Cocina Primavera

Well the greed of real estate owners is causing this gem of a restaurant to close down. What a shame. We will all miss Cocina Primavera and the nice family that ran this fine establishment. I hope Lupe and her team open somewhere else
As for this greedy owner, I hope their fate lies like the landlord of Islands in Beverly Hills where that location has been vacant for over 5 years.
RIP Cocina Primavera
(can you email me your sangria recipe?)

Came in last night and had the Lobster linguine and my husband had the Salmon. Food was delicious! Ambience cozy and romantic and sangria is very good. Good service too.

Sangria, sangria, sangria!
Their sangrias are fun. Not necessarily AMAAAAZING, but it’s basically their house special and they are considerably good. The main thing I love is the ambiance here and the servers. Also, the funny thing is, I don’t like seafood but I came here because I knew my boyfriend would like it, and apparently the seafood is amazing – just wish I could tell you myself. However, I did order the lentil soup and the chicken paella and both were very good. Flavor was on point so I have no trouble believing their seafood pasta was just as delicious.
We also had no trouble seating without a reservation, but I suspect that it’s because it’s a restaurant that opens late where being there at 7pm even on a Friday night is early enough.
Parking was something we worried about when we drove here. We couldn’t find a review that assured us there was a private lot, but I’m here to remove all doubt: there is indeed a parking lot. So let your fears be removed and give this place a try on your date night.

This place is a hidden gem. They have the most amazing fresh fish and appetizers. My favorite is their tamales, sangria, tortilla soup and the salmon.
Everything at this restaurant is top notch! Both is service and food. A+++

My friend and I came here last night for dinner after looking at all the great photos and reviews. We absolutely loved it. It’s very intimate and the food is outstanding. Everything was super flavorful. We shares the tamales and both had shrimp dishes. We substituted our rice and beans for the grilled zucchini and asparagus which was super delicious. Would definitely come here again!

Tried this place with my fiancée and a friend, and from beginning to end it was delicious. The bread is freshly baked to start you off. I had the paella, with perfectly cooked scallops (nothing overdone and rubbery), but the best was the salmon. True Latin American flare, and perfectly cooked seafood make this place a gem. Better than I’ve had most anywhere else, including Central and South America.

Straight dope from a regular:
This is a family owned establishment with phenomenal service. The food is all solid. The sangria is amazing. The desserts are excellent as well.
It’s classy and completely unpretentious.
It’s also pretty small, so call ahead or make reservations for parties of more than 4.
Parking isn’t always convenient. There is a tiny lot, but it’s pretty much always hogged by Domino’s delivery drivers. You can’t park north of Olympic and west of Doheny unless you go on or above Gregory (unless you have the necessary BH permit). It’s tough to get out of spots on Doheny during lunch because traffic backs up, and you can’t use meters during rush hour. Just park somewhere south and/​or east and hike in. That way you can sweat out the wine on your walk back.

Sangria is a must try! The tortilla soup, garlic shrimp, and lobster linguini are also delicious. Service is great and friendly.
–1 star for not having high chairs

My wife and I have had 2 dates here and plan on making many more visits. Our first date left quite the impression, But what really sealed the deal for us was when we returned 6 MONTHS later and the waitress remembered us as if it had been the week before. That is what I call service!
The setting is very intimate and classy, without being pompous. I felt no shame in my jeans and buttoned up shirt. The food is outstanding and the service is just as good. We were greeted and seated within 5 seconds of walking in. Yes, it is true what they say, the sweet corn tamales are out of hand! The spicy pineapple chicken was delicious and to top off the night we had what could very well be the best chocolate mouse cake we’ve ever had.
Since our last visit, which was about 5 months ago, we compare every restaurant of choice for date night to Cocina Primavera… «It was good. But its no Cocina Primavera.»

Came for dinner before a show at the Saban Theatre. It’s a small, quaint restaurant with only 7 tables and an open kitchen. Nice décor, modern but cozy, and a friendly staff. Made a res beforehand so no waiting. The menu is a fusion of spanish, mexican, latin and californian cuisine. We started with fresh guacamole and chips which was excellent. I had the seafood pasta and my friend ordered the shrimp pasta. Both were good but for me not extraordinary. Large portions too (we could have easily split). I would definitely return to try out some of the other menu items and for their yummy sangria. Parking was not great hence the 4 stars.

I was very disappointed that they did not have a highchair for my baby. Since I came for a late dinner, I was afraid that other places won’t be open so I opted to stay and some here. Otherwise, I would have left since they didn’t have a highchair.
I am updating my previous review because this restaurant has amazing food and a great staff. The sangria is delicious and I recommend the lobster linguini.

I found this place to be somewhat below average for the price point. The restaurant itself is nicely appointed but small and narrow. The entrée menu is relatively limited after you realize that 3 of them are basically the same just with different meats (black pepper sauce with either chicken, shrimp or salmon).
I had the sweet corn tamales appetizer and it was nothing special. I have friends that make them better for the holidays. For the main dish, I ordered the seafood pasta. Again, meh. While the portion size is substantial, the marinara sauce was uninspiring and the seafood bits were a bit sparse and lacked the freshness I’ve experienced elsewhere.
In short, it’s not somewhere I’d choose to dine again, but you can certainly do worse.

Needed a nice, reasonably priced restaurant somewhere between West Hollywood and Santa Monica… decided on this place based on all the positive Unilocal reviews and was not disappointed at all!
–Corn tamales: I’m not a tamale fan at all and was hesitant to try these but all of the Unilocal reviews peaked my curiosity. And ya know what? They really are THAT good! I could eat a whole meal of these.
–Garlic shrimp: The dish consisted of 6 jumbo shrimp grilled and covered in a butter garlic sauce. I was afraid the sauce would either turn out too buttery or have overpowering garlic flavoring, but it all came together really well. Along with the shrimp came plantains and grilled veggies (I requested veggies instead of beans). All in all, a solid dish.
The restaurant is fairly small so definitely make reservations if you plan on visiting with a large party or during the weekend. The servers were very attentive and friendly. A parking lot is located in the back but will probably be slim pickings since it’s shared with a couple of other businesses. Street parking is available in the area so that’s probably your best bet.

**ANOTHER SANGRIA, PLEASE.**
By the name itself, I thought it was an Italian restaurant.
My bad. It’s CALIFORNIAN LATIN.
Same owners as The Original Cha Cha Cha Café, Prado Restaurant, Cha Cha Chicken, Bamboo Restaurant and Pinches Tacos.
PARKING
========
Street if you’re lucky.
Lucky for me, I walked.
AMBIANCE
=========
Small and friendly.
Clean, modern with brick wall.
FOOD
=====
FRIED CHICKEN — $ 16.95
Buttermilk fried chicken served with yam mashers, steamed broccoli and plantains.
Unfortunately, it’s not the Southern Fried version you and I were dreaming of. However, it was still good. The mashed yams were excellent. Not sure if I would pair broccoli with fried chicken though. Presentation was so-​so.
RATING: 3.5÷5
BEVERAGE
=========
SANGRIA — $ 5.50
Fruit infused red wine with natural sweeteners was excellent.
RATING: ⁵⁄₅
SERVICE
=======
Food came out timely. Water was refilled immediately.
Friendly vibe.
I like this place.
Next time, going to try the paella and and get another sangria refill.
RECOMMEND for casual date night and family outings. Make reservations on weekends.

Here’s why:
SERVICE: 5 STARS. Very personable and professional wait staff. We were asked more than 10 times if we were ok and if we needed more Sangria. Wink on that.
AMBIENCE: 5 STARS. A recommended date spot.
PARKING: 3 STARS. Keep trying. Make about 2 circles and try your luck. Street parking, back lot or nearby plaza are your options.
PRICE: 4 STARS. Reasonable. It’s BH hood.
FOOD: 2 STARS. Sangria — really fruity, refreshing and one of the best things I ever tried. Crab cakes — good but salty. Sweet Corn Tamales — the only food I enjoyed in this restaurant, delicious!
Now the SEAFOOD PAELLA. The true measure of a good paella? RICE! This is the sad part about our dining experience. It was very bland and it lacked the flavor. Rice was not light and fluffy. I know this dish pretty well because my mother cooks MIXED PAELLA, a combo of Valencian and Seafood. We DID NOT enjoy our paella at all. Period.

I really wanted to like this place. The reviews were great and the location was perfect for where I was the night I went. Their service was really good too but the only think I did not like was the main dish. Here’s a recap of what I ate and how I felt about each item:
The first item I tried were the crab cakes which were good but nothing to rave about.
Next I tried the Tortilla Soup in a cup size, it was perfect. Pretty good.
For my main dish I tried the «Salmon Negro» which is «grilled salmon topped with [their] signature spicy black pepper sauce and fresh pineapple; served with black beans, yellow rice, and plantains.» It sounds delicious right? I was so excited to try it and couldn’t wait for it to come out. I’m sad to say that I was utterly disappointed by this dish. First off there was way too much sauce on the food, my salmon was drenched in it. The sauce made its way into my rice and beans too. I guess this would have been fine if the sauce were actually good, but it was entirely too salty and spicy at the same time. I think the clash of these two flavors made it hard to enjoy. Spice has to be done right, if all you taste is the heat and not the flavor then it hasn’t been done right. I must have drank several cups of water so as to dilute all the salt I had just put in my body and to wash out the heat in my mouth. I also should have asked for a substitute for my rice since I don’t really eat non-​brown rice, but this is my fault. My friend actually got the mashed sweet potatoes which were pretty delicious. I can’t speak for my friends, but I don’t think any of us were impressed by the cuisine and my other friend who got the «Camarones Negro» also said there was just too much sauce.
Quaint place. Good location for the time. Great service. Glad I tried it but probably will not come back.

I was annoyed at the parking situation but they said the meters out front are free? The back lot is extremely small and was full. The side streets all need special permits before 9pm.
The restaurant itself was kinda small, everyone was pretty intimate. The food was good but just wasn’t as good as I expected for the price. The salmon negro was about $ 17. Although the fish was cooked correctly and the sauce was spicy, it just didn’t hit that satiated spot for me. I also ordered the small Pellegrino but they gave me the large one instead. I took the rest home. Ask them to save the cap for you.
The staff was very friendly and part of the kitchen was exposed. I know it’s a common theme in these restaurants but I just feel for the size, it isn’t really necessary.
Best for small parties of 2. Make reservations.

An inviting, loft-​size atmosphere with warm lighting, an artistic sense of style, impeccable dishes, and a personable staff. The place is kind of reminiscent of something you’d find tucked away on a small street in Providence, RI.
Choose among so many hearty and crafty Latin American-​inspired entrees like Seafood Paella or Linguini, Grilled Swordfish with sides plantains, black beans and yellow rice, or the plethora of appetizing starters like Calamari Frita (which, from peaking over at a neighbor’s table, is not your typical batter-​heavy small rings), Crab Cakes or Sweet Corn Tamales, all of which our server recommended.
The Specials of the Day like Whole Lobster Linguini and White Fish with tomato, capers, lemon and butter cooked in its own sort of sauce are definitely items I’d want to try next time.
Salmon Negro: not a humungous fan of the black pepper sauce, but appreciated how every component tied together so well — fried plantains, loose yellow rice, meaty black beans and juicy salmon.
Tuesday night wasn’t too much of a hustle but noticed a lot of take out orders.
Small lot in the back, otherwise, street parking.

I walked past this little joint over a minimum of 100 times as it’s on my daily walk route after lunch. One day an old friend of mine came to visit for lunch so I decided it would be the perfect chance to check this place out.
Wow. Am I glad I did!
For one, free sangria when you check in. The fruit to wine ratio could be a bit off in my boozy opinion heehee but it was quite good. Now onto the goods.
Crab cakes: perfectly crisp, meaty, flavorful. I like how it wasn’t too much breading and I could bite off a hunk of lump crab meat.
Black pepper shrimp: good god. If you love seafood, you must try, I love black pepper anything but I really liked this particular sauce. Definitely has a zing to it. The beans and rice were good when mixed with the sauce and the plantains!!! I normally don’t like them, but these were delicious.
Salmon Negro: had a bite of my friends and it was just as delicious.
Not the cheapest option for lunch in this area. I picked up the bill that day and it came to about $ 70. I think this would be more of an early dinner/​casual date spot.

The true definition of SUCCULENT SHRIMP. I rarely order pasta but when I walked into Cocina Primavera and saw everyone’s mouth watering pasta dishes I went for it. And I was so pleased!!! Everything was cooked perfectly… the sauce, the pasta was just the right texture and the SHRIMP. I’ve never had shrimp cooked so perfectly. Stuff that dreams are made of. Really.
Pre-​made bread — wow… soft and accompanied by butter. I like.
My dining buddies were also pleased with their meals. One got the entrée bbq veggie salad, one got the poblano mole chicken and the other got linguini sans any meat. The plantains accompanying the chicken tasted like dessert. Great sugary crispness around the edges.
Not only was the food fantastic, the service was great — knew exactly when to come by and when not to come by. The free Unilocal check-​in Sangria was an added bonus. My husband happily drank it.
We can walk to this place — super dangerous to be so close to such good food.