Dinner, European style
When it comes to restaurant dining, the European style has a special allure: At around 10 p.m., friends and family gather at big tables and enjoy multiple courses, lingering over bottles of wine, enjoying one another’s company without being immediately shooed out to make room for the next two-top. Being seated at 6 p.m. is just too early — unless you’re grabbing an espresso after your siesta.
Until recently, that kind of relaxed atmosphere has been hard to find in L.A., where nightlife usually connotes booming clubs and celebrity antics rather than long turns at a late-night dinner table. But over the last year, a handful of new establishments are bringing a more Mediterranean flavor to nightlife.
The interior of the restaurant in Sam Nazarian’s Redbury Hotel is very French boudoir with its low-lit chandeliers, antique mirrors and oversized tufted chairs. Even on the weeknights the crowd is buzzing, but on the weekends the kitchen stays open to 11 p.m., making it a great place to grab a bite before heading out to dance at Hollywood clubs. But if you’re just too relaxed from sipping Vouvray all night, the Library Bar that just opened within the hotel makes a great stop for a nightcap.
1717 Vine St., Los Angeles; last call for dinner 11 p.m. on the weekends; (323) 962-1717; https://theredbury.com
This new restaurant on Melrose Place has a relaxed Mediterranean vibe, and olive-oil-focused food to match. In fact, chef Pascal Lorange doesn’t use butter or cream in any of the main dishes. Rather, he uses the liquid gold, which also lines the main wall of the expansive dining room. The décor, like the crowd, is elegant, and the restaurant caters to the celebrity crowd. Guests can catch French house DJ Julien Nolan spinning on the weekends, with patrons on the indoor/outdoor patio grooving along to the music. Last call for the kitchen is at 11:30 p.m. on the weekends, with the bar and music pumping till 2 a.m.
650 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles (310) 360-9100; https://www.figandolive.com
This new St. Tropez-inspired restaurant opens in early July and boasts a kitchen that closes at 2 a.m. With a nautical theme that’s a throwback to the Riviera in the ‘60s and French house DJ Stéphane Pompougnac spinning Euro tunes for the guests, you can bet it’ll be a good place to gather. It also has indoor/outdoor seating, as well as market cocktails and seasonal Provençal cuisine.
861 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles; https://www.roserestaurants.com
Moules frites, escargot and seafood platters are de la mode at this French Riviera-inspired restaurant at the W Hollywood. Times critic S. Irene Virbila gave chef Sascha Lyon’s cuisine a very good review, saying that the steak au poivre was “an excellent one, with a sharp blast of cracked black peppercorns in a silky reduction.” Grab some Kumamoto oysters by the half-dozen ($22) and a glass of bubbly, then head upstairs to Drai’s, where you can dance the night away. For the weekend crowd, the kitchen closes the 12 a.m. on Saturdays and at 10:30 p.m. on Sundays.
6250 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles; (323) 798-1355; https://www.restaurantdelphine.com
Public Kitchen and Bar
This stunning restaurant helmed by Tim Goodell in the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel stays open till midnight on the weekends, offering small plates and a boisterous room for the jet set. Sure, the cuisine and décor might be more classic American than European, but take a sip of Champagne and take a look at the chic late-night crowd and you’ll feel like you’re in another world. If you’re feeling particularly romantic, a côte de boeuf for two, replete with roasted marrow bones, as well as a dessert menu that’s made for sharing — think Valrhona chocolate soufflé or a passion fruit and lime trifle. There’s lots to do within the hotel afterward, including a trip the Spare Room for some bespoke libations and bowling or lounging in the Library Bar for Matt Biancaniello’s cuisine-inspired cocktails.
7000 Hollywood Blvd. (between Highland and La Brea avenues), Los Angeles, (323) 769-8888, https://www.thompsonhotels.com
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