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During a recent edition of my thrilling Los Angeles adventures, Good Taste made room for a leisurely reservation in the lounge at Monsieur Dior by Dominique Crenn before flying home. The restaurant and lounge is located atop the Dior department store on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.
Crenn is one of the most acclaimed chefs in the world, and built her reputation in San Francisco. She has two Michelin-starred restaurants in the city (now that I think of it, has anyone called the Guinness Book of World Records?) Her Atelier Crenn boasts of three Michelin stars, while Le Comptoir, the omakase counter at Bar Crenn, holds one star. Winning and maintaining both star ratings are harder to achieve than a layperson would imagine.
Sitting in the lounge allows access to a menu of amuse bouche-sized “bar bites,” where prices range from $10 to $175 for caviar service. There are several sophisticated two-piece sweet items available for $10, and if you have restraint (which Good Taste does not!), you can stick to those and get a cock-or-mocktail, or a glass of wine, and not go too crazy.
The day I stopped by in December, it was about 70 degrees outside, so most of the Angeleno loungers opted for the inside area. I loved being outside amongst plants and flowers, refusing continual offers to fire up the heat lamp or bring a blanket. (I should’ve asked to see the blanket in such a fashion house, but again, it was 70 degrees outside!)
Since every item comes as a two-piece, it’s most assuredly a lovely experience for a pair, so that tasting notes can be exchanged. But they’re certainly small enough to hit them solo, and gush about them with the staff and in texted photos to friends. If that is your kink.
I unashamedly begged for bread service, which is really a main dining room amenity, because I knew that it was a big basket that includes two laminated and spiraled brioche breads that embarrass most croissants. I offered to pay for it, but they wouldn’t take my monies.
It’s worth taking a twirl through the multi-leveled department store just for the people-watching. Since I went right before Christmas, I was lucky to get to see how the Dior windows were by far the most compelling on Rodeo Drive. The street has the best luxury window displays even on a random day, and jets to new heights during the holidays.
When I made the reservation to check out Monsieur Dior, I figured it would be a one-time, escapist experience. But it won’t be possible to stay away for too long.
Tamara Palmer offers the complimentary Food Book Club and California Eating newsletters.
