The Tuck Room
For anyone that’s lived on the Westside for any amount of time, the first thing that pops into your head when the neighborhood ‘Westwood’ is spoken of, would easily be ‘UCLA STUDENTS.’ It’s not a very big area and a good portion of it is occupied by UCLA. Compared to a neighborhood like Silverlake, there isn’t pool of options to choose from when in the area. The college age vibe tends to attract a certain feel about a place, and the Tuck Room had just that vibe.
What’s this elusive vibe I’m talking about? It’s an interesting clash of two worlds. You walk in and the tufted leather couches with chandeliers hanging over head and smooth jazz playing draws you in to what would be a classy experience. And for the most part it seems to be true, but quickly you realize a couple of things. First off, there are two 40 inch TVs on either side of the bar, playing different games simultaneously. After about 9pm, the jazz turns to pumping night club music and large circus animals dressed in nice attire are painted over a wall of books, just opposite the bar. The final clash of vibe is the fact that it’s connected to an Ipic theater, and at any given time, mobs of people are released from the closest movie theater, in plain sight from the restaurant.
If you’re looking for a classy spot to enjoy a couple drinks with a loved one or group of friends, this may not be the spot. It was interesting enough in all it’s quirks, but the clash of sports bar next to a movie theater chain and classy 20’s speakeasy made it difficult to fully embrace the experience. One or the other would be just fine, but both seemed overwhelming!
The good thing is, the drinks and food were delicious. The kitchen to the Tuck Room is different from the kitchen that the Ipic serves food from and the Tuck Room dishes are plated in a curated and culinary artistic fashion, with the taste backing up the presentation. If the food and drinks weren’t as good, Tuck Room Tavern may not have made our list of LA places to check out. But if you’re in the Westwood area and need to duck into a cool bar for some drinks, Tuck Room is just quirky enough to fit the bill.