Waterloo and City is a gem in the heart of Mar Vista in an area where trendy restaurants are slowly taking over. There are so many choices for good food, even if you end up disliking "Waterloo & City" you'll find another great eatery to have exquisite drinks and inventive food.
One of the things I love about this place is that it's great for casual Happy Hours with friends at the end of a long day AND it's also a great location to bring somebody for a special date or to celebrate an event. The food at this gastro pub is to die for and the menu is constantly being updated with creative items that will make your head spin. One of the appetizers on the menu that night was "Bone marrow and sea urchin salad".
I walked in looking like a beach bum but we were still welcome with wide smiles from the friendly staff, and we sat down at one of the few remaining tables. We noticed that they now start their Happy Hours earlier on Sunday and you can now enjoy cheap drinks and succulent food form 3p-7p.
The menu had changed since the last time I had been there and it was even more mouthwatering. The first thing I wanted to order was the "Charcuterie plate" which is a French term that refers to a specific type of cured and fermented meat usually accompanied with bread, mustard and pickled cornichons. I browsed through the menu quickly and couldn't find my favorite appetizer but I did see an item called "Salumi plate" which I assumed was their new name for that awesome assortment of goodness but I wasn't quite sure. So....I asked our waitress: "Excuse me, What is a Salumi plate?" her response was: "It's Italian" ....errr....Thank you lady, I'm not sure I was asking for the origins of your new menu item, but I don't mind being educated even on Sundays so I restrained from making a wise ass comment and simply asked again: "What is it?". That's when I found out that my "Charcuterie plate" had just been renamed with its Italian version "Salumi plate". So I ordered it. We also ordered a wild mushrooms flatbread with truffle oil, some sweet corn Raviolis and a tuna tartare I added a glass of their Happy Hour Wine on our order and sipped on my ice-cold water while waiting for our food to arrive.
The Salumi plate actually surprised me in a good way: It seemed like an upgrade from its previous version and "Charcuterie plate 2.0" was a great selection of cured meats. The raviolis were very sweet but it was an original recipe and we enjoyed every bite. The tuna tartare was fresh and well seasoned and the only mistake they made that night was the overcooked flatbread....I think it may have stayed in their oven a little too long. But after scraping off the cancerous parts of our mini pizza, we finished everything on the table. There are tons of other options that are both filling and indulging and I invite you to take a look at their website: http://www.waterlooandcity.com The presentation of all the dishes were outstanding and I would highly recommend that you try this place if you ever visit this neighborhood.
We left with a smile, a full stomach and a desire to go back there soon.