Gabi James — Restaurant in Redondo Beach

What a lost opportunity. The owner of this establishment does not seem to know what she wants her restaurant to be. Spanish food is a rarity in the South Bay and she could have a little gem with just a tiny bit of thought to the region her food represents. The food was fine but there is absolutely no ambiance and no feeling of being in an authentic Spanish restaurant. As a matter of fact the vibe they are choosing is a watering hole, with loud horrible grunge music that seems to be targeted to a beach crowd. When I asked the owner to please turn down the music she simply said that others enjoyed it. This was supposed to be a special celebration that was ruined because we couldn't even have conversation. I regret we spent good money for a meal that we didn't even enjoy because our heads were pounding. The unfortunate servers were apologizing for the loud music but the owner essentially offered no apology. Try replacing the grunge music with a little Spanish flamenco guitar. It shouldn't be that hard. I make a pretty good tortilla de patata and I can get jamon at La Espanola. No need to return when I can enjoy my own food at home. addendum; This owners comments should make you aware of what you are dealing with. As I said, it was impossible to have conversation with the loud music, hence the need to speak loudly, not screaming, while requesting that the music be turned down. I am 74 years old and 5 feet tall. I couldn't 'accost' anyone even if I wanted to. The truth is I tapped him on the shoulder to try to get the music turned down. False accusations and probably slander. I tried to be polite in my comments because the servers were so nice and apologetic about the noise. Riviera Village is a big food scene and there are many dining options, this woman seems unable to compete. We went to HT Grill for coffee and desert and had a very pleasant end to an unpleasant evening. And btw, she wasn't the only one trying to celebrate a birthday. At this place the customer is...

If you enjoy great flavor, small plates and sharing with your friends, Gabi James is a no-miss destination for good food and a congenial atmosphere. This small restaurant in Redondo Beach knocked it out of the park for a pre-New Year event.

To be honest, we love the idea of grazing on small plates, so we were predisposed to liking this. And the restaurant does have more conventional larger plates, but our group of four devoured 8 small plates without feeling rushed and without a real miss on the food.

Our server suggested that about 2 plates per person was a good start, and it was indeed. Now we are an adventurous lot, so bear in mind that we like big flavor. The Octopus with Fennel was amazing and out of this world. If we had tried it first we would have ordered two, and believe me, it was enough for all of us. I can see this as a great sit at the bar and share one dish for Nancy and me. Once a week. Seriously.

The turkey meat balls, potato Croquettes and roasted mushrooms (with an egg underneath) were all great choices. The croquettes we a crunchy bite with dreamy mased potato center, don't under estimate them. Charred asparigus with panko coated egg was a treat.

The shrimp were lovely juicy and well done, although compated to the others a little bland. The crispy calimari were fine, not the best but fine, and the sause was delightful.

The general vibe of the restaurant is good. It has a somewhat industrial tone, and the booths and chairs were fine, but not all that comfortable. Service was good and unrushed, which is great, many small plate restaurants seem to think getting you out is the main goal of service, not so much here. Thank you, tip your server accordingly.

I am sure we...

My friends and I were looking forward to a nice Bridal brunch here after celebrating a bachelorette weekend for my friend but it turned into a horrible experience.

Upon arrival, our waitress (Maria) was giving us attitude everytime we wanted to order or ask her questions. The food and drinks were great, so we decided to ignore her behavior and have fun.

After we paid, we were using the bathroom and as we were walking out, I overheard our waitress tell the bartender under her breath "I'm glad that wasn't my bachelorette!"

I was in shock, I couldn't believe it! You don't go around talking about customers.

When we confronted the restaurant staff, she went and hid inside and only came back out to give an excuse about why she said that comment which made no sense. I guess maybe something happened to you for you to say that about us for no reason. So rude! No apology was given.

The manager handled it well as guests starting asking us what happened and we were just looking for some accountability. He said he would speak to the owner and someone would be contacting us. We would like a response back.

Will not be coming back!

EDITED 9/28 Response to the owner below:

I understand you have to make up this narrative to avoid giving us a refund for your horrible service, but as my friend mentioned to you on the phone, please do not accuse us of threatening anyone. That is a serious accusation and not taken lightly. We did not in any way shape or form say we would wait for your waitress. We have better things to...