Wally's Beverly Hills - The "Restaurant Guy" Perspective

Wally's Beverly Hills
447 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
http://www.wallywine.com ($$$)

Eat AND Drink: THE PERFECT PLACE for that day you want to meet up with friends, drink good wine, eat great food, and catch up in a hip yet low key environment.

For our latest 360 degree review, your friendly e+d team met up at Wally's Beverly Hills.   As a long term Westside guy, I didn't know Wally's had anything more than a first class wine shop in Westwood, so I was ready to see what the change in zip code had to offer.

Wally's BH takes an incredibly modern and hip spin on the "wine shop" - the selection of wines envelopes the space, surrounding a series of communal tables flanked by the after work crowd.   They don't take reservations here, which can be tricky if you are more than just a party of 2-4.  We visited on a Wednesday night and every table was filled!   If you are looking for a quiet place for a date or to have a low key conversation with a friend, you might want to go elsewhere.  But if you are looking for a lively scene with lots to see, great wines to chose from, and some good solid shared plates....this is the place.

While not huge, the menu offers a wide range of dishes.    Anytime we get together our eyes are bigger than our stomach, so we sampled over a dozen dishes on offer.   From the burrata salad to the homemade spinach pasta (both excellent).....

Veggies took front and center in a lot of the dishes, and while the while asparagus didn't wow, the roasted brussels sprouts were a pleaser.    The salmon received a mixed reception - as fellow e+d'er Morgan can attest to first hand.  

If you are gathering for a meet up with friends and colleagues, I'd recommend going with the pizzas - both the Margherita and the Truffle pizza were outstanding - just the right combination of flavors.  

The dessert menu intrigued my colleagues more than they did me, but I appreciated the light flavorfulness of the desserts - and the inclusion of a Gorgonzola and Pear pizza, which in all honesty, I would have ordered for my main! 

Christian can speak to the wine (excellent but not inexpensive), Roman will attest to the cocktails (we ARE in a wine shop/restaurant), and Morgan and Heather will say more about the experience.   Most of the food hit the sweet spot, and as long as you adjust your expectations from a "fine dining" experience to a "fine gathering with friends" experience in a unique setting, there is a lot to like about Wally's BH!  I definitely add this to my list of after work meet and great with excellent shared plates spots....