Bar Etoile
Restaurant · East Hollywood
632 N Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004
Highlights
French-inspired wine bar & restaurant with steak frites
French-inspired wine bar & restaurant with steak frites
"At this cozy-cool French spot, you’ll hear soft jazz and see well-dressed dates sipping gimlets at the horseshoe-shaped bar. A row of fancy wine fridges illuminates the back wall. Bar Etoile is sexy, snuggly, and a fine place to burrow into a banquette and eat classic French dishes with non-classic twists, like endive salad with shards of savory meringue and a gooey gruyere tart that looks like cheesecake. Finish with the perfect plate to go splitsies on: crispy fries, medium-rare steak, and a scoop of herby cornichon butter." - brant cox, cathy park
"It's not just about (really) great wine at Bar Etoile, though their expansive list with a French focus is certainly a winner. It's also about their product-driven cooking presenting simple dishes that allow ingredients to shine. Chef Travis Hayden's menu may be streamlined but there's something for everyone in this comfortable spot. Appetizers like snap peas served over a bed of lightly smoked ricotta and dressed with nettle gremolata and pickled coriander are proof that this spot looks to the market for its influences. Perfectly moist striped bass with a crispy skin and topped with salsa macha over caramelized sunchoke is a hit, as is the chocolate tart with passion fruit chantilly." - Michelin Inspector
"After a safe first date at a bright and sterile coffee shop, you’re ready for something more intimate. Head to Bar Etoile. At this cozy-cool French spot in East Hollywood, you’ll hear soft jazz and see well-dressed dates sipping gimlets at the horseshoe-shaped bar. A row of fancy wine fridges illuminates the back wall. It’s sexy, snuggly, and a fine place to burrow into a banquette and eat classic French dishes with non-classic twists, like endive salad with shards of savory meringue and a gooey gruyere tart that looks like cheesecake. Finish with the perfect plate to go splitsies on: crispy fries, medium-rare steak, and a scoop of herby cornichon butter." - sylvio martins, brant cox, cathy park
"A Melrose Hill French restaurant that was added to the Michelin Guide in March 2025 as part of the earlier batch of Los Angeles additions." - Rebecca Roland
"You know you’re eating a great steak frites when, by the third bite, all the elements (meat, fries, butter, sauce, juices) meld together at the end of your fork. At Bar Etoile, it happens in two. The crisp straight-cut fries, perfectly rosy beef, and herb-rich butter seep into one another as you carve toward the center, making each bite more decadent (and messier) than the last. The price might seem a bit steep, but it’s enough to feed two." - sylvio martins, brant cox, cathy park, garrett snyder
