Zizou
Restaurant · Lincoln Heights ·
Plant-filled oasis with French-Moroccan dishes & curated music
Plant-filled oasis with French-Moroccan dishes & curated music
"Since Zizou owners Maati Zoutina and Boris Macquin opened their Lincoln Heights wine bar and restaurant in 2024, it’s become an LA hotspot. Head there on a random weekday to hear Chaka Khan, Afrobeat, French hip hop, or Bob Marley. It’s fairly common for notable DJs to show up and show out on the restaurant’s killer sound system, customized by Macquin, who was formerly a sound engineer. Though plenty hang out on lush patio, others might just create their own personal dance floor while enjoying Zizou’s sights, sounds, and French or North African family recipes like the chicken tagine or Moroccan salad. Any member of the staff can make a wine recommendation, but if unsure, just ask for a glass of Champagne. Zoutina or Macquin will smile, depart, and return with something effervescent, celebratory, and delicious. Always check Zizou’s Instagram to see what kind of programming is on the calendar." - Eater Staff
"Zizou’s back patio coolness comes from its surprise factor. This French-Moroccan wine bar in Lincoln Heights has a blank stucco facade and is all but silent from the sidewalk. Then the sound system hits as you move inside. Moroccan funk booms from big retro speakers. Glowing ruby red lights illuminated the gold-tiled bar and spacious back garden. People lounge on plush booths, drink natural wine, and eat moules frites under passion fruit vines, as if they’ve stumbled on an oasis off the 5. Everyone—including the staff—gets into the music here (especially after a few glasses of sancerre), so don’t be shy about making use of the ad hoc dance area." - brant cox, arden shore, sylvio martins, cathy park
"A French–Moroccan wine bar and restaurant from Maati Zoutina and Boris Macquin that transformed a long-vacant 2,000-square-foot former Salvadoran spot into a plant-filled, warmly toned oasis decorated with French and North African art. The menu features steak frites, Provencal stew with mixed vegetables, mussels mariniere, and a chicken apricot tagine; a weekend brunch was also recently launched. Wine selections are thoughtfully curated, and Macquin—drawing on his background as a sound engineer—built a sound system that plays a custom mix of French hip-hop, soulful underground cuts, South African beats, jazz, Colombian cumbia, and electro from Eastern Europe and beyond." - Mona Holmes
"Zizou’s plant-filled interior seamlessly flows into an expansive back patio, lit in warm shades of pink and orange in the evening. Candles flicker on each table as a mix of French hip-hop, Colombian cumbia, and African beats play over the sound system. The menu leans French Moroccan with dishes like steak frites, tajine, and tarte tartin. It feels like a space unlike any other in Los Angeles, and reasonably-priced bottles of wine just make it even better." - Rebecca Roland
"What makes Zizou’s back patio cool is its surprise factor. This French-Moroccan wine bar in Lincoln Heights has a blank stucco facade and is all but silent from the sidewalk. But then the sound system hits as you step inside. Moroccan funk booms from giant retro speakers. Glowing ruby red lights illuminated the gold-tiled bar and spacious back garden. People lounge on plush booths, drink natural wine, and eat moules frites under passion fruit vines, as if they’ve stumbled on an oasis off the 5. Everyone—including the staff—gets into the great music here (especially after a few glasses of sancerre), so don’t be shy about making use of the dance area by the main speakers." - brant cox, arden shore, sylvio martins, cathy park