"The people behind Cafe Basque know their way around a hotel lobby. This restaurant on the ground floor of The Hoxton in DTLA used to share the same chef as (located in New York’s 11 Howard Hotel), a fancy French place known for polished service and high-end cuisine in a white tablecloth setting. But that’s not what you’re getting at Cafe Basque. This cozier, less formal French-Spanish spot ditches grand chandeliers for something closer to grandma-core. Think white lace valances, framed photographs on every wall, and vintage lampshades you’d dig out at a Pasadena yard sale. These homey touches create a warm bistro ambiance, but they don’t help much with prices—beyond a drink or two and some light bites, the food at Cafe Basque doesn’t quite measure up to the splurge. The good news is that the best things to eat here tend to be the cheapest: the pintxos. These salty two-bite snacks are simple but easy to like, including ribbons of cured ham that melt on your tongue, and toothpicks of olives, anchovies, and pickled green peppers that go hand in hand with a glass of sparkling txakoli. But as you move toward the larger dishes on the menu, things are more hit-and-miss. We definitely enjoyed the more substantial pintxos, like a thin, just-cooked Spanish tortilla with a dollop of sweet pepper puree, and the fried calamari with a so-light-it’s-almost-translucent crust, but save for a crisp-skinned striped bass in a green herb and shellfish broth, most of the entrees were either forgettable or downright confusing. As much as we might fantasize about savoring a double-vermouth martini while gazing out of the restaurant’s tall street-facing windows like a character in a Jean-Luc Godard film, there aren’t many reasons to make eating a full meal here an immediate priority. But if you’re just in need of a cozy, romantically lit hotel bar where you can sip on something chilled, eat a few small plates, and look good doing it, Cafe Basque can make that happen. " - Sylvio Martins
