Vintage Café & Martini Bar

Vintage Café & Martini Bar Restaurant Review:

This cozy spot captures precisely why Uptown Whittier has become a hip place to dine in Los Angeles County. Festooned with an elegantly subdued black and off-white color scheme accented by flourishes of red, the compact dining area conveys a sense of warm, approachable intimacy with zero room for pretense. A healthy portion of the space is taken up by the bar, which is perfect for a pre-meal glass of wine or a cocktail like a Sazerac or a Moscow Mule. The ambience ties in rather well with the kitchen’s culinary motif of contemporary fare accented by fine dining touches. This is honest food, simply made with smart flavor composition and straightforward technique. It’s a formula that results in sumptuous starter plates, such as the smoky, tender Spanish octopus or the classically served escargots with sop-worthy garlic butter sauce. It’s also the engine that drives the delightful entrées, such as the roasted boneless chicken with baby carrots and garlic herb pan jus or the miso and saké-marinated Chilean sea bass. Desserts are highlighted by the warm French apple tart.