Shannon N.
Yelp
*This was from a visit late last year*
Always late to the party, I finally had my chance to visit the first Soho House in Los Angeles. I've had memorable experiences at other locations, so it was nice to finally come full-circle.
Where do I begin? I walked over from where I was earlier that day, so I didn't have to worry about parking (which I discovered is $12 before 6p, $18 after 6p, valet only). I checked in with a nice girl named Courtney on the ground floor, then took the elevator up. You're greeted with a illuminated (one light was burnt out) large staircase as the elevator doors open, with a small sitting area before that (I know there used to be a second front desk here, but apparently they did away with it). I took the hall to the right and got to see the red velvet screening room which was empty. A bar set-up was towards the front. I hope I can someday attend a screening here, if it happens to be open to the public which is quite rare.
A pool table had its own enclave, and there was a large workspace table underneath the stairway. The bathrooms on this floor here have the best view, especially at night. Artwork is scattered throughout the establishment, so if you're into that, you will have plenty to look at during your time here.
I had a reservation at The Garden so I made my way up those stairs, encountering a bar in front of me before curving around to venture down a narrow hallway (I'll get back to the photo booth later). Reese-hope I spelled his name correctly-was helpful and gave me plenty of seating options. Elsa was a fantastic server, helping me narrow down my selections after I was devastated that the dirty burger was no longer available, but the Doheny version was a decent substitute. Looking forward to the Rigatoni next...
The one part where I was kind of confused was whether I should keep a tab open, or just wrap it up there and start fresh elsewhere if I decided to do so (and I knew I wasn't stopping there with my food train). I did the latter, and made my way down the outdoor hallway where all of those seats were taken. Not to worry, there was plenty of space inside where most people were on laptops, or having small meetings throughout. I had to get used to the fact people would just leave their stuff there, and it was safe to do so. As expected, I did see a couple of people I know, but it was nice seeing them within this setting instead of at my own work setting. I felt equal!
The next few hours, I moved seating a couple of times (after getting a great table outside, it did become chilly so I migrated back in) and was still able to enjoy the sun set, along with some salted chocolate chip cookies and countless cups of Rishi peppermint tea.
The only downsides are minor ones:
-No more Sugarfina candy bar
-For some reason, I always like the wallpaper in the photo booth but was disheartened to see it was now painted a solid navy blue. That's what I get for being years too late.
However, service by pretty much everyone was A+, which I'm pleased to say since I've heard the opposite, including a visit I had at another house. Thank you to Tino, Amy Jo, and Lexi for having me as your guest for an amazing time!
*No photos, since I was a guest of a higher-up and hope to return on a future visit.*