Fig & Olive

Reviews 3

KR

Krish Bhutwala

Prepare to read an extended review: Came here last on the LAST night of DineLA weeks, and SO happy we chose this restaurant for date night! We made a reservation for 7:30 pm and were running a little late, but they said it was not a problem. When we arrived there, we saw that the restaurant wasnt too crowded, the light was a little dim, and lying in the center of the restaurant was an aptly placed olive tree. With affectionately faint music playing in the background, the restaurant made for a perfectly romantic setting. Another reason Im happy we chose this restaurant is for the prices. Normally priced, my wallet would NOT be able to handle it. Lucky for us, the DineLA three-course meal option packed incredible value for a reasonable price (Pre-Fixe Dinner $50). I was also very impressed with our waiter, Andrew, who was far too learned of the Fig & Olive menu items, and recommended exactly the right choices for our taste (and got our dishes exactly right without even writing it down, definitely tipped him well). On to the food: For appetizers, we ordered the Maine Lobster Bisque (for DineLA) and also three crostinis (3 for $12). The lobster bisque was exquisite, full of a variety of flavors, among which lobster was the Maine (see what I did there), but thankfully not overpowering the other flavors. The mascarpone added a great finishing touch as well. I should also add that both appetizers were elegantly presented. The Crostinis: Burrata, Tomato, Pesto, Balsamic - In my opinion, the most flavorful of the three, but not the most visibly diverse (you can check out the pictures) Crab, Heirloom Tomato, Avocado, Apple Aioli - Thumbs up to this one, very interesting combination, definitely a keeper Shrimp, Avocado, Cilantro, Tomato - Not as good as the other two, but still delightful For our main entrees, we ordered the Paella Del Mar and the Chicken Tajine: Paella Del Mar - Just a plethora of the most interesting seafood ingredients I could imagine. Chicken, shrimp, scallops, mussels (which are rather new to me), and octopus (which is completely new to me), over a great paella. A memorable dish indeed, for its diversity and presentation! Chicken Tajine - The star of the night, hands down, no doubt. As an Indian, Im very impressed if a dish can be so flavorful WITHOUT being spicy as well. The chicken was perfectly off-the-bone tender, and the broth was just full of mouth-watering Moroccan flavors. Dare I even mention the items in the broth, lest you go try it this instant! Apricot (who wouldve imagined how perfectly it blended with the dish?), carrots, olives, grilled onion tomatoes, so much more. It comes with sliced toasted almond (fantastic crunch), harissa (hot kick), and this cilantro pesto that had a fantastic zing to it (cant pin down the flavor, but amazing nonetheless). Oh, also couscous, but that wasnt too necessary, just a nice side food for the main dish. If anything, I would come back for that dish alone. Finally, for dessert, we had the Chocolate Pot De Creme. The chocolate was SO rich, and the praline was an added crunchy bonus. Highly recommended for two people who each have barely enough room for dessert. We ate everything. Zero leftovers. The plates were cleaned right off before they even took them away. Thats a testament to the highest of calibers in my book. Mind you, I will definitely be returning to Fig & Olive ... when the next DineLA weeks roll around, that is.

JU

Julia Shin

Let me start off with the ambiance of this place. I went during lunch with a friend on a Saturday. The atmosphere was light and airy. The restaurant was nicely lit from the natural sunlight outside and there were lots of well dressed people. To me it seemed like a good place for a nice date with a significant other, or a fun gossip brunch place with your girls. The staff are incredibly friendly and the service itself was great. We sat down and were given some bread with 3 different types of olive oil. The waiter then continued to tell us what flavor and where each olive oil was from which I thought was a nice conversation starter for diners to talk amongst themselves after ordering their drinks. Started off the appetizers with the MAINE LOBSTER BISQUE (Pimenton chive mascarpone and olive oil crackers.) and the TRUFFLE MUSHROOM CROQUETTE (Cremini mushroom, parmesan, béchamel Truffle Olive Oil aioli). They were both delicious. But if I had to choose one out of the two, I would definitely say go with the Truffle Mushroom Croquette. They were to DIE for. PAELLA DEL MAR (Black tiger shrimp, sea scallop, calamari, mussels, saffron rice with chicken, green pea, red bell pepper, artichoke saffron aioli, pimenton & oregano Hojiblanca Olive Oil) Personally, I thought this was a little bit on the bland and too salty side. It wasnt terrible, but I didnt really feel like finishing this plate. TRUFFLE RISOTTO (Arborio rice, cremini and black trumpet mushroom parmesan, scallion, parsley White Truffle Olive Oil) The Truffle Risotto was heavenly. You can taste the pungent truffle taste and it went really well with the parmesan cheese. The texture of the risotto was nice and soft and really easy to enjoy. It is on the more "heavier" taste so I would really recommend a nice wine or cocktail with it. AND finally for dessert we had the DESSERT "CROSTINI" (Amarena cherry, mascarpone, pistachio shortbread with micro-basil) The presentation was lovely, but be warned these cherries are super sour! They were far too sour for my taste so I only managed to have a "taste" instead of eating the whole thing. We also shared a CHOCOLATE POT DE CRÈME (Crunchy praline financiers & vanilla cream). This chocolate creamy goodness I definitely recommend. It wasnt too sweet or too heavy like it might sound. It was delectable and airy and my friend and I were practically fighting over the last bite, it was just that good. Over all I think Fig & Olive is a great place in both taste and atmosphere. I do recommend being careful with course pairings in the menu because I feel like some pair better than others. Other than that, I cant wait to come here again.

NA

Natalie Kusonruksa

The 405 shutdown caused the change of plans that landed me here for valentines day dinner instead of another romantic restaurant in Santa Monica. I have been to a yelp event at Fig & Olive before but this was my first time coming back since. Fig & Olive is definitely a beautiful restaurant with romantic ambiance. They have a balcony bar area upstairs too with some seating areas in addition to the big bar downstairs. We were early for our reservation but they were able to accommodate us and we were seated right away. Our table was next to the door to the outdoor seating area so it was a little chilly. Our server was nice and the dishes came out quickly. I had the crab cake appetizer. It was pretty good although I prefer bigger lumps of crab rather than a lot of shredded pieces. There was a lot of fillers added and there wasnt a whole lot of sauce to go with it. For my main dish, I had the truffle risotto with mushrooms. The flavor was good but the dish was so rich that I couldnt finish it. I only ate about 2/3 and left the rest. My date had the chicken tajine. I actually really liked the dish. The chicken was tender and the cous cous was delicious. Both of the dishes came in smaller portions. Their creme brulee cheesecake dessert was also quite different. It came in a small round shape on top of a thin sweet cracker and slices of peach. The cheesecake was small and plain with some roasted sugar on top. I was not impressed. Parking is definitely not easy to find in the area. Valet parking is really expensive and theres a long wait for your car.