Cole's French Dip
Sandwich shop · Downtown Los Angeles ·
Landmark saloon with French dips, classic cocktails, & speakeasy
Landmark saloon with French dips, classic cocktails, & speakeasy
"Set to close but now extending its run, the 117-year-old restaurant will remain open through December 31 after initially announcing a July closure, then moving the date to September, and later saying its final days were in November; according to Cole’s on Instagram, it plans to stay open for the holiday season." - Mona Holmes
"After announcing its impending closure in July, the 117-year-old restaurant has pushed its last day multiple times — from early August to mid-September and now to November 1 — citing increased patronage. Owner Cedd Moses previously described a “litany of reasons” for shutting down, including impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 writers and actors strike, rising costs, and local bureaucracy. Since the closure was announced, there’s been a steady line of Angelenos hoping to get their final French dip sandwich." - Rebecca Roland
"Buoyed by an outpouring of support, this 117-year-old spot — widely regarded as the city’s oldest restaurant — will now stay open an extra 45 days, moving its final service from August 3, 2025 to mid-September 2025. Since the July 7 closure news, steady lines have formed hours before opening as Angelenos return for a French dip from one of two restaurants claiming to have invented the sandwich (Chinatown’s Philippe the Original also makes the assertion). Whatever side you’re on, the consensus is that this is a Los Angeles cultural institution, and a cohort of local advocacy groups helped secure the extension." - Mona Holmes
"The historic downtown restaurant and bar announced it would close on July 7 after 117 years of operation, a development that intensified worries that the DTLA hospitality scene could be pushed closer to collapse. The closure became a stark symbol of the sector’s fragility even as local operators and owners express continued hope in the city’s diversity, heart, and perseverance and work together to stave off further losses." - Rich Manning
"A historic Los Angeles restaurant that asserts an earlier origin for the French dip (circa 1908), credited with creating the simple, enduring combination of sliced roast beef in a French roll accompanied by au jus, a preparation that has become a city staple." - Pamela Vachon