with any restaurant that just opens, but it should be smooth sailing very soon and I sure hope we live up to the standard of the restaurants and clubs already populating the Blvd.
I think we do, but that may be a little bias talking ;-)~
(For now the restaurant is closed on Mondays and only serves dinner)
People thought this was:
Useful (6)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
04/20/2008
First to Review
This place is due to have its opening mid-June. I got a chance to preview all five floors of it from… Read more »
The Kress is wonderful! Travis Kamiyama has once again proven what a wonderful chef he is. The sushi bar and lounge was beautiful and very unique. The sushi presentation was one-of-a-kind. I highly recommend I The Kress to anyone and everyone.
Ambience, check.
Yummy/fancy cocktails, check.
Sexy lounge area, check.
Fabulous food, check.
Had a good time at The Kress during its soft opening week. The space is really gorgeous! It makes you just want to sink down and chill for hours. And we never even went to the club! The place will probably be one that lasts longer in this town since it does offer a little bit of something for everyone, but it does have a few 'glitches', so to speak. To be expected for a new restaurant. Will definitely go back in a few months to see how things are progressing...
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
I absolutely love Kress.
My girlfriends and I went for a night on the town last night, and ended up at the opening of Kress. Kress is by leaps and bounds the best new thing in Hollywood. There are different rooms on different floors you can go to, plus a rooftop area where you can get a panoramic view of Hollywood. There's also a fine dining restaurant located on the main level that was closed when I arrived - but if the decor is indicative of the food, it's probably DELICIOUS.
There wasn't a huge crowd waiting to get in, but I'm assuming that's because most people don't know it's open yet. I would suggest you go to Kress soon, because a short line for a club this hot won't last long.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
I had heard that The Kress was a great new spot in Hollywood so I decided to take a client there for dinner. I have to say that the decor was amazing! It is absolutely the nicest restaurant in Los Angeles (and I dine out alot)!
The selection of specialty cocktails was impressive and the bartender was very knowledgeable. The food was delicious! The calamari texture was incredible and the dipping sauces were a perfect compliment to the best calamari I've ever had! You will definitely want to try the Shrimp Hot Rock which was a fun interactive experience! Our entrees were just as impressive with perfectly seasoned steak and as my client said, "the fish had a great flavor." For dessert, the mini creme brulees (served in saki cups) was the perfect way to finish a great dinner. Our server was very helpful and had alot of great recommendations. The service, ambiance and food really impressed one of my most important clients - he's even taking his wife there for dinner this weekend. I highly recommend the Kress! Visit soon before it gets too hard to get a reservation.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
*Too Expensive? NO WAY
*Over-rated? NOT EVEN
*UNIQUE AND EYE-CATCHING? DEFINITELY
I've been in the Hollywood scene for a couple years now, and I can honestly say I've never seen anything like The Kress. I went with a small group of friends and we all agreed we would definitely go back again.
The food was phenomenal. I have to admit my friends always call me out for never being adventurous with trying something new at any restaurant...but once I saw the menu at The Kress, I couldn't decide which new dish I wanted to branch out and try first. We all agreed to share a little bit of each others' dish...and have to admit that each dish ordered at our table was amazing. The presentation was excellent and the food..mmmmm..Seriously, I've NEVER tasted orange chicken like that before...so tender and filled with different flavors-delicious! When it came time for desserts..we all fought over the last bite because they were so good (Creme Brulee too-die-for!!).
After dinner, we went to our table on the third floor..AWESOME is all I can say to describe the colors, decor, and music. It definitely has a retro feel with a modern twist. When we made our way to the rooftop to see the spectacular view, I have to admit I was hoping not to see the same barbie and ken crowd that infiltrates Hollywood hot spots. I was happily surprised that it wasn't 100% fakeness...but only about 75% were plastic while the other 25% was a chill, hip crowd just lounging and enjoying the summer night and spectacular view. At that point I was hooked and needed to see the other portion I had heard about..The Underground Nightclub-which I absolutely loved. The pictures/decor in the club were sexy yet classy, the DJ was amazing (I couldn't figure HOW a few people couldn't move to it), the colors were so rich, and the bartenders were extremely friendly.
Overall, I was left with an amazing taste in my mouth..figuratively and literally. After seeing many Hollywood hot spots over the years..The Kress, by far, is a much needed addition to the scene. I seriously feel that it has resuscitated Hollywood due to its classy sophistication and details. Nothing was overlooked. A very pleasing experience to the eyes, ears, and taste buds. I applaud The Kress for showing a lot of the other spots in Hollywood how things SHOULD be..after all, this is Hollywood..
The Kress is the best new thing in Hollywood! However, just like any new joint with time it will die down a bit. We arrived at midnight and even though our friends had a table inside we had a hard time getting in. Bouncers were complete assholes - they wouldn't even look at you unless you had a 100 dollar bill in your hand to bribe them with. I guess that's the nightlife politics. I've never seen so many hot chicks being turned down. So, if you want to go there and actually get in, get either bottle service or get there very early, no later than 10 pm! The rooftop was blocked off - no one was able to get up there...as I understood there was some sort of private DJ spinning - it attracted celebs like Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel and others. My last words: Way Overrated! It's the same thing as LAX couple of years back - way too crowded! Look at it now - it's dying...
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Ambiance: I came here for a birthday party and our party of 15 was placed on the second level of the restaurant which overlooked the whole restaurant. It was a great view of the gorgeous space. The only downside was the chairs at the table. They were comfortable to sit but extremely difficult to move. They swiveled around but they were so closely placed together it made it very difficult to get in and out of your seat.
Food: The food was surprisingly good! Usually at a trendy place, especially a club/restaurant, the food is sub par. The Kress martini was delicious! It's a lychee flavored drink and it comes with an edible orchid! I got the salmon which came with creamed corn. The sweet corn was a nice compliment to the salmon. A must try is the lamb! So tender, juicy and not at all gamey.
Club: Now if each person in your party spends around $60 each then you are allowed into the club for free and without waiting in line. You are escorted down to the club immediately following dinner. So if you want to go to the club after then make your dinner reservations a little later in the evening. The club is a rectangular shape and the dancefloor is right in the middle with a bar at each end. There are bottle-service tables along the side of the room as well as along the inside of the dancefloor. The music was decent but I felt like I was at a club in Vegas because they played the same five rock songs that they play at every club in Vegas. The only downside to the music was that they played each song for only 1 min....that was good for when you didn't like the song but when you do you want to hear the whole thing. Oh well. At least the music wasn't terrible. Oh but they played Darude...that's so 10 years ago...please stop. And yes the crowd is very "Hollywood" but HELLO you're at the newest spot where? Hollywood.
Oh and when you exist the club into the parking lot you'll see policemen on horses! And you can pet the horses! So cute!
Valet is $20
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
The food is excellent, creative, and exotic. The menu has a good selection and each dish has it's own unique style. If in doubt, you can always ask the helpful waiters/waitresses.
The service is excellent as well. I really liked how they serve the sake (had Kurosawa, very fine choice) like it's a wine bottle. They show you the label before pouring and then keep it in an ice bucket, which is a new trend I hope catches on. Also, had my Asahi beer poured and refilled almost everytime, never got below half empty. Once again, the waiters and servers are trained well and really keep an eye out for you.
What I enjoyed most was the chef coming out and talking/introdcuing about the dishes. Not sure if this will happen when it's packed on weekends (I went on a Thurs night), but it made the place much more personal with a friendlier ambiance. World famous Chef Kamiyama gave us his personal touch on each dish which made it even more tastier.
I recommend this place for anyone who wants to go out and try something new, a great date place or for special occassions, and anyone who has a taste for fine Japanese/asian cusine and sake.
As for parking, the valet behind the place is a bit expensive, the guy tried charging $10. Cheaper parking can be found in the lot behind Geisha House which is $8 for the whole night. But it's Hollywood, you gotta come early or be lucky to find good parking.
I was interested in this new hip spot b/c of all the recent buzz...when I looked online I saw a few mixed reviews so I was even more curious to check it out for myself. All I have to say is what are you people talking about?? The Kress is fabulous!!! I thought it was impossible to find a place where you can find amazing food, great drinks, a place to dance and a place to lounge all in the same building but Kress has done it!!!!
My girlfriends and I had dinner there Friday night and then hit up the rest of the place...we were lucky enough to get up to the rooftop - the view is awesome and the vibe is chill. Once we were done hanging out there we made our way down to the underground nightclub and danced the rest of the night away. You will definitely see us back VERY soon!!! Thanks Kress for bringing a one stop hot spot to Hollywood!!!
Only one star docked for the impossible lines/back entrance.
The venue is top-notch, unique completely to the typical hollywood club venues. Better venue than Opera, Goa, Green Door, Area, One. The architecture is sublime, and because it's just opened, the clientèle are ALL a-list (or lots of money) only.
VIP only on the rooftop, which is impossible to get to. Gotta know a promoter or roll with a group with a reserved bottle service 3k-4k cabana. Even stood next to a guy who purchased a 3k table, and he couldn't even get in.
Don't think that getting your name on the guest list is going to get you in, and if you get there fashionably late as well you might as well turnaround and head down hollywood blvd to another venue. The view on the rooftop is cool and almost worth chillin' there if you're a smoker.
But the 3rd floor/basement is much more fun if you're looking for a place to dance with your girlfriends. And so much less exclusive.
All in all, pretty impressed.
And this is coming from someone who's almost completely over the "Hollywood scene".
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Ingress/Egress - You can actually enter the restaurant and club section of The Kress from the front, i.e. Hollywood Blvd. You can get to the rooftop from the front entrance as well but you have to go through the club, etc. (Note: getting into the club is much much easier than getting to the rooftop.)
Getting Past the Trolls - All you need is the secret password. Simple as that. Ok, I may or may not be lying. Actually, the bouncers are not suffering from God-complexes yet; they were all pretty nice.
Was there this past Friday with 2 girlfriends. I honestly don't know how easy it is to get into this place without 1) knowing someone or 2) getting bottle service. Your name being on a list may not mean anything.
Vibe - Anywho, the place is really really really nice. I didn't enjoy it as much as I think I would have bc it was INSANELY crowded on the rooftop. Very nice crowd. Definitely not a sausage fest; actually more chicks than dicks. And of course you will definitely be bumping into plenty of famous people, philistines, and people suffering from Dorian Gray Syndrome, including myself. Jk. Kinda, sorta, maybe. ;)
Drink Prices - Average. About $11 for a non-well (e.g. grey goose) mixed drink.
Con 1 - Bring your gym towel with you because you'll be walking up God knows how many flights of stairs. Let's hope that you're not a clumsy drunk on your way down.
Con 2 - My friend's credit card got charged several times. Who knows why. Luckily, mine didn't.
Con 3 - They measure out their liquor!!! So if you like your drinks stiff, too bad so sad for you.
Forgot to mention that there is a small lounge area half-way up to the rooftop.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
We ate at The Kress last night. We are fortunate that our son works for The Kress and we were part of the friends and family invited to the soft opening.
The restaurant is beautiful with all the reds and blacks and beautiful lighting.
Our appetizers were not only great but the presentation was superb (see pictures).
The lobster filled, Kobe beef rolls from the Sushi bar were a delight!
The Bentu Box was filled with small portions of a cream cheese stuffed scallop, beef rib over shitake mushroom puffs with a side of ginger chutney, coconut shrimp served in a full half coconut, lobster cake (I could have eaten ten of these!), and fried straws with havarti cheese over mango coleslaw. Sooooooo good!
We also had the hot rocks shrimp served on a tray of gravel with a large river rock heated so hot it cooks the skewered shrimp.
The salad..... heirloom tomato, Buratta mozzarella and fresh basil stacked with an added tomato gelee was delicious.
For entrees we had white fish, halibut, tandoori chicken and tenderloin of beef. Wonderful.....as was the wine and the chocolate fountain we had for dessert.
Can't wait to go back and try more of Chef Troy Thompson's many creations.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (2)
Consider this the first non-employee Kress review. So how did I review a place that hasn't officially opened to the public yet? Simple. The Kress is currently doing a series of pre-opening events to get things ready and I went to one for JDate (Don't start...at least that is a dating site ;) and while I didn't hook up with any overly-Jewy gals I did get to see what has happened to one of the big department stores in old time Hollywood. Instead of finding aisles of shoes and suits, I found people wearing them instead pouring beers and fru-fru drinks. I mainly stayed on the rooftop bar which offers an incredible view of Hollywood and the surroundings. That alone might be the reason to come here. But the decor is really attractive. Very Asian. Especially in the restaurant area which wasn't open (there was no food at the party) but I did get to take a good look at the first floor restaurant and there's definitely a lot of Asian influence which I suppose is based on Troy Thompson's previous culinary backgrounds. I'll definitely be curious as to what the food is like once the place opens for real later in Summer 2008. As for will I get in? That's another story since they're definitely promoting this to the hilt as the next big Hollywood Blvd. Paparazzi A-Lister hangout alongside Le Deux, Katsu-Ya and the like.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
To anyone intending to visit The Kress, don't.
I went to The Kress two nights in a row, right after they opened. Both nights, despite the wonderful food, my experiences were soured by poor, sub-par service.
Thursday night, it was pretty uncrowded, and a girl named Candy took me around on a tour of the whole building, which was nice. But when I sat down to dinner, everything changed for the worse. Although there were only two other tables in my section with people, I was fully ignored by my waiter for about 20 minutes. Thankfully one of the busboys noticed me and gave me a piece of pita bread. The waiter actually said to me, "Sorry, I didn't see you come in." Apparently he also hadn't seen my several not-at-all-subtle waves of both arms over my head, either. Once I ordered, the food arrived relatively quickly (the wagyu beef on a hot stone takes minimal effort to produce, I'm sure, as it cooks on the table), but the waiter didn't return with my drink until after I'd finished, despite my having told him I needed fast service to catch a show afterward. The check took a while to appear, as well. I had to ask a busboy for the check, after which my waiter returned with it five minutes later.
Friday night was even worse. Hollywood Blvd on a Friday night is always such a scene, but I wanted to see how they'd do on a busier night. Our waiter this time around was a little more attentive at first, and then a slimy-looking man in the booth opposite, who claimed to his co-diners to have designed the place, got upset that no one had come to offer him a drink since he'd sat down. He complained to management, and from then on our waiter completely ignored us. Again, food was delicious, and the decor still nice, but to be given such crappy service two nights in a row is kind of a deal-breaker for me. There's nothing more offensive then a server who gives VIP treatment to one party while everyone else has to fend for themselves. We literally had to grab his arm as he was walking by to get his attention - and, I'm sorry, but when meals are upwards of $150 per person, everyone should be treated like a VIP. Bad service will make this place choke pretty quickly, despite the redeeming qualities of the food.
I'd recommend the crème brulé quintuplet, though, which was perhaps the one bright part of the whole meal. We were only rescued from dining tragedy briefly, however, because the valet experience that ensued was horrifying. Having arrived at before 8.30, I figured valet would be a safe bet. After all, the car right in front of mine was parked against the back wall, and I assumed my car would likewise remain in the parking lot, since there really weren't any other cars around anyway. When we left, hordes of people were waiting in line to get into the club part of The Kress, and the valet line was backed up to the street. Somehow the cars had all been funneled into a single-file line, with cars both arriving and departing in the same line. And, of course, my car was not conveniently parked in The Kress' lot, but had been taken blocks away. This is no exaggeration - I returned my valet ticket at 10.25pm, and didn't see my car until 11.19pm. Clearly the valet had been sitting in Hollywood traffic a while; the c.d. I'd been playing had gone from track 11 when I left to track 8 when I got my car back. I thought the whole idea of valet was to have quick access to your car. Not so - well, not here, anyway.
Again, to anyone intending to visit The Kress, don't. If you really must go, beware the valet. I'd suggest street parking on Selma if you can find it, or at the Arclight if you can't.
Oy. I was gonna let go because the place is new, but....
Standard hollywood deal (although the back alley entry thing is pretty annoying) Have numerous chicks in tow or be on a real list. OK, NP. But then you get in and there are more employees milling about than patrons. I mean a LOT of employees of various levels milling about. Go go girls. cute. nice touch. But had no idea what they were doing. Order a Manhattan on the rocks. Took asking three bartenders (they were nice though) to find one who knew how to make it. Really? And then, there is no sweet vermouth in the entire place? Again. Really? I mean, you spent millions on this place. It's a pretty standard bar item. Let's make lessss with the fancy desgn BS and promotion to be a "spot" and let's, you know, be able to make drinks? And the DJ. Or as I like to call this type the "ADDJ". Pick a song, let people start to danced and play the whole damn song! Simply switching songs every 30 seconds is not a skill. I am not interested in your half assed turntablism. My girl and I wanna dance. Bottom line, left after an 1 and half or so and went to Opera. It is a sad day when Opera seems all around great to me. Aaaanyway, here's why I decided to burn this place. I leave my card at the bar. run up a tab of $60 or so (like I said, drinks sucked, cut my losses) and two days later find three charges of $100 each on my card. I call my bank, dispute it and start the pain in the ass process. And two days later the charge changes to what I actually should have been charged. Turns out their policy is to actually run through a charge of a couple hundred bucks while they are holding your card. Good lord. Amateur hour. Thank god I am going to New York this weekend. That said, everyone was nice and generally cool, but still. Get it together.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
a group of friends and i visited the kress on the second weekend of the grand opening. i had a few friends in town visiting, one celebrating her bday. so i decided to have dinner there and check out the nightclub.
1 building, 4 entities...
the restaurant/bar offered a GREAT ambience and decor. a good place to get a few drinks prior to a night out. the food was ummm ok and just ok. the citrus chicken was a tad bit bland but memorable. the bento box offered a tasty variety. the peking duck would've been left better as a mystery. to top this off, my poor bday girl ordered the rock, which was literally a thin piece of steak cooking on a heated rock. spare us the presentation and give us real food, please. furthermore, we had dinner for a party of 7 but felt like sardines while dining. the tables were obviously too narrow for the humongous dishes/platter. again, spare the presentation and give us comfort.
service was delightful. the hostesses were very accomodating even when making reservations. our waiter acknowledged our bday girl was not at all happy with her entree that he comped (on him) the awesome dessert. 7 entrees and probably 2 drinks per person gave a tally of $450
the basement nightclub was arghhh a major disappointment. being new to the venue i wish the hostess would've recommended bottle service for the 3rd level, at the least. i don't really have much to say about the nightclub, but don't waste your time. we ended up just getting a bottle just to make the best out of it.... and felt forced to down the bottle before the music went out (due to someone pulling the fire alarm).
i may come back to the restaurant for decor purposes. forget ever visiting that basement nightclub again!!! i will definitely consider checking out the upper level VIP sections... if i feel the mood for one of those "very hollywood" nights. frankly, i rather pay more for a quality crowd than deal with the rug-rats at the other spots
restaurant and basement nightclub: 2-stars (for awesome decor and service) and definitely not the food
3rd & 4th level VIP: to be continued?
Hot and New
- Angel City Drive-In
17 reviews
Neighborhood: Downtown
- Park's BBQ
126 reviews
Los Angeles, CA
- Little Next Door
108 reviews
Neighborhood: Mid-City West
- Barnsdall Art Park
22 reviews
Neighborhood: Hollywood
- Tasca
83 reviews
Neighborhood: Mid-City West
