"The most French thing about Damn, I Miss Paris is the server who says “bon appetit” when setting a grilled cheese down on your table. This sexy lamp-lit cocktail bar in West Adams was clearly dreamt up by an interior designer who has a thing for Paris (there are murals of the Eiffel Tower and people dancing on cobblestone streets), but that’s about as literal as the theme gets. The food is a mix of clubstaurant basics and high school lunchroom hits, so unless you’re desperately in need of chicken tenders and fries, skip to the superb classic cocktails—like the spot-on shaken martini with tiny ice chips. That said, most people are coming to DIMP (our acronym, not theirs) for the scene rather than to eat. After hours, the velvet booths tend to fill with hot, well-dressed people filming multiple takes of glass clinks for IG, and while half the room can probably tell the difference between Loewe and Lanvin, an evening here is far from Paris Fashion Week-level pretentious. The energy is upbeat but chill, with dates bobbing their heads and mouthing the lyrics to Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson. Come for a bubbly night out with people who don't mind socializing—even if that just means trying some French phrases picked up from Duolingo when the bartender hits you with a ça va? photo credit: Cathy Park" - Cathy Park
