RESTAURANTS : MARINA’S LE BORDEAUX: A FIRST-CLASS SURPRISE

Le Bordeaux turned out to be a complete surprise. In a time when so many new restaurants are either too hip, too haute or too haughty, this new French restaurant in Marina del Rey is content to be merely first-class and comfortable.

In part this is due to the owner’s Gallic savoir faire and charm. Jean-Georges Zanella, a native of Antibes and more recently from Ma Maison, is intent on pleasing his clientele. He surprised us by sitting down next to us to recommend the evening’s fare--and he paid attention to other diners in the same informal way. The chair in which he sat is a fine measure of the place. Italian black lacquer upholstered in a soft stripe, the chairs are smart and comfortable. One could really sit back and attend to the marvels at hand.

On my two visits I was accompanied by two different and usually well-bred friends whose table manners are generally very good. As I sat back in my smart Italian chair, they leaned forward and cleaned every bit of sauce--from appetizer through dessert--off their plates. And then they asked if they could finish mine. Le Bordeaux is that uncommon.

The restaurant’s decor is rather like the menu: more subtle than simply hip. The room is slightly post-modern with geometrical cut-outs and a long, handsome black bar; the food is post-classic, too. The young Philippe Mongereaux, formerly day chef at Ma Maison, cooks with clarity and style. The food has a real feeling of delight, as if he truly enjoys his work.

Baby asparagus came tied like a sheaf of wheat on a plate painted with an exceptional pink vinaigrette. A green salad was made with terrific and fruity olive oil. A toothsome puff pastry was surrounded by a festive handful of beautifully cut vegetables--asparagus, carrots, tiny turnips and snow peas--all atop a succulent beurre blanc. I only got one bite of the cucumber and smoked salmon salad since my friend N. consumed it in record time. The salmon was superb, even the Maui onion and the tomato cut like a rose were delicious and right in their supportive roles. We were told that another appetizer, chicken wings Country Style, was Cajun but it tasted more like first-violin than fiddle to us with its artful lemon and black pepper sauce.

Entrees were also consistently exceptional. I’ve never had veal medallions that were quite so tender and juicy, even more enhanced by a vivacious lime beurre blanc. It was accompanied, as are several other dishes, by an elfin flower-pot-shaped double-decker vegetable timbale. “This is like the idea of carrots,” N. said. I agreed. The sea bass, too, was flawlessly prepared. It was very fresh and served in the Antiboise style with lemon, butter and fragrant rosemary.

Pork medallions, a special offering one evening, were also lovingly made. Served with two sauces-- one red pepper, one green pepper-- the dish was a delight. The only failing for me was the salmon tartare. Prepared much like steak tartare, but in this case with lots of freshly grated ginger and Maui onions, I found the gummy texture overruled the taste. M. Mongereaux sadly said that, post-Chernobyl, he hasn’t been able to obtain the Norwegian salmon he prefers to use for this dish. Happily, the pommes frites are grown closer to home. They were cut like emeralds and perfectly crisp.

“You are going to use the word exquisite aren’t you?” asked D. another night. She was referring to Le Bordeaux in general and not merely to the white chocolate mousse charlotte made with homemade ladyfingers and joined with raspberry coulis that she had just cleaned off her plate.

Le Bordeaux is exquisite. And I don’t simply mean the fresh berry mousse cake, the tiny silver-plated creamers or the good-looking staff who wouldn’t be out of place in a Gentleman’s Quarterly spread. Le Bordeaux has more than just a collective pretty face.

Service is professional: attentive and refined--at least at this point when the house is not yet full. (The bus boy could use a bit more training to measure up to his confreres. ) The wine list is younger and more modest than the name Bordeaux might indicate but one can sample numerous wines by the glass. Be prepared for a festive realm of the senses and, if you’re a woman, for a continental kiss.

LE BORDEAUX, 333 Washington St., Marina del Rey, (213) 821-2200. Open for dinner Monday-Saturday, 6:30-10:30 p.m. Closed Sundays. Reservations suggested. All major credit cards. Valet Parking. Dinner for two: (food only) $40-$75.