Mr. T Los Angeles
French restaurant · Hollywood ·
French-inspired street food with uni rice bowls, mac n' cheese
French-inspired street food with uni rice bowls, mac n' cheese
"Opened in Hollywood in September 2022 by restaurateur Guillaume Guedj (previously of two-Michelin-starred Passage 53) with opening chef Alisha Vannah (from République), this chic Parisian bistro launched with inventive Angeleno-leaning takes on classic French fare — dishes like chicken pot pie with tare chicken jus, tuna crudo, roast lamb kebabs, and Koshihikari rice topped with sea urchin créme — and later expanded a daytime pastry program led by François Daubinet (whose “impossibly smooth” chocolate mousse drew particular praise). Early acclaim included a four-star review from Time Out LA and placement at No. 87 on the Los Angeles Times’ 101 Best Restaurants, but the restaurant’s reliance on nearby office foot traffic (including tenants above the space), the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes, and the Palisades and Eaton wildfires depressed business and prompted a strategic menu shift. The kitchen has since leaned into warmer, more approachable French-American bistro classics — poulet rôti (roasted chicken) with a clarified jus, steak frites with a thick peppercorn sauce, a twist on beef Bourguignon, a Caesar-style salad using stacked endive, branzino with beurre blanc, apple pie with roasted apples, plus comfort items like a burger and macaroni and cheese — emphasizing farm-to-table ingredients, focused sauces and technique over high-concept experimentation. Daytime pastry service was scaled back to weekends as the team adapts to local demand, and the current goal is to build a steady base of regulars and become a neighborhood favorite while surviving a difficult economic environment." - Matthew Kang
"A new-school French experience that leans heavily on Asian ingredients and references its sibling in Paris, where a small kitchen uses uni, tobiko, and soy effortlessly in a buzzy dining room. Chef Alisa Vannah, a veteran of République, prepares reconstructions of classic bistro fare such as coconut curry ocean trout crudo and lumpia with chicken and shrimp mousse served with calamansi aioli. Branzino is presented with crackling skin and grilled endives, receiving sweet-salty comfort from Japanese sweet potatoes amid a pool of loose beurre blanc. Steak frites arrives with a well-seared outer crust and tender, medium-rare interior alongside crisp fries and a peppercorn sauce, while the boeuf bourguignon carries a subtle Korean element — a sweet-soy sauce and apple kimchi — resulting in a French-style galbi jjim. The space negotiates a ground-floor office setting with thundering music and industrial-chic decor, opening up to an expansive patio, and overall fits neatly into LA’s global dining scene. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest" - Eater Staff
"On one occasion at Mr. T, we recall watching servers walking around the dining room setting food on fire while Jay-Z played in the background. This was not a coincidence. The iconic rapper is a partner at this slick French-ish spot—a Hollywood offshoot of a cool Paris bistro—that's best known for its comte and mimolette cheese flambé, which shows up in a few signature dishes. The menu melds street food with traditional French cooking, and you can watch the action in the open kitchen from seats at the counter. Bring a date to snack on minty-sweet larb steak tartare or invite friends to crowd around a patio table for halibut over ratatouille, truffle mac and cheese, and blue prawn lumpia." - sylvio martins, brant cox, garrett snyder
"Cool kid hangout Mr. T comes from Guillaume Guedj, who brought his Paris restaurant to the heart of Hollywood. It occupies a high-ceiling industrial space with modern furniture where Republique alum Alisa Vannah serves international LA flavors interpreted as sleek French-inflected dishes. The restaurant often plays loud hip-hop tunes that bounce along the space’s hard surfaces, while well-dressed diners take in branzio with beurre blanc, Thai vinaigrette-topped steak tartare, and beef bourguignon prepared in the style of Korean galbi-jjim. Head to Mr. T during the daytime to try one of LA’s best burgers topped with cheese foam and pastries from renowned French baker François Daubinet." - Rebecca Roland, Matthew Kang
"Hollywood French restaurant Mr. T has tapped famed baker Francois Daubinet for its daytime menu, including a lineup of impressive pastries that would feel at home in a Parisian patisserie. Among the offerings is a selection of croissants, including the classic butter, pain au chocolat, and a not-too-sweet almond croissant. Make sure to grab an espresso to cut through the butter." - Rebecca Roland
