LAReview
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Loupiotte Kitchen
Included In
If you close your eyes and try to imagine a French cafe (just ignore the photo above), chances are it’ll look a lot like Loupiotte Kitchen. It’s the platonic ideal of a French cafe - small tables on the sidewalk, wicker chairs, a hissing espresso machine in the kitchen, candles and cookware everywhere. And like any good cafe, it’s very versatile.
This French spot in Los Feliz is ideal for grabbing some pastries and a latte in the morning while you read a book, or drinking some beaujolais at 3pm on a Wednesday, or meeting friends for a weeknight dinner. In other words, it’s a classic, all-purpose cafe, a place that’s there when you need it.
But it’s best at breakfast, where the menu focuses on simple petit déjeuner dishes. Of course, there is a selection of fresh pastries, and a creamy parmesan polenta with mushrooms and a fried egg that is surprisingly not-heavy. The French toast is also good - it’s made with strawberries, orange zest, and basil, and is an ideal way to start the day, even if you’re not a sweets-for-breakfast person (or if you’re starting your day in the afternoon). Breakfast is served until 3pm, which is good, because most of the lunch menu is a bit of a snooze. If you do want something lunch-y, the goat cheese salad is probably your best bet.
photo credit: Jakob Layman
The dinner menu isn’t going to get you super-excited either, but it’s not going to leave you complaining. Our go-to order is the perfectly cooked salmon with crispy skin and a lemon beurre blanc, and crispy zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta. It’s the kind of food that’s perfect for a casual meal with some friends, and getting a little too tipsy on the small-but-excellent (and entirely French) wine list. You don’t always want to focus on deconstructing an entire lobster, after all.
Loupiotte is the ideal all-purpose place to catch up - with friends from Silver Lake you haven’t seen in a while, with your favorite actor’s tweets, with the pile of New Yorker magazines that’s been accumulating on your coffee table. It’s quiet in the morning, lively at night, and, like any great French cafe, always the right choice.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Morning Happiness
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Creamy Polenta
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Soft Scrambled Eggs
photo credit: Jakob Layman