Belles Beach House (Los Angeles, CA)
Belle's Beach House
24 Windward Ave, Venice, CA 90291
424-363-6600
www.bellesbeachhouse.com
Sun 08/17/2025, 05:10p-07:15p
A recent birthday get-together brought me out to Venice for an early dinner at Belles Beach House, a tropical-ish, Hawaiian-inspired spot named after local artist Larry Bell, who operates one of his studios nearby. The restaurant opened on October 19th, 2021, and comes to us from Nick Mathers' Wish You Were Here hospitality group, the company probably most known around these parts for Élephante in SaMo and Eveleigh in WeHo (RIP). Meanwhile, the man in charge of the menu is Chef Thomas Lim, a Sydney native who's been with Wish You Were Here all the way back since January 2012. He's actually a partner in the organization, and as culinary director, has been involved with most of their openings, including Goldie's, Little Ruby's Cafe, The Happiest Hour, Dudley's, Elephante, Kassi Beach House, Rouge Room, and Leoncito, in addition to Belles of course.
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Belles Beach House resides at a site that was previously home to Larry's (also named after Larry Bell), Patio Seaside Cafe, Coffee & Sympathy, and according to one of my dining companions, a Mexican spot whose name has been lost to time. In addition, the new owners have also expanded and taken over a few storefronts to the north. As you can see, the team has completely redecorated the space, which now sports a very island-y aesthetic with plenty of vegetation and wicker.
The restaurant describes its food as "Hawaiian izakaya cuisine," which to me basically seems like casual, pan-Asian fusion-y fare, i.e., exactly what you'd want at a place like this. Beverage-wise, cocktails are clearly the focus here, though a smattering of beer and wine is available as well, if you insist. Meanwhile, corkage is $35 per bottle, limit two, or $70 for magnums. Click for larger versions.
Piña Colada Slushie [$16.00] | mount gay rum, pineapple, lime, coconut
We ended up making our way through a number of cocktails, and got started with this icy concoction. It certainly looked the part, while its back-and-forth between coconut and pineapple was pretty textbook, albeit lacking a bit of depth towards the finish.
Mochiko Chicken Nuggets [$12.00] | kewpie, japanese bbq, lemon
Our dinner got off to a good start thanks to these glutinous rice flour-coated nuggets, which featured light, crisp exteriors and tender, juicy insides. They were sufficiently seasoned on their own, but I didn't mind a dab of mayo or tangy barbeque sauce, either.
Coconut Banana Espresso Martini [$19.00] | grey goose vodka, espresso, coconut, banana liqueur
This was probably the most decadent cocktail of the lot--thick, sweet, and certainly dessert-y, with a healthy dosing of banana joined by plenty of coconut, cacao, and coffee.
Cheeseburger Spring Roll [$12.00] | sweet and sour sauce
The spring rolls did a surprisingly good job of capturing the essence of that classic meat-and-cheese combo, and certainly weren't shy about the cheese. I appreciated their crisp, shattery wrappers, though the sweet 'n' sour sauce didn't jibe as well as I would've liked.
Chilled Baby Bok Choy [$8.00] | orange gomashio, scallion, sesame
I generally enjoy Chinese cabbage, and the veggie worked out pretty well here, its bittersweetness making good sense with all the nuttiness from the sesame and the more astringent nature of green onion. A welcomed counterpoint to a lot of the heavier plates going on.
Marine Layer [$17.00] | tequila, yuzu, passion fruit, mitsuba, suze, chili, lava salt
This was my initial cocktail pick, and what caught my attention first was the very palpable heat in the drink, while second was how clearly the sweet-sour qualities of the yuzu shone through. At the same time, the passionfruit was actually quite subtle, as was the mitsuba.
Crispy Rock Shrimp [$16.00] | spicy aioli, chives, scallions
This unexpectedly large portion of rock shrimp managed to be a table favorite. The shrimp were cooked better than I was anticipating, coming out with a nice plumpness and bounce, while their sweet salinity was well conveyed, set against the creeping, creamy heat of that aïoli.
Soul Surfer [$17.00] | gin, yuzu juice, cocchi americano, apple, mint
This next cocktail was definitely on the light, refreshingly, quaffable side, and apropos for the hot weather we've been having. I found the drink quite minty, but with just enough herby bittersweetness from the Cocchi to keep things interesting enough.
Miso Maple Salad [$18.00] | gem lettuce, crispy quinoa, avocado, heart of palm, jicama, snow peas, miso maple vinaigrette
I'm usually not much of a salad guy, but I have to say that this was a surprise standout. The key really was the sweet-savory-sour qualities of that dressing, which did a commendable job tying together disparate components of bitter veggies, nutty quinoa, and creamy avocado, all while hearts of palm and jícama imparted further texture and brightness.
Steamed Pork Dumplings [$10.00] | spicy shoyu
This appeared to be a riff on hóng yóu chāoshǒu, and largely delivered. The pork filling met the mark, and worked as a fitting contrast to that aggressively spicy, pungent sauce.
Junglebird [$19.00] | ten to one dark rum, lime, fresh pineapple, aperitivo select
Coming from the tiki cocktail canon was this Jungle Bird variation, which demonstrated a very apparent grapefruit-esque character commingled with tangy pineapple and a marked bittersweetness from that aperitif liqueur.
Grilled Street Corn [$10.00] | furikake, cotija cheese, truffle aioli, lime, shio konbu, chili
A Japanese-y take on elote was on point with its amalgam of corn-fueled sweetness, cheesiness, and smoky-salty sensations. Do note that we ended up turning this into esquites for easier eating among our party.
Remote Paradise [$17.00] | vodka, lime, guava, heirloom pineapple, coconut water
This peach-tinted cocktail was also on the easy-going side, offering up loads of tropical guava perked up by citrus and sweet-toasty coconut.
Miso Eggplant [$8.00] | den miso, chive
Aubergine arrived soft and spongy, its relatively mild flavors greatly enhanced by that sticky, sweet, savory miso glaze.
The Tiki Chop [$16.00] | kale, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, snap peas, radish, iceberg, chili crisp, furikake tempura flakes, sesame ranch dressing
Given how well our first salad went over, we decided to go with another, and thankfully, it also managed to be a success. Again, the crux was the dressing, with its creamy, nutty qualities bringing together all the dish's contrasting tastes and textures in a harmonious manner.
Picture Perfect [$18.00] | mezcal, awayuki strawberry, cocchi americano, salers aperitif, grapefruit oils
This unexpectedly clear cocktail was effective in marrying the smokiness of mezcal with the fruitiness of that strawberry gin, with the drink's bittersweet constituents really completing the equation.
Huli Huli Chicken [$28.00] | macadamia aioli, pineapple honey, baby leaves, radishes
Our first main brought out the Hawaiian staple that is huli-huli chicken. The barbecued bird was a bit inconsistent in terms of juiciness, but its commingling of sweet and smoky flavors was pretty spot-on, and evened out just a tad by the greenery up top.
Paloma [$18.00] | lalo tequila, grapefruit, lime, cointreau, sparkling water
This long cocktail was a twist on the classic paloma, one that was more multifaceted than most, I'm assuming due to the incorporation of Cointreau.
Miso Black Cod [$32.00] | butter lettuce, crispy potato, house pickles, konbu chimichurri
Here we had a preparation of the Japanese staple gindara no saikyoyaki. The sablefish was as fatty and flavorful as I expected, and made quite a lot of sense with everything else on the plate when wrapped up in ssam form. I especially appreciated the ginger-y, pickle-y flavors present.
Char Siu Pork Ribs [$26.00] | furikake, red plum bbq sauce, mandarin and cilantro blossom
The ribs didn't quite convey the chāsīu character I was hoping for, but were still pretty tasty. The pork delivered in the tenderness department, and I did like the meat's generally sweet-n-spicy disposition.
Driftwood [$19.00] | toki japanese whiskey, yuzuri, orange blossom, smoke, lemon oils
This was certainly the most spirit-forward cocktail thus far, with the drink's boozy, bitter, and herbal notes balanced out somewhat by the citrusy forces present.
Sauteed Green Beans [$10.00] | shiitake oil, crispy shallots, chili garlic dressing, scallions
This next dish reminded me a bit of gān biān sìjì dòu, and that's not a bad thing. The string beans had the texture and taste I was looking for, and meshed easily with all the garlicky, umami-forward, almost briny flavors happening.
Staycation [$17.00] | tequila, grapefruit, elderflower, carrot, turmeric, sparkling water
The evening's penultimate cocktail drank a bit like OJ at first blush before transitioning to the sweetly spicy duet of carrot and turmeric. Intriguingly, some of my fellow diners were actually reminded of orange-carrot-flavored SoBe.
Kalbi Short Ribs [$25.00] | grilled snap peas, ichimi
For our final savory, we went with the marinated short ribs, which were pretty much like the LA galbi you might find at your local Korean spot. What made this more interesting was the inclusion of those sugar snap peas, which contributed a much appreciated smoky, vegetal element to the dish and also mixed things up texturally.
Passionfruit Mousse [$10.00] | coconut, pistachio ice cream, white chocolate rubble
Dessert time. There were only two on offer tonight, so we just ordered 'em both. This first one was to my liking, combining the unmistakable tartness of passion fruit with both nutty and creamy components to make for quite a balanced dessert overall. Nice textures, too.
Old Fashioned [$17.00] | off hours bourbon, angostura bitters, demerara, orange and lemon oils
This final cocktail was easily the booziest of the bunch, and quite possible the booziest old fashioned I've ever had, though its heat was accompanied by complementary notes of dark fruit, caramel, citrus, and bitter herbs.
Sticky Date Pudding [$10.00] | honey butter caramel
Our complimentary birthday dessert was a winner, giving up all the fruity, sugary, dark-toned flavors I would want in my sticky toffee pudding. Of particular note was the somewhat "grittier" consistency of the sponge cake, and naturally, the vanilla ice cream served as the perfect pairing.
I'm glad to report that Belles Beach House made for yet another successful birthday dinner. I have to say that the food was better than I was anticipating, especially given the restaurant's location right off Venice Beach, with the cooking exceeding (admittedly not high) expectations in terms of both vision and precision. We had no qualms with service, either, and overall, this place was a pleasant surprise.
24 Windward Ave, Venice, CA 90291
424-363-6600
www.bellesbeachhouse.com
Sun 08/17/2025, 05:10p-07:15p
A recent birthday get-together brought me out to Venice for an early dinner at Belles Beach House, a tropical-ish, Hawaiian-inspired spot named after local artist Larry Bell, who operates one of his studios nearby. The restaurant opened on October 19th, 2021, and comes to us from Nick Mathers' Wish You Were Here hospitality group, the company probably most known around these parts for Élephante in SaMo and Eveleigh in WeHo (RIP). Meanwhile, the man in charge of the menu is Chef Thomas Lim, a Sydney native who's been with Wish You Were Here all the way back since January 2012. He's actually a partner in the organization, and as culinary director, has been involved with most of their openings, including Goldie's, Little Ruby's Cafe, The Happiest Hour, Dudley's, Elephante, Kassi Beach House, Rouge Room, and Leoncito, in addition to Belles of course.
Belles Beach House resides at a site that was previously home to Larry's (also named after Larry Bell), Patio Seaside Cafe, Coffee & Sympathy, and according to one of my dining companions, a Mexican spot whose name has been lost to time. In addition, the new owners have also expanded and taken over a few storefronts to the north. As you can see, the team has completely redecorated the space, which now sports a very island-y aesthetic with plenty of vegetation and wicker.
The restaurant describes its food as "Hawaiian izakaya cuisine," which to me basically seems like casual, pan-Asian fusion-y fare, i.e., exactly what you'd want at a place like this. Beverage-wise, cocktails are clearly the focus here, though a smattering of beer and wine is available as well, if you insist. Meanwhile, corkage is $35 per bottle, limit two, or $70 for magnums. Click for larger versions.
Piña Colada Slushie [$16.00] | mount gay rum, pineapple, lime, coconut
We ended up making our way through a number of cocktails, and got started with this icy concoction. It certainly looked the part, while its back-and-forth between coconut and pineapple was pretty textbook, albeit lacking a bit of depth towards the finish.
Mochiko Chicken Nuggets [$12.00] | kewpie, japanese bbq, lemon
Our dinner got off to a good start thanks to these glutinous rice flour-coated nuggets, which featured light, crisp exteriors and tender, juicy insides. They were sufficiently seasoned on their own, but I didn't mind a dab of mayo or tangy barbeque sauce, either.
Coconut Banana Espresso Martini [$19.00] | grey goose vodka, espresso, coconut, banana liqueur
This was probably the most decadent cocktail of the lot--thick, sweet, and certainly dessert-y, with a healthy dosing of banana joined by plenty of coconut, cacao, and coffee.
Cheeseburger Spring Roll [$12.00] | sweet and sour sauce
The spring rolls did a surprisingly good job of capturing the essence of that classic meat-and-cheese combo, and certainly weren't shy about the cheese. I appreciated their crisp, shattery wrappers, though the sweet 'n' sour sauce didn't jibe as well as I would've liked.
Chilled Baby Bok Choy [$8.00] | orange gomashio, scallion, sesame
I generally enjoy Chinese cabbage, and the veggie worked out pretty well here, its bittersweetness making good sense with all the nuttiness from the sesame and the more astringent nature of green onion. A welcomed counterpoint to a lot of the heavier plates going on.
Marine Layer [$17.00] | tequila, yuzu, passion fruit, mitsuba, suze, chili, lava salt
This was my initial cocktail pick, and what caught my attention first was the very palpable heat in the drink, while second was how clearly the sweet-sour qualities of the yuzu shone through. At the same time, the passionfruit was actually quite subtle, as was the mitsuba.
Crispy Rock Shrimp [$16.00] | spicy aioli, chives, scallions
This unexpectedly large portion of rock shrimp managed to be a table favorite. The shrimp were cooked better than I was anticipating, coming out with a nice plumpness and bounce, while their sweet salinity was well conveyed, set against the creeping, creamy heat of that aïoli.
Soul Surfer [$17.00] | gin, yuzu juice, cocchi americano, apple, mint
This next cocktail was definitely on the light, refreshingly, quaffable side, and apropos for the hot weather we've been having. I found the drink quite minty, but with just enough herby bittersweetness from the Cocchi to keep things interesting enough.
Miso Maple Salad [$18.00] | gem lettuce, crispy quinoa, avocado, heart of palm, jicama, snow peas, miso maple vinaigrette
I'm usually not much of a salad guy, but I have to say that this was a surprise standout. The key really was the sweet-savory-sour qualities of that dressing, which did a commendable job tying together disparate components of bitter veggies, nutty quinoa, and creamy avocado, all while hearts of palm and jícama imparted further texture and brightness.
Steamed Pork Dumplings [$10.00] | spicy shoyu
This appeared to be a riff on hóng yóu chāoshǒu, and largely delivered. The pork filling met the mark, and worked as a fitting contrast to that aggressively spicy, pungent sauce.
Junglebird [$19.00] | ten to one dark rum, lime, fresh pineapple, aperitivo select
Coming from the tiki cocktail canon was this Jungle Bird variation, which demonstrated a very apparent grapefruit-esque character commingled with tangy pineapple and a marked bittersweetness from that aperitif liqueur.
Grilled Street Corn [$10.00] | furikake, cotija cheese, truffle aioli, lime, shio konbu, chili
A Japanese-y take on elote was on point with its amalgam of corn-fueled sweetness, cheesiness, and smoky-salty sensations. Do note that we ended up turning this into esquites for easier eating among our party.
Remote Paradise [$17.00] | vodka, lime, guava, heirloom pineapple, coconut water
This peach-tinted cocktail was also on the easy-going side, offering up loads of tropical guava perked up by citrus and sweet-toasty coconut.
Miso Eggplant [$8.00] | den miso, chive
Aubergine arrived soft and spongy, its relatively mild flavors greatly enhanced by that sticky, sweet, savory miso glaze.
The Tiki Chop [$16.00] | kale, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, snap peas, radish, iceberg, chili crisp, furikake tempura flakes, sesame ranch dressing
Given how well our first salad went over, we decided to go with another, and thankfully, it also managed to be a success. Again, the crux was the dressing, with its creamy, nutty qualities bringing together all the dish's contrasting tastes and textures in a harmonious manner.
Picture Perfect [$18.00] | mezcal, awayuki strawberry, cocchi americano, salers aperitif, grapefruit oils
This unexpectedly clear cocktail was effective in marrying the smokiness of mezcal with the fruitiness of that strawberry gin, with the drink's bittersweet constituents really completing the equation.
Huli Huli Chicken [$28.00] | macadamia aioli, pineapple honey, baby leaves, radishes
Our first main brought out the Hawaiian staple that is huli-huli chicken. The barbecued bird was a bit inconsistent in terms of juiciness, but its commingling of sweet and smoky flavors was pretty spot-on, and evened out just a tad by the greenery up top.
Paloma [$18.00] | lalo tequila, grapefruit, lime, cointreau, sparkling water
This long cocktail was a twist on the classic paloma, one that was more multifaceted than most, I'm assuming due to the incorporation of Cointreau.
Miso Black Cod [$32.00] | butter lettuce, crispy potato, house pickles, konbu chimichurri
Here we had a preparation of the Japanese staple gindara no saikyoyaki. The sablefish was as fatty and flavorful as I expected, and made quite a lot of sense with everything else on the plate when wrapped up in ssam form. I especially appreciated the ginger-y, pickle-y flavors present.
Char Siu Pork Ribs [$26.00] | furikake, red plum bbq sauce, mandarin and cilantro blossom
The ribs didn't quite convey the chāsīu character I was hoping for, but were still pretty tasty. The pork delivered in the tenderness department, and I did like the meat's generally sweet-n-spicy disposition.
Driftwood [$19.00] | toki japanese whiskey, yuzuri, orange blossom, smoke, lemon oils
This was certainly the most spirit-forward cocktail thus far, with the drink's boozy, bitter, and herbal notes balanced out somewhat by the citrusy forces present.
Sauteed Green Beans [$10.00] | shiitake oil, crispy shallots, chili garlic dressing, scallions
This next dish reminded me a bit of gān biān sìjì dòu, and that's not a bad thing. The string beans had the texture and taste I was looking for, and meshed easily with all the garlicky, umami-forward, almost briny flavors happening.
Staycation [$17.00] | tequila, grapefruit, elderflower, carrot, turmeric, sparkling water
The evening's penultimate cocktail drank a bit like OJ at first blush before transitioning to the sweetly spicy duet of carrot and turmeric. Intriguingly, some of my fellow diners were actually reminded of orange-carrot-flavored SoBe.
Kalbi Short Ribs [$25.00] | grilled snap peas, ichimi
For our final savory, we went with the marinated short ribs, which were pretty much like the LA galbi you might find at your local Korean spot. What made this more interesting was the inclusion of those sugar snap peas, which contributed a much appreciated smoky, vegetal element to the dish and also mixed things up texturally.
Passionfruit Mousse [$10.00] | coconut, pistachio ice cream, white chocolate rubble
Dessert time. There were only two on offer tonight, so we just ordered 'em both. This first one was to my liking, combining the unmistakable tartness of passion fruit with both nutty and creamy components to make for quite a balanced dessert overall. Nice textures, too.
Old Fashioned [$17.00] | off hours bourbon, angostura bitters, demerara, orange and lemon oils
This final cocktail was easily the booziest of the bunch, and quite possible the booziest old fashioned I've ever had, though its heat was accompanied by complementary notes of dark fruit, caramel, citrus, and bitter herbs.
Sticky Date Pudding [$10.00] | honey butter caramel
Our complimentary birthday dessert was a winner, giving up all the fruity, sugary, dark-toned flavors I would want in my sticky toffee pudding. Of particular note was the somewhat "grittier" consistency of the sponge cake, and naturally, the vanilla ice cream served as the perfect pairing.
I'm glad to report that Belles Beach House made for yet another successful birthday dinner. I have to say that the food was better than I was anticipating, especially given the restaurant's location right off Venice Beach, with the cooking exceeding (admittedly not high) expectations in terms of both vision and precision. We had no qualms with service, either, and overall, this place was a pleasant surprise.
posted by kevinEats at
5:10 PM
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