This week, we turn our reviewing efforts towards Goldie's, the new Mid-City restaurant from the same folks who own the Eveliegh. Head over to the food section to read the full review, or take a peek below for the condensed version.

Food: Goldies' chef is Thomas Lim, imported from Sydney, Australia where he was known for his avant-garde dude food. At Goldie's he's less meat-focused, and at best his dishes are surprising manipulations of well known vegetables and proteins. There are flops, and some of the food is expensive for what you get. But most of it is surprising in one way or another.

Drinks: From the review: “Led by bartender Brittini Rae, Goldie's cocktails are one of the restaurant's great strengths, in part because they're quite different from much of what's going on at other cocktail bars around town. Drinks are as ingredient-driven as booze-driven, making for combinations like mezcal with beet basil shrub, sherry vinegar, ginger and lemon.”

Looks: This is a beautiful restaurant, with a dining room that spills out into a patio, and a wall of living succulents anchoring the mossy green paint used elsewhere in the decor. PR reps and design-minded articles are calling the interior “eco lodge chic.” I don't know what that means, but it sounds nice.

Service: From the review: “Service is friendly but can at times oscillate between the zealous over-recommending and selling of certain dishes and then, in the same evening, complete abandonment for long stretches. You'll get the speech when you arrive about small plates for sharing, and wonder at the bottom third of the menu, which certainly is not priced in the small-plates range.”

Takeaway: 2 stars (good). At its best, Lim's food is startlingly creative and delicious, the drinks are fantastic, and the service is bright and friendly. At its worst, the idea trumps the actual experience and it's an expensive experiment in disappointment. Pick the right dishes, eat there on the right night, enjoy that delightful patio, and Goldie's can be pure pleasure.

Read the full review here.


Want more Squid Ink? Follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook.    

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.