The Exchange Restaurant
Mediterranean restaurant · Downtown Los Angeles
416 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
Highlights
Israeli-Californian fusion with vegetable-forward dishes and cocktails
Israeli-Californian fusion with vegetable-forward dishes and cocktails
"Consider the Exchange inside the Freehand hotel a sneaky Downtown hit. The intimate dining room serves Israeli and other Levantine-inflected dishes from talented chef Narita Santos, who isn’t afraid to pepper in global influences. The results are well-crafted, seasonally appropriate food that pops with flavor. The restaurant’s quirky ’70s-inspired decor keeps the vibe loose." - Eater Staff, Matthew Kang
"Aptly named after the historic 32-foot-tall “Commercial Exchange” sign decorating the exterior, this bright and comfortable dining room is hard to miss. Tucked inside the Freehand Hotel, diners can expect contemporary Middle Eastern cooking with Israeli, Californian, and Filipino influences." - Kevin Chau
"Named for the historic 32-foot-tall “Commercial Exchange” sign that marks its exterior, this watering hole defined by geometrically set glass panes and set inside the hip Freehand Hotel is an oasis of contemporary Middle Eastern cooking. Its bright and comfortable dining room is quite the looker, bursting with lush greenery, while wood paneling lends the space a 70s vibe.Mirroring the striking setting, Chef Narita Santos takes inspiration from Israeli, Californian and Filipino cuisines for this vibrant menu. Opt for the salatim platter, a rotating trio of items like rich hummus with a dusting of piquant Syrian pepper; or shredded red cabbage with peanuts and dukkah. Simple desserts, including a warm dark chocolate chip cookie, are especially satisfying." - Michelin Inspector
"Located inside DTLA’s Freehand Hotel, The Exchange wants you to know that she’s not like the other hotel restaurants. This corner diner has tall wooden ceilings with dangling plants, making it feel like someone’s private reading nook rather than a place in the middle of downtown. The menu is also super diverse, with most dishes having an Israeli spin to them to provide somewhat of a common theme. You’ll still find tons of non-Israeli dishes, like ceviche, a chicken banh mi, and a loaded breakfast burrito with chorizo next to salatim options and a Jerusalem bagel with za’atar-dusted soft scrambled eggs. Their spicy shakshuka divorciados is another example of the fusion on display here, which pays homage to LA’s Mexican and Middle Eastern communities. This baked egg dish comes with split sections of green and red salsa, each with a perfectly poached egg and a generous feta crumble. This non-traditional shakshuka still packs a healthy kick, but with the tangier flavors of tomatillo, chilis, and cilantro scattered throughout. Enjoy it with warm corn tortillas and their excellent za’atar flatbread because life’s too short to pick one over the other." - sylvio martins
"A hulking platter of whole fried fish, is basically an entire meal for three people posing as a shareable large-format entree. The deeply seasoned exterior gives way to flakey, fall-apart flesh, in this case rock cod, while the sesame noodles are difficult to stop eating." - Eater Staff
