Now certainly feels like the time for a bit of comfort, elegance and a martini, and next week, one of the city’s most stylish new restaurants hopes to provide just that.
On Friday, November 13, Gigi’s will open in Hollywood’s Media District with California-influenced French bistro cuisine, a bar program that spotlights French liquors, aperitifs and digestifs—and 40 outdoor seats for tucking into roast chicken, seafood towers and Parisian gnocchi while Angelenos wait for the return of indoor dining. It’s a sleek new restaurant on a block of Sycamore that’s newly flooded with culinary talent: San Francisco coffee behemoth Sightglass sits across the street, as does Tartine Sycamore, and more big names are still to come.
Owner and operator Alexander Wilmot—founder of New York City’s Whitmans—and business partner Samantha Ressler tapped a seasoned team of L.A. chefs and beverage vets to lead Gigi’s, which aims to be a neighborhood spot with plenty of panache. Executive Chef Matt Bollinger (formerly of Jean Georges and Trois Familia) has built a menu of bistro classics such as smoked trout rillettes, steak tartare, a 32-ounce dry-aged rib-eye steak and roast chicken with herbs.
The dinner menu will transition easily into late-night—after all, Gigi’s is open until 2am on weekends—with options like a classic cheeseburger with caramelized onions, and a caviar-laden take on chips and dip made with Regiis Ova caviar, crème fraîche and egg served with potato chips.
At the center of the Gigi’s space is a glowing 18-seat bar helmed by beverage director Courtney Rose (Jon & Vinny’s and Petit Trois), whose cocktails highlight French spirits, while Kristin Olszewski (Osteria Mozza and Nashville’s Husk, and a co-founder of Nomadica) runs a wine program that looks to both France and California for bottle and by-the-glass selections.
When it comes to cocktails, expect a French Polynesian cocktail utilizing French agricole rum, turmeric, coconut and lime, as well as Mexican liqueur Granada-Vallet; the La Parisienne, with clementine vodka, red vermouth, pomegranate, grapefruit, balsamic, and dehydrated kalamata olive; a spin on the classic old-fashioned, here made with Tre Kors cognac, Royal Combier liqueur, chocolate chili bitters and orange oil; and the house martini, the Wilmot, with Monkey 47 gin, pickled ramps and dry vermouth, among others.
Once indoor dining is safely allowed again, you’ll find even more style from Gigi’s: marble flooring reclaimed from France, plenty of brass, plush green mohair booths, and an arresting hand-painted mural by local artist Andie Dinkin. Until then, and until you can stop by for dinner starting next Friday, take a peek below to catch a glimpse of Gigi’s.
Gigi’s opens on Friday, November 13, at 904 N Sycamore Ave, with hours of 5pm to 2am from Thursday to Saturday, and from 5pm to midnight on Wednesday and Sunday.
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