DAMA Fashion District Restaurant & Bar

Went here on a whim after a day at Universal Studios -- my wife and I are both on SoCal but have lived out of state for several years. Whenever we're back we MUST get some amazing food from some of our favorite chefs, and I'd long wanted to check out one of Chef Antonia's restaurants. We knew we needed to be close to DTLA to see a movie at Alamo Drafthouse and this was the perfect stop right before the movie. We had phenomenal service and stunningly good food -- elevated tapas that don't lose their grounding in the ingredients and the heritage of the dishes. We didn't have a bad bite. All the large plates are probably great but we loved getting 5 or so small plates and each got the sangria, which came with seasonal fruit and brandy and amaretto. What a great mix and perfect for a hot summer day. I'll be stealing that recipe. We got the empanadas, guacamole, arepa, and calamari and thru were each lights out. If we didn't have to catch a movie we could have easily ordered 3 or more additional plates. Perfect portions to where you feel each one is worth the money but you also don't feel like you're going to starve. Super yummy... you could easily spend a couple hours here and couldn't possibly have a bad time. We'll be back!

This ultra-trendy restaurant and bar with a Latin flair is great for drinks and small plates. In fact, much of the menu is small plates. The ones we tried were delicious - very flavorful! They also have lots of intriguing cocktails. I wanted to try 7 or 8 of them, so I'll have to come back! The atmosphere is top notch and sure to impress your date - super modern, well appointed, and dimly lit. It's an indoor-outdoor place but they keep it toasty in winter. Bear in mind this restaurant is in the middle of a really weird and somewhat rough area, but it's worth the trip. Street parking was available on a late Friday when we arrived. Don't forget to make reservations, you'll need them!

Say yes to DAMA! We came here to celebrate a friend’s birthday on an early Sunday night and really enjoyed ourselves. I rarely eat Latin inspired food and after this experience, I wonder what I’ve been doing with my life! The restaurant is very cute; however, warning to all handicapable folks and people with strollers, the access is difficult. The main restaurant is on the second floor and the only wheelchair accessible way up is on the backside of the restaurant in one of those electronic elevator addon thingies. They did have an entrance to the ground level patio through an easy access gate. Do make sure to reference your needs when making the resi, and ask that they seat you downstairs. The service wasn’t anything spectacular. Our server wasn’t very eager to walk us through the menu, but we found our way. She did recommend the celery salad (when prompted to help us choose), and she chose right. That salad was a huge winner - never had anything like it! In addition to the celery salad, we ordered the corn (you have to here), Seafood Tostada, Paella, Lamb Chops, and Bread. Everything was well done especially the Paella. So good. Valet parking available. Or they have a lot at the end of the street you can park at for $10. Maybe just make sure someone walks you to your car when it’s dark.

Tucked in the Fashion District, this modern Latin restaurant is worth making a trip out to! Great drinks and small plates to share. This open atmosphere spot is good to meet up with friends for a lighter meal while enjoying an expertly made cocktail. It's pretty dimly lit so it has that romantic and intimate vibe going on. I recommend the September Morn. Frothy and strong with a hint of tartness! For food, we got a whole slew of items, but surprisingly the Corn was very good and memorable. A good amount of the menu is seafood-based and made to put on some chips. For parking, you'll most likely have to find parking nearby or get valet. I went to the Athena Parking down the street for $10 that was paid at a machine.

DAMA is LEGIT. The restaurant itself is beautiful and festive miami-vibes. The seafood tostada (which Antonia Lofaso featured on Selena Gomez's HBO show!) is so darn good. The lamb chops, corn, and aguachile were outstanding. Small and shareable plates. It's cute and Instagrammable, but the food is really the star here. Totally recommend!!!

Super chic restaurant! Latin influence is clear with the patterns and art on the walls. Lively and vibrant dinner spot. My boyfriend and I ordered the crispy squash flower appetizer and the whole snapper to share and it was absolutely delicious! We shared and it was plenty of food for us. I didn’t like my waitress. I felt like she was too young or didn’t have enough etiquette for such a classy establishment. Her personality did not match the vibe of the restaurant. At one point she said “are you happy?” As if to imply I wasn’t before or I wasn’t enjoying my meal. But Everything was delicious!

Great place. Nice vibe, cool interior. If you are not from LA then the location may seem a bit unusual and off the map right until you arrive, but it is worth the trip. I had the oxtail tostada (incredible), a delicious and perfectly seasoned oxtail onion and spice blend with a few pickled vegetables on a crispy tostada. Great contrasting textures, each mouthful was better than the last. The celery salad was also fantastic, a bit of a spin on a Caesar salad but actually much fresher and more interesting, with fresh lemon and scallions and a perfect dressing. The grilled octopus was the only minor let down, the octopus was cooked perfectly and the flavors were good but the texture needed more contrast. Ended the meal with the “cookie” which is easily a nice shareable dessert for two. Only penalty is for the mosquitoes here! Weirdly persistent, the staff seems aware and works hard to help. Most other guests did not seem to notice much. Cocktail were also on-point and the bartenders and staff are all fantastic. Would absolutely come back with friends to explore more of the menu!

Went here on a whim after a day at Universal Studios -- my wife and I are both on SoCal but have lived out of state for several years. Whenever we're back we MUST get some amazing food from some of our favorite chefs, and I'd long wanted to check out one of Chef Antonia's restaurants. We knew we needed to be close to DTLA to see a movie at Alamo Drafthouse and this was the perfect stop right before the movie. We had phenomenal service and stunningly good food -- elevated tapas that don't lose their grounding in the ingredients and the heritage of the dishes. We didn't have a bad bite. All the large plates are probably great but we loved getting 5 or so small plates and each got the sangria, which came with seasonal fruit and brandy and amaretto. What a great mix and perfect for a hot summer day. I'll be stealing that recipe. We got the empanadas, guacamole, arepa, and calamari and thru were each lights out. If we didn't have to catch a movie we could have easily ordered 3 or more additional plates. Perfect portions to where you feel each one is worth the money but you also don't feel like you're going to starve. Super yummy... you could easily spend a couple hours here and couldn't possibly have a bad time. We'll be back!

This ultra-trendy restaurant and bar with a Latin flair is great for drinks and small plates. In fact, much of the menu is small plates. The ones we tried were delicious - very flavorful! They also have lots of intriguing cocktails. I wanted to try 7 or 8 of them, so I'll have to come back! The atmosphere is top notch and sure to impress your date - super modern, well appointed, and dimly lit. It's an indoor-outdoor place but they keep it toasty in winter. Bear in mind this restaurant is in the middle of a really weird and somewhat rough area, but it's worth the trip. Street parking was available on a late Friday when we arrived. Don't forget to make reservations, you'll need them!