Republique pasta remains as perfect as ever, although the use of foie gras was too light for the spinach cavatelli with kale and pecorino at a most recent visit. Still, it is pasta you can eat and feel healthy ingesting. The pasta is perfectly al dente, sumptuously sauced and comes together gloriously in an orgy of richness and vegetal depth as well as zest from the cheese and bits of liver. Just utterly wondrous.
Their beautiful beignets have switched to cheddar, which I find ok, but a bit overpowering for the sweet potato inside. Still, not bad, if a bit âsluttyâ.
Cocktails remain unreal good at Republique. The plum that is in season captues the essence of plum in a deep, punget way and is spectacular to drink.
A custom concoction of blackberries ad egg whites yielded a perfectly balanced sour type of drink of the type that is somehow beyond the ken of most bar tenders. A kind of blackberry milkshake almost, but with more clarity of flavorâŠincredible, and still staunchly stiff as well:
Republique remains a tremendously fun place to drink cocktails and eat pasta.
Iâd been to Republique for dinner a couple times a while back, but never ordered their pastas. Thanks to @Porthos@Ns1@djquinnc@Aesthete@T3t@President_Mochi, and everyone, we decided to go back and try their pastas.
Walking in, itâs clear to see that Republique remains one of the most popular places to eat in the city. Packed on every visit for dinner (and their brunch has a line out the door), they must be doing something right.
Helmed by Chef Walter Manzke (Patina, Church & State, and worked in the kitchens of El Bulli and Alain Ducasse), this is his flagship, putting out what looks like a mix of European and American dishes and incorporating ingredients from a variety of cultures.
Grapefruit (Tequila, Oro Blanco-infused Vermouth, Lime):
A visually stunning presentation, the Lamb Tartare was delicious! Well balanced flavors of the chopped up Lamb and the Anchoiade gave it just enough of an interesting briny flavor.
I think Iâd agree with @Porthos in that the Octopus itself was so-so (slightly rubbery), but the Watermelon, Cabbage mixed with the Chile-Lime and crunch of Pistachios were light and really refreshing.
European White Asparagus (Asparagus Mousseline, Pee Wee Chicken Egg, Porcini, Parmesan):
Winner! The European White Asparagus tasted tender enough to have been sous-vide / boiled, before being coated in a slightly crunchy Parmesan crust. Breaking the Egg Yolk and mixing it all together resulted in a luxurious mouthfeel that never took away from the White Asparagusâ inherent taste.
English Pea Agnolotti (Brown Butter, Parmesan, Mint, Meyer Lemon):
This was recommended by one of our friends who joined us this evening. What a wonderful Cocktail! It was light, delicate, tropical without going over-the-top, and the Apricot and Lime flavors came through to balance things out. So good!
First, the Bucatini was perfectly cooked al dente. Great firmness, yet just soft enough, without being mushy. It served as the perfect vehicle for Black Truffles. This was pretty darn delicious! But they werenât as fragrant as the best Perigord Truffles weâve had.
Another excellent Cocktail! Republique seems to be churning out some of the better Cocktails for a restaurant currently. Really balanced, refreshing, with farmers market fresh fruit and herbs. The Strawberry was present throughout, but nicely complemented by the Gin, Amaro, Sherry and Lemon.
Marin Sun Farms Lamb Leg (Porcini Mushrooms, Polenta, Salsa Verde, Arugula):
I was looking forward to this. I havenât had a good Leg of Lamb in a long time. Sadly, this was a disaster!
Chewy slices of Lamb Leg with gristle, it was overly chewy and only partially tender in parts. I wouldâve taken a braised Leg of Lamb over this. The flavors were also rather straightforward and a bit boring. At $30 (+tax & tip) for this dish alone, you would hope it would be inspired.
Seeing @Porthosâ report and others, it seems their Grilled Meats are things worth skipping.
Went back for another visit (4th dinner), starting with:
Bread & Normandy Butter (Rodolphe Le Meunier Beurre de Baratte):
Their fresh, in-house baked Baguette, served simply with some of the most amazing Butter on the planet, this was simple, yet amazing! Thereâs something almost primal about eating fresh-baked Bread with a spread of Normandy Butter. Iâve never tried Rodolphe Le Meunier Beurre de Baratte, but it imparts this real, deep, outstanding buttery taste⊠like the way âButterâ ought to taste. Wow!
Probably the only misstep for Cocktails weâve had at Republique, this was too boozy, and unbalanced. There was a noticeable burn. It was a busy night for the bar (it looked like a mad house), but itâs still disappointing. The Watermelon did come through, but it wasnât that enjoyable.
Live Santa Barbara Spot Prawn (Cherry Tomatoes, Purslane, Sauce Choron):
You usually see Live Santa Barbara Spot Prawns at top-end Sushi restaurants, or great Hong Kong Seafood restaurants, so I was really glad to see them offered here at Republique! I had to order this.
It was perfect! A beautiful preparation, cooked just through, the Spot Prawn still very tender with a nice meatiness. It also helped that my Spot Prawn was full of Shrimp Roe! Add in the Sauce Choron, the super fresh Cherry Tomatoes, and it was happiness on a plate!
Sonoma Duck Leg Confit (Braised Red Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, Baby Turnips, Wild Oregon Huckleberries):
Stunning. Crisped Duck Skin on the outside, well seasoned, with a great poultry flavor coming through. The Braised Red Cabbage and Wild Huckleberries were on the sweet, vinegary side (not something I like), but the Duck Confitâs deep flavors on the saline side balanced things out.
But the real winner was just how succulent, moist and tender the Duck Leg Confit was. Hopefully this picture captures that:
This was much better (and made by a different bartender). Really interesting balanced Cocktail. The Gin was apparent, but the Grapefruit and Lime really kept it focused, so the citrus and natural bitterness & fragrance of Grapefruit was the spotlight.
And we had to try another pasta, this time, a handmade Spaghetti - which results in a softer, more tender Pasta than dry Spaghetti - with fresh Dungeness Crab. This was another favorite of our meal!
A good brininess, accenting the flavors of the Dungeness Crab, in a lightly buttery sauce. Just a great Seafood Pasta!
Service was spot-on for two of our visits, and sort of semi-absent for two of our other visits.
While the pastas and most of the appetizers were standout and excellent, with great Cocktails (mostly), thereâs one key reason I donât know if Iâd go back to Republique that often, and I hesitate to recommend it:
The price.
We easily averaged more than $100 per person (on one visit it was about $175 / person with no Wine). It just doesnât feel like a good QPR, despite putting out fantastic Pastas (that really seem like some of the best in L.A.). At those prices, you would think youâd get white tablecloths, fine dining, top notch service to match it, all in a setting where you donât have to shout to talk to each other (Republique for dinner is loud).
But clearly from the popularity and constantly packed dinner service, Angelenos have accepted the high price and informality. Republique also seems to have issues with their Grilled Meats, which is prominently featured on the menu, and have random misses throughout the menu. If youâre looking for great Pastas with price as no issue, definitely give Republique a visit.
Republique
624 South La Brea Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Tel: (310) 362-6115
I donât go to Republique that much for the same reason - love the place, never leave for less than $100pp. And I always eat at the barâŠhad a nice meal next to Bill Chait once.
Part of the problem is delicious cocktails at ~$14 a pop.
I think Jason Neroniâs new version of the Rose Cafe comes close and a (little) bit cheaper. Posted a review earlier in the summer hoping to get convince someone to do a full review lol but there were no takers.
Yah they were amazing. About the Lamb Tartare, I forgot to ask. We were having a good time, talking and were starving when the Lamb Tartare showed up. Suffice to say they were promptly devoured and then by the time our server came back (busy night), I forgot to ask.
I regularly spent $100-$150 pp all over. Iâd like to know if there are places at Repubkique levels for like $50 pp including cocktails because I really need to start going to them.
Thanks for the report @Chowseeker1999, i agree with you on the price. Republique and cassia are two places i would go to more often if not for the price.
Havenât been to Norah but I always spend about $100 at MB Post and Tar and Roses. Arguably you could restrict yourself to make it less. But you can restrict yourself at Republique. Iâve gone and just got pasta and salad and been fine. Admittedly t would be easier to do somewhere like MB Post but their cocktails are only maybe a buck or two less than Republiqueâs. 3 cocktails at either place with tip and tax will be about $50. Good cocktails always run up the bill in almost standardized pricing it seems.
Actually Suburbia could fit. Good cocktails and if you get the Loco Moco and dessert you can get out for $72. Reminds me I need to post about my recent trip there⊠But still⊠I guess for me that is nearly the same price conceptually. Maybe my own bias there since as I think about it, thatâs almost a $30 swing haha But I also think you could easily go spend $100/person at any of those places, not sure if all dishes are as generous at the loco moco at Suburbi for example and it would quickly climb to $86 and then a $14 swig feels almost the same to meâŠ
You would think it a place can offer $12 dishes you could offer $8 cocktails huh?
Ah, online Republique has starters that are as low as $12, many hors dâoeuvres at $12, and bread options ranging from $7-$9. Maybe the actual menu doesnât have any of those anymore though? Still yeah, I am not sure why their pasta is priced so high even relative to other high-end pasta places and in general youâre right. I havenât been to T&R in a while so wasnât thinking straight. I never had pasta at T&R before, is it as good as Republiqeâs?
Oh thereâs no doubt Republique is putting out amazing pasta, I agree with you and @Porthos.
The last time we went to Tar & Roses the pasta we had was good, but itâs been awhile, so I donât remember the details. And I wasnât going in trying to compare it to any place in particular, just enjoying a relaxing dinner with visiting friends.
Contrary to Petit Trois, Republique serves some ridiculously flavorful, if perhaps not totally authentic steak frites. Theyâve modified their steak and fries program so that an NY strip is a separate item from the ribeye, and somehow $95 for steak frites felt slightly too high for me, so I opted for the NY strip to see how it was, and it was everything you could ask from a dry-aged NY strip. Funk and meat tartness with perfectly seared, crisp edges, juicy fat and blood flowingâŠmmm
Even better, the sunchoke puree, and au gratin spinach whipped with foie gras underneath it was absolutely stunning as an accompaniment to the beef, providing an earthy, almost nutty flavor from the silky sunchoke, and astringency laced with the savor of fatty liver in the spinach. Rather indelible.
Even though it doesnât seem to need it, they still give you fries and aioli. The fries were perhaps a touch over crispy, but perfumed with a pungent herb blend, hot from the frier, and dipped in a touch of custardy aioli they made for the quintessentially comforting potato accompaniment to a steak main.
I was most pleased to see Georgian Saperavi on their wine list and decided to have a bottle to go with the steak. I love the funk of Georgian wines and am always happy when I see them listed.
With the steak and fries costing $56 pre-tax/tip, I still walked out spending $150 (I had a class of French Cahors before noticing the Saperavi bottle), but of course the bottle of wine is optional. Somehow I felt far happier dropping $73 on this steak and fries compared to the $57 at Petit Trois.
Republique remains a hopelessly grand place to while an evening away.
Thereâs something almost primal about eating fresh-baked Bread with a spread of Normandy Butter. Iâve never tried Rodolphe Le Meunier Beurre de Baratte, but it imparts this real, deep, outstanding buttery taste⊠like the way âButterâ ought to taste. Wow! 
Crisped Duck Skin on the outside, well seasoned, with a great poultry flavor coming through. The Braised Red Cabbage and Wild Huckleberries were on the sweet, vinegary side (not something I like), but the Duck Confitâs deep flavors on the saline side balanced things out.
We were having a good time, talking and were starving when the Lamb Tartare showed up. Suffice to say they were promptly devoured and then by the time our server came back (busy night), I forgot to ask.
