What is the most vibrant, exciting high-end restaurant in LA right now?
What would you say is the most interesting high end restaurant in the LA area right now? What's exciting?
Providence? Bazaar? Rivera? Something new and different?
I haven't been to the latest Bastide incarnation, would it fit in this category?
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Bastide Restaurant
8475 Melrose Place, West Hollywood, CA 90069
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Truth is, unlike most other major metropolitan cities, LA just doesn't seem to do "High End" very well -- certainly not in comparison to SF, NY, Chicago, London, Paris, Tokyo, etc.
That's not to say there aren't some amazing restaurants, worthy of being lauded, but to me LA is a town where one can really dig in to an amazing variety of regional/ethnic cuisines, as well as a great collection of Californian/New American/Locavore/etc type of places.
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re: ramenbound
The US versions of the Guide Michelin are surreal at best. Meanwhile, from Esquire magazine:
"They ceased publishing guides in Los Angeles and Las Vegas because sales were poor, and, sniffed Naret, 'the people in Los Angeles are not real foodies. They are not too interested in eating well but just in who goes to which restaurant and where they sit.'"
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re: mc michael
It's not just the US version - pretty much anything outside of France is surreal. When I lived and worked in Amsterdam a few years back, it was something of a running bad joke among local foodies which restaurants there had Michelin stars and which didn't. (Rating De Vijff Vliegen above De Kas was, in LA terms, like rating Mr. Chow above Providence...)
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re: Bradbury
Absolutely correct. Michelin is incompetently out of touch in California along with Italy. These fools have no clue about quality. They seem to rate based on similarity to French cuisine, which explains the fact that they just don't "get" other styles. In Germany, you have to cook French to get more than one star. Several of their SF ratings are just head scratching, ie Gary Danko getting one star! And LaBotte as the highest rated Italian in LA seems to be based on the highest arrogance rating in LA.
Servog has it correct: Outside of France, the Michelin Guide is of use only to paper eating insects and maybe a few arrogant Francophiles whose taste is in the "pre-nouvelle" age.
If their opinion was worth anything, I would buy the book in a heartbeat. If it saved me one poor dinner choice in five years it would pay for itself. Alas, it's not worth it.
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Steve2 in LA
Oct 11, 2010 02:20 PM
While I've not been, Ilan Hall's downtown restaurant, The Gorbals, is high on my list of "interesting" and "unique" restaurants. I mean, Bacon Wrapped Matzoh Balls, the GBT (Gribenes, lettuce, tomato sandwich) and Roasted half pig's head (to share)? What's not to love.
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The Gorbals
501 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90013 -
aching
Oct 11, 2010 01:05 PM
Although I haven't been yet, I think Test Kitchen sounds like the most exciting restaurant in LA right now - because the concept is so unique and from the reports, it sounds like the level of food is very high. And I think it would qualify as vibrant, because of all of the different chefs and menus. I can't wait to try it!
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re: aching
Having been to Test Kitchen several times, I can speak to the fact that it is for only the most patient adventurous foodie who reveres food over service and is prepared for the ups and downs comparable to dining in a brand new restaurant on an opening night. Sure, some of the food is vibrant and exciting, but the highs and lows are pretty extreme. You can drop $140 for 2 incl cocktails and walk away wondering why you would ever return. I would prefer to spend my $$ in venues where those chefs know their kitchen and have developed a rhythm with the staff.
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Interesting the responses so far, especially given your headline using the words "vibrant" and "exciting".
Most of the places mentioned are high enough price-wise, yet I am not sure any would qualify with both the words exciting and vibrant.
First & Hope - huh?!
Bazaar, maybe
LudoBites whenever and whereever, maybe, sort of
Hardly Bastide, Providence, Rivera, The Mozzas, Bistro LQ. WP24 or Lazy Ox.
Good restaurants, but exciting or vibrant - not really.
I consider Hatfield's a better restaurant than some mentioned above, yet would not use the words exciting or vibrant to describe it.›4 Replies-
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re: RicRios
No, that is the problem with the current dining scene.
No new moves as the economy has so many future chef-focused places on hold, meaning not even making deals to secure the sites, as there will be many more opportunities next year, so why buy a dead business now when it might be in the hands of the landlord come early 2011. May be a way of saving $500,000 of developmental costs.
Why is Ludo keeping his name in front of the public without having a place, ditto Walter Manzke. Think about how many chefs are no longer with the place where they achieved their fame. Do Water Grill and Bin 8945 and Sona and Anisette come to mind, and I am sure many more could be added to the list.
How many more?
I think Ludo is creating the most interesting buzz these days, yet on a pop-up, bite-sized basis!!! -
re: RicRios
I've now been to Craft three times in the past four months; and while I would agree that it's not as exciting as when Accarrino was at the helm, I have to say that chef Zappola has really hit his stride and it's a LOT better than it was in the first couple of months after the change in regime It got a well-deserved 3.5 star review in the Times a couple of weeks ago. I often disagree with S. Irene, but in this case I think she was spot-on. I think you'd be pleasantly surprised if you return.
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Phurstluv
Oct 9, 2010 06:09 PM
I would say WP24, downtown, which we haven't been to yet, but I can't wait to go.
Not high end, but very innovative, would be Lazy Ox Canteen.
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Lazy Ox Canteen
241 S San Pedro St, Los Angeles, CA 90012WP24
900 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015›3 Replies-
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re: Phurstluv
When I went to WP24 I liked it okay, but almost every single dish had me thinking that I could find a version of what it was based on that was far better tasting and much much cheaper in the San Gabriel Valley. There was nothing that stood out as being an improvement on, or even all that interesting of a play on the original dishes that were the inspiration. The "fusion" dishes just weren't different enough from what they were fused from to be all that interesting. The more traditional dishes were certainly no better, in most cases worse, than what I can find elsewhere.
The view was great, though. And the cocktails were very nice.
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WP24
900 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015
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mollyomormon
Oct 8, 2010 10:15 PM
I would add Bistro LQ and Ludobites 6.0 to your list. I haven't been to Bastide since it first reopened in its current incarnation, but I did not find the food interesting or memorable.
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Bastide Restaurant
8475 Melrose Place, West Hollywood, CA 90069Bistro LQ
8009 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048›6 Replies-
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re: sku
Bistro LQ isn't quite at that level - Providence is still the one to beat, especially with Sona gone and the restaurant at the Langham on hiatus. But First and Hope, even before it lost its chef, isn't even close to measuring up.
I find Bazaar loathsome, but that's a different story.
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Sona
401 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90048Bistro LQ
8009 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048-
re: condiment
mollyomormon
Oct 10, 2010 02:14 PM
I agree that Bistro LQ isn't at the level of Providence (at least yet), so I don't think it could be considered THE most interesting restaurant in LA, but I think it belongs on a short list of places where the chef is serving exciting food.
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Bistro LQ
8009 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048 -
re: condiment
Porthos
Oct 13, 2010 06:17 PM
The original request was for most exciting high end restaurant in LA. I think that would have to go to Bistro LQ (mid-high end). Providence may be the best high end restaurant in town, but I don't know if its exactly vibrant or exciting. It's not boring, and its very delicious, but it's not the most cutting edge restaurant out there.
Hatfield's isn't exciting but is solidly delicious and a very safe pick for an excellent mid-high end dining experience serving progressive american cuisine.
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Bistro LQ
8009 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048
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Since you seem to be looking for something a little trendy, here ya go: http://la.eater.com/archives/2010/10/...
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Servorg
Oct 8, 2010 07:23 PM
Probably my vote would go to Bazaar, but the Mozza's are still tough reservations. But if I was going to spend my hard earned money it would still be Animal. Even though Bazaar has the cache Animal has the most vibrant tastes I have had in the last year.
