Pastis

06/25/2008 Posted by DolceDiva

My fifth visit and I am overjoyed to say that Pastis qualifies as a consistently wonderful restaurant! Pastis is not a new comer on the LA dining scene, it is a tried and true restaurant with staying power, there are many reasons why. The atmosphere is a welcome respite from the typical "decorated to within an inch of its life" LA dining spot. Understated, Euro chic, lovely lighting, simple, sophisticated, decor. The service is charming, attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. Everyone is willing and able to accommodate you and to see to it that your dining experience is a satisfying one. The real star here is the thoughtful, bistro inspired menu and the perfectly prepared food. The artichoke and goat cheese tart is as divine as it sounds, in a flaky crust with a creamy texture and savory flavors. All of the entrees I’ve had have been perfection. This last visit, I enjoyed the monkfish with papardelle pasta, beautifully presented and utterly delicious. If something can be light and rich, delicate and hearty, then this is it. On previous visits, I have also enjoyed the lamb chops and the steak. Both were prepared perfectly. I took my Mother for her birthday, she is a true foodie, and it’s so not like her to order the same thing in the same place since she wants to try all the offerings. She ordered the duck...again, explaining, “I can't help it, it's the best duck I’ve ever had. Pastis is a 'yes' place, unlike the notorious ‘Terroni’, Pastis wants to please it’s guests. They understand to make it requires more thought that slapping up some trendoid décor and hiring a bunch of model/actors (although the staff is extremely attractive ;) Pastis understands the fundamentals of a fine dining experience. It is about the food, the wine and…. the customers. Don't miss the charming mint tea service, a refreshing departure from after dinner espresso. Merci Pastis, for remembering my Mother with a lovely lemon birthday tart and another completely lovely evening

Pros: Consitantly grea food and service

Cons: can

06/01/2008 Posted by tlebrock

We probably didn't enjoy anything quite as much as the warm goat cheese & artichoke tart we ordered as an appetizer, but I still recommend Pastis for its warm ambiance, service, and menu. Some our dishes had a bit too much sauce for my tastes (yes, I know it's a French restaurant, but I still think it's always a good thing when you can actually see your food underneath the sauce), and the waiter bristled a tad when one of our party had the audacity to ask for Soy milk. "We are French, we only drink milk straight from the cow...sacr bleu!" Overall, not bad at all, average priced ($50/person with wine), bad parking situation.

Pros: Food

Cons: Parking

05/28/2008 Posted by JRVenice

I just had dinner at Pastis. What a charming restaurant. A perfect date place. The food was excellent. The service was top notch. It was reasonably priced for cuisine of this quality and caliber. I look forward to my next visit.

Pros: Excellent food. Romantic atmosphere

Cons: Street parking is challenging, but they have valet service.

05/25/2008 Posted by claresherman13

Last night my boyfriend and I decided we would try Pastis. Even though it has been there for quite some time we ended up overlooking it! We came in without a reservation and the staff was extremely accomidating. We sat down and informed our waitress that we were both very allergic to fish of any kind. She made sure that we got butter and olive oil instead of the usual tapenade that has some anchovies in it. She also recommended us fabulous wine and two of the best dishes have tasted in a long time. Good French food is hard to come by and we were both extremely happy. The ambiance was great and the service was wonderful. I highly recommend Pastis!

Pros: Beautiful restaurant and great service

Cons: that pastis is not busier!

05/18/2008 Posted by LAliving

What happened to Pastis? We used to love this place and eat there regularly up to a couple of years ago. Since, I believe the ownership changed and the restaurant; although looks the same is nothing like it used to be. The special was the calf liver and it was over cooked and didn’t seem fresh. The service, used to be friendly and professional. This time the waitress couldn’t answer about the cooking or recommend wine. Also, she was busy schmoozing with the staff and paid very little attention to us. The place was almost empty on a Thursday, something that would have never happened under the old management. We paid a lot for mediocre food and lousy service. Never again. au revoir pastis.

Cons: High price for nothing special

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04/23/2008 Posted by jdash

My boyfriend and I came here recently for our anniversary dinner. We normally go to Cafe Stella, but were not in the mood for the cramped seating and attitude there, so we called up Pastis to see if they had any openings and they did. Upon entering, I was struck by how beautiful the restaurant is. The colors and atmosphere are warm and inviting. The lights were dim and the mood was perfect and intimate and uncharacteristically unpretentious for a French restaurant. We started off with their bread and butter because we were really hungry. The bread was actually very good. It was a few slice of french bread and raisin bread and I ate all the raisin bread. I even asked the waiter about it- it was that good. (He said that they were using a new bakery) The escargot provencal appetizer was the best I've ever had. Not the usual buttery pools of melted butter and garlic, but the escargot were wrapped in puff pastry and nestled on a bed of parsley, garlic and butter puree. It was like the classic dish, but separated so that you could taste each component -WOW! We then ordered our entrees. I really had wanted a nice steak au poivre, but the only steak they had was ribeye which I don't like, so I had the duck breast instead and he had the pan roasted chilean sea bass. Both were excellent and we stopped short of licking our plates clean. The portions were good and both were cooked perfectly. We had ordered a bottle of Bordeaux and it paired beautifully with our meal. The service was just what I like, not overly attentive, but there when you need it and not rushing to clear your plate. It's relaxed and allows you to linger over your food and take it in. We sat there in a semi drunken haze relishing the moment of our perfect meal. I am now officially in love! My quest for the perfect french bistro is over. More refined than Le Petit Bistro, though equally as authenitc, Pastis has won a place in my heart. I will definitely be coming back soon!

Pros: ambience, lots of great seafood options

Cons: could use some more beef selections on the menu

04/17/2008 Posted by bobshap1

We have been looking for a good french restaurant in la and we found one in Pastis. Everything was perfect. I had the escargot and the lamb, my wife tried three different appetizers. The food was delicious and I am very particular having enjoyed the best french restaurants in the world, The space was nice, the ambience perfect and the service excellent. I highly recommend Pastis.

02/19/2008 Posted by weyed

Pastis has a great prix fixe menu and the best parts of the menu were the food and wine pairings. So far I have been to three pairings and have not been disappointed. I am treated to great food, great wine at a great price. Since it is local as well I do not have to travel far. I know what I like and words such as rustic, homey, comfortable, and delicious come to mind. A sea bass in parchment was delicious as were the braised beef dishes I have had. Their risotto is always good and the appetizers "mmm mmm good". Okay so I am going about the details kinda backwards but there are so many things to remember.....and after the many glasses of wine the dinner get better as it goes on. I almost remember my meal in reverse order. The staff were very attentive and gave great descriptions of the wines I tasted and even offered their own personal take on which ones they liked and why this helped me appreciate the food and wine a bit more. Overall a great dining experience, attentive and friendly staff...all at a price worth coming back for. Go check it out.

Pros: Food and wine pairing during the tasting menu nights

Cons: Parking is valet....but if you get there early you can find street parking just be careful of the signs

02/19/2008 Posted by Ando24

I have always been an individual that believes a great meal doesn't have to come at high cost, nor have I ever believed the "hype" of "new and trendy" restraunts. With that being said I was very reluctant to travel to LA to try a restraunt that my girlfriend said I would love. Upon arrival to the restraunt we were immediately greeted and seated. The wait staff was excellent, the food was prepared and presented beyond what I would have expected, and the flavor of the food mixed well with the wine that was recommended. I had an absolutely wonderful experience and would not hesitate to make the one hour drive again!

Pros: ambience, service, and food

Cons: parking

02/18/2008 Posted by oliejane

i was a bit wary of trying a new restaurant on valentine's day but pastis turned out to be a wonderful treat. the food and service were equally great. it took awhile for our main course to arrive but it was well worth it. i couldn't decide what was better- the scallops or risotto. the menu sounded pretty ordinary but each dish tasted exciting and unexpected. our good-looking waiter was attentive and took good care of us despite the overbooked room. the romantic candle lit room with rose petal covered tables set the perfect ambience for our special day. this is a perfect place to bring your boyfriend, except he might be bothered by all the goodlooking french men, as well as the perfect place to enjoy wine with some friends. i am definitely making this my regular place to go...

Pros: greatest profiterols ever!!

Cons: small bathroom- usually a line for women