Garçons de Café

Downtown Wine Bar Garçons de Café Brings Slice of Paris to Los Angeles | Eater LA

"Walking by the Spring Arcade building, I felt like I was stepping into a busy Parisian street scene: an after-work crowd swirling wine glasses and nibbling charcuterie while a jazz singer prepares to perform, all framed by a mishmash of art, hanging lights, weathered brick walls and sturdy wood shelves stocked with mostly French wines. The five-year-old wine bar, now owned by Mathieu Giraud, retains its identity as a little oasis of French culture in Downtown LA while expanding its list to include Italian, Argentine and Valle de Guadalupe Mexican wines; the list runs about sixty selections with bottles from roughly $35 up to a $255 2011 Château Figeac, most under $60, and glasses priced between $12 and $18. Food is limited by a tiny kitchen but creative and wine-friendly—tapas such as smoked salmon, hummus, foie gras terrine, pâté de campagne and buffalo mozzarella arrive with toasted Clark Street Bakery baguettes used for tearing or in sandwiches like jamon beurre and caprese, plus quiches by a local French woman and sweets like dark chocolate–dipped organic fruits and crème brûlée. Mathieu’s hands-on ownership and Wednesday jazz nights (often including bossa nova) have helped business pick up—especially with vaccine mandates for patrons—and after a rough pandemic period the bar feels set up for a fruitful future as a small but vital part of Downtown’s wine and nightlife scene." - Matthew Kang