Bouchon
| Address: | 235 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, USA |
| Phone: | +1 310-271-9910 |
| Site: | thomaskeller.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 7AM–10PM 7AM–10PM 7AM–10PM 7AM–10PM 7AM–10PM 7AM–10PM 7AM–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 5
FO
Food Shutterbug
I’ve been here numerous times for lunch. AMBIANCE of the 2nd floor of Bouchon is more akin to a French style brasserie - dark wood panels, tiled floors, brass fixtures, high ceilings and an eye-catching seafood bar. Very energetic and can get quite loud unless youre seated in the private dining area overlooking the street. I think there were smaller tables on the street balconies, but since it was raining that day, everyone opted for the Main Dining Room. Most of the lunch patrons appeared to be a mix between Beverly Hills and LA locals on a shopping break, Montage hotel guests, and business people. Dressy casual ranging from t-shirts and jeans, to shirts and slacks. Its BH, but no need to dress to the nines here. SERVICE was nearly perfect from the greeters and waiter except the busboys made us feel slightly rushed when they took the last nub of Epi baguette without asking and almost walked off with my fries until my friend quickly intervened. Water glasses were always being replenished without asking. To be fair, it took the 2 of us to finish our 3-course lunch in an hour and a half - I noticed most lunch patrons were in and out in about an hour or so. My 2nd visit was just fine service wise. FOOD at Bouchon is the antithesis of what French Laundry offers - none of the wit, playing with the senses and derring-do execution displayed at the Yountville flagship that I experienced in the mid-90s. Rather, Bouchon offers Thomas Kellers Californized renditions of French homestyle bistro classics. Its not supposed to wow your senses. The end goal is to provide a lighter stick-to-your-ribs meal in upscale settings. Description of some of the items I’ve had during my visits: Salmon Tartar - Scottish salmon with a dollop of crème fraiche, chopped hard-boiled egg, capers, and red onions. The toasted crouton slices were the perfect vehicle to smear the tartar mix. Moules Frites - was skeptical after reading the description of Maine mussels cooked in cider, tarragon, mustard, shallots and bacon, but this was so surprisingly delicious, I ate every morsel and sopped the last bit of broth with Bouchons in-house baked Epi baguette. In the generous serving of steamed mussels, there was only one with a tiny bit of grit. Absolutely no sand in the broth. Fries were thin and crisp. Profiteroles - ended lunch with the cream puffs filled with French Vanilla ice cream. Profiteroles came plain and then the server offered to pour the warm chocolate sauce over the puffs. Whos gonna refuse that? For those concerned about prices, Bar Bouchon at street level offers many similar dishes at 1/2 the cost in more relaxed and quieter surroundings.
TE
TERRINA KENNEDY
Dined last night expecting to enjoy what had previously been a pleasant experience. Was served French Onion Soup at a dangerous scalding hot temperature. I was not informed it was too hot to even attempt eating! Thankfully, I did not put it in my mouth. Upon plunging the spoon into the cheese topping, soup spurted out shooting all over my dining companion and myself. I suffered severe burns to my lap(feminine area), thighs & hands! This was so severe that the red scars remain this morning!!! The manager simply said sorry after I had sat with 3 bags of ice trying to maintain some composure through the painful and humiliating ordeal! At the conclusion having eaten our entrees, the waitress simply offered baked goods and our check! I found the whole experience utterly dismissive, outrageously rude and inappropriate! The near complete lack of recognition for the suffering the chef /management had caused was appalling! I demanded to speak with the manager who stated, " I thought you were okay because you seemed to be smiling"! Ultimately we did not pay the check but were still billed for our 1bottle of wine! This was something we had to demand which should have been immediately attended to without our having to request. After spending my evening with bags of ice between my thighs & in a high degree of pain, concluding with a trip to the pharmacy for burn treatment,... I certainly feel mistreated. I am having to hope the red scars on my thighs disappear this morning. We found this dismissive unethical management completely and utterly unprofessional. My experience was painful and humiliating. I have left Bouchon having to worry about remaining scars!!!! The worst dining experience of my life!
BE
Ben Harounian
Summary: Good macarons, bad experience. This place has long lines from time to time, but dont let that fool you. The line moves quickly. The bakery has pre-made sandwiches on french baguettes, various pastries, and several types of drinks. I think the macarons are done very well here, second to Bottega Louie. This is place is closer, so it satisfies the craving when I dont want to drive to Bottega. tl;dr Dont buy the juice. Interesting note: In the bottom right section of their refrigerated display, the bakery has a sign with the words "Fresh Juice" written on it. When it was my turn to order, I asked if the juices were made fresh in the morning. The person helping me responded: "yes, we make these juices fresh every morning." Now, I dont know what this means to you, but to me, this means that fruits/vegetables are pressed/squeezed fresh every morning. So, I bought a fancy bottle of orange juice from Thomas Kellers Bouchon Bakery for $7. What. A. Lie. The juice tasted like Minute Maid. I went back in line and asked what they meant by "fresh," and this was the clarification I received: "we make our juices fresh from the can every day." Thats not fresh to me. In fact, the label is incredibly deceptive.
SA
Samuel Isaacs
The wee-Beverly Hills incarnation of the iconic Yountville bakery, located a couple of doors down from the bistro, Bouchon Bakery BH keeps a lot of the wonderful elements of the original in a far smaller space. Macaroons, as always are delicious, unique, extremely well executed, and a rare treat this side of the atlantic. By far one of the best places to get them in LA, but it is TK after all, so no surprises there. Havent really tried the bread, or any other pastries, but that will change soon. Espresso drinks are just okay, which was a bit disappointing, especially considering the price. However, the people that work there are great, extremely helpful, and down to earth (which is a rare quality in this part of town). The space does seem a little generic and impersonal. It feels more like an afterthought, than anything else, which might be my only complaint. Sitting room is non-existent, but there are plenty of tables in the courtyard, so its not really a problem. If this was in any other part of town, it would feel charmingly European, but alas, it is not. Dommage. *Originally on Yelp! //samuelisaacs
NO
norwest man
Stopped by last Friday evening with another couple, all of us famished. Weve all dined here at least once before and at past establishments, mainly based on Mr. Kellers almost saintly reputation. (Not including Las Vegas as that is too pathetic to even count) Each time weve left vaguely disappointed but this latest meal was simply awful. My wifes trout was served cold and tasteless. She left it mostly untouched. My roast chicken was roughly what youd expect from Dennys, edible but completely mediocre; barely warm, the skin soggy and the flavor bland. Didnt have dessert but my table mates did and reacted enthusiastically for the only time during the meal. Because of that and other indicators, I strongly suspect it was bought in from an outside vendor. The service surpassed the cuisine by a factor of ten, a sad state of affairs. No more skating by on your past glories, Chef. If your names on the place, youre responsible and the new reality is: you suck! I was actually ashamed on Kellers behalf. This wasnt an off night but the latest in a discernible pattern of decline. Never again.
