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In the fall of 2021, this chef-owned restaurant opened on Sunset Boulevard. After seeing that the owners of my favorite places — Zen, founder of AWAN in West Hollywood and Armen of Mini Kabob in Glendale — had been there, I had to check it out. I just couldn’t believe it had taken me this long! But before we get into the food, let’s dive into the history of how Horses came to be.
The space was formerly home to a British pub called Ye Coach & Horses, which graced Sunset Boulevard for over 70 years before permanently closing in 2010. According to Vanity Fair, Alfred Hitchcock and Tim Roth were big fans. Ye Coach & Horses also saw Quentin Tarantino and Tim Roth in the early 90s developing ideas for the movie Pulp Fiction.
In the past decade, Ye Coach & Horses changed ownership and was called The Pikey. Just like Ye Coach & Horses, the interior stayed loyal to the English-tavern theme. Unfortunately, The Pikey did not survive the pandemic and permanently closed in mid-2020.
In the fall of that same year, chef couple Liz Johnson and Will Aghajanian visited the vacant space for the first time. At the time, they were both running the kitchen at Mimi, a French bistro located in NYC’s West Village. A year later, Horses opened its doors.
First and foremost, Liz and Will did a commendable job of revamping the space. After seeing photos of Ye Coach & Horses and The Pikey, I thought the space looked a little rundown, lifeless, and overall unappealing. However, if you’re a fan of dive bars, I can understand the allure this place had.
The revamped space boasts an interesting juxtaposition of vintage and modern: unexpected color combinations and dark-stained wood panels that pay homage to the original tavern theme.
Natural lighting is an integral part of the aesthetic of any space, which is why Liz and Will also created a section called The Sunshine Room. Here, rays of natural light shine through a skylight window; a stark contrast to the old, dimly lit space. In the back of the restaurant, there’s a room covered with horse paintings by artist Kacper Abolik.
Even the restroom, with its navy blue stalls and mosaic floor, will make photos of your hanging purse look straight out of a fashion photoshoot. Before entering the restroom, there’s a racing horse in motion projected onto the wall.
Will shared with Resy.com: “It feels very lived-in already. It doesn’t feel like a box space that’s fancy and we built out. It has a character and soul, and we didn’t want to take that away. You can feel the energy of people hanging out here for decades. We thought of it as an extension of our home. We knew this is a special place, that it has a story.”
Rightfully so, when I first walked in I could feel the history of the place. It was almost like being in a historic landmark. I was also surprised by how big the restaurant was. As someone who has driven by this place countless times, I never expected it to be so spacious.
The menu draws from French cuisine with a California twist. From the moment I sat down, I could sense the camaraderie among the staff. On my second time, I was seated at the bar facing one of the kitchen countertops. I couldn’t see all the kitchen activity, but I was able to watch one of the chefs, Brittany Ha, placing the dishes ready to be served. I would love to be a fly on the wall and watch the inner machinery of this place! I didn’t care so much about spotting a celebrity, but rather seeing the interactions between the chefs.
Liz shared with the NY Times: “We’re a chef-heavy kitchen”. She also said that all the chefs contribute to new ideas all the time: “I can’t stress enough that it’s like a big collective: We’re all coming to these decisions collectively. The answer is never ‘no.’ Have I worked somewhere like that? Never.” In an interview with Resy.com, Will said: “We’re all collaborating on everything together. It’s awesome. We taste everything, we’re all talking about food, and how to make every dish better. There’s no ego.”
The portions are big! You definitely get what you pay for, so make sure to come hungry. Also, for such an acclaimed restaurant, the prices were moderate. Both times I went there, my total was less than $60 for two menu items.
I checked in with the host and she sat me at the bar right away. There were more people who, like me, were dining at the bar by themselves. No prior reservation is required for one person, so if you really want to try it, going by yourself will be the quickest way. If you’re going with someone else, I suggest you secure your reservation on Resy! The only downside is that they don’t have a phone number, only email. They were nice to reply to my reservation inquiry, but it took them a few days to get back to me.
This is what I ordered during my first time:
Off-Menu Herman Vodka pasta
Undoubtedly, this is their most popular pasta. As to why it’s off the menu, the waiter told me that it was initially a dish that the chefs made for their friends. It was so good that word got around and they started serving it to whoever requested it.
The pasta was really good and the sauce was very creamy. Unfortunately, this dish didn’t make a big impression on me. I eat pasta on a regular basis and sometimes, if I’m in the mood for vodka sauce, I’ll head over to Whole Foods and buy a high-end vodka sauce along with some seashell pasta.
Horses has quite a few unique dishes worth going back for, but in my opinion, this isn’t one of them.
Because I already knew how big the portion was going to be, I didn’t order an appetizer. This pasta is on the heavier side, so unless you’re sharing it with someone, I would advise against ordering anything beforehand. If you’re a pasta lover and you’re curious about it, get it and let me know your thoughts on it! The waiter confirmed that the seashell pasta is made in-house.
Sheep’s Milk Cheesecake
The waiter said this was their most popular dessert: “Hannah is our dessert chef, she’s suuuper talented”. Next to me, two friends were undecided about what to order for dessert. The other waiter also highly recommended the cheesecake.
The cheesecake is paired with whatever fruit is in season. That time, it was the Santa Rosa plum. This is definitely not the average cheesecake you will find at Cheesecake Factory. The texture was velvety and very soft. It was chilled, very mild yet decadent in taste.
I didn’t want to write this review without trying the Caesar salad, which was the dish I saw coming out of the kitchen the most, and the burger, which seemed to be everyone’s favorite. After seeing comments on Instagram of people saying they still dream about this burger, I had to try it!
I went back two weeks later. This time, I got there at 5:30 on the dot, which is their opening time. If you get there at 7pm like I did the first time, you can park on Sunset Boulevard very easily. Just make sure you don’t park on Sunset between 5 to 7pm, or else you’ll get your car towed! I was lucky to find a metered parking spot on a side street. If you can’t find a parking spot, there’s a valet for $12.
Sidenote: As I was waiting to get in, there was a party of four in front of me. Among them was Hollywood’s favorite esthetician, Shani Darden. Later that night, I went on her Instagram stories and saw that she went there to celebrate the birthday of Renee Rouleau, another celebrity esthetician. I also saw her, but I didn’t recognize her. A few years ago, I bought her Rapid Response Detox mask and it did wonders on my skin! The hostess greeted Shani and Renee and proceeded to walk them to their table in the Sunshine room.
I was promptly sat at the bar like last time.
Caesar salad
After having this, I could see why everyone ordered it as an appetizer. I’m not a fan of Caesar salad dressings. Not only because of their high caloric content, but because it overpowers the ingredients of the salad. The Caesar salad at Horses, however, was brilliantly executed. When the waiter brought it to me, he suggested adding a little bit of black pepper, which he proceeded to do with a big pepper grinder.
Horses takes a unique approach in the execution of this salad. The soft endive leaves are coated in a creamy, house-made dressing that’s so subtle yet so flavorful that you’ll want to drink it. Then, it’s topped off with small bits of bread crumbs for that extra crunchiness. The dressing had the perfect balance of acidity and brininess without overpowering the bitterness of the endives.
As I’m writing this, I can remember very vividly how flavorful and unique this was. I definitely recommend ordering this as an appetizer!
Cheeseburger and fries
The waiter recommended ordering it medium-rare. WOW! It was truly one of the best burgers I’ve had in my life, and one of the best burgers you will find in Los Angeles, for sure.
Had I been alone in my car, I would have held the burger with napkins. But because of the place and because I’m a messy eater, I ate it with utensils. The burger was so big that I don’t think eating it with my hands would have panned out.
The meat was cooked to perfection. It was so juicy and full of fIavor. The peppered brioche bun was fluffy, buttery, and perfectly toasted. The pepper on top added a subtle yet sharp kick. Even the sliced onion was a standout.
My only gripe was the ketchup sauce. It was a bit hard to get the ketchup out and I had to tap and shake the bottle multiple times. Although Heinz is a staple in most restaurants, I was expecting the ketchup sauce at Horses to be homemade.
The fries were also ridiculously good. I had to leave half of them because by the time I had finished my burger, I was so full! I had a few before I ate my burger, when they were fresh, straight out of the fryer. After I ate my burger, I noticed a slight change in the texture. They were harder and definitely not as good as in the beginning. That’s why I recommend eating a few fries before diving into the burger.
After I finished, I saw the waiter coming out with an armload of burger dishes – definitely a crowd-pleaser! If someone asked me where they could find the best burger in LA, Horses would immediately come to mind.
For dessert, I saw a picture of the Sunset Mess on Instagram. I was curious and thought about ordering it, so I asked the waiter. “Unfortunately it’s not on the menu anymore. We took it off last week”, he said. What a bummer!
The other desserts were gelato, tiramisu and marzipan, but none of those caught my eye, so I didn’t get any dessert that time.
Overall, I really liked Horses. The kindness of the staff, the historic charm of the place and the excellent food will make for a memorable dinner in LA. I also read that they’re building an outdoor seating area on the patio!
Have you been to Horses? What was your experience like?
Hours: Wednesday – Sunday 5:30PM – 1AM
Mondays and Tuesdays closed.
Sources:
LA Times: “Inside the egalitarian, ‘chef-heavy’ kitchen at Horses” by Stephanie Breijo
Vanity Fair: “At Horses the Vibes Are as Good as the Food” by Gabe Ulla
NY Times: “A Hollywood Hangout Where the Food Is Actually the Point” by Tejal Rao
