Ortolan - CLOSED

• Cuisine(s): French
  Hours: Tue-Sat 6pm-10pm
  Price: $$$
• Payment Types: MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover
  Features: Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Private Party, Fireplace, Prix Fixe
  Serving: Brunch, Dinner
• Alcohol: Full bar
  Reservations: Accepted, Recommended
  Parking: Valet

Description

At a time when half the émigré chefs in California are putting their knowledge of Escoffier to work cooking pasta, Ortolan, which reflects Christophe Emé's Loîre-trained palate, may be the most serious French restaurant in Los Angeles. If you are a fan of intimate restaurant spaces, dining rooms so dark that diners are issued little flashlights along with their menus, and presentations that extend to soup served in test tubes and pates in goldfish bowls, then Ortolan may be the restaurant for you. Actually, Ortolan's basic premise - high-level French cooking served in a supper-club setting - is an attractive one. And Emé, who co-owns the restaurant with his paramour, Jeri Ryan, who is often to be seen working the room, is remarkably skilled: The seasonal squab, served as a roasted breast paired with a leg confit, is exceptional, as are the crisp langoustines done in the style of Robuchon, and the complex tasting menus are among the most accomplished in town.