La Cachette Bistro

OK foodies, here goes. You may not know this about me, but in a past life I worked as a professional chef in NYC. That being said I do know a thing or two about food, even though I have been known to frequent fast food dives. We were promptly seated in a nice table at the back of the restaurant, just shy of the room in the back that probably gets used as a private party room, but looks like an afterthought. I will agree with all about the decor and the accoustics, which were blah to say the least. The table beside us was so loud I thought they were sitting at mine. The decore is sparse with a few French themed posters and a giant chalk bobard full of things on it that were hard to see through the disorganized way they were put on there. Apparently there are interesting things on it if you can actually read them. To be honest I kept feeling like I got old before my time and was sitting in an old age home cafeteria. Sorry, but yes, most if not all of the patrons were well over 65. We had a lovely server who really knew her stuff and was a great help in ordering our meal, albeit disappointing to say the least, but more on that in a minute. The tip off was when we came in and I saw that the chef was at the bar (For whatever reason) and not in the kitchen. You know it is a slow night if the chef is out of the kitchen at 8:00, which is supposed to be rush hour. Now, the food... In a word, blah to blah plus. What self respecting French Bistro will have salt and pepper on the table? I'll tell you... none. French cuisine is supposed to be cooked so well that the patron will not need anything else. And the salt was in it's original container. Made me feel like I was in some run down dump. The table ordered as follows: Warm goat cheese salad, turkey meatballs, 2 lobster bisques. The goat cheese was so soft it barely held up and was overwhelming. The turkey meatballs were gummy, and the lobster bisque was not what you would expect. It was very briney, not so creamy (As instructed by our wate person) and no lobster in it to mention, something I would expect for the price. Next course, lamb stew with couscous and root vegetables, veal picata, hamburger, and seafood chiopino. The chiopino had the same liquid form the lobster bisque, hmmm. Veal picata was spicey... since when? The burger was OK and then there was gnocci ala bolognses. So in a word... blah. Sorry folks, but there is no way I am going to go back to this place. It just didn't hold up to what I heard about it. Peter Burstyn is a former chef from NY and is now an insurance agent with Farmers Insurance. Visit farmersagent dot com/pburstyn more

First, the pros: romantic atmosphere, loungy bar, fun, flirty Frenchmen. The ""mixologist"" is hilariously energetic and his concoctions are probably the best thing about the place. Try the mango mohito with red pepper flakes. YUM! The cons: the food is solid but uninspired. Presentation is better than the actual quality of the dish. I had the scallops, which were slightly overcooked, and served with an avocado puree that tasted good but had browned and was visually unappealing. Service is friendly, but inattentive. Our waiter brought the wrong credit card back to our table THREE TIMES. Very apologetic, but this is colossally bad service. more

My boyfriend and I went to La Cachette for lunch. Both of us were unimpressed with the mixed mushroom soup, which tasted like pureed dirt. The mixed market seafood gratin was good; the sauce complemented and enhanced the flavors of the seafood. The cassoulet, on the other hand, was surprisingly bland given the array of splendid, usually flavorful meats included in it. While the food was decent, the ambiance was pretty unpleasant. We were seated at a table with dirty paper sheets. When we asked that the sheets be replaced, the server reluctantly changed only the sheet directly in between us (there were two covering the table). The tablecloth under the sheets were wine- and grease-stained. The water brought to our table had food particles in it. The place seems to have potential, but my personal experience there was extremely disappointing. Pros: Lots of street parking Cons: Unclean more

Hey, my name is Jackie and I am working with LCB. If you are in the Santa Monica area stop by for our great happy hour specials from 4:30 to 6:30, M-F. You can get some great dishes like Hawaiian Ahi Burger on Brioche or Organic Grass Fed Beef Burger with Fig Chutney for $6. See you soon! Pros: Great Specials more

It had been years since my beau and his friends had been to La Cachette but they had some fond memories. My beau craved French for his bday so I arranged a celebration with the friends there. While waiting for our pals, the friendly chef/owner told us that the location will be closing and they will reopen in Santa Monica as more of a bistro. He said that the hard to find location had been hurting their biz. We noticed mostly white hair loyalists in the faded dining room. The service was great and we had no complaints about service. The food, however, was absolutely flavorless. there was a tremendous lack of salting. I had the special foie gras and it was bland. I ordered cassoulet, the most French of all dishes, and it tasted like Refried Beans. We sent the cassoulet back and the chef apologized, agreed with our finding and sent back a substitute that was not much better. Nothing that the four of us ate was enjoyable, including lackluster desserts. It appears that not only is the chef delegating too much prep to the unskilled but he, himself, has lost all sense of taste. It is not the location which has diminished their business. Everything we had was not good. Yet the bill was crazy high. We could have eaten at Melisse for the same amount and had a world class meal in an elegant environment. Pros: good service Cons: really bad food, very expensive more

If you're looking for fine, traditional French cuisine, look beyond La Cachette in Century City. The name translates into ""the hideaway"" and it is indeed off the beaten path on little Santa Monica Blvd, tucked into a neighborhood of apartments. \r \r The setting is perfect for a date night out. The lights are dim, the decor very soothing with soft whites hues and plushy seating. \r \r We started with a martini and Cosmo at the tiny bar to unwind and slowly roll into the evening that we wanted to enjoy and make last. When we finally sat down, Leslie started with a generous plate of beef carpaccio, served chopped with a sugary balsamic-pomegranate glaze that over-whelmed that meat completely. \r \r I opted for a smoked trout dish which was light and pungent with an almost-herring-like vinegar taste over micro-greens. Good, but not great. \r \r The entree selection is very French provencial. The menu reads like you've just stumbled into a farmhouse near the south of France. Lamb shank, veal stew, venison chop and several steaks along with some traditional French seafood dishes that you would expect from that lower region.\r \r I opted for the Cassoulet. If you're unfamiliar with this dish it's a thick stew infused with soft, white beans, like Navy beans swimming alongside fork-sized chunks of duck and lamb. The meat was tender and the broth thick and rich. If you could imagine a cold, rainy night in the French countryside, this would be the dish to order. But its sheer decadence and heavy stock made a little go a very long way.\r \r Leslie opted for the Bouillabaisse. We were in Nice one time many years ago which claims to be the town that invented this dish which is France's white-brothed answer to Italy's Cioppino. In fact, we specifically ate a restaurant where the owner - a character in his late 70s - claimed to have practically invented the version of the soup that has become world famous. There, the broth was light and fishy, with a hint of saffron and the taste of the sweet ocean.\r \r Unfortunately, La Cachette's version was a thick, fishy mess. It had the consistency of carmel pudding, complete with a semi-thick layer of skin on the top. This being one of their signature dishes, we were surprised that it had the taste of something made many, many hours ago and left to sit.\r \r With every entree hovering near $30 there is no quarter given to mediocre dishes. La Cachette is a hideaway best left hidden. \r Pros: Ambiance, service Cons: Food more

We returned to La Cachette, and everything was lovely. Our server was very polite, professional, helpful,... more

The service here was very goodl. Our waiter was attentive and he knew the menu well hence was able to give a lot of helpful suggestions.\r \r For appetizers, we got the yellowtail special and tuna tar tare, both tasty. My girlfriend got sweetbread which was cooked just right. I ordered the country dish of the week, which was venison. A bit gamey but cooked just the way I like.\r \r Dessert was a snuffle, a tiny bit undercooked, but still very good.\r \r This is a very ""expensive French restaurant"" and generally quiet with soft music. A bit dressy, but not over the top.\r \r I recommend it, but only for special occasions when you want to spent extra. Pros: Nice overall speciall dinner place Cons: too expensive for more that once every 3 months. more

The La Cahette Restaurant is amazing! \r Service was very nice, it always seemed to be there if you needed anything. \r The French cuisine was incredible! It was very authentic. \r I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone! Pros: Parking, service, food more

Beautiful, we were promptly seated and the food was delicious. The service was a little bit slow but who cares when you enjoy a meal like this. It s pricey but it s worth it, I recommend this place for the food and the atmosphere. Pros: Food, atmosphere Cons: nothing to mention more

I had such a great experience here at la cachette. the service was great and the food was amazing. I started with the White Aspargus with chopped egg whites and a white truffle dressing which was soooo good and light enough that i still had room for my entree which was the lobster salad..its an appetizer that i had as an entree..also amazing and then I had the apricot tart for dessert..perfect. I really like this place and think most people think of it as a hidden gem. Once you start coming you keep coming back. \r Pros: food, service, wine selection more

I am very surprised that Zagat has given this horrible restaurant a score of 27! I swear to you, the steak nearly made me sick. Maybe I am spoiled, eating at Melisse, Sona, Cut, etc. However, I can promise you, I have had a better meal at Cheesecake Factory! We did sit next to Don Rickles and Bob Newhart but it did not help. Please avoid this restaurant for your own sake. Mind you, I did not try anything but the steak (we had to split a Filet for appetizer since it was the last one they had that night) and all ordered the NY steak which was nothing more than a tire drenched with a rubbish sauce. Save your money and go to any of the previous mentioned restaurants...you will much happier! A couple more great restaurants...Dakota at the Roosevelt Hotel, Katsu-ya in ENCINO and Katana. And if you are down to get dirty, Soot-Bull-Jeep Korean BBQ. Pros: Can't think of any Cons: Everything more

i love how you can eat anything on the menu and it tasts amazing but doesnt leave you feeling heavy, the food is surprisingly light for its amazing taste. This place is by far the best restaurant on the westside and the best french food in LA!! the very attractive staff was prompt and friendly and i showed up early and was seated right away by the beautiful hostess. Oh and my favorite part...towards the end of our meal they sat mick jagger one table away from us!! this place if definitly for the best of the bests. Pros: amazing food. nice staff. feels very exclusive Cons: a little pricy for the average income, but well worth it for special occasions more

I have been to La Cachette twice now, first with my husband (it was so crowed we could not wait to leave) and the second time for a birthday dinner of a family friend (dishes came out at different times and some of it was cold). Both times the server was snobby and the host was less than friendly. The food is ok, but overpriced. There are too many good restaurants in Los Angeles to waste your time on a place that doesn't make you feel comfortable! Just to clear up the Valentine?s Day reviews. I called - they do require a credit card deposit and will charge your card if you do not show up, but they DO NOT guarantee prompt seating. There is no consistency with this place. Pick a different place to dine; I want to feel loved on Valentine?s Day ? not snubbed! more

We went there for Valentine s day and had a great night, it s expensive but who cares when the food is so tasty. we won t be in town this time but we ll missed this place more

I love this restaurant, we had a 7:30 reservation on valentines day and were seated promptly right at a window table. \r I dont know what this other listing was talking about putting down a deposit, I have been there twice on VDay and never had to put down anything!! I wouldnt listen to someone who doesnt even know how to spell la cachette....\r Its a beautiful restaurant with amazing food, highly recommended!!! Pros: friendly staff, food, food, food!!!! Cons: a little hard to find more

\r Don't try to go there on Valentine's Day. We had a 9pm reservation with a $100 deposit to hold out reservation. At 9:45 pm the little tiny ""waiting area"" was packed with other couple waiting for their table. We left and demanded out deposit back after they could not give us any idea of when our table would be open. Thanks for a spoiled V-Day La Cachett, you could of offered up something for our wait or at least an apology! But nothing? Bad business!\r \r \r Pros: What Pros? Cons: Unorganized more

this restaurant has definitely the best meat in town! whichever dish you order whether it's filet mignon or steak or anything, meat is just going to melt in your mouth, you feel it while you cut it, it melts away like butter! i really loved this restaurant, the only thing that bothered me, were a couple of customers...if you have the money to spend on an amazing restaurant and meal, please go ahead first and learn how to use a knife and fork...they also have really delicous desserts which you shouldn't skip! more

i love this place, the food is amazing and the service is great!!\r \r They are so consistant with the food, and the desserts are amazing. \r Such a beautiful restaurant. more

This restaurant has been around for 12 years for a reason....It's absolutely fantastic. I went to the celebration of La Cachette's 12th year anniversary event, and it was such a magnificent event. Chef Jean Francois understands the essence of food. From our first course of Foie Gras Terrine, to the last scrumptous sixth course of Tart Tatin. He has versatility, passion and class in every mouthful of his food. On top of this delectable food, the atmosphere is serene and comforting. The service is always top notch, and the servers are always attentive and kind. Out of all the restaurants I have been to LA, and I have been to a multitude...very few come close to the elegance of presentation, flavor, and romanticism that this restaurant portrays.\r \r Bravo Chef Jean Francois....\r \r Elischa Freeman Pros: Food, service, Food more