Hal's Bar & Grill Is Back and Better Than Ever on Abbot Kinney

Good news, Westsiders: Hal's Bar & Grill has come back to life — and on Abbot Kinney, no less. As of last week, the restaurant had soft-opened in its new space just down the street in what was formerly Primitivo Wine Bar, bringing back an anchor to the Venice dining scene.

The decades-old Abbot Kinney staple shuttered almost exactly one year ago this week, leaving behind a trail of broken-hearted diners who had come to rely on co-owners Hal Frederick, and Don and Linda Novack. Shortly thereafter, moves were said to be made that would drop a new iteration of the restaurant into the Runway, a mega-shopping complex that has popped up in Playa Vista. At first there was talk of a rather quick turnaround, too, but that eventually fell away around the end of last year.

And now after all that, it seems the Novacks and Hal himself decided to coast back to life on Abbot Kinney once again, with an ultra-quiet series of soft opening dinners. A call to the restaurant confirms that they're doing dinner only at the moment, but have plans to expand into lunch and even breakfast down the line.

If you can't wait to re-experience the place for yourself, head on over to the former Primitivo any night for a chance to dine. In the meantime, here's the re-opening preview menu they're currently serving.

Hals Preview Menu