Would’ve been perfect dinner if you had probangbanger.
12 Likes
you’re coming next time #probangbangerclub
6 Likes
Visited both during opening week and loved them for different reasons.
Somni has about twice the number of courses as Seline, with a wide variety of flavors. Every dish was a masterpiece, and I left absolutely stuffed.
Seline leans French-Japanese fusion, balancing savory and sweet beautifully. The meal was satisfying in every way, and I also left full and happy.
If you can, try both. The vibe is different: Somni’s seating is communal, with diners on either side of the space, while Seline offers a more private table experience.
Not a big wine person, but I did wine pairing at Somni and non-alcoholic pairing at Seline. Honestly, I enjoyed the non-alcoholic pairing more—it was so well thought out.
7 Likes
I echo all the prior posts about our meal at Somni - I thought it was amazing.
The dining experience was similar to Somni 1.0, in that you eat some of the initial courses in a sitting area and then go into the main counter area. I thought the space was much more intimate and charming than the first one - doesn’t hurt that this was designed from the ground up vs. the prior iteration being in a hotel.
The service also felt more personal - Chef Aitor greeted all guests at the door, and he and the rest of the team spent some time chatting with each party during dinner.
I thought, from the Sardine tart onward, every single dish was a highlight, with complex textures, temps, and most important, great flavor. Wife had the non-alcoholic pairing, and I agree it’s the best we’ve ever had. I view the NA drinks almost as bonus courses that the chefs whipped up that were of the same level of quality as the official courses.
I ordered some sparkling Spanish wine and brought a bottle of sake, and one of those two paired well with every single course. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t hesitate to partake in the NA pairing the next time we’re there.
P.S. @PorkyBelly great photos from the Pinch Hitter Camera 
Our contribution to @Clayfu ’s daughter’s boba fund…
17 Likes
This is a niche question, but for those who have been, and ordered the standard wine pairing (or were with someone who ordered it), how much alcohol is it - say in standard pours of wine? I’m going tonight, and while I want to do the wine pairing, I have some work that needs to be done late tonight after dinner and if the pairing is too much alcohol, I may skip it, or just bring a bottle to split amongst my group.
I emailed Somni and they got back to me. There are two pairing options. I presume one is at the base pairing price and one is at a higher price.
Each pairing comprises 8 pours of 2.5 oz and a dessert pour of 1 oz. In total, just over 3 standard glasses of wine.
I’ve included the two pairings below. Any thoughts from the wine experts on here?
1 Like
225 and 415 for the pairings
2 Likes
Is one of these the clear better choice at those prices? I presume the higher priced pairing is rarer/more expensive wines, but is it notably better than the less expensive pairing? I’m not necessarily price sensitive, but as someone who has an average wine palate - nowhere near many of you on here - I don’t feel the need to pay nearly double if both are of pretty similar overall “quality”. If the less expensive pairing is an 8/10 and the more expensive pairing is a 9/10 - probably not worth it for my wine palate. I know this is all subjective, but I’m sure the wine experts on here have some thoughts.
1 Like
Is there a NA (non-alcoholic) option?
The second one looks pretty awesome, the first is mostly wines I’ve never heard of.
There is an NA pairing that PorkyBelly posted above and IIRC it’s $150. Looks like a lot of care is put into it. Their prices for wines by the glass aren’t insane either, nor are the bottle markups. I saw a Walter Scott Chardonnay by the glass for around $30-45 and $180/bottle. Retail price is ~$80/bottle. If you’re not sure if you want to do the full pairing I’d just do NA and supplement with something by the glass. I also saw them using Coravins for some of their pours to other folks there, which I assume were so they can pour smaller portions from more expensive bottles without opening it. I’m sure they would also accommodate you if you wanted to get some of the wines from the tastings a la carte.
I had the Arrels pairing and it was pretty interesting (seeing how Spanish grapes grown in the US taste different) and they were generous with topping up your wine for the pairings that paired with multiple courses. I don’t think it’s necessary though.
I’m no wine afficionado, but I recognize many of the producers on the more expensive pairing. You are definitely entering the realm of higher priced bottles with diminishing returns on price/quality, but not the super rare realm. You could maybe find half of them in stock at an excellent wine shop in LA?
6 Likes
My guess is the cheaper pairing costs less because the wines aren’t as famous but the sommelier has surely put time and effort into sourcing exceptional wines, so it’s likely the better value. Though personally it would be hard to resist Krug, Gravner, Chapoutier Hermitage, and Yquem.
1 Like
The more expensive one is outstanding and exactly what I’m looking for in a wine pairing. Classic regions with top producers and vineyards. Famous prestige wines (Krug, Yquem, Vega Sicilia). The only one I’m not familiar with is the mencía, but mencía is an excellent varietal used in lots of wine pairings at two and three star restaurants in Spain, and Bierzo is probably the most prestigious region that grows it.
The cheaper one — I’m sure they’ve done a good job selecting, but it has nowhere near the draw to me.
1 Like
3 Likes
What did you end up going with? How was the whole experience?
They have a no jeans policy. They want to be the one restaurant in LA with a dress code. We will go once and report back, and never go again.
4 Likes
Ouch. I have some ambiguous black jeans that could double as pants, but not the right tone I’d want to set with customers. Do you think they’d actually turn someone away who pre-paid?
Raul Perez is probably the greatest producer of Mencia and Valdecanada is arguably his top bottling. I have no intention of going to Somni, but I will say, the top tier pairing has just about every icon in it’s category (they could have done better in the Rhone & Sonoma). Very impressive.
3 Likes
I was thinking Beaucastel Vielle Vignes Roussanne would have been a better fit than Chapoutier Marsanne, though that’s about the most effete thought I’ve ever had.
3 Likes