10/08/09

Happy hour with La Cachette Bistro

by Jackiee031

Hey, my name is Jackie and I am working with LCB. If you are in the Santa Monica area stop by for our great happy hour specials from 4:30 to 6:30, M-F. You can get some great dishes like Hawaiian Ahi Burger on Brioche or Organic Grass Fed Beef Burger with Fig Chutney for $6. See you soon!

• Pros: Great Specials

07/14/09

She ain't what she used to be

by saxifrages

It had been years since my beau and his friends had been to La Cachette but they had some fond memories. My beau craved French for his bday so I arranged a celebration with the friends there. While waiting for our pals, the friendly chef/owner told us that the location will be closing and they will reopen in Santa Monica as more of a bistro. He said that the hard to find location had been hurting their biz. We noticed mostly white hair loyalists in the faded dining room.

The service was great and we had no complaints about service. The food, however, was absolutely flavorless. there was a tremendous lack of salting. I had the special foie gras and it was bland. I ordered cassoulet, the most French of all dishes, and it tasted like Refried Beans. We sent the cassoulet back and the chef apologized, agreed with our finding and sent back a substitute that was not much better. Nothing that the four of us ate was enjoyable, including lackluster desserts. It appears that not only is the chef delegating too much prep to the unskilled but he, himself, has lost all sense of taste.

It is not the location which has diminished their business.

Everything we had was not good. Yet the bill was crazy high. We could have eaten at Melisse for the same amount and had a world class meal in an elegant environment.

• Pros: good service
• Cons: really bad food, very expensive

04/05/09

Trez Disappointing

by sschalin

If you're looking for fine, traditional French cuisine, look beyond La Cachette in Century City. The name translates into "the hideaway" and it is indeed off the beaten path on little Santa Monica Blvd, tucked into a neighborhood of apartments.

The setting is perfect for a date night out. The lights are dim, the decor very soothing with soft whites hues and plushy seating.

We started with a martini and Cosmo at the tiny bar to unwind and slowly roll into the evening that we wanted to enjoy and make last. When we finally sat down, Leslie started with a generous plate of beef carpaccio, served chopped with a sugary balsamic-pomegranate glaze that over-whelmed that meat completely.

I opted for a smoked trout dish which was light and pungent with an almost-herring-like vinegar taste over micro-greens. Good, but not great.

The entree selection is very French provencial. The menu reads like you've just stumbled into a farmhouse near the south of France. Lamb shank, veal stew, venison chop and several steaks along with some traditional French seafood dishes that you would expect from that lower region.

I opted for the Cassoulet. If you're unfamiliar with this dish it's a thick stew infused with soft, white beans, like Navy beans swimming alongside fork-sized chunks of duck and lamb. The meat was tender and the broth thick and rich. If you could imagine a cold, rainy night in the French countryside, this would be the dish to order. But its sheer decadence and heavy stock made a little go a very long way.

Leslie opted for the Bouillabaisse. We were in Nice one time many years ago which claims to be the town that invented this dish which is France's white-brothed answer to Italy's Cioppino. In fact, we specifically ate a restaurant where the owner - a character in his late 70s - claimed to have practically invented the version of the soup that has become world famous. There, the broth was light and fishy, with a hint of saffron and the taste of the sweet ocean.

Unfortunately, La Cachette's version was a thick, fishy mess. It had the consistency of carmel pudding, complete with a semi-thick layer of skin on the top. This being one of their signature dishes, we were surprised that it had the taste of something made many, many hours ago and left to sit.

With every entree hovering near $30 there is no quarter given to mediocre dishes. La Cachette is a hideaway best left hidden.

• Pros: Ambiance, service
• Cons: Food

10/28/08

A businessman's favorite for fine French fare.

by Andrea Rademan

In Short
French for "the hideaway," La Cachette is a prime spot for power lunches and client dinners. (It's also appropriately named, considering the entrance is out of sight in the alley behind the restaurant.) Whitewashed ceiling beams, leaded-glass room dividers and navy fabrics create an atmosphere more crisp than cozy, leading up to the fantastic Provencal fare. A master of traditional French cooking, chef-owner Jean Francois Meteigner manages to give his dishes a modern edge by minimizing fat, salt and calories without sacrificing flavor. A tart packed with goat cheese, roasted red peppers and black olives is as wispy as cotton candy. Marseilles-style bouillabaisse, served with a rich rouille, brims with black cod, halibut, mussels, clams and scallops. The mesquite-smoked salmon is served with blini or in a savory sandwich with a mountain of fries while sweet finishers include indulgent tarts made with apple, apricot and almond, or blueberry and black currant.

03/05/08

Very good but pricey

by jimmy_woodwork

The service here was very goodl. Our waiter was attentive and he knew the menu well hence was able to give a lot of helpful suggestions.

For appetizers, we got the yellowtail special and tuna tar tare, both tasty. My girlfriend got sweetbread which was cooked just right. I ordered the country dish of the week, which was venison. A bit gamey but cooked just the way I like.

Dessert was a snuffle, a tiny bit undercooked, but still very good.

This is a very "expensive French restaurant" and generally quiet with soft music. A bit dressy, but not over the top.

I recommend it, but only for special occasions when you want to spent extra.

• Pros: Nice overall speciall dinner place
• Cons: too expensive for more that once every 3 months.

08/10/07

La Cahette Restaurant

by rokonrae

The La Cahette Restaurant is amazing!

Service was very nice, it always seemed to be there if you needed anything.

The French cuisine was incredible! It was very authentic.

I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone!

• Pros: Parking, service, food
• Cons: none

07/19/07

Welcome to Wonderland

by calibabes

Beautiful, we were promptly seated and the food was delicious. The service was a little bit slow but who cares when you enjoy a meal like this. It s pricey but it s worth it, I recommend this place for the food and the atmosphere.

• Pros: Food, atmosphere
• Cons: nothing to mention

04/17/07

Such a Delightful Meal!!

by mrtsty

I had such a great experience here at la cachette. the service was great and the food was amazing. I started with the White Aspargus with chopped egg whites and a white truffle dressing which was soooo good and light enough that i still had room for my entree which was the lobster salad..its an appetizer that i had as an entree..also amazing and then I had the apricot tart for dessert..perfect. I really like this place and think most people think of it as a hidden gem. Once you start coming you keep coming back.

• Pros: food, service, wine selection
• Cons: none

04/12/07

HORRIBLE RESTAURANT - EVEN CHEESECAKE FACTORY IS BETTER!

by hotweazel

I am very surprised that Zagat has given this horrible restaurant a score of 27! I swear to you, the steak nearly made me sick. Maybe I am spoiled, eating at Melisse, Sona, Cut, etc. However, I can promise you, I have had a better meal at Cheesecake Factory! We did sit next to Don Rickles and Bob Newhart but it did not help. Please avoid this restaurant for your own sake. Mind you, I did not try anything but the steak (we had to split a Filet for appetizer since it was the last one they had that night) and all ordered the NY steak which was nothing more than a tire drenched with a rubbish sauce. Save your money and go to any of the previous mentioned restaurants...you will much happier! A couple more great restaurants...Dakota at the Roosevelt Hotel, Katsu-ya in ENCINO and Katana. And if you are down to get dirty, Soot-Bull-Jeep Korean BBQ.

• Pros: Can't think of any
• Cons: Everything

02/06/07

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place!!!

by ajamesyb

i love how you can eat anything on the menu and it tasts amazing but doesnt leave you feeling heavy, the food is surprisingly light for its amazing taste. This place is by far the best restaurant on the westside and the best french food in LA!! the very attractive staff was prompt and friendly and i showed up early and was seated right away by the beautiful hostess. Oh and my favorite part...towards the end of our meal they sat mick jagger one table away from us!! this place if definitly for the best of the bests.

• Pros: amazing food. nice staff. feels very exclusive
• Cons: a little pricy for the average income, but well worth it for special occasions