I have been waiting to write about this restaurant since my first visit there, and while it’s no longer a well-kept secret, this is still a destination for incredible food that will leave you and your wallet stuffed.
First and foremost, this place is byob and the corking fee is nothing! There is no corking fee, and if you’re anything like me you show up with a bunch of friends, each carrying a bottle of wine and the staff is always accommodating. They take it back and chill it for you, serve it, everything that most places charge you to do!
If the byob doesn’t get you there then the food should. They serve delicious tapas plates, and even thought they’re small, I always leave there swearing I’ll eat less next time. Last time I went, for instance, there were only four of us and we ordered 6 plates, plus a dessert plate. I couldn’t finish!
Cobras & Matadors has two locations, one in Los Feliz and the other, which is the one I’ve been to, in LA on Beverly. It’s small, dimly lit with a partially open kitchen exposing a wood-fired oven. The walls are adorned with old photographs, while the tables are bunched close together, but no one seems to mind being so close to their neighbors; everyone wants to eat some good fun and drink lots of wine so the patrons are always in good spirits. You have to walk through the kitchen to get to the bathroom, so after a few glasses of wine the bright kitchen lights and the dishwashers will jolt you back into reality.
Here are some of my favorite plates:
Don’t miss the oven roasted mussels & chorizo sausage. I’m a sucker for chorizo, and rarely turn down a dish that has it, but with mussels, it really went well. The flat bread with white figs and cabrales cheese is gooey and rich. The cheese is made with milk only from cows raised in northern Spain. The combination of the strong cheese with the sweet figs creates a nice balance, and from there I’m ready for my Albondigas, meatballs with two different sauces, and the barbecued skirt steak, which was cooked perfectly, and full of flavor, but a little sweeter than I had anticipated although I should have read the menu better - it is marinated in orange juice!
The Socca Cakes are a Mediterranean chickpea crepe, which have an odd consistency but went great with the cilantro dipping sauce, and the baked Spanish goat cheese, which is served on tostado with port wine syrup and grapes is insanely sweet, so be prepared. My other favorite, the bacon wrapped prawns in garlic cream sauce. I wish these had been the first plate on the table because on my last visit, by the time they arrived I was so stuffed I could barely enjoy them. Their food is rich, so keep this in mind.
As I’ve been saying, I always eat too much, so by the time the churros with chocolate dipping sauce arrive, I usually attempt a small taste before giving up. I owe it to myself to eat considerably less on my next trip to C&M, which I know will be soon, that way I can enjoy their piping hot churros covered in cinnamon and sugar.
If you’re looking to treat someone to a great meal, Cobras & Matadors is at the top of my list; I can save some cash by bringing all of my own wine and I still get to have great food. My last trip there came to around $100 for four of us, and that was with serious over-ordering. Finally, I would plan ahead and make a reservation on OpenTable.com; this place is always packed, but the people at C&M are truly accommodating, I once screwed up a reservation and brought along some extra people, and they managed to squeeze us all in anyway.
Enjoy!
7615 W Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: (323) 932-6178
4655 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Phone: (323) 669-3922
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