Fraiche Restaurant

08/16/09

Horrible Staff----Good Food

by bigbellyboy at Citysearch

This is the third time my Wifey and I have tried this place. May NOT be back.

Let me just say, the food is VERY good. But why did I smile at the Manager (dude in suit) while we were sitting at the bar and get a snarl??

Why did it take shouting and waiving my arms and asking the bussboy to tap the bartender's shoulder to get a second round. When it took us 15 minutes to get the first.

Why spend money in a place that feel as gracious as a towyard downtown at 3am??????

Can't survive on GOOD food alone.

Maybe a staff meeting would help. It should go like this: "Smile, and say hello." Oh. , and "Hey guys welcome, what can I get for you?"

good luck

• Pros: Food-------Flatiron Steak WOW
• Cons: STAFF

05/23/09

owner is out!

by thyrdiopen at Citysearch

Heard it through the grapevine. Terri, the hospitible and charming Maitre'd that everyone raves about, is finally out. The rumor is that he was forced out by the other owners because of his attitude. No longer at Fraiche, no longer at Riva. Its about time! I live around the corner and have boycotted the place since my first dissappointing visit. I am excited to go back as I remember the food being excellent.

• Pros: owner is out!
• Cons: owner was there for too long

05/10/09

overpriced place for mediocre food and poor service

by belakrava at Citysearch

we came to this place for the happy hour which according to their web site goes till 7pm. then waitress said this is a misprint and the happy hour just finished at 6:30 pm. we asked her then if we can seat outside and she said 'sure, this part is for the bar patrons. we picked up our stuff and went to the patio just to find out that all seating was already taken. couldn't the waitress tell us this beforehand? the place is easily visible from the bar. then we asked to seat in the dining are and we found out that the outdoor chairs and cheap and uncomfortable. the waiter was running through the evening special, and even though we soon after had out menu's closed he went on taking the order from a couple that arrived after us and were still perusing through their menu's. i had the lamb bla bla bla, which was equivalent of a simple lamb stew. the meat was old and everything was overcooked without any distinct taste. i would avoid this place since for the same or lesser price one can have a much decent meal and service at the few surrounding restaurants.

• Pros: location, patio seating
• Cons: poor service, uncomfortable chairs, mediocre food

05/05/09

Hey, Citysearch - you spelled it wrong! It's FRAICHE

by Erika at Citysearch

Great restaurant - but you spelled the name wrong, Citysearch. FRAICHE (same meaning, different language).

05/04/09

Food great service NOT GREAT at all!

by CSMobileUser3 at Citysearch

It's a Friday evening and we happened to order the fondue at the bar 10 minutes later our table was ready... HOWEVER the food we ordered at the bar could NOT be taken to our table! WHAT?!? The drinks can but not the food. So we basically had to walk back and forth to the bar and our table eating he fondue and our appetizers in a 5 star restaurant. All the while the manager and bar manager was laughing at us walk back and forth!!!! At least go to the back and laugh at us!!! Unacceptable!!! Negative 5 stars for me!

04/26/09

Average Food & Rushed Service

by RustyJames at Citysearch

The title says it all. A group of us went for dinner here a few weeks ago and I have to say we were disappointed on many levels. While the ambiance is nice, the food was quite average (especially for the price) and the service was horrible. From the moment we sat down we had the feeling that they wanted us to be done with our meal and move on as quickly as possible to make room for the next customers. The waiter was overly attentive to the point of "used car salesman" status... pushing overpriced drinks on us and hovering to refill our glasses after every sip. I told him we were in no hurry, and in fact had been looking forward to a relaxing evening. Didn't seen to make any difference and they were dropping off the main course before the appertizers were even half finished. Very tacky. When told we weren't interested in dessert our waiter got very huffy and dumped the check off without another word. I wrote to the restaurant manager via their website to voice my concerns. As others have noted, no response was forthcoming.

My advice... stay away! Save your money for an eatery that has respect for their customers.

• Pros: Location
• Cons: Pushy service and overpriced

03/18/09

Great Food, Great Room

by arthurl at Citysearch

For those of us that appreciate good food and live in the Culver City area, we now have a restaurant that is first rate in food and has an edgy, but adult setting. I love fish, but it is tough to find chefs that consistently prepare it correctly. I've eaten at Fraiche on many occasions and often order one of the fish dishes. I've never been disappointed. Also, their pork chop is "to die for." My wife always saves room for the deserts, which are also first rate. The place is a sanctuary for good food.

• Pros: Perfectly prepared meals
• Cons: Phone well in advance for a reservation

02/09/09

Great dining experience

by lottedixon at Citysearch

We really enjoyed a recent dinner with friends at Fraiche. The service was excellent and our server was very patient with our many rounds of appetizers and cocktails before dinner. Everything was excellent but the mong fish was extraordinary - first time visitors much try it. Signature cocktails, oysters, and the steak tartare stand out among the highlights. We will be back soon.

• Pros: Mong fish, cocktails, overall dining experience
• Cons: Misleading happy hour times

02/07/09

Fake happy hour

by SonaliP at Citysearch

A word of warning: Fraiche advertises a happy hour on various lists as being from 5:30-7, then you arrive and find it ends at 6:30. Unethical? You decide, but you should know. It's too bad that a place with good food thinks of its customers as suckers.

01/25/09

Perfect Dining Experience!

by bigfatguy007 at Citysearch

Have been here a couple of times now and I can truly say this restaurant is great. The atmosphere is vibrant and full of life. The food is superb. The service is casual and unobtrusive. This is no Providence or even Hatfields. However Fraiche provides good food and an amazing wine selection at reasonable price. The staff all have smiles on their faces and the pace of the restaurant sets a great tone. I would recommend this place to anyone.