Republique

If you ask us what we miss the most from France, the answer is simple: the rotisserie chicken we’d get from the butcher shop down the street, that has been roasted for so long and which comes with wrinkly new potatoes cooked in chicken fat. The good news is, it’s easy to get it in LA, and this chicken is even more finger-lickin-good. Chef Walter Manzke (previously at El Bulli) and his pastry-chef / wife Margarita took over Charlie Chaplin’s old film studio to create French-inspired magic. Escargots en croute, duck confit, mussels marinière, purée, wood oven pan drippings… Get some bread and Normandie butter – screw gluten and dairy, you’ll be bloated and it will be worth it. The expansive-and-expensive wine list changes daily, and it’s worth treating yourself. If you can’t afford a dinner at Republique, come in the morning for a good cup of coffee and sample as many pastries as you possibly can!