 "Tavern" may be an old-fashioned way to say "bar," but in the expert hands of Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne (Lucques, A.O.C.), it becomes an "à la mode" restaurant composed of three distinct elegant rooms. In the front is the Larder, ideal for grabbing a croissant or taking home some house-made bread, hand-crafted salumi, salads, cheeses, or a bottle from an intriguing boutique winery. A hip crowd has adopted Tavern's vibrant lounge as a place to gather over cocktails and small bites, making it a good spot for solo diners to wander in. The main dining area, with its glass roof, is appropriately called the Atrium, and is warmed up by two olive trees and dangling chandeliers. The zinc-topped tables proudly retain their stemware stains, proof of the good times experienced there. The menu is small but appealing. Choose between a green salad with avocado and Dungeness crab, roasted asparagus with polenta, a fried egg and pecorino; or diver scallops with young onion soubise to start. Lamb merguez served with almonds and roasted apricots also rates highly. There is market fish (orate during our visit) accompanied by green rice and crème fraîche. We enjoy the duck confit with haricots verts, hazelnuts and bing cherries, but both meat and pasta were too dry in the beef daube with ricotta gnocchi. To finish, go with the mix of the chocolate mousse with espresso granita and praline ice cream; or the walnut galette served with mascarpone and saba. Styne has put together a wine list of mostly French and domestic labels that include many small, interesting wineries, but includes some pricy items, like the 2003 Vin de Pays from Domaine de la Grange des Pères at $160.
|
Send to Phone 
Tavern Restaurant is one of our 2012
| Top 10 LA American Restaurants
| Top 10 LA Picnic Basket Restaurants
| Top 10 LA Thanksgiving Restaurants
|
We got the scoop! Find out what President Barack Obama had for dinner when he went to Tavern restaurant on April 21st, 2011. Watch our exclusive video interview with partner/owner Caroline Styne at GAYOT.com's blog.
Splurging at top-rated restaurants is fun for special events, but where can you go for a good quality meal that won't break the bank? Gather the change out of your piggy bank and sofa cushions and take it to one of our selections for the best cheap eats in your area. Also, check out our picks for the Top 40 Cheap Eats in the U.S.
