Chez Mia Has the Best New Restaurant Patio in West Hollywood | Eater LA

"Opened on October 8 by restaurateurs Marissa and Matt Hermer inside the former Ago space near Melrose Avenue and La Cienega, I found Chez Mia to be a South-of-France–inspired, see-and-be-seen hotspot born from a nearly three-year project (originally called Lalou) launched with partner Kurt Seidensticker of Vital Proteins and guided by Boujis Group with culinary director Ivo Filho. With 220 seats across one of LA’s best new patios and a colorful interior designed by Tom Parker’s Fettle, the space feels plucked from the Italian coast or French Riviera — lush banquettes and potted plants under massive square umbrellas give it a secret-garden energy at sunset while neo-disco and pop music hum through the sections. The lengthy menu opens with raw items like oysters, snow crab claws, tuna tartare, and Ora king salmon carpaccio with tomato confit and espelette, plus a tight caviar section (a diminutive gougère topped with caviar runs $29 a bite); prices range from $14 to $225. Standouts I’d order include the 72-hour fermented fougasse with softened Normandy butter, the crudités with eggplant caviar, roasted pepper spread, walnut purée and three grilled wild prawns with wild herb sauce, and the grated black truffle–topped linguini; proteins span roast chicken, Ora king salmon, wagyu filet mignon with caramelized shallots and grilled baby gem lettuce, or sharable options like a whole grilled branzino with preserved lemon sauce or a cote de boeuf dry-aged rib-eye from Snake River Farms. I recommend starting with a shaken cocktail — the Nicolette’s Waterfire (mezcal or tequila with watermelon and lime) — and consulting sommelier Erika Parjus’s list (notably a juicy Bandol rosé and a crisp Vermentino); desserts are light and fruity, from peach melba and pistachio soft serve with raspberry coulis to tarte tropézienne and baked-to-order madeleines with hazelnut butter. Given the picturesque outdoor setup and celebrity-friendly vibe, I expect plenty of early traction; Chez Mia is open 5 p.m.–10 p.m. daily (with eventual lunch and brunch service) and takes reservations on Resy." - Matthew Kang