Violet L.A.
French restaurant · Westwood ·
French-California bistro with a romantic courtyard and cooking school
French-California bistro with a romantic courtyard and cooking school
"We never thought we’d say this, but the most romantic patio in LA might be in Westwood. Violet is a big French restaurant serving expensive, fussy dishes that are pretty good across the board if you’re into the finer things. But the real attraction here is the tucked-away back patio with foliage, brick walls, and tile rooftops—it looks like a secret alleyway from the village where Beauty & The Beast takes place. We like coming here during dinnertime when the strings of bistro lights overhead make the whole space glow." - brant cox, arden shore, sylvio martins, cathy park
"We never thought we’d say this, but the most romantic patio in LA might be in Westwood. Violet’s back patio looks like someone opened a bistro inside a lush sunroom, which, at night, is lit up with string lights. It’s an ideal place to flirt with someone who is equally into fussy French food, which this place does well enough, i.e., steak au poivre that sits in a kiddie pool of peppery cream or duck à l’orange with quinoa that tastes like the ‘90s heydays never left. Violet seems to be the go-to date night destination for couples who live in the area, so the crowd does lean a little mature, or perhaps, distinguished. Food Rundown Champignons à l’Antoine Squeeze that lemon on top because these baked mushrooms need some brightness. These salty morsels are loaded with more parmesan, breadcrumbs, and olive oil than their crostinis can hold, making them an indulgent but tasty bite. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Salade Mizou This giant salad is balanced and the type of communal leafy green you want with braised meats and confits. Every mouthful has crunch from the pistachios and a little sharpness from the sheep’s cheese, and the punchy vinaigrette tastes like it’s been massaged into each leaf. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Duck à l’Orange Look past the undressed (and random) quinoa salad and this is an impressive duck confit: the skin crackles like gift wrap when you slice it, and the bone slides right out. The orange sauce, however, is more like sweet marmalade than fragrant citrus, which makes it a bit overpowering. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Steak au Poivre Steak au Poivre Sadly, the steak was overcooked, but it still managed to be tender. The buttery au poivre sauce is the saving grace here, so make sure to use some of the table baguette for dipping. photo credit: Sylvio Martins" - Sylvio Martins
"We never thought we’d say this, but the most romantic patio in LA might be in Westwood. Violet is a big French restaurant serving expensive, fussy dishes that are pretty good across the board if you’re into the finer things. But the real attraction here is the tucked-away back patio with foliage, brick walls, and tile rooftops—it looks like a secret alleyway from the village where Beauty & The Beast takes place. We like coming here during dinnertime when the strings of bistro lights overhead make the whole space glow." - brant cox, arden shore, sylvio martins, cathy park
"This charming little French restaurant melds classic bistro dishes with a California sensibility. Its attractive main dining room leads to one of the city’s most romantic brick-lined patios, giving the place the feeling of a secret find. Try the vegetarian French onion soup (its broth deepened by mushrooms, not beef) and then share some steak au poivre — because balance — before figuring out which of the two of you will get the third chocolate-covered profiterole." - Rebecca Roland
"This adorable little French find melds classic bistro dishes with a California sensibility. Its charming main dining room leads to one of the city’s most romantic brick-lined patios, giving the place the feeling of a secret find. Try the excellent beet salad and then share some steak frites before figuring out which of the two of you will get the third chocolate-covered profiterole." - Rebecca Roland, Matthew Kang
