Figaro Bistrot

I was in town visiting my Daughter and her fiancé took us to his favorite spot. The food was superb and I will always stop in every time I’m in LA.
I recommend sitting outside so you can people watch!

I went here because of «Shelia D.» review of the place. I recommend following her reviews…
Having grown up in France, I was very pleased of the place. The food is amazing and the service is exactly as expected for a wonderful French restaurant.
My favorite part was that I was going here to take my time with my meal. I was not in a rush and wanted to enjoy the meal, my company and the atmosphere. 5 star on all.

What happened to this place?!
I had lunch there today it was barely eatable.
Caesar salad tasted like garlic paste, uneatable.
The quiche was dry, the burger was cooked so much I had a hard time cutting it in half. Didn’t finish it. The FF were excellent. Service was fine, but didn’t bother to ask why we didn’t eat anything… must be used to it.

I’m so bummed to give this place a bad review. I wanted to have a great experience! I’m not in a bad mood. I was excited to try a new place. And, I did something I REALLY hate doing: I complained. The hostess sat me at a lovely bistro table with a great people watching view! (She gets the two stars.) No one came by. Probably 8 – 10 minutes later she stopped in to check on me. Good hostess! She brought me water in the meantime. Luckily I had a book to keep me occupied. I was still in a great mood when he came by. My order went fine and my coffee came out quickly and piping hot– they have great coffee! My food came in a reasonable time frame, but the waiter hadn’t brought my silverware or the condiments I had requested. So, I waited. Snacked on breakfast potatoes with my fingers (sorry Mom.) I ordered the crab cake Benedict. The salad and potatoes were good. The first crab cake bene half was damn near perfect. The egg white was ever so slightly under cooked, but I have a strong stomach and I was hungry, so I soldiered on. Delicious. Then, the second one. I opened up the egg with my fork and the white was only half cooked! Clear snot covered my crab cake. Yikes! A little runny white I’m totally fine with, but half of the white gave me a slight panic. I asked the waiter how I should proceed and that I felt they were undercooked. (I was kind of hoping he would reassure me that the eggs are fresh and that is just how they cook them. Something.) instead, he took my plate to the manager and I waited. He came back without my plate to tell me I would not get my money back (which was embarrassing because I never asked for that… I had eaten half of it!) And then he asked me if I said they weren’t cooked at all. Was this guy even listening to me when I spoke? This really didn’t need to be so complicated. If only he listened. And, further, where was the manager?! Who doesn’t know protocol on a food complaint? You always send the manager to the table! All this over runny eggs, and I love runny yokes– they’re my favorite!
I felt like they missed an opportunity to redeem themselves through lack of good communication. Sometimes things aren’t cooked perfectly, that’s no big deal. It’s how you relate to people that matters most, IMO. So, two stars for the hostess and chef. It was good… Just a minor timing issue on the eggs.

My favorite restaurant in LA! Never a bad meal. I love the staff and the food is authentic. I have had most things on the menu and everything is fresh and delicious!

First, I discovered this Bistro back in 2006 when I was walking up on the Vermont Avenue after I finished a huge group project from my high school next to the Starbuck shop with my schoolmates. It’s just right across from the ll Carpaccio Italian restaurant aka another excellent places to eat.
French cuisine can be very intimidating to the average American, due to the HAUGHTI NESS of Gulois and to the reputed smallness if the portions served.
Figaro Bistro located on Los Feliz and Hollywood Blvd offers Los Angeles Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner an extensive menu of French delights. From a décor to a menu, Figaro Bistrot is an ode to the gorgeous eateries of Paris. Kick off your meal with one of Figaro’s Cheese plates, Charcuterie, and some random items that greatly pairs with glass of wine or other random Adult beverages.
Despite all the good things I said about this Bistro in first two paragraphs, much of their foods are pretty boring and disappointing at all.
My thoughts about their Bakery section and their cakes — their pastry section is very limited. The way they displayed them doesn’t really appeal to me at all which made me thought that they just damped all w/​out any strategies how to show off nicely. Ironically, this may give me some ideas about their qualities of pastries. After ignored aka not waited for 5 minutes, ended up choosing Pistachio mousse. Tasted absolutely blunt and boring. It’s like it was made 3 or 4 days ago, no freshness was felt… NO BUENO AT ALL…
xxxPros: Happy hours at Figaro is a great bet for thrifty. xxx
Items that I’ve tried so far:
1. Beef Bourguignon — it was served in a cute little pot complete with the top. Unfortunately and sadly, It only had a small and pity amounts of meat w/​lots of unnecessary, thick Fettuccine noodles loaded with potatoes and carrots. All I can say that it’s tasty, not enough meat and yet tastes flavorless and bland. I ended up putting lots of peppers to enhance the flavor. Such a disappointing dish. (⁵⁰⁄₁₀₀) Big FAIL.
2. Beef Carpaccio — Honestly, it’s only best item and recommended item here at this particular Bistro because meat itself was not dry and yet it’s perfectly seasoned with caper, and some other spices that I don’t really know. But it’s a winner unlike my beef bourgoignon. (⁸⁵⁄₁₀₀)
3. Moules Fries — steamed mussels with French fries are basically originated in Belgium, but also very popular item in France as well. It was just mediocre at the best. I did have a great Moules Frite during my trip in Belgium Netherlands way back in 2010. Mussels itself were okay, but the pot they came in a bed had a weird, stingy smell, the white wine based broth was just so so and some kinds of herb was missing in this white wine broth. I had a higher expectations of Moules Frite in French Bistro by the way as I am seafood lover and one of my oldest cousin has a great knowledge about seafood. (⁷⁰⁄₁₀₀)
PS. The French fries itself were absolutely dreadful (it’s raw, cooked in an old nasty oil!!) Aka Terrible experience.
4. Crab Cakes — very strange and bit fishy flavor and yet it was burnt on both sides and inedible as well. (⁶⁰⁄₁₀₀). Avoid this dish at all costs!!!
5. Steak Salad — As others said, meat itself was not tender and juicy at all. It was hard as rock. (⁵⁵⁄₁₀₀). Avoid this dish as well!!!
6. Seafood Cassoulet — I forgot to mention this is one of their best item besides Carpaccio. It will take about 20 minutes to make. Warm, Creamy and flavorful. (⁹⁰⁄₁₀₀)
7. Steak Tartare — NO BUENO. Meat itself was grounded way too much, the seasoning itself was completely wrong and different than I expected — NO CAPERS, NO ONION, NO TASTE!!! (⁵⁰⁄₁₀₀) I even regretted ordering this dish. Ughhh.
Service — Not for the earlier in the lunch time today. Its for my previous visit only… Very friendly and attentive and yet they did provide some excellent customer services. Service was friendly because they repeatedly fill out the water on my glasses w/​out calling them unlike other places as some servers seem annoyed when they are being called for more water or napkins even if it’s not crowded lunch time or dinner time. Service is the reason why I rated 3 Stars instead of 2 and also I do hate writing 2 star reviews by the way and I am nice enough to rate them 3 stars.
However, Figaro itself has a charming atmosphere that fits perfectly with the surrounding vintage shops, transporting you out of LA, and into well Paris despite really mediocre and some awful foods that I’ve tried so far as I explained above…
Tips: Parking can be a hassle. I did find a 5 dollar lot down the street, near the bank.
Nice Atmosphere, mediocre/​awful foods, Great service adds up 3 stars!!!

I came here for dinner on a Friday night around 8 pm. Parking was extremely hard to find and after circling the nearby streets a few times we opted for valet parking ($ 5). Luckily we were seated right away and we opted for the cute outdoor patio seating. There’s soft lighting outside so the ambiance feels very intimate and romantic. It feels very much like a Parisian restaurant transplanted itself into the middle of a Los Feliz neighborhood.
As for food, my date and I shared the french onion soup (soupe a l’oignon) and a plate of escargot. Out of these, I really enjoyed and would recommend the soup: it’s very flavorful and cheesy. Meanwhile, the escargot was OK but it tasted a little bland and could have used more seasoning and herbs. I also ordered the risotto aux champignons sauvages (24) and my date the poulet a la dijonnaise (25). Both were OK but at least they are large portions and you will leave very full. I wish I had room left for some pastries or desserts. I also tried the English breakfast tea which they serve in a tea kettle with milk and sugar cubes. It is a good choice if you are not looking for a strong tea.
In short, the restaurant and ambiance of the location is nice and the dinner food is OK to good. Maybe brunch or coffee here would be a better choice.

I love France and anything French. Was in the neighborhood and stopped by today for a crêpe. Thrilled to hear that the waiters sounded French. Loved the classic French café set-​up and the sidewalk dining.
Unfortunately I misread the menu and thought I saw a strawberry crêpe, which I ordered. The waiter told me rudely: ‘we don’t have a strawberry crêpe.’ Annnnd that was it. No suggestion of what to get instead, or anything he recommended.
As we sat down, someone has brought us bread, butter, and jam. The waiter took our orders, and then asked us: ‘did you ask for the bread?’ When we said no, he nodded and walked away. Had a feeling he would have charged us had we looked any less confused.
I wouldn’t mind coming back and getting something else, but the staff’s attitude and expensive prices are just slightly off-​putting.

Croissant sandwich yum the salad bread strawberry preserves
Buttery and flaky
Tuna sandwich with sardines and egg

Nice place to pick up lunch/​brunch or just a drink and watch the people go by. I got the smoked salmon sandwich which was just lovely. Bread was a little too crusty and I think I cut my mouth on it, but things are great!

When we go into «the city» from where we live, we make it a day-​long event. So when we descended upon the Los Feliz area and had lunch down the street from Figaro Bistrot, not to mention a taste of churros from another place, well, I just had to find a nearby bakery to bring home a few things to try… just because. Sure, it gives me another place to review on Unilocal (smile), and if we’re lucky based on what we’re trying, it will give us added smiles for enjoying what we are eating. And no, we will not discuss the added waistline it will bring, too.
That all being said, I cannot speak to any sit-​down service as my encounter with Figaro Bistrot was purely at their bakery counter, and a lovely looking counter, it was. I have to say, though, that I was standing there a good 10 minutes (with no one else in front of me), and when someone behind the counter fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinally acknowledged my presence, it was AFTER she turned to a kind young man who had just walked up like 2 seconds before she looked at him. Yet, I was standing there for 10 minutes with no acknowledgement. The young man said to me, «oh, were you here first?» I smiled and said that I was, but he was only there for coffee, and I knew I had questions, so I just let him go ahead. I wasn’t upset at him… but the girl behind the counter, that’s another story. Whatever. I had some questions for her about all the delectable looking pastries, so I asked them ALL. She CLEARLY was not interested in helping me, but I still persevered and found out everything I wanted to know before arriving at my decision as to what I wanted to order.
I ended up buying 6 macarons and a lemon meringue tart. The 6 macarons, while not eaten that minute, did not survive the car ride home. The tart is still in the frig. Shocking, I know. As for the macarons, we got vanilla, raspberry, lemon, orange, pistachio, and salted caramel. The flavors were strong, as in recognizable, and they were really good that way, but 2 of them were downright chewy, which for a macaron, they were either stale or overcooked. However, the remaining 4 macarons were much softer and more representative of their true texture. We still enjoyed them, but they weren’t perfect.
Even if I immensely enjoy the tart when it eventually gets eaten, after the shoddy counter service I got, as well as the not perfect macarons, I don’t feel a special need to come back here, but we’ll see. The ambiance of this place was cool, and it definitely had a real French vibe to it, but I read the reviews… they’re not overly glowing. I think my 3 stars is probably in par with how it goes here. A-​OK here, but nothing spectacular either.

Happy hours are great there and quite affordable. Otherwise, it’s one of the pricier spots in Los Feliz. The main draw for this spot for me is the atmosphere. Adorably cute to sit outside on a nice day, sip some wine and watch the hipsters walk by.
Do love the bakery! I always stops by to pick up a baguette and a cannele or two for the walk home.

Terrible experience here tonight. They had a «special «menu for Valentine’s day and it was embarrassingly gross while the service was rude, dismissive and almost non-​existent. I wonder if there is new management or ownership that also owned the one downtown. This would explain why that one failed and closed and why this restaurant has received so many bad reviews.
I could list everything that was wrong with the food but what really stood out as we left was the rude service. Our server proclaimed «what?! You didn’t like it?» when we tried to explain how unfortunate our food was. He then shook his head, rolled his eyes and removed the plate without any apologies. He acted like we were crazy for asking for a 35 dollar steak to be cooked properly. Don’t expect anything special from this restaurant. I almost told the couple who sat down after us not to eat there.
Don’t make the same mistake!

This place still has tons of charm, and the drinks here are absolutely fine, and the waitstaff seem just as lovely as ever, but I can’t really recommend dining here, based on past experiences, except perhaps for breakfast. Aside from breakfast, rather hit-​or-​miss. Examples: ‘turned’ oysters, undercooked crab cakes, slimy lettuce. All fixable with better quality control. Hope they turn things around.

I have only tried the New York Steak, so I cannot say very much about the other food, however, it was really delicious and waiter was really nice and patient (hence, the 5 stars).

Love this quiet French bistro on a busy Los Feliz street. Good food, casual, but friendly service. Sometimes the over happy, over helpful typical US brand of customer service is a bit tacky and overbearing. You won’t have that here. Good place for small meetings, for getting work done and just unwinding. I only come for breakfast and brunch, so I can’t give you dinner suggestions.

Such delicious food. And we have the sweetest bartender Katy today. Friendly and enthusiastic

The food here is pretty good. It’s a french café décor which I think is cute. But don’t expect to get in and out here for a quick lunch. Really terrible service that is slow and they always forget if you ask for anything.

A bit of Paris in Los Angeles.
The Café Figaro has quickly become our easy way out of LA for a bite, drink or to enjoy a Pastry. How French it is.
We love the Happy hour menu, great selection of French dishes and the oh so great pastries.
The sole reason of not having a full 5 star is the noisy dining room, cramped very low chairs for the lounge area and the disappearance of our regular waiter Karim. Vanessa does a great job and picked up where Karim left. The last French waiter lacked personality and customer service sense altogether. (so impersonal that we can not even remember the name).
Looking forward to enjoy another steak Tartare and fries at Figaro Bistro

Pricey, but fun. While in town I stayed in an apartment across the street. Figaro provided a cool place to hang out two times. The first night I met up with some friends and by the time we arrived the place was pretty packed. The very kind hostess generously opened up a table in the closed dining room for us so we didn’t have to squeeze or put another chair in a high walking traffic zone. We were super appreciative. I split crème brûlée, which came with blackberries atop it and was super crunchy and creamy. One friend ordered a cheese plate which he admittedly wasn’t thrilled with, but I’m not sure the reasons why. Our other friend ordered the Figaro burger, which was huge and smelled incredible It’s Kobe so you’ll pay for it, but I think he enjoyed it. We went back at the end of our stay to kill some time before seeing a movie. I got a glass of prosecco, my friend ordered another crème brûlée and our other friend went with the smoked salmon platter. I tried a piece and it was fresh, salty goodness. The bakery treats looked amazing. I got a chocolate covered strawberry from the case for an afternoon snack one day and it was ripe and sweet and didn’t disappoint.
I don’t think I could afford to make it an every day spot, but it seems like a fun once in a while, or when I’m in town meet up place.

Their good food is not worth the WORST SERVICE ON EARTH!
Prepare to wait, be ignored, rude attitudes, pissed off employees, etc
This place could be one of the best spots around but every time I get a craving for their food I remind myself of my past experiences and I go elsewhere.

The food here never have disappointed. If possible, grab a seat outside and people watch. If not, don’t worry. Sitting in the lounge makes you feel like you’ve been transported to France.

Unless you want to be overcharged royally, do not eat here at any other time except happy hour. The prices are outrageous!
This little French bistro looked particularly inviting on a cold, winter evening. There is both outdoor and indoor seating, but inside looked much cozier. After walking inside, I thought that this place definitely had the quintessential French flair, and the bar was really rustic and cool. However, it definitely needs a facelift because the whole place seemed a bit dingy and run-​down. Don’t even get me started on the bathroom!
I was pleased to see that the menu was authentic and everything was in French, but there were also descriptions in English. I was not pleased to see that the menu was filled with so many meat dishes and barely any vegetarian dishes. I had only a few options: a salad, a sandwich and mushroom risotto. I opted for the risotto. My first mistake was not checking the price and the my second mistake was ordering it at all. $ 25 for a vegetarian risotto? Are they insane? I must say, it was quite tasty at first, but it was far too rich overall and left me uncomfortably bloated for hours.
Will I be returning? Definitely not. There are way too many quality places to eat in Los Feliz and Figaro seems far too pretentious for my taste.

Nice place, very authentic and relaxing. Just stopped by for a coffee. Will come again! :)

Extremely disappointed in how rundown this place has become. The girl at the front is rude, the barista Barely acknowledges you’re there, and the bathrooms are absolutely disgusting.
I took something to go but not sure if I would come back and sit down and eat.

I can’t say enough good things about this place! It’s within walking distance to Fred 62 as well as Pinkberry, so if you want your dessert fix afterward, there are some good options around! There’s quite a bit of metered parking right behind the place. The service is impeccable. Dogs get clean water dishes, smokers get clean glass ashtrays, and bread comes with butter and marmalade! The quiche was awesome, but the onion soup was freaking amazing. Delicious to the core! I would highly recommend this place any day!

1 — very authentic, from the setting to the menu, everything reminded me and my mom of Parisien cafes, and you can even have a conversation in French with the server.
2 — happy hour has some good value on popular cocktails and nibbles
3 — I was not blown away by the beouf tartare but it was above average and very fresh at a minimum. The onion soup was okay, and I might order it there again.
4 — the espresso was also good
In summary, I think my food choices might not have been the best, but the place still delivered good quality. Combine this with the outdoor seating and heat lamps in the heart of Loz Feliz for a great all-​around experience.

This review is for call-​in order. This place is unfriendly and well… rude. I called in to place a christmas cake order, silly me their FB suggested pre-​order your cake so I did. After 3 calls, 3 people– 1 employee-​1 manager-​1 baker, no one could provide me with the information. It’s certainly ridiculous to expect people to place a pre-​order without providing prices and availability. I was told to call back the next day, which I did and this time, I was told to call back later because «we are too busy right now.»
You see, I’m having a party; and the idea of walking in on the day of the party and picking up a seasonal cake at an unknown price is absurd to me.
I have had pastries and desserts here before; and I loved it all. The employees here are semi-​friendly, but this time, even their awesome sweets can’t make up for their customer service. If it’s still unclear, rude and clueless staff is an effective method to drive customers away.

I was surprised at how much I liked this place. We came in needing a quick & fast place to eat on Halloween, as we were down the street at the Los Feliz theater for the RIP film fest. We were seated immediately & given fast & friendly enough service.
So this place is definitely not for the faint of heart, their prices can get up there, but their happy hour menu is very affordable & delicious!
What I ordered:
Oysters — At 2 dollars a pop, I stuffed myself! They give lemon, ketchup, and horseradish to go with them which is always a MUST in my book! They were fresh, salty, deliciousness.
Spinach Ravioli — I was surprised at how much I liked this. You can really taste that their pasta is handmade. The portion was small but filling enough. It comes topped with a vinaigrette of some kind which is sweet and just slightly bitter (in a good way). I’d definitely order this again.
Final Veridcit:
For the spinach rav and 2 dollar oysters alone — I’LL BE BACK! :D

This French Bistro has been around for Donkey’s Years in Los Feliz.
It’s a bit pricey… but the quality is worth it. They have a great happy hour with mixed cocktails, beer and wine. And a special menu. Special kudos to the bar staff for being mixing pros and great conversationalists. Grab the outside patio seats for wonderful people watching.
And they serve late.

Came here for happy hour yesterday, and we also ordered a pot of mussels from the regular menu, and honestly I thought it was just okay. I used to live in Los Feliz walking distance to Figaro for many years and still frequent the area, and I’ve always wanted to eat here since every time I walk by, there are so many people sitting outside.
I was impressed by the heavy pour of the glasses of wine for $ 4 as well as the pretty long list of HH drink specials. Although the wine itself was just okay. I got a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, it wasn’t chilled, which would have been nice, especially since it was a warm day. They also had a nice variety of happy hour small plates, although not too much stood out to me. The fries ($ 3) were delicious. The crab cakes were pretty good, order came with 3 small crab cakes and a side salad. We got 6 oysters ($ 2) each that were good. At first we ordered the mussels au gratin for $ 7, but then saw that the small pot was only $ 12, which we preferred-​and we notified our server in time to change our order. The mussels were kinda on the small side, and the broth wasn’t flavorful-​I was kinda disappointed with this order. Overall, I wasn’t impressed with the food. I’ve had much better French food at other places. I did think the restaurant itself felt very French-​like, but I did not like all the flies. We dined inside, but there were so many flies and it gets tiresome and annoying having to swat them away every second.
I’m not sure if I’ll be back as nothing really stood out to me, but the happy hour is a pretty good deal, especially if you want cheap drinks, but be careful because everything can add up quickly.

It was quite something to find myself in a small French enclave in Los Feliz. Le Figaro is not named after the french newspaper (I assumed it was), rather a Parisien Theatre called «Figaro». Having grown up in Canada, I was happy to converse in my elementary french with the waiter, no doubtedly un enfant de la patrie.
If you have been in Paris it has a similar charm to that of a wine bistro in some suburbia arondisement.
The prices are a touch high but when you receive l’addition you pay for the joie de vivre atmosphere I suppose.
Try the salmon omelette with dill! Café au lait in a big bowl as suggested as a Unilocal highlight is over rated. Regular café should do fine. Mimosas were strong, not sure if the half litre option was necessary. Oh well, C’est la vie.

Met my co-​workers here for happy hour and had a great time. Service was excellent –we had an attentive French waiter who added to an overall good experience.
I ordered a couple adult beverages and crab cakes. The crab cakes were honestly nothing remarkable, but came with a bit of salad on the side. For happy hour, the adult beverages are much smaller in size, in comparison to the non-​happy hour price ones. I sadly, did not take a picture of my drinks (nor could I recall which drinks I ordered –no judging) but I only had two and was lit up like Van Gogh’s Starry Night.
My only complaint –tons of FLIES buzzing around. Other than that, it is a cute, traditional looking bistro in the Los Feliz area that I’d visit again.

Happy hour drinks everyday 4p-​7p! (House vodka, gin, whiskey or bourbon w/​any soda $ 4, $ 5 wine). Tapas food Sun-​Thurs 4p-​7p (escargots $ 6, fries $ 3, crab cakes $ 8). Meter or street parking. Cute café!
Los Feliz area. Area is cute to stroll. Café gives a pretty awesome café sidewalk people watching atmosphere (french café feeling).
Food — its okay, or I don’t think it was that great. Decent? Almost like American version of French food. So I would call it American food?
BUT You can’t beat the happy hour prices. Pretty awesome. I would recommend this place to snack and drink, chill, catch up with a two or three folks or your significant other. Not packed, but the outdoor seating may get taken pretty fast.
Parking — Meter (right by it) or residential around the block.

Je vais ici pour happy hour et généralement commander l’escargot, croquettes de crabe, des moules à gratin avec une sauce au beurre persillé, pommes frites et une carafe de vin.
Cet endroit me rappelle les bistrots à Paris afin J’aime aller ici. J’ai besoin d’aller pour un service régulier, mais le menu happy hour est une bonne valeur et je laisse toujours assez rassasié.

coquilles saint-​jacques poêlées, servies avec un gâteau de risotto et foie gras ($ 29)
sauteed scallops served with risotto cake with foie gras poele with port reduction.
it was way too sweet. there was so much sugar in it that it could have been a dessert.
the lobster ravioli with lobster bisque was not that good. the lobster tasted really fishy.
and the special was a veal ravioli which was also nothing great.
i did like the terrine de foie gras was quite good. but that was about it.
the service was really slow, but i think it was because the place was packed and there was only 1 server serving our section.