Barsha - Hermosa Beach, California

Joshua L.

I'm not going to lie, I'm new to Tunisian food. Now I get the theme and culture a little since I've traveled and eaten in these regions, so I have a palette for the food.

Food: brilliant! Tastes flavorful and Mediterranean is fashions. The sauces and dips, wildly delicious. The bread is A++.
The Lamb meatballs were a cuisine at its top game. The couscous that attended it was prime. Slider, a must! The falafel sliders hit hard. With such a juicy flavor packed ball sandwiched in between a scrumptious bun and some toppings, 100% right on.

Drinks: cocktails and beer, solid. Fairly priced and well made.

Service: finally, some genuine service and quality customer service. If I'm paying high dollar, I expect high dollar service and they delivered. The servers did amazing.

Atmosphere: flawless. They have a stage for live music, hints at the culture and a clean and welcoming setup for anyone dining.

Why did I take 1 star from the food and overall? Because I reserve a special wow factor for a 5 star. So this 4 star should be almost equivalent. I wanted not only the experience, but something more. Not sure, but felt unfair giving a full 5. I super recommend this place though.

Eric L.

Many of my experiences here begin with a warm welcome from Adnen, who -- often with wine in hand -- will chat your party up and make you feel right at home as though with an old friend. Then you embark on a culinary journey together, the likes of which you wouldn't otherwise expect hidden away in this part of Hermosa Beach. And with good wine (and other drinks) to boot!

The fare that is prepared here, by Lenora and her back-of-house staff, is a delightful combination of familiar formats and enticing flavors, many with a strong Tunisian flair. Memorable dishes for me that have persisted over the years include the Hand of Fatima, the Beef Cheek Cous Cous, the Tabil Branzino, and the Pappardelle. A fascinating (new?) dish here that I just recently tried is the Tounsi Brik (potato-filled pastry). So hearty and so good. And when it comes to dessert, the Rose Trifle is not to be trifled with.

The flavors in all of the dishes here are tastefully complex and yet very comforting to eat... it's really quite an art. But aside from all the delicious food and drink, what really comes across when dining here is the owners' love of sharing good food and good vibes with family and friends. This is a recurring neighborhood favorite for a reason.

Jimmy S.

Roasted cauliflower and other veggies were great. The lamb meatballs was so good with labneh and accoutrements. The beef cheek cous cous was so soft and tender. The waiters were very attentive and helpful in the menu selection.

The moussaka and beet hummus were super good! The shrimp and grits had a lot of flavor and not too much heaviness on their take.

Jaqueline

Wonderful experience, delicious food, terrific music. I would definitely love to have dinner here again. The appetizers, and main course were so tasty and flavorful. The live musicians they had playing were incredible & the chef / owners are just such beautiful warm people, I really loved everything about our time here. The hostess and servers were so nice as well! Gorgeous ambience and decor, with a choice of indoor / outdoor seating. 😃

Sue S.

They do wonderful food, really nice wines.And the atmosphere in Hermosa is great.And that is smaller but also adorable highly recommend if you haven't been here even to go for a glass of wine and an appetizer

Kendall K.

Have dined here a handful of times and it's always a great experience. Over the weekend our family dined here for a birthday and the staff went above and beyond to make our visit special! They were patient with our larger group and made great food recommendations. They also allowed us to bring in a favorite homemade dessert to celebrate. They even plated it and brought it out with a candle! It was so sweet and made the evening perfect. If you haven't been here, come and support an amazing local restaurant. You won't regret it!

Sangcho S.

TLDR; The food is so delicious that even if you're not familiar with Mediterranean cuisine, you'll still love it.
If I was to visualize the food, imagine a rainbow of colors spreading through your mouth in various layers.

I discovered a whole new world of Mediterranean food that was quite different from what I usually eat.
All three appetizers and three main dishes were outstanding, with every detail perfectly executed.
For example, the farmer's cheese had the perfect mix of vegetables to bring out the sweetness and texture (the yellow beets were a stroke of genius). The beef cheek in the main dish was as soft as jelly, but they added a satisfying crunch by frying the chickpeas until crispy. Oh my gosh!
It's no wonder this unassuming restaurant inside a mall is packed before 6 o'clock.
The wine selection is also quite impressive. The owner seems to be a fan of European wines. Cheers!

Michael M.

So absolutely pleasantly surprised by all parts of this place. The food was phenomenal. The eggplant was surprisingly bright and so flavorful. The wines were so crispy and unique;such beautiful art.

The staff and the live music were the best part. This has got to be one of the nicest teams in the city. Loved every minute of it.