Los Angeles: L & E Oyster Bar – Cozy restaurant in Silver Lake

I’ve always liked oysters, but this summer, it almost got out of control. With only a few exceptions, I think I had oysters every day during my LA trip. There’s always room to slurp down an oyster or two, and I had them for starters, mains and dessert.

One of the best oyster bars I visited was L&E Oyster Bar in the super-hip Silver Lake neighborhood. I first noticed the place, when I drove up to see the Silver Lake reservoir, and I drove back a few days later to try it.

L&E Oyster Bar have oysters flown in daily from oyster farms in North America and New Zealand, and the prices in the menu depend on the market price. It’s probably one of the places in the city with the best selection and the most reasonable prices. Add the very nice location on top and you’ve got a winning concept.

Oysters range from the small and briny ones to the big and meaty. Personally, I prefer oysters of medium size. The small ones are just too small to make it worth the effort, and the large ones are so big I would be afraid that they would jump up and eat me instead. I also don’t like, when the texture is too chewy, which is sometimes the case with the bigger one. I want to be able to swallow it in one go.

At L&E Oyster Bar I ordered half a dozen of mixed oysters (Kiwi Cups, Satori and Minter Sweet) and they were all delicious. I could have continued slurping oysters all evening, but my wallet demanded that I also ordered something else, so I had the Dungeness Crab Cocktail too, to get satisfied before blowing that week’s dining budget on slippery little suckers. I didn’t regret that, because after oysters, crab is my favorite thing to eat from the sea and the crab cocktail was very tasty.

Located in a rustic little building on Silver Lake Boulevard, L & E Oyster Bar is one of the nicest places to get your oyster fix in LA. The oysters are flown in daily from selected, primarily North American oyster farms, and the ones I had were incredibly fresh and delicious. They’re served with the usual condiments, but I found them most delicious with just a little squeeze of lemon.
The restaurant is at street level, and one stair up is the bar, which also serves oysters, snacks and cheese.

Oysters are delicious but expensive, and not very filling, so don’t forget to order sides, or maybe the clam chowder with bacon and potatoes for a full meal.

The best deal on the menu is the Dirty Dozen ($30), which is the daily selection of 12 oysters, but you can also order a la carte from the extensive oyster menu. If you don’t like oysters, L & E Oyster Bar also serves different kinds of seafood and salads. The bar upstairs serves a more limited selection of oysters, cheese and snacks.

What to order? The Daily dozen ($30)

• Drinks at L & E Oyster Bar are reasonably priced, starting at $6 for a glass of draft beer, but if you prefer to bring your own, the corkage fee is $20 (limit 2 per table)

• Happy Hour is in the bar upstairs, Mon-Fri 17:00-19:00 with special deals on drinks and oysters.

• There’s a $0.5/person filtered water charge to support the Silver Lake Reservoir Conservancy.

L & E Oyster Bar, 1637 Silver Lake Blvd, Silverlake, Los Angeles