Tintorera Restaurant in Silver Lake: A First Look

Hidden Sunset Blvd. entrance

Tintorera's main dining patio

New restaurants are opening in Silver Lake, Atwater and the surrounding area faster than I can keep up with them. Last week Sweetfin Poke in Silver Lake and Journeymen and Good Measure in Atwater, this week Tintorera in on Sunset Blvd. in Silver Lake. I was invited to try Tintorera with some other writers.

Stylish indoor bar area at Tintorera in Silver Lake

The space: Tintorera (a type of shark in Spanish) is located in the old Cowboys & Turbans space, which has been completely overhauled to create a spacious enclosed patio. As at Salazar, most of the tables are outdoors with a small indoor bar area. What will happen in the winter? "We will think about that later," says chef owner Maycoll Calderon, whose sceney restaurant Huset in Mexico City is designed with the same outdoor feel. At night, strings of lights brightly illuminate the large patio, which is set to get an even larger extension with an outdoor bar.  

Tamarind mule comes with a giant chile garnish

The bar: The indoor bar is smartly designed with au courant leafy wallpaper, marble counters, and large globe lighting fixtures. An array of cocktails with Mexican touches (most are $14) include the Tamarind Mule with mezcal, ginger, tamarind and pineapple and the milk-glass green Aguacate with tequila, horchata, avocado and pineapple juice. Three different mocktails are offered for the non-imbibers, which is a nice touch.

snapper aguachile

grilled tuna with ginger rice ($34)

The food: At the moment the menu is small, but Calderon, a native of Venezuela, assures that other dishes will be added. The focus is on ceviches and grilled fishes and meats, including a hamachi tostada ($14), roasted red snapper ($34)  with a bright sesame emulsion, and NY steak ($68) with a subtle black mole sauce topped with nuts. 

Prime NY steak with black mole

The verdict: The patio instantly shoots near the top of Silver Lake's best patios, and once the outdoor bar is installed, it's likely to be a very hopping spot. Calderon will likely need to add some appetizers and small plates to keep repeat visitors engaged, as there is currently a lack of snacky options. Prices are on the very highest end for the area, although the ribeye at Salazar is not far away at $58. Prices in this range should be reserved for the most innovative menus with excellent service, so we'll see if Tintorera can bring its excellent Mexico City reputation to hard-to-please Angelenos.

Tintorera, 2815 Sunset Blvd., is currently accepting limited reservations in a soft opening mode. Grand opening to come in the next few weeks.