Bank Heist: Not Quite a Steal, But a Criminally Good Time

I was struck this weekend by a most wonderful thought: my neighborhood, the NoHo Arts District, is getting to be a fun place to walk around at night. I used to jokingly refer to the District's studiously "fun!" new moniker as "merely an exercise in public relations rather than a reference to anything 'real,'" but after getting out and about on Friday night, I have to say that this stretch of Lankershim Boulevard really is turning around in all sorts of "fun!" ways.

Within a few blocks radius, you have hang-outs, bars, restaurants and dining "experiences" like Tokyo Delve's, the Eclectic Cafe, Big Mama's and Papa's Pizzeria, the Pit Fire Pizzeria, Skinny's, a handful of sushi joints and Armenian delis, Little Toni's, and the newest kid on the block, The Bank Heist. This beautiful old bank building has been renovated and given a new life as a restaurant-cum-nightclub: the front of the room, Bank, serves up breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a swanky atmosphere, while the upper room, Heist (see how that works???), is a late-night dance spot.

Bank Heist is definitely still working out the kinks of food and service -- we had an adorably harried waitress attending our table at the same time that she was waiting on a private party in the upper room. While she was working her butt off, about five other staff members were standing around in the back of the restaurant debating over where to put balloons for a birthday party. Probably not the most efficient use of manpower -- but their outfits are cute and saloon-themed! The food, however, could use a big shot of flavor (menu here). The potato croquettes were bland, the tacos totally mediocre and in need of a serious spice transfusion, the tortilla espanola equally bland -- although the jerk shrimp showed a lot of promise, and the venison is reputedly the joint's best dish. $18 for a middling tapas platter is a little rich for my blood -- The Courtyard in WeHo blows this place out of the water. Happy hour is a good bet, however, with $5 beers and appetizers, and word has it there's a champagne brunch special on the weekends.

I'll give Bank Heist another shot to see if the food has improved (I'll never turn down a champagne brunch), but since the prices don't quite match up with the kind of dining experience I expected, I'll probably just stick to the cocktails most of the time. The atmosphere is great, however, and the club area is just begging to be danced in. The crowd is more of the laidback NoHo studio professional type, a far cry from the club kids of Hollywood, but that just comes with the neighborhood.

Bank Heist is a great place for after-work drinks and late-night socializing, and it's definitely a welcome addition to the neighborhood. Open til 2am on weekends.