LAReview
This might be a tough pill for some Eastsiders to swallow, but when it comes to restaurants, Sunset Junction has become pretty sleepy. Bar Moruno might just reverse that trend. The upscale Spanish spot had a brief stint at The Original Farmers Market in 2016, but has now realized the full version of itself. Located inside the former Black Kettle space, Bar Moruno’s party-like energy hits you the second you walk in—you’ll spot friends and coworkers hovering over round wooden tables eating canned fish and swapping today’s best drama and a walk-in bar area that starts popping by 6:30pm every night. It’s fun, a little kitschy, and feels as close to a tapas bar in Barcelona as you’ll get in LA. And to that end, we recommend filling your table mostly with smaller dishes. We particularly love the silky smooth egg salad, creamy hen of the woods mushrooms served in a skillet, and a chorizo-filled Scotch egg that’s already one of our favorite bites of the year. That said, we’d come to Bar Moruno just to drink, too. There’s an entire gin martini section (try the salmon gin), a coffee-infused negroni, and a roaming Sherry specialist who maybe, just maybe will get you to appreciate Sherry.