by Evan D. on Review about the RESTAURANT (7pm). We happened to be shopping in Hollywood early on a Saturday and decided to try the food here because the menu looked reasonable. This was a terrible idea. The waitstaff was fine, and reasonably attentive. That's about the only positive thing we had to say. The food was very slow coming out, even though there were one of only two seated tables in the entire place. I had a pizza that could best be described as "adequate". It was filling and didn't taste bad, but was pretty mundane. My girlfriend had a chicken caesar salad ... the chicken was tough, dry and flavorless, and the salad was essentially undressed. And - seriously - what kind of salad has chicken STILL ON THE BONE? We were frankly pretty shocked. Finally, the drinks: she ordered one of their "signature cocktails", and while it was tasty it was probably the most short-poured drink we've had in LA. She drank the whole thing on an empty stomach while we waited for our food - and barely noticed it. You know, when I buy a $4 well drink at a cheap pub, I expect a short pour. But when I buy a $14 "signature cocktail" I expect it to be reasonably potent: this was a pathetic excuse for a drink. I didn't order a drink because I had to drive right away, but I'm glad I didn't waste my money. Clearly this place is only interested in being a swanky club, and has put zero effort into their food.
by Sarah B. on I'm only reviewing the chocolate fondue, because it's currently the only dish I've sampled there. My first impression of Dante's: Bizarre. A fondue restaurant inside a pirate ship? And live alligators? Okay, I can dig this. I even bothered to wear real shoes because all my friends messaged me the day before we went and said, "DANTE'S HAS A NO FLIP FLOPS RULE!!1!1" Okay guys, I get the hint... The chocolate fondue is a Big Deal. You have to make a reservation two days in advance and have a minimum of 6 people (max 12). They only serve the fondue once a week, and not on weekends. This is all because it takes like a million hours to make and is prepared by elves or something. We sat down and Dante himself came out to greet us. He was personable and funny; he chatted with us for a while and told us the story about his restaurant, and in particular, the process that went into creating and preparing the chocolate fondue. He went on and on about how pure his chocolate was, how other restaurants use fillers to dilute the chocolate and wax to make their chocolate "shiny", etc. I've had chocolate fondue at The Melting Pot more times than I can count, so I thought I knew what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised that Dante's version was MUCH better than Melting Pot's. I'm not even a big chocolate eater, because I'm so picky, and crap like Hershey's, Lindt, and Godiva (yeah, I said it) just don't do it for me anymore. In fact, the fondue was so good that a few of us found ourselves having a giggle fit after gorging ourselves. I felt tipsy, like I had drunk several glasses of wine. Dante came back to our table and a friend asked him about it. Apparently pure chocolate can induce a state of euphoria, much like being in love-- or, perhaps more accurately, being drunk. As expensive as it was, the "chocolate high" made it worth every penny.
by Kimberlee Sita on i went here about 3 weeks ago (im late on the review i know i know) and i gotta say it was a pretty pleasant experience. Me my gf and my friend got there at about 11 (for a birthday party) and my friend somehow got us in the front of the line (it was very long... youve been warned) which was cool... But let me say this though... I havent been patted down in about 7 years (since i went to an 18 and over club). I felt a little violated actually... lol no im kidding. but it was weird. but anyways i got past that and the entrance fee was $20. Damnit! I guess unless you have the hookup or bottle service that is the normal asking price in hollywood these days. whatever. Anyways we got in saw our party and proceeded to have one hell of a time. the drinks were a little on the expensive side but nothing major. the music was good and the place was big. alot of places to sit down.... so will I be back? yup. jan. 9th 2009 prolly (my birthday). so if you see a 6'4 african american dude with a bald head on the dance floor say wuz up!!! p.s. shoutout to those 2 middle aged middle eastern dudes battleing it out on the dance floor as we were leaving. that shizz was funny
