El Floridita Restaurant

We were trying to find an authentic place to have a drink and listen to some music within walking distance from our hotel (the Godfrey Hotel), and this place popped up during my research. It's not exactly well signed outside, and is a bit off the beaten path, but this is part of it's charm I think. It's located in a little row of shops, and only the doormen (and the music drifting out!) gave away that this was the place we were looking for! There was a reasonable cover fee/entrance charge, and you don't necessarily need a reservation unless you want to eat, although the place isn't huge, so I'd suggest doing that ahead of time, as it was full with no tables free when we visited on a Saturday night. We'd already eaten, so didn't book a table, but were early enough to snag a couple of seats at the bar for a couple of hours. There was plenty of dancing, twinkly lights, strong drinks, and decent live music, and we enjoyed our visit tremendously!

What an awesome experience it was. A group of ladies and I joined the Valentine event schedule at restaurant and it did not disappoint. The options for food and drink were fantastic and tasty, the service was very kind and personal while the band delighted us to our hearts content. The favorites for the evening : Churrasco Plate 💥🤯 woww Salmon dinner Ceviche appetizer Lentil soup Cheese cake Chocolate cake and ice cream Tres leches cake with strawberries It was a wonderful gift to be there Thank you Floridita 🙌 and Team

I attended to Floridita’s Restaurant with friends to a birthday celebration. The steak was cooked to perfection! I had a mojito it was delightful. The Live Band was incredible! I enjoyed and learned the basics of Salsa, I had a great time! I Definitely recommend this place.

We had an amazing time. The food was great along with the service. Our server was Roberto and he was extremely attentive to our table to make sure our needs were met even as the number of people increased as the night moved along. The music was also amazing! We met the DJ/dance instructor, Jimmy Rumba and he was very welcoming and played great music!! We had an overall great time! We cant wait to return!!

My husband and I have been going to this dynamic place for 25 years. The music and the food are always fantastic. The service is great and they make you feel at home. We celebrated our birthdays there quite a few times over the years and last week was no exception. The band was kicking and played Happy Birthday. The place was jam packed and we were treated like royalty. Muchas gracias Armando! 🫶🏼

OK, if you LOVE salsa like I do, you will love this place when they have live music. Small but packed with energy. The chicharrones de pollo con Yuca, AMAZING, crispy just the way I like my chicharrones.

I was there last Monday as postings said that Monday is the best day for salsa dancing there. Well, not as packed as I had experiened it in 2015 and 16 when I used to go there on a more regular basis. Smaller live band. Most people seem to go there for dinner and then stay on for the music and dancing. The dinner atmosphere looks very nice: nice white table cloths, candel light, dishes look very good, I never tasted any of the them, unfortunately! People really dress up for the night, even on a Monday! Good dancers there too! I talked to someone who goes there regularly; He said that it nowadays it varies a lot: sometimes it is magic and sometimes it is very empty. So, hope you catch a magic night!

Everything that we ordered was super good! My rabo was just coming off the bone. Our drinks were strong and tasty. Our server was really nice and friendly. FYI, the food took a little bit to come out. So have patience. Overall, we enjoyed our time.

The food was really good! It tastes like a home cooked meal and they were very accommodating with a party of 10 walking in around 3pm. I've also been to this place for salsa dancing classes and those were very fun and anyone without experience can go and have a good time!

I come here every year for an annual holiday party. The evening is filled with music, salsa dancing, food and gift exchanges. The staff is always great, providing whatever is needed for a crowed of 50 or so. There are a few stand out dishes here, ropa vijeas is really good, the filete con pollo is juicy and the empanadas. I enjoy them all with rice, beans and plantains. My beverage of choice is usually the margarita or mojito. Located in a small strip mall, the shared parking lot is usually crowded. There is metered and free parking on the street. Great Cuban food here.

Food was great and tasty, so fresh. Servers kept checking in on us. The ambiance was nice, not so busy when I went.

Old School vs New School I will always choose Old School. And this is my ultimate favorite old-school spot of mine. Service was top-notch our server whom I've forgotten his name(sorry) was a young gentleman with a very handsome face. Could be a model. Food and Drinks were so good we ordered the ox-tail (duh) Lol and Arroz con Pollo and kept the mojitos coming. The music was good the band was new and they were playing here for the first time. We enjoyed them!

Absolutely best Cuban food in all of LA! It's been years since we've been here and it's reassuring to know nothing has changed. The chicken is still moist, flavorful, tender with lots of garlic. The arroz con frijoles negros and plátanos maduros were spot on and the yuca out of this world. Salsa night is fun here, too. If you like Cuban food and want an incredibly authentic meal, this is your place. Free parking in lot out front.

Awesome spot with excellent food, live music and salsa dancing and great service. Definitely one of the classic salsa spots in Los Angeles with a cozy and intimate vibe. Magic happens on that dance floor!! El Floridita is a home away from home for me.

Such a fun place to have a friend night or date night. The food was delicious but rather on the high end and they automatically add 20% gratuity. The service was great and we had a table the whole night. Valet parking available. Live band was great and free salsa dancing lesson before the band starts

Worse experience ever! No one acknowledged us for ten minutes and when they did it was a woman who was sitting down who said you can't eat in here with a dog. Mind you I came in to order my staff lunch to go and I was carrying my ten pound dog looking at a menu I had to locate. The place was dark depressing and the people in there (workers) rolling their eyes and just zero acknowledgement! I am tired of being treated like an inconvenience just to get well over $200 for lunch. I treat my staff daily for lunch and this is one place I will NEVER recommend.

First time and I must say it did not disappoint! We were the first ones there and everyone was so hospitable Food was delicious, dance instructors were amazing and the band n singer topped off the night ! See you soon Floridita

Floridita holds a special place in my heart! I'm passionate about Salsa dancing, and this spot is my go-to for enjoyable salsa classes and nights filled with dancing. The mojitos are exceptional, and the food is tasty. Do remember, reservations are a must for dinner. Additionally, there's an entrance fee solely for dancing. Weekends get quite crowded, it always has a vibrant atmosphere. The service here is consistently attentive, adding to the overall enjoyment of the evening.

Overpriced meal on nights with live music for Cuban food that is just ok. Not worth $55 per person plus 20% gratuity + 3% for credit card surcharge. One cocktail was $17 + 20% + 3%. The live music is good but way too loud for my ears. The floor, although wood looking is not smooth to dance on, and a very small floor space.

Food was good, our server was great. Music is loud but a very good authentic Cuban band. The menu is expensive for simple cuban food but it includes the music, so we were ok with it. I might come back but not at the top of my list.

This is one of my favorite spots to visit when I'm back in LA. Not sure about how it is during the day, I can only attest to Friday/Saturday nights for salsa nights! A live band sits at the front of the restaurant with a plentiful dance floor that is never empty. I love how people are there just for the love of dance, I didn't feel hesitant to dance with new people or even some grandmas who were there to just have a good time. Best to make a reservation for a table a day or two before (check the website). So nice to have a table to sit down at for a breather in between songs. There is comprehensive Cuban menu but a separate menu for people who reserve a table for salsa night (includes price of admission). Food was hearty and amazing! This place isn't just a dance club/restaurant...it's an experience! even if you are not into dancing, the people watching is pretty entertaining too. Last few times I was there, there were some professionals like dancing with the stars level. Before the band starts there is a simple dance lesson for newbies too. This would be a great date night or just a fun night out with friends!

Come here for the live Salsa band, food is ok, service meh. once we complained then the service was good. Id return, yes its pricey but your really paying for the live music.

Friendly smiles from all the staff. The promptly get your order once you've made your selection so kitchen can start prep. I always go for the salmon, so yummy . Served with delicious black beans n rice. The mojitos are also delicious

Esas sillas de jardín de hierro pesado roban mucho espacio deberían cambiarlas. Más espacio para la pista de baile sería recomendable también.

This restaurant serves Cuban food. We had ham croquetas for an appetizer. You can choose if u want chicken or ham croquetas; they are served with plantain chips. I had pork chunks; they were tender, well seasoned and had no fat. They were served with white rice and sweet plantains. My husband had fried rice; he enjoyed. Portions were large and we took leftovers.

Delicious steak! Live music and dance performances! I come here to perform once in a while and it's just a great lively place! It gets crowded but everyone's having a good time.

We enjoyed our meal here. We were served by Rolando who was a one man team and we can tell that we was really working hard. He was awsome while trying to serve quite a bit of us first thing in the morning. Our food was really good and the chicken was falling right off the bone and was very juicy. My cousin really liked the plantain chips and the Churrasco meal. We got the sampler plate and were able to feed 1 adult and 2 children. The flavor was very tasty for sure. When we passed by last night we saw they have a Friday night dancing. We will have to check it out some time. Areas of improvement, a few items on the sampler plate was a little bland, but everything else was really good and service was great.

Overpriced Cuban food! Let's get started on the food! I can go to any other authentic cuban restaurants and get the same quality or better for a fraction of the cost. Dinner and 2 drinks was $200! For bland rice, black beans and a choice of protein. Location, be ready to be seated within inches of other tables, this location is very small and they pack the area with as many tables as possible. The entertainment was good but several of the people here are elderly men who have probably been dancing this type of music for years so they will stand and look for girls and they do it in such a perverted way that it makes it uncomfortable. The professional dancers hog the dance floor and make you feel super awkward and intimidating to even dance next to them. Think of a giant show off dance but no one gets a prize. This is not like a club where you can have fun and dance, this is basically a super tight place to show off your professional salsa lessons. If you're thinking of doing this as an experience, don't waste your money.

My favorite place ever , the food is amazing , the customer service is wonderful and the drinks are fire ! They have music and dancing it's just an amazing place overall

A great place for very good food and fun. Not a fancy venue. The staff was accommodating. I was with a party of over 12 to celebrate a birthday. The salmon dinner, with beans, rice and plaintains, was exceptionally tasty. Other members of the party commented on their food - the oxtails, chicken, cocktails...all good. Salsa lessons were fun, easy. I would host a party there and definitely going back for dinner and dancing.

I do not recommend this place. I am a local (2 blocks away) and have supported this restaurant since before covid. I finally am fed up with the consistent obnoxious behavior from the staff. I just realized it was customers like me this behavior is reserved for. Those who get it, do.

I came here for a quick lunch. Ordered the margarita asked for a top shelf tequila it wasn't the greatest, whatever margarita mix they use isn't good. I ordered the shrimp cocktail, it was OKAY wasn't an actual shrimp cocktail from a Mariscos place, there were about 4 good size shrimp in it. Also ordered the potato balls, those were really good and the sauce it comes with is good but super spicy.

What an amazing experience. I went on a date and he chose this place. The look on the outside does it no justice. They teach you how to salsa and had a live band. I think people danced more than they ate at this place. People are warm and welcoming into this place. The food was very tasty. Took a little while but I was so enchanted by the dancing that I hardly noticed. I didn't have enough courage to go and dance but I sure will bring flats and dance the night away when I go next time! Such a fun place!!

This place has some of the best Cuban food around! Pair that with fantastic live music and what more could you ask for! I don't live close but we will be back!

As usual, Monday night at El Floridita did not disappoint. Great live band, superb service, fun, friendly, extremely courteous crowd, excellent food and drinks. Absolutely one of the best live music venues in the country, here in our own backyard in Hollywood, CA. How lucky are we?

Kara, (really hope I heard her name right, whichever female bartender closed on 6/19/23) is absolutely incredible. She works so hard to do the job the best she can and it's easy to notice. She deserves the best! Big thanks to you love! Ambiance in the restaurant is perfect and the live band is excellent. I'm not a dancer myself but everyone who is was definitely having a fantastic time with the music. Thank you guys!

Out of all the Cuban spots we've been to in LA this one is the best so far. We just ordered from another Cuban restaurant & it made us appreciate this place more. Be cautious of what time you go because they have a live band playing some nights and it's so loud you can't hear the person next to you.

So much fun on Valentines weekend! Everyone is there to have a good time and DANCE to good LIVE music. And the food was surprisingly good! Make sure you reserve a table for dinner for a fee or you'll be standing

My best friend's birthday was on a Monday night and she wanted to go out on a school night like a rock star! A friend suggested we come here because we wanted to salsa dance and they have a live band. The price fixe dinner was reasonable but drinks were pricey as everywhere else. However, we got to keep our table the whole night and the wonderful servers took care of us all night, giving us water and giving my BFF a slice of cake with a candle. My salmon was good once I took the super salty skin off (yikes!) and my BFF really enjoyed the oxtail. Drinks were strong. I think the cost of our evening was worth it because of they have a dance lesson plus a huge 8 piece live band AND DJ on a Monday night. I only ask that maybe they improve the lighting for dinner because it was wayyyy too bright when we got there and it didn't feel cozy or very elegant. They definitely darken the space when the dancing begins, but it would've been nice to have candlelight for dinner. If you're into salsa and want to have a fun night of Cuban dinner and dancing on a Monday night, this is a good place. We especially loved the servers for being so good to us all night - made my BFF feel special!

I know this place for more then 10 years and food is delicious I love everything. But now on this times they serve the plate for To go with just 3 little pieces of meat and most is just fat. That's why I give one star. Other then that the food is delicious the best macitas I've ver try.

I love this place. This is the first time I have gone to this restaurant and have fallen in love with them. The staff is friendly; the food is so good and fresh. The ingredient is on point. I have to come back and order some other things from the menu. Come and check them out, guys.

After decades in business, the food is still excellent, and very reasonably priced. Friendly staff. Highly recommended.

Excellent food. Excellent service. I am cuban and a good cook and I really enjoyed everything we ordered. Very authentic. Highly recommend. They also have live music and dancing some nights.

I loved their braised ox tail and my friend ordered the braised steak.. it was so yummy.. Now the live band was amazing.. the music was just great... The only downside.. by 11pm the dance floor started getting crowded since more people were coming into drink and dance.. the dance floor was not as wide enough to accommodate the Friday night people.. otherwise.. everything was great.. the servers were doing a good job as well... We will go back there

Today was a special day for me. This used to be my go to Cuban restaurant for easily over a decade and a half. Then around 2015, the owner/chef retired and things fell apart. The food went from hero to zero. Since then they kept Caldo Gallego - a white bean soup with spiced slices of sausage and potatoes - on the menu. It is one of if not my single favorite soup in the world. And, for some reason, absolutely no Cuban restaurants in Los Angeles make it. In Florida, you could get it at most restaurants in Little Havana. Well, besides the quality going down, they stopped making the caldo gallego because supposedly the chef tried teaching it to the new chefs and they could never get it right. They said they have it very rarely. Cut to today, as I was in Hollywood. I decided to call and ask again - though being told the didn't have it or years. And then it happened. The miracle. They had caldo gallego. I immediately ran over and got six to go. They are still only doing outdoor dining for some reason. The one waiter, who doesn't speak very good English, must've though I was crazy ordering 6 soups, but I figured this could very well be the last time I ever have it, and it's been years right now. I figured I'd give the food another chance, as maybe this meant the original chef had come out of retirement. The caldo gallego was amazing. I also got an appetizer of the chicharrones de pollo - basically Cuban fried chicken with a garlic kick from marinating in mojo that comes with yucca frita. It was excellent again. And I got an entree - the masitas de puerco, which are large chunks of pork marinated in mojo and fried. They were killer good and came with moros (black beans and rice that are cooked together) and maduros (sweet plantains) and tostones (fried smashed green plantains). They were incredible. I hope the restaurant stays at this quality. All the Cuban restaurants I had tried had ended up going rotten over time or were never good. Happy to find my way home!

3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars due the following... Graciousness with a capital "G" remains with me as I prepare to share last night's El Floridita dining, entertainment experience, a multigenerational, comingling of respect and civility. Reservations are a MUST especially for a Friday or Saturday evening. If you don't Yelp, you'll be directed when you call to go to https://www.elfloridita.com/reservations/, follow the prompts and don't be discouraged by the blurb about a 1-2 week "wait" that I probably misread. Be sure to indicate seating preference or if you're celebrating a special occasion. I remained nervous about making a reservation on Thursday at noon for Friday at 8PM BUT within an hour I received email confirmation for our party of four, a list of do's, don'ts, valet parking info and dress code. Less than an hour after that, an El Floridita representative called me directly to re-confirm the email I'd received and asked if there were any changes or if we needed to cancel to please call, of course, absolutely but it wasn't necessary. $12 (gratuity not included) to valet park in LA, in Hollywood is cheap, just do it. Attendants are professional, welcoming. Graciousness Part I: Hubby and I were running about 10-minutes late for our 8 o'clock reservation so I texted our guests to learn El Floridita seated them at the dance floor adjacent table I requested without our complete party being present. So tell me, when's the last time an LA restaurant did that? Graciousness Part II: After we paid the valet fee, our car whisked away, we approached El Floridita's entrance where we were warmly greeted. Reservation? Yes! And so our celebration began. Graciousness Part III: Our server immediately acknowledged the birthday among us, took our cocktail order leaving us to peruse the menu. Our Cuban friend having dined El Floridita previously, advised dinner selections with a caveat that although generously portioned, often overly salty, what we were about to order would not be authentic Cuban fare. I guessed adjusted to the Americanized palate or otherwise inspired. Regardless we ordered: PAELLA FOR TWO (cooking time 20-30-minutes) - Seafood casserole baked with yellow rice, chicken, pork, Spanish sausage, clam, lobster, shrimp, whitefish, crab legs, onion, green peppers, tomatoes seasoned with Spanish wine, olive oil, garnished with peas and carrots. The serving, a savory blend of all the aforementioned was good and truly enough for four hearty eaters. ARROZ con POLLO DINNER (cooking time 40-45-minutes) - Chicken baked in a casserole with yellow rice, olive oil, onions, green peppers and Spanish white wine. I detected Bijol/achiote/annotto powder (a saffron replacement) that colored the rice orange. Hubby mistook the accompanying plantains as sausages and refused to eat any until today (part of our abundant leftovers) when I explained their origin, now he's a fan. ROPA VIEJA DINNER - Translates to "old clothes" as flank steak or brisket (notoriously tough) is shredded, sautéed in Cuban style tomatoes garlic and spices then served with rice and black beans. I loved this El Floridita house specialty in spite of the fact our Cuban friend reminded me there is no beef in Cuba. Graciousness Part IV: Dining should be leisurely. Another round of adult beverages and before the live musical entertainment took the stage there were free dance/salsa lessons. Half tempted to join the group, then intimidated by the caliber of the dancers, I sat the lesson out BUT oh what fun. Graciousness Part V: Our birthday celebrant was feted with totally air on a spoon flan ignited with a single candle and a round of "Happy Birthday" performed by the band. (Sorry no pic, I was finishing another Mojito.) Any negatives you ask? Yup. Music volume during the free dance lesson is tolerable but the band's sound system is deafening. We resorted to texting each other to converse. SO, if you go bring ear plugs as the cocktail napkins we used buffered a bit but not as well as real deal protection. Would we, hubby and I return? Not after a few more dance lessons but sure!

Stopped by El Floridita today after many years. Still the same great food and service. We went around lunchtime and we're able to sit outside with our dog. 100% A+ experience as always.

First time here and loved the service , music, ambiance and the food was delicious!!!

One of my favorite restaurants... the garlic shrimp are amazing... so juicy and tender; the whole plate is full of flavor. The ambience is special... something rare... live music, dancing, high spirits! I can't wait to visit again when I return to LA.

**The sole review is only based on takeout. Im going to make it as simple as possible. I ordered food at 8pm. (My order: 2 masitas de puerco, 1 papas rellanas, 1 tres leches, and 2 cokes). The gentleman on the phone said it would be ready in 30mins. I get to the restaurant at 8:29pm. They said another 4 mins. I didnt get the food till 8:55pm. Then as i got in my car, they forgot the tres leches slice. So i go back to get my cake. Its now 9:08. I mean how long does it take to cut a slice of cake? So what got to me wasnt even the cake, it was the $5.00 cokes. So in totally, i spent $89.00 for cold food and watered down cokes! Never ordering here again. Now...as far as the food is concerned....your lucky cause the food is actually reallyy good. The pork chunks are flavorful and juicy...the papas rellanas is delicious.. Now i initially had a 1 star but because the food is good, i changed it..

Very disappointed about with the service and the deceptive menu. Decided to visit this restaurant for an early dinner. We wanted to have the a traditional Cuban dinner and ordered Bistec Empanizado. Even though the restaurant has just opened for dinner, we were told that it was not available,. Already disappointed I selected a Churrasco at a cost of $35.00 that in reality was not what was described in their menu as "Butterfly cut filet mignon grilled to perfection with chimichurri sauce". What I got was an over cooked cut of skirt steak. ery dissatisfied with our choice to have an early dinner at this restaurant. We wanted to have a traditional Cuban bistec empanizado, unfortunately, even though the restaurant had just opened for dinner, we were told the our choice was no available. I elected to go for a churrasco that was described on their menu as "Butterfly cut Filet mignon grilled to perfection with chimichurri sauce. What I got was an overcooked skirt steak!!. Not what I was expecting for $35.00

Their food is always freshLy made Original Cuban snacks appetizers are my favorite their ambience very friendly

Came here on a Monday live salsa band, great food, great service very small and fun too enjoy a Monday night out in Hollywood area

Fun place - we went for dinner , after they had a dance lesson and then live music and dancing Make a dinner reservation - lesson is around 9pm and live music is around 10:30pm It's a about $50 per person for dinner and fun for a group

The best Cuban food in Los Angeles, amazing service and a family ambiance, the best of the best, I highly recommend this place!

Uno de los mejores lugares en Los Ángeles para bailar salsa! Las bandas son buenas La comida también es típica y rica! Tienen que probarlo A great spot for love salsa and Latin music with a dance floor And the food is good A must try if you feel like dancing

Great music and atmosphere. Didn't come for dinner but looks like a fun time with that too.