The much hyped Anisette Brasserie was opened near the Santa Monica promenade for awhile. The enclosed and dark entrance was a surprising contrast to the grand, high ceiling space inside. It was very crowded, but we skipped the line and got seated right away when we went for the bar.
A lot of work went into re-creating the fake classic vintage Paris cafe look. The endless wall of wine bottles are quite stunning.
The daytime menu outlines the essential French cafe offerings, for a price. We joked about “$15 Croque Madame?” before we came here…we were right.
Kumamoto oyster, sweet, plumb and wonderful. Since we sat in front of the seafood bar, it was prepared right in front of us but our server was busy on the other end, so these half shells were waiting to be served right front of us for some torturing minutes.
Warm Goat Cheese Beets with Hazelnut Dressing 12. The heavy warm goat cheese contrast the fresh and tasty beets, very delicious combination~ The dressing was so good too, but I wished there were more hazelnut bits.
Pate Maison, Madera Gelee, Cornichons, Toasts 10
The pate was unbelievably fine, flavorful and smooth Yum!
They also offer a Bread Basket sampler on the menu that includes a variety of freshly baked breads (you can buy them in the take out area too). Since we had a light meal and didn’t really try the cooked dishes, I have to come back. It seems like a good all around (brunch, bakery, lunch, dinner, alcohol) additions to the area.
One of the guys at the bar tried to get his Matcha Latte onto the menu, but the chef thought it was just a plain latte drink. He made one for us to try (it was a bit too light).
Anisette Brasserie (310) 395-3200
225 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90407
Tags: fashionable, French
All the food looks scrumptious. I don’t know when I’ll be able to make it to there, but I am certainly going to keep my eye on Anisette!
haha, did you guys tell him what you guys thought of the maccha latte?
wonder, since you guys are asian, maybe he wanted an “authentic” opinion for his drink as opposed to the chef’s opinion….( ̄∀ ̄)
You really like raw oysters~. The interior is so nice. Each dish is about $10? Does’t sound that bad in value.
Marie, do give it a try whenever you’re at the Promenade…most restaurants at that area are really mediocre, so this place is a good addition.
Val..that’s probably why that guy asked (as if Asian would know tea… ^^;;)
Seat, that’s because those are appertizers, if we were to order the actual meal…they’re starting from $15-$30. ^^;;
Agree completely on the beet/goat cheese salad–I actually ordered two. I never order chicken usually, but my fellow diner got it and it was excellent.
Super awesome post! Honest..