Violet Bistro - Westwood Village

I was browsing through Resy a few days back and found this place - https://violetla.com/about-violet-bistro/

I live very close to Westwood Village and had no idea a new(ish) restaurant had opened up.

I’m very happy it did & hope it sticks around. There are so few good options in the Village.

Apologies on the pics - I usually start snarfing and then remember to take a pic.

Cocktail - Monsieur Pimm - refreshing and delicious!

Caesar salad - excellent salad with a bit more zip (lemon?) that a regular caesar.

The outdoor space - cozy right?

Burger - delicious

Halibut - slightly overcooked but when eaten together with the corn and tomatoes, excellent.

Pavlova - light and creamy with some crunch. Very good.

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Where in the village is it? Kinda looks like the space that was part of the brewery?

It’s between Tender Greens and Profeta. Apparently the building just sat empty for several years.

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It’s in the old Sak’s Teriyaki spot. Violet added a second floor and added a patio area.

My husband used to love Sak’s when he was there. Thanks for the report!

Been there. It’s ok. I feel bad for them, opening just before the pandemic. They had cooking classes.

Went last night and it was REALLY great.
Pumpkin Bisque with toasted pepitas, rosemary and a maple/beurre drizzle was like fall in a bowl. Mizou’s Simple salad was perfect
Loved the Striped Bass and Rotisserie Chicken with sumac aleppo rub.

But the best was the side of Frites - OMG!
Thet are cut so uniquely -and have both crunch and meaty bites on every frite.
Pic lifted from the web:
image

Great service, cozy - but distanced - tables and a lovely environment with a FULL BAR.
Damn - in Westwood of all places.
@paranoidgarliclover - seems right in your wheelhouse - I’ll buy your meal if you don’t love it. NOT!!!

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WTF are those frites??? Is that… caviar on top??? Any place w/ good frites is gonna be a hit w/ me.

Does sound delish. Will let you know when I make it out. :smiley:

No caviar.
Just some herbs.

Still probably right up my alley, anyway. :slight_smile:

What a find! Went last night and it was REALLY REALLY great!

The Rotisserie chicken was as good as I can remember anywhere. The frites are other-worldly. The owner, Dana, was charming and brought us an order on the house after I mentioned CiaoBob’s review. Striped bass was also delicious. The patio is charming and transports you from LA. They have a nice full bar and pour a very nice drink. In Westwood Village of all places. The tables are well spaced, service is great. Could not be better! This and Mirame in the same month!

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So glad you enjoyed it.
I can’t wait to go back.

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Thanks again for the tip. As an aside, we had an extra order of frites (on the house) that I took home and refrigerated. Unlike most fries that dont travel well, these were surprisingly good cold the next day.

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What a great neighborhood spot.

We had a 7:15 reservation last night and weren’t seated until 7:45 which was a real lousy way to start the meal. The worst part was the hostess never bothered to communicate at all. No help to get a cocktail while we waited or even letting us know they were behind and our table would be ready in 15-20m or whatever. There was a serious lack of hospitality on arrival which was a bummer.

However, once we sat down I’ve got no complaints. Our server was on point as was the food.

Here’s what we ate:
Baguette x2 w/ mornay
Salad Mizou
Cauliflower
Champignons a L’Antoines (fun riff on escargots served in the same dish but it’s diced up mushrooms, spinach and breadcrumbs)
Bistro Steak Au Poivre
Smashburger x2
Frites
Carrot Cake (special of the night)
Profiterole

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Yeah service there can be hit-or-miss. But the food is usually really delicious.

Glad the rest of the meal was good, but I think that kind of problem is worth sending a polite communication to management…

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Agreed. I sent an email earlier today explaining what happened, but haven’t heard back.

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I have had similar ish experiences, which is to say it can be a bit aloof at the host stand when the restaurant is particularly busy. But service has always been solid to great, and I really enjoy the food. I also did a private cooking class in their upstairs commercial kitchen/event space, which was a total blast. One of my favorite neighborhood spots on the Westside (or Westside adjacent if you consider East of 405 to be the demarcation line) even given the slight quibbles.

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Sadly the chef just announced she’s leaving

https://www.instagram.com/p/C3g0Wf1LsoR/?img_index=1

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Posting this, not in anyway to take away from your excellent intel and post - but I just feel I should defend/present a dissent about a place I love.
10+ visits - never had an issue with a wait time more than a few minutes. Perhaps the rain has limited their out door space in some way.