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Categories: French, American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Downtown
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Considering how consistently good our experience here has been, I'm surprised by the lower average rating. We come here often pre-philharmonic. I've been to several Patina Restaurants including the "Patina" at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and I find Cafe Pinot to be my favorite.
I started with the Sashimi Appetizer special which included Spanish Mackerel in a kind of greenish sauce paired with Hamachi on a separate plate. I must admit it wasn't outstanding, but the yellowtail was very good. My husband had the Duck Confit Appetizer special. I didn't get a taste, but he ejoyed it.
I had been thinking about getting the Wild Mushroom Risotto Appetizer as a main course, when our excellent server told us they had White Truffle, that closed the deal for me. I enjoy watching the chef grate the truffle over the risotto almost as much as I like stuffing it in my mouth. It was easily the best Risotto I've eaten.
My husband enjoyed the Mediterranean Sea Bass which was served which was presented as a whole fish cut down the dorsal side and filled with a sort of corn, endive kind of relish/salad. I wish I'd whipped out my IPhone and shot a picture of it. The fish was tender and memorable.
I like the way the restaurant is broken into sort of rooms with glass. It helps to contain some of the patron noise. They have a nice outdoor patio which backs up to the Library and is well-heated during the evening. You can always spot a good restaurant when they replace your white napkin with a black one to prevent lint on your dark clothing.
I work right across the street from this place but only came here during dine LA restaurant week since my normal lunches average about 6 bucks. We arrived on time and the restaurant was very empty yet we were offered an awkward table for two against a wall in the center of the restaurant. Luckily, our third guest made this table impossible so we were then seated in the corner near a window.
Now for the food: Since it was dine LA we all had 3 courses that were selected from a list of choices. The seared tuna starter was ok, not very flavorful. Others at the table had the mushroom risotto and it was not that great. It was rather soupy and looked like it had been sitting a while. The rotisserie chicken and fries were better than the regretable beef dish. Dessert: I had the apple crumble with vanilla ice cream and it was the best part of the meal. Others had the tropical flan/creme dish and the chocolate cake. The chocolate cake was your typical flourless lava cake. The tropical creme was good if you love coconut.
Overall I would say I am glad I only spent 28 bucks for a 3 course meal here. Next time, I will try a different place for dine LA.
The outdoor dining area at Cafe Pinot transports you out of the busy, loud, crowded downtown LA. Next to the Maguire garden, their patio escapes the busy foot traffic and gives you a more tranquil setting for your meals.
This Patina group restaurant offers a pretty good prix fixe deal during lunch time. Their Lunch Spa Menu offers a changing two courses (where you'd typically get two choices for each course) for $24.
We tried this place at the beginning of summer and ordered the Tomato Gazpacho to start our lunch prix fixe.
A solid gazpacho. Nice flavors and cooling for a warm summer day.
For the entree, we ordered the Grilled Arctic Char with miso-based sauce.
The fish was quite nicely prepared. The skin was cripsy while the fish meat remains moist and juicy.
The lunch spa menu didn't come with dessert but the peach crumble here is definitely worth getting, so we ordered one to share.
Warm Peach Crumble, vanilla ice cream, star anise essence ($8)
Absolutely worth ordering. This is one of the best peach crumble I've ever tasted. The focus here is definitely the peach, which was deliciously sweet and is not overwhelmed by the syrup. The crunchy crumble adds a nice contrast to both the flavor and texture. This is something worth coming back for.
I was pleasantly surprised by Cafe Pinot. The al fresco garden patio dining was very enjoyable, the prix fixe quite reasonable and the food well prepared. But as you can imagine, the peach crumble clinched the deal for me. As long as that stays on the menu, I'd come back for sure.
Photos: http://tinyurl.com/lhxlme
Location and outdoor eating is superb. The noise factor inside and outside is a problem when a bus or truck passes on Flower or 5th street. Very convenient to the library (about 75 feet away). Presentation was great. Pretty good service. Not outstanding but good. Food was very good. To meet someone downtown it is easy to find and you can't go wrong.
Every meal I've had at this restaurant tastes good, and many are creative. Solid wine list also.
Café Pinot is an anti-Carl's Jr. It's not fast, not at all. Which is a good reason to go there. I've been twice (for dinner) and it seems to me you go there to... slow... it... down.
So hey now... just sit outside... order. Then wait. Shoot a glance up at the Central Library's tower (Egyptian-meets-Classical style, a quirky & monumental eyeful) and notice the groomed urban garden you're in, glance at the pinpoint lights swirl-wrapped around trees... hey now... notice how your heart-motor shifts down a speed. Or two.
The food? My dinners were not magic from Paris, no. They were very very good tho'.
The service? Much friendlier than Paris.
I can recommend the rotisserie chicken-- mustard-glazed, w/ their "Café Pinot" fries. $25.00, thereabouts, per person. And $10 of that is for providing the calming setting and letting me and mine stay awhile, no rush. For that, ten bucks seems fair. Even better: no corkage fee if you bring your own bottle of wine.
[Hot tip: you can take a cooking class taught by the executive chef for $90. True! On certain Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., in a fully-equipped restaurant kitchen.]
Ok- I just had the herb crusted salmon on a bed of vegetables in saffron sauce. It was........................A-MAZING!! Get the fish cooked medium and it's almost as tender as sushi. DELISH! The Hangar steak salad was real YUM, too!! Bread rolls are good if you eat them hot. When left to sit, it's hard enough to kill someone.
On a typical sunny Los Angeles day, I recommend sitting outside in the covered patio area. If you're a party of two, there's a little nook area in the patio section where you can have a nice private conversation wtih your company without all the distracting noise from other people.
It's kind of on the pricey, upscale side. Like other yelpers mentioned, come here if you've got time to spare because the food and service is a tad bit slow.
I would NEVER eat here again.
Let me paint a quick picture: graduation lunch, 15 people on our tab. We weren't allowed to make ANY changes to the menu, even so much as asking for the curly fries to be taken off of the hamburger before it came.
Service was terrible, rudest waitress who never apologized about the fact it took an hour to get our food.
The food was average, but horribly expensive.
In the end, they gave us a gift certificate because the manager was so embarassed about the service.
I still have not spent this gift certificate, because my opinion has been completely tainted against the entire Patina group of restaurants.
I would not only not go back here, but I would actually recommend against anyone going there. If you want great food, there are SO many other places you can support that will not drain your wallet.
I went to Cafe Pinot in Downtown LA with my hubby and his friends for a social event at the outdoor patio. I then decided to have dinner there. The mushroom risotto starter is good. The beef short ribs with potato puree was a bit dry. My husband's salmon is not very flavorful. The chocolate lava cake is ok. Not impressed!!
More like Cafe Pi-No Thanks!!! Went here for lunch during Restaurant Week. Although the atmosphere was nice and had a great outdoor seating area, the service was horrible and the food average at best.
First off, the waiter did not have enough "Restaurant Week" menus for our party of 5. Keep the mind that the restaurant was not very full at all. Perhaps they were trying to discourage us from ordering off of this menu. If you don't want to participate, DON'T PARTICIPATE!!!
I has the potato soup, along with the bass dish. The fish was one of the driest I've ever had, so if you're into that, this is the place for you.
The restarurant itself is beautiful. If it's nice out you should definitely sit outside on the patio.Came on a Tuesday afternoon with co-workers and sat outside. Our waitress was very sweet...but very slow. It took 15 minutes for us to get our bottle of wine and other drinks. The strange thing is, the place wasn't even that crowded and we were the only ones sitting ouside! We felt a little forgotten because she never really came out to check on us.
I'm a vegetarian and they really didn't have a lot of options for me.
I got the Heirloom Tomato Salad and a side of fries. Fries seem to be the downfall of my life...and the fries here were soooo worth it. They were seasoned with garlic and herbs, and I was in fry heaven.
My co-workers enjoyed their food, but our experience was brought down by the lack of service. I'll definitely come back for those fries though... =)
We're working in LA for 9 days and finally on Day 08. After a long day on set, we just couldn't manage going more than a block away for dinner. The staff at the Standard recommended Cafe Pinot for French. Yea! Mussels and frites! Beautiful cafe right next to the equally beautiful LA Public Library. While it wasn't a traditional French bistro for what I was wanting (no mussels!), it was wonderful. The bread rolls came out freshly baked, my lamb shank with spinach risotto was amazing! The lamb was soft and juicy, falling right off the bone. Paired with a nice glass of St Emilion, it was perfect. I really wanted to try a dessert or cheese afterwards, but was too full.
I would most definitely go back.
This place has a great location. It's right next to the Library Tower and the LA County Library. If you spot the tall tower (and who can't, really), at the base of it is this restaurant.
One of the hard parts with coming here is parking. The rates are rather high and it seems to be a shared underground parking structure with the US Bank Tower across the street. This could create a problem is you visit on weekdays or working days.
The actual restaurant has a great patio dining area with spectacular views of the tall buildings surrounding the plaza. The olive trees actually provide a nice contrast with the urban landscape.
The interior of the restaurant is intimate, though I wish there was a little more room between parties. I felt other groups were too close to me as the night progressed and more and more people came in.
I was here as part of the Dine LA week series. We had made reservations right when they opened at 4:30 on Sunday and were the second party to show up for the day.
The wine list was pretty extensive, and we got a bottle of Mac-something (a white wine) and drank that sucker quick. We also got some sparkling water to compliment the wine.
The breads were pretty good and I thought were pretty tasty. The potato soup was decent, and surprisingly not very salty, as I'd originally anticipate it to be. The sea bass was good and salted correctly, although I wish they did a better job of removing the skin below the scales.
The chocolate lava cake was great and very creamy. I liked the raspberry sauce which competed against the sweetness of the chocolate.
I would recommend reserving a night here, but be prepared to drop over a bill on two people for that bottle of wine and two three course meals and sparkling water. Just don't cheap out on the parking once the bill's been paid.
My ex took me here for Valentine's a couple years back &we were getting stares from people since we were probably the youngest couple there. I think I tried venison for the first time here. Superb.
This place is really hip and classy at the same time. We were there with our friends one night and we all seemed to enjoy the night. The food was delish all the way to dessert and the wine was good. The service was very good, totally attentive and patient. Some people might think that the food was just ok and wonder why this place is so highly rated. But you have to think of the overall experience from the atmosphere to the service to the food. Valet takes a little while to get your car for you but it's ok, the view is cool.
*Food = pretty good
*Service = very good
*Ambiance = very good
Went here for their DineLA special....$34 for a 3 course meal.
The place itself is very nice. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Good service all around.
I started off with the potatoe soup. Very rich and well done. Probably the best thing I had there that night. For the entree...I had the rotisserie chicken and my friend had the black bass. Both were very ordinary. Chicken was a little too dry for my taste, but the fries that came with it were pretty good. Black bass was likewise pretty ordinary. It wasn't bad...just not very good. We had the apple crumble for dessert and it was decent. Nice hot/cold mix.
Nothing to write home about. Some good dishes but most were average. I probably won't be making an effort to head back unless something really compels me to.
In terms of atmosphere, Cafe Pinot can't be beat. The indoor seating is nice with huge glass windows that let you look out onto the streets of Downtown L.A. The outdoor patio is beautiful and the mood is relaxed. It shares a view of the gardens/greenery that lead up to the massive Los Angeles Public library. Enclosed by skyscrapers, it equal parts California upscale casual dining and downtown metropolitan chic.
As far as the food goes, it is pretty sub-par. I started with the crab cake, which was okay but nothing special. I then had the beef short rib, which was way too fatty. It came with cauliflower puree. I was with someone who ordered the black cod consomme, which was bland and watery. The service was just average. Prices were about right considering the food and the ingredients used (though there is better out there in the same price range). Maybe we just got the wrong dishes. I doubt if I will be back anytime soon.
By the way, a 3 course dinner here (without drinks, tax, or tip) will run you about $45-$60.
For parking, there is valet or you can park in the library parking structure.
FYI, Cafe Pinot is owned and operated by the Patina Group.
The food is prepared and presented well. Not wildly original. The service is just OK. It's a really lovely restaurant and their patio and covered patios are wonderful dining options. It's a good place for a small celebratory dinner. I wouldn't trust their waitstaff with a large, hugely important event, however. As part of the Patina group, there is no corkage fee so BYOB if you'd like to save some money on wine.
Cafe Pinot is well located in the heart of Downtown LA. Driving through felt a lot like SF with the hills and Manhattan with the tall buildings. At Cafe Pinot, you great a great view of the tall towers and the LA County Library.
The evening starts off with parking. Be prepared to bring at least $10 for parking, especially if you are going to spend a quality night dining. I would recommend the underground parking rather than parking at outside lots. The elevator from the parking structure near the restaurant takes you directly within footsteps of the restaurant.
The ambiance was excellent for fine dining. It had much a Victorian type decor surrounding the restaurant.
I came here with my friend for Dine LA week. For this occasion, Cafe Pinot set out a 3 course meal with 3 different options for appetizer, main entree, and dessert.
I got the Beet Salad, Rotisserie Chicken, and Glazed Apple with Ice Cream. My friend got a potato soup, sea bass, and chocolate lava cake. We got a high quality white wine to compliment our meals.
Overall, the food was very tasty. My only complaint is that the portion size were small. I was expecting a little bit more food while paying $30+.
I would recommend reserving a night here for an anniversary, important date, or important occasion. The reason I say this is you will probably spend a couple of Benjamins for a party of 2.
What is up with restaurants changing their DineLA menus on us? They need to update that site, it makes me feel cheated. Had I known that Cafe Pinot was no longer offering mussels, I would've gone over to Roy's.
The food was good, nothing special. In fact, the sea bass I had for my dinner entree was very similar to what my mom makes at home, right down to the seasoning. The potato soup had a nice smokey flavor due to the bacon, but it was so thin it tasted just like puree. My favorite dish was dessert. Since we had a bigger group, we were able to try all the desserts. The apple crumble was the best, imo. The chocolate lava was a dry brownie compared to Roy's Molten Lava.. just made me wish AGAIN that we had gone there instead. And the worst was the cheesecake..was that GOAT CHEESE I just tasted? Yep, just about an entire bar of goat cheese masquerading as regular cheesecake on a graham cracker crust. It would've worked if it was mixed with something else, but it was just way too much for me. We pushed it aside after a couple of bites.
All in all, it was decent dinner but nothing to write home about. The service was prompt and personable, probably because we beat the dinner rush. Our server also gave us a side of fries on the house after one of the girls asked to sub her veggies for fries. And they gave us all a free dessert coupon for our next visit (which I'll gladly pass along to anyone who wants it.) But the food is what I go by, and judging from our dinner, I don't think I'll be back.
We went to pinot last night for our friend's 30th birthday.
We were a large party and did not have to wait at all for our table.
Which was nice.
After we sat, water was served within minutes and we ordered a few bottles of Dominus cab.
Our waitress was one of the worst waitresses i've ever had.
Inattentive, slow, inefficient, and hard to understand.
We joked about ordering, because it would be about 15 minutes between each approach to the table.
Water...15 min... Wine... 15 min... Bread... 15 min. Etc.
For appetisers we had (in no particular order) ceasar salad, beef carp, risotto and beet salad. Entrees: bass, chicken, scallops, gnocci, steak. And a few bottles of 03 egelhoff cab.
The service continued to be bad as the meal went on.
Anytime we needed something, our waitress was nowhere to be found. We relied on bussers and managers for most things.
Wine glasses weren't polished when we had new ones for the wines.
Plates were not all dropped together, instead staggered... So some people would have started eating while others waited to get their food.
When you are paying top dollar and a place prides itself on being "fine dining" these small things should be expected.
I'd give the food a solid 4 stars, the wine a solid 5... but the service was so bad that it brings the whole experience down.
Oh well. I did see they arent charging corkage in 2009... That's awesome!
I dined here last Saturday with my husband and two very fastidious, sophisticated food-loving friends and we were all very pleased. First of all, if you're going to catch a show, get there in plenty of time. We weren't going to show but the service was still fantastic and prompt. Our waiter, Jorge, was super attentive, quick, friendly and had great suggestions. We were also waited on by another lady with glasses whose name we didn't get but I think was a manager or assistant manager. She was also really nice, super helpful and attentive. We sat on the lovely patio closest to the garden with a view of the library. Very calming, lovely, and beautiful. It was a bit chilly but we were comfortable under the heating lamps.
Get the Mixed Heirloom Tomato appetizer. It's fantastic! I'm craving it as I'm writing this. My husband got the Duo of Beef and he said it was the best dish he had had in recent memory. It consists of filet mignon, redwine braised short rib, potato puree, wild mushrooms and natural jus.
One friend got the Kansas City Steak. I tasted it. I thought it was tender, flavorful with just the perfect amount of crust but my husband thought it was a bit tough. It comes with their specialty fries which were herbed and not oily. I appreciated that they were not covered with salt as is often the case.
The other friend got the Red Snapper Papillote which was one of their specials of the day. Upon Jorge unwrapping the papillote, the fish came out cooked to perfection though very slightly raw in the middle but infused with the flavor of onions, red peppers and herbs.
I decided to try the risotto and truffles as a main dish entrée since I had not had truffles before. This was very well done. However, I discovered I am not a truffle person, so I would not get this again because it is infused with truffle oil which is very different from mushroom flavor.
We tried 3 desserts. We had the Warm Apple Crumble with vanilla ice cream where the apples were marinated to perfection in essence of cinnamon.
We also tried the Coconut Panna Colada which was a coconut pudding, tasting rich with the taste of heavy cream and rum soaked pineapple broth. It was supposed to have macadamia nuts but instead was draped with long shavings of nonchewable coconut. Different but good except for the inedible coconut.
We also tried the Chocolate Hazelnut Gateau. The cocoa ' soil' seemed to overpower the cake which we've had better. It was supposed to be accompanied by chocolate gelato but I didn't see any.
We were so happy that Café Pinot was on their game--in contrast to some of the reviews we've read...what a lovely dinner in a beautiful setting!
Typically, I'm always one for free food. One of the perks of my job is to be able to attend events and nosh on hors d'oeuvres and entrees until I feel full enough to be a beached whale. Yes people, I know I'm supposed to be a 'lady' and only eat in small quantities, but I become utterly powerless before food :(
Anyways, I was quite excited when we planned a dinner event at Cafe Pinot last year. It sounded like a classy place with an interesting menu. Well. Let's just say that my excitement went to waste.
First off, getting to this place is an undertaking in itself. It took me 35 minutes to get from my workplace, which was only 8 blocks away! Stupid downtown one-way traffic. Then, the valet parking (thank god for it), requires you to try and stop along the road in the middle of downtown traffic. Since they only had a couple of people working, I had to sit in my car and wait, praying that I wouldn't be bumper-car-ed out of the way by some maniacal driver trying desperately to get out of the area.
The restaurant itself is pretty nice. As soon as I tasted the food though, I realized that this place is only about a half-step better than the rubber chicken plates they have at award/event banquet dinners. The service itself was fine, but the food was pretty tasteless. I chose the lemon cheesecake for dessert, thinking "well, I can't go wrong with cheesecake" -- boy, was I wrong. It turned out to be more sour than the look on Tori Spelling's face when she found out she wouldn't be paid the same amount as Jenny Garth and Shannon Doherty for guest appearances on the new 90210 (Yes, okay, please shoot me for that reference).
I guess what I'm saying is, there are a lot of other restaurants you could go spend your money on for a much better meal. I'm glad my money wasn't spent there...
It's a quaint little place next to the LA Public Library, with a nice patio seating. I think it's more for your downtown power lunch meetings -- for dinner, it was so so. I'd give it 2 stars for the app, 4 stars for the entrees, and 2 stars for the dessert. The standout was the halibut with veggies, which was well seared and then baked, along with some refreshing nice greens.
However, I'd give it 3.5 stars for the fries: garlic parsley fries that are sold during lunch (only?).
I had my parents 40th Anniversary Party at Cafe Pinot with a guest list of 21 people. The dinner was held in the Sky Room and the ambiance was perfect. Cafe Pinot is surrounded by a beautiful garden and the great architecture of the downtown L.A. library. Cafe Pinot's staff was amazing and were on top of everything. They really went above and beyond our expectations. The hors d'oeuvre were great and the guests really enjoyed them. The beet market salad and the Braised Short Rib with Filet Mignon was amazing. And for dessert was a decadent Chocolate Lava cake. Overall I was very pleased with the way everything turned out. The manager Vincent, The head Chef Kevin and Arturo our waiter did a fantastic job. If you are every looking for a place to hold an event Cafe Pinot is the place to go! I will upload the pictures from this event so you can see for yourself how beautiful this place is.
Pathetic service.
A third of the menu is not available. WTF?
Food is mediocre at best.
What else can one say? Find somewhere else. Don't say I didn't warn you.
There's nothing like dining in downtown, especially near central library. A large group of my coworkers and I came here for an extended lunch and were given our own room. I am genuinely surprised by the abundance of negative reviews since I had such a wonderful dining experience here.
We started off with an appetizer, butternut squash soup. It was decent, but I definitely have had better. Light, smooth, and exactly like butternut squash, it just needed some more flavor. The rotisserie chicken was great: moist, tender, and lightly seasoned, I finished this dish in record time. I also enjoyed the side of fries sprinkled with herbs that accompanied it, although they were a tad dry. For dessert I had the blueberry cheesecake, which was good, but the blueberries were very very tart (the sherbet on the side made up for it). We then finished our meal by chatting over coffee.
Because we were such a large group, we had many servers assigned to us, refilling our glasses with sparkling or flat water, asking us if we needed anything, constantly saying thank you to us instead of vice versa, and were overall extremely courteous and timely.
I'll admit that for the price, the food can be better. Nevertheless, Cafe Pinot still has my recommendation.
The food was OK - honestly I don't remember because I was here for a spectacular wedding and wasn't paying much attention to what I was eating. Beet salad, some kind of chicken, and wedding cake made by their bakery.
What I do remember is that the service was fabulous. Professional, courteous, organized, informed, timely. Water and wine refilled quickly, plates taken away promptly. The restaurant was closed for the wedding, and we were definitely taken care of. Great night in a beautiful setting in the middle of downtown.
Pasta for $22... to borrow a phrase from my brother, wtfomg.
Need I say more?
Been here a couple times with coworkers. At first I was all excited because it's the restaurant from the reality show "Age of Love". And then I realized I just admitted to watching "Age of Love"...
that was embarrassing, back to the review.
I feel like this restaurant could be a lot better than it is. Some dishes are fabulous, others are down right awful. Once I ordered hamachi with mango, grapefruit granita and baby basil. It was fabulous! Ordered it a second time and the fish must of been off, or maybe the grapefruit was too sour so I sent it back and asked for soup. The waiter had the audacity to question me. He took the plate away, went into the kitchen to talk to the chef, then came back out and told me the chef said that was how it was "supposed to taste". I know what raw fish tastes like and it shouldn't taste like what they served me, kthaxbai! My coworker was served over cooked salmon steak that was near the consistency of beef jerky.
The place does have a nice ambiance with out door seating next to the library. Good place for client meetings, but it is definitely not the best of downtown.
it should be a 3.5, the place has alot of potential I believe it hasn't hit yet.
What do I remember about Cafe pinot?..... THE BUTTER!
Dunno why, first thought that came to my mind was, damn that butter was good, like it was churned fresh from a virgin cow free of hormones.
Seriously right? it's just butter, but it was damn good.
Now to the meat and bones of the review.
Petite Filet, was cooked perfectly. Delicious, but as the name says, petite, it ain't gonna fill you up which is why it comes paired with braised beef.
The Braised beef? it tasted unseasoned. and kinda dry. I couldn't finish it and ended up trying to give it away for some of my friend's salmon which was the bomb diggity.
The salmon, yummy. It is a slice of salmon heaven with wacky green moss on top. seriously don't know what the green moss is, but the fish was delicious.
Scallop ceviche. Yummy also, i can eat 20 hongkong spoonfuls (they use those wacky chinese soup spoons) of that. They should hand those out for free to all the disgruntled people reviewing this place for having bad service. It would change their minds.
overall, like any restaurant, i guess its about what you order. next trip back will = salmon with green moss (seriously what is that green stuff?), scallop ceviche as appetizer, and a ton of butter for my bread. I'll eat the petite filet again, but note to chef, something is wrong with your braised beef. Teach your line cooks how to season properly and keep it from drying out.
We went only because it's right across from the hotel and it was late and we're starving & tired. Given a choice (& more energy), I'd pass this place so fast...
The service was even though. The prices were way too high for something not too spectacular. I should have known - it's a Patina Group's restaurant. Let that be a caution label for you.
We just wanted some food before we fall asleep on our faces at the table, fortunately, the food came promptly. My duck was good, and the pork choppy-thingy was OK too but the sauce was non-existent.
Food was pretty good, service was decent. Nice location right by the library.
I liked it. Great location by library. Try to go when you can sit outside and enjoy.
Hmmm...went here for the dine LA event. Friends seemed happy with the pumpkin soup and risotto. I have food alleriges and got stuck with the artichoke. It was very earthy and mushroom like in flavor. Not really the way I hoped to start off a meal. I barely ate it and might have offended the waiter when i said "Eh, it was ok...I guess". Apparently, it's the best appetizer they serve and gets requested often. Ok.....but, I still didn't love it. The salmon was great. I liked the sauces on top and veggies. It was very tender. yummy.
Bad part was that they tried to kill me!! They served me the apple crumble and said it was ok to eat with my allergies cuz they left out the crumble part. IT WAS NOT OK!!!! I broke out in hives on the way home. It was not worth getting hives for. Boo, you suck Cafe Pinot!
The setting at Cafe Pinot is five stars. Come at twilight and you'll be on the garden patio in a beautiful courtyard in front of the central library, with trees lit up against the LA skyline background. The waiters and staff are great too, really knowledgeable, attentive, and fun. Unfortunately, across the board the food has been lackluster; not bad, just not what you expect in this setting. The ambiance wins the day though, and I'll be back, but probably just for drinks or dessert.
I looked at the reviews for this place and it seemed like it was so so, but not too bad. They were participating in the Dine LA thing, so dinner would only $34. Don't get me wrong, I'm willing to pay good money if the food and service is great, but hey, a deal's a deal :)
Little did i know it became one of the worst dinners I ever had. I still say this even though they ended up giving my meal on the house (hence 2 stars). But that just tells me that they KNEW it was a bad job.
I got the poached artichoke appetizer, and was clueless as to what the chef wanted me to eat. It was literally a halfed artichoke with a nice sauce on the side. an artsy presentation I admit, but still! I tried taking leaves and nibbling on them, and all i got was something that was like a corn husk. The heart of it gave me two measily bites, but i mean seriously, how are you supposed to eat it? i was even more apalled that the head waiter came by to see what my complaint was and he mentions that it's just the nature of nice restaurants to give meals that seem difficult to eat. WTF? maybe i had a bad 'choke, but i'm not a poor student that was looking for a cheap meal.
anyway, I admit that the salmon I ordered was good. Not the best, but good enough to satisfy me. It wasn't overcooked and the top was nice and crispy. Obviously i gobbled it up since I didn't eat my appetizer.
The apple crumble dessert was interesting and tasty. I found it interesting that the crumbles were sweet yet salty and brought out the sweetness of the apple. Not my favorite, but it's good if you like apple crumble.
My friend got the chicken, which yes i agree with one of the pp that is was so dry and bland. She barely took a few bites. and the french fries? it's not easy to mess up, so they were ok.
As for the service, it was horrible. Somehow being on the Dine LA menu puts you on the "do not serve" list or something because it was REALLY hard to get the waiter to come by even though he was serving everyone else around us. We had to flag him down every single time! Even getting some bread w/ our butter seemed like pulling teeth.
I really felt like a second class citizen...if I knew it'd be like this I would've worn sweats...with stains...and a hole in the pants.
In the end, I got my meal for free, but i'm sure they weren't crying over the $35 they lost on my dinner.
Outstanding savory dishes. Their duck breast is the best that I have had - extremely juicy. They served an antelope medallions special with sweet potatoes which complemented the antelope perfectly. Their chocolate decadence dessert is excellent, as is their ice cream. Parking is available from the valet or underneath the library and is validated. Check out the LA public library while you're here. They have LA's only library copy of Bernard Rudofsky's Behind the Picture Window, 749.R917 - a very funny book about eating habits in Western civilization. It is filed with the window treatment books - don't worry. More funny books about food: Counter Intelligence (about LA restaurants), Jonathan Gold, and Tummy Trilogy (about a variety of US restaurant adventures in the 1960's), Calvin Trillin.
Just another love TKO
It's strange how perspective makes such an impression on everything we experience. You can drink a fancy imported beer and not be impressed. You can drink a cheap domestic out of a can on a scorching hot day after you've been doing manual labor in the hot sun for the past 6 hours and experience a moment of unbridled emotion as you quench your epic thirst.
How then do we truly rate and measure our dining experiences? Is it solely by empirical data? Wherein rests the intersection of food, drink and decor? What becomes of the influence from that which cannot be seen? How do we temper our opinions when they are unduly shaped by the Blue Morpho Butterfly that flutters in our heart?
I was the fortunate recipient of a romantic Valentine Dinner at Cafe Pinot. As my invitation came by total surprise, my senses remained heightened throughout the evening. As the location is in the heart of Bunker Hill, the ambers of fond memories experienced in the area were fanned by the fluttering of Butterfly wings.
Our reservation in the latter half of the evening seemed to work to our advantage. The pull-up to the Valet was effortless. Even arriving early caused but a short pause before we were seated. Our waiter was a good mix of rough edges and polished surfaces, my kinda guy. As the evening consisted of a Prix-Fixe Valentine Menu, much of my decision making process would be mercifully curtailed.
When it was time to order, we opted for the 3 course selection. For the lady: yellowfin tuna and granny apple mille-feuille, argan oil and opal basil followed by pan-seared scallops, yellow chanterelle, baby leek and rainbow chard with caviar sabayon , and shiso salad. For the gentleman (I was a gentleman last night): roasted eggplant and tahini soup with maitake mushroom and shaved Parmesan followed by pan-roasted venison chop, quince-ginger chutney, braised chestnut and celeriac mousseline. Dessert would follow.
We loosened up with a couple of avg-above avg. mojito's. The drinks weren't bad, it was just the mood heavily outweighed any presence the drinks could muster. After my mind began taking into account the decadence that awaited and the wonderful presentation of plates passing by, I was quite certain I would have to put out later that evening. I was glad we opted to pass on the 4 course offering. Championships are never won on full stomachs.
Our food did not arrive in record time. On any other night, it may have been noticed. But tonight, with romance in the air, Blue Morpho's fluttering, and two sets of dove eyes locked in a trance, the delay was advantageous. The yellowfin tuna was delicate in presentation yet tasty. The eggplant soup was just short of hearty. It had a rich, full flavor that was the perfect precursor of what awaited.
Our entree's arrived just as the wings of the mighty Blue Morpho began to crave sustenance. The scallops were delicious. The venison, accompanied by a full-bodied California Cabernet was de-licious as well. Served medium-rare, the rich (gamey?) flavor had the necessary presence to match the excellent wine. On any other plate, the quince-ginger chutney and mousseline offering would have been too strong to enjoy. Here tonight, the pairing was appreciated.
Sadly, there was but a small taste of chocolate to be found on the dessert offering. By that time it didn't matter. The mighty Blue Morpho was nourished and in full flight, radiant for all to see. Dessert was pleasant, but not memorable. Maybe that was the point. Should dessert on Valentines Day be enjoyed in a restaurant? I think not!
How do I categorize the overall visit? The food was very good, make no doubt. The service was excellent. Our server was like a ninja, floating in and out without being seen, what more could you ask for? In all honesty, I must acknowledge my distorted sense of reality. If I didn't I would have to rate my experience 10 stars. How could I not? I was pampered for an evening filled with sensory pleasure by a hot woman who kept checking out my body.
Were it not for the dessert offering the rating would be 5 stars.
The evening itself; sublime.
After passing by the restaurant so many times downtown, I finally had a (company sponsored!) chance to eat there. And it was as fancy as Patina restaurants model themselves to be...everything from excellent service to shi-shi displays of tasty food. We started with the seasonal tomato salad and ceviche (it was the stereotypical tiny morsel of food on a huge white dish!) and then I had the seared tuna. The tuna dish wasn't the best that I've had, but it was light and just what I wanted for lunch.
The bread pudding dessert wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but they make killer cappucinos and lattes! Maybe its the Illy coffee they use...I've got ot get myself some.
The best part is the great enviroment. I love the many windows and serene setting in the middle of chaotic downtown LA.
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