"Driving down San Vicente near the Beverly Center can be a stressful experience involving last-minute lane changes and very confusing street signs. But if you manage to find this cozy, old-school Spanish spot sandwiched between a credit union and a sushi restaurant, prepare for a lovely time warp. La Paella serves one of the largest tapas menus we’ve come across that includes favorites like a silky tortilla española and callos a la madrileña, a rich garbanzo bean and tripe stew that warms you up for a pour of vino tinto. You can split an order of paella, plus get some wine and a tapa or two, and be out of the door for roughly $50 each." - brant cox, sylvio martins, garrett snyder
"Hidden on what’s essentially a San Vicente service road, you could live in Beverly Grove for years and not know about La Paella. A night at this family-run Spanish restaurant is like drinking tempranillo in an old tavern in Madrid, and the tapas menu features homey dishes you won’t find at modern spots. Here's where to should focus your attention: mini skillets of sizzling baby eels, paprika-tinged callos madrileños (tripe and chickpea stew), and a buttery-soft octopus swimming in good olive oil. Despite the restaurant's name, the paella here is only decent and a touch wet for our liking, but we appreciate that the warm staff serves it tableside (A nice touch)." - sylvio martins, garrett snyder
"Look, the paella valenciana at this family-run restaurant in Beverly Grove is perfectly fine. It’s a little too soft and wet for our liking, but that never stops us from ordering it when we come here. A night at this tavern-like spot is one the best overall Spanish meals in LA, complete with warm staff that plates this risotto-like dish tableside. Order the paella as a centerpiece to a meal that ideally includes a bottle of tempranillo and plenty of tapas." - sylvio martins
"This family-run Spanish spot in Beverly Grove feels like you’ve walked into an old tavern in Madrid with dark wooden chairs, tiled floors, and old knick-knacks hanging on the walls. In other words, it’s the perfect place to settle in with a friend, a pitcher of sangria, and let your emotions flow freely. When your tears finally give way to hunger, don’t overthink it—order the paella. Try the valenciana mixta for soft saffron-tinted rice, fresh clams, mussels, shrimp, and some tender chicken and pork. Or go for the marinera that nixes the chicken and pork for calamari and king prawns." - brant cox
"Hidden on what’s essentially a San Vicente service road, you could live in Beverly Grove for years and not know much about La Paella. It’s time to change that. This family-run Spanish spot looks like an old tavern with dark wooden chairs, tiled floors, and knick-knacks on the walls. Sangria flows freely in the evenings and big tables gather to eat through one of our favorite tapas menus in town. That said, it doesn’t take a trained detective to uncover the main event here: paella. The valenciana mixta has soft saffron-tinted rice, fresh clams, mussels, shrimp, and tender chicken and pork. Or go for the equally delicious marinera that swaps in calamari and king prawns." - brant cox, sylvio martins