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Joie de Vivre! French Bistros, Bakeries & Bars in DTLA

Joie de vivre, French for joy of living, takes on a whole new meaning as the City of Light meets the City of Angels! For a bit of historical context, before Chinatown was Chinatown, it was Frenchtown. During the second half of the 19th century and into the 20th, the French community in Los Angeles was one of the most influential and robust in Southern California. By 1860, French was the second most-spoken language in Los Angeles.

Today, the French population in Los Angeles is represented by a fresh new wave of entrepreneurs, artisans, and restauranteurs who are making an impact on our culture and dining habits. From classic dishes like bouillabaisse, steak frites, tartare de boeuf, croque monsieur, and escargots, to new eateries with a French twist, you’ll find your joie de vivre at DTLA’s French bistros, bakeries and bars.

Church & State LA 1850 Industrial St, Los Angeles, CA 90021

After reoopening earlier this year, Chef David Féau’s reinvigorated menu at Church & State proves that classics never go out of style. His interpretation of bistronomie is built on the foundation of the giants of the French culinary pantheon – Bocuse, Blanc, Vergé, Ducasse, along with his personal mentor, Guy Savoy – but is heightened with a lighter, California-driven sensibility. The new Church & State is a place to dine, for sure, but more than anything it is a place for people to come together, enjoy the company of friends, and to live well.

Le Petit Paris 418 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Housed inside the historic El Dorado Building, Le Petit Paris is the vision of Cannes-based restauranteurs David and Fanny Rolland. The 300-seat restaurant brings a quintessential brasserie dining experience to Downtown LA’s Historic Core. The restaurant is an architectural marvel, designed by the Rollands, featuring multiple skylights, two bars, a mezzanine level, and a large outdoor patio. During the daytime, Le Petit Paris provides a tranquil, bright venue, and at night it transforms into an upscale fine dining restaurant with a lounge.

Mignon 128 E 6th St. Los Angeles, CA 90014

True to its name (mignon roughly translates to “small and cute” in French), this elegant little food and wine bar in DTLA’s Historic Core aims to be an oasis for anyone who is weary of the ubiquitous bar experience. Seating about 20 around a U-shaped central bar, Mignon’s inviting interior is rich with midnight blue walls, a pressed tin ceiling, homey book shelves, and framed portraits. Mignon specializes in small production, offering natural wines from all over the globe with an emphasis on the Old World. They also serve seasonal, rustic French cuisine, including a three-course pre-fixe option, small plates, and fine artisanal cheeses and charcuterie. The space is also a retail shop, so make sure you grab some bottles to go.

Oriel Chinatown 1135 N. Alameda St. Los Angeles, CA 90012

For lovers of authentic French wine and food, Oriel is a chic, comfortable wine bar styled to please even the most homesick Parisian. Located just far enough away from Chinatown’s main drag, Oriel might be a little hard to spot hidden beneath the Chinatown Gold LIne Metro stop. But once inside, you’ll be charmed by the sleek black and rose interior, lush hanging plants, and soft pink neon lighting. Oriel offers a curated selection of French bottles and some 20 wines by the glass, along with a classic bistro menu featuring French onion soup, steak tartare, chicken liver mousse, steak frites. escargots, and gnocchi.

Pitchoun Bakery & Café 545 S Olive St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Pitchoun! is a family owned French bakery, pastry store and restaurant, offering fresh artisan breads and home-made pastries and cakes, along with an array of healthy salads, sandwiches, hot dishes, soups, and more. Using traditional French family recipes, everything is home-made daily from scratch, using house-made starter levain and organic or local ingredients. The flavors are crisp, authentic, and clean, and all products aim for pure simplicity and high quality.

Bon Temps 712 S Santa Fe Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90021

An all-day restaurant in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles, Bon Temps from Chef Lincoln Carson reimagines a modern French brasserie with industrial roots. From morning until late-night, the menu is refined with an attention to detail that nods to Chef Lincoln Carson’s lineage working in internationally-acclaimed restaurants. Bon Temps is a place for the downtown community to break bread in a space that pays homage to the old and new. Since opening in June, Bon Temps has been recognized as one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants 2019.

Paris Baguette 902 S Los Angeles St, Los Angeles, CA 90015

Paris Baguette is an international, premium bakery-café specializing in a yummy assortment of breads, pastries and cakes baked daily. Their mission is to bring happiness to everyone by adapting to people’s ever-expanding palates with decadent, unique and sophisticated baked goods. They serve a variety of treats ranging from coffee, tea, smoothies, and frappes, to appetizing snacks, delicious cakes for all occasions, and chef-inspired sandwiches and salads.

La Boucherie 900 Wilshire Blvd Fl 71 Los Angeles, CA 90017

Located on the 71st floor of InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown, La Boucherie boasts a top-tier, American steakhouse with a French twist. Feast on reimagined dishes and premium steaks, in addition to first-rate seafood sourced from around the globe. The restaurant also features a cheese cave and charcuterie atelier complemented by offerings from their extensive, Wine Spectator award-winning wine list of 1,200 different types, all of which can be enjoyed from the comfort of private dining rooms or discrete Starlight Booths.

Bottega Louie Restaurant and Gourmet Market 700 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017

What could be more French than a macaron – a sweet meringue-based confection made with egg white, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond meal, and food coloring. Since the 19th century, a typical Parisian-style macaron is presented with a ganache, buttercream or jam filling sandwiched between two meringue “cookies.” But you don’t have to travel to Paris to get your macaron fix – Bottega Louis offers literally mountains of these tempting treats for every occasion. Eat yours on the spot, or choose an elegant gift box from their extensive catalog.

Walk It Off! Discover DTLA’s Cultural Walking Tours

The holidays are coming, and you know what that means – scrumptious calorie-laden feasts, endless carbs, and heaps of tempting sweets! But before you dive off the deep-end of the dining table, take some preemptive steps with a walking tour! LA Conservancy has a slew of fascinating tours exploring the social, cultural, and architectural history of Los Angeles. Do you like craft beer with your graffiti – there’a s tour for that – courtesy of LA Art Tours. How about an in-depth tour of Chinatown and Little Tokyo – check. Art lovers rejoice – Downtown Art Walk, a self-guided experience of local galleries, is held on 2nd Thursdays every month.

So go ahead, indulge yourself this holiday season. But first walk it off, and discover DTLA’s cultural walking tours!

LA Conservancy Above the Skyline Walking Tour 633 West 5th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071

Saturdays November This special version of LA Conservancy’s popular Modern Skyline walking tour visits the OUE Skyspace LA observation deck and Skyslide, on the 70th floor of the iconic U.S. Bank Tower building. Enjoy the view of Los Angeles’ evolving skyline from almost a thousand feet in the air! Think skyscrapers aren’t historic? Think again! After seeing how downtown L.A. has evolved over the past century, you’ll see our beloved skyline in a whole new way. You’ll learn the fascinating story of Bunker Hill’s evolution, explore some of L.A.’s newest landmarks, and see how old and new architecture co-exists. At the end of the tour, take a trip down Skyslide, an exterior glass-enclosed slide high above Los Angeles, included with each ticket.

LA Conservancy Art Deco Walking Tour Meeting Location: Pershing Square

Everyone knows that L.A. is a glamorous city. But few know that true Old Hollywood glamour lies in the streets of downtown L.A.! Nothing evokes Jazz Age elegance like Art Deco. Its clean lines and geometric patterns proved a perfect style for L.A. in the 20s and 30s, and an extraordinary collection of these masterpieces still stands in the heart of the city. On this tour, you’ll marvel at the incredible detail of these structures, with their brilliant colors and lush materials. You’ll learn how Art Deco made its way to L.A., and why it became such a defining architectural style in the city.

LA Conservancy Broadway Historic Theatre & Commercial District Walking Tour

Broadway thrived for decades as the entertainment epicenter of Los Angeles. Massive department stores and magnificent movie palaces drew generations of Angelenos to the city center. Still a vibrant shopping street, the area is now a hub of adaptive reuse projects that have turned office buildings and department stores into housing, dining, retail, and nightlife destinations. Subject to availability, the tour visits the interiors of one or more of the following: the Los Angeles Theatre, The Theatre at the Ace Hotel (formerly United Artists Theatre), and the Orpheum Theatre. Reservations are required for this tour. Meeting and parking information will be provided with your reservation confirmation.

DTLA Art Walk

Downtown Art Walk is a self-guided art experience of local galleries, artist studios, and cultural events held on 2nd Thursdays every month. From its inceptions over 10 years ago as a monthly coordinated collaboration along Spring and Main Streets in downtown Los Angeles, today this vibrant community thrives, with art experiences beyond one day, two streets, and 12 blocks. The Downtown Art Walk nonprofit engages, educates, and informs through year-round programs and social media platforms connecting art lovers and enthusiasts to galleries, artists, city-wide art openings, cultural events, exhibits, art conventions, national and international art news and innovations, 365 days a year! Gallery Guide Map pick up locations HERE

DTLA Walking Tours Chinatown & Little Tokyo Chinatown Plaza 943 N. Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90012

Walk into the two largest ethnic neighborhoods of Downtown and learn about their growth and history in Los Angeles. Understand how international issues, such as nationalism, World War II and segregation affected the Chinese and Japanese cultures, but have allowed each to retain their strong community neighborhoods. Tour requires a Metro Rail journey in the middle of the tour between Chinatown and Little Tokyo (rail fare not included).

LA Art Tours Craft Beer and Urban Art/Graffiti Tour Angel City Brewery 216 S Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Two guides, three beer stops, dozens of amazing urban art pieces! A collaboration between LA Art Tours and SoCal Brew Bus, this walking tour centers on the hottest spot in Los Angeles, the Downtown LA Arts District. Long a hotbed of the best graffiti and murals in Los Angeles, it is now also home to several great craft breweries. Two stops are made at the largest breweries in the Arts District. The third stop varies by availability, and will be one of two smaller craft breweries, or the craft beer garden of LA’s largest art gallery. The breweries have food options available, so you are welcome to order some bites while sampling beers. Between breweries, an awesome urban art guide will take you by a number of famous as well as hidden and lesser known works of urban art. All art guides are long time local artists with in-depth knowledge and experience in the local graffiti/mural scene.

Sidewalk Food Tours Downtown LA Food Tour Pitchoun Bakery 545 S Olive St. Los Angeles, CA 90013

Sidewalk Food Tours Downtown LA Food tour includes six unique stops showcasing the best of the growing, diverse DTLA food scene. The tour’s expert foodies have done extensive research to offer you a variety of delicious foods from the best specialty food stores, buzz-worthy spots, and ethnic eateries. The tour includes visits to famed landmarks such as the Bradbury Building, the Million Dollar Theater, the Biltmore Hotel, and a stroll through the historic Grand Central Market with tastings from some of its most well-known vendors. Flavorful food specialties are served from six of the following locations (subject to change): Pitchoun Bakery, Horse Thief BBQ, Berlin Currywurst, DTLA Cheese, Madcapra Falafel, Guisados (slow-cooked braised meat tacos), OkiPoki (Asian fusion spot serving sushi burritos) and Bottega Louie in the historic Brockman building.

Explore DTLA’s Little Tokyo!

Founded in the late 1800s, Little Tokyo has grown into a bustling hub of delectable food options, great nightlife, world-class museums, and eclectic shopping. A major attraction is the restaurant and bar scene, but Little Tokyo offers so much more than just great sushi, saki and Japanese whiskey. Venture off the beaten track and you’ll find everything from historic cultural centers to a Buddhist temple, trendy Japanese fashion, sweet shops, and even a glitzy bowling alley! You’ll never run out of fun things to discover when you explore DTLA’s Little Tokyo!

Little Tokyo Koban and Visitor’s Center 307 E 1st St. Los Angeles, CA 90012

Need a map or have some questions? Start off at the Little Tokyo Koban and Visitor’s Center, where you can find brochures, maps, newsletters, and flyers about Little Tokyo and the Japanese community.

Japanese American National Museum 100 N Central Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90012

The Japanese American National Museum is the largest museum in the United States dedicated to sharing the experience of Americans of Japanese ancestry. Common Ground: The Heart of Community, their ongoing exhibition, incorporates hundreds of objects, documents, and photographs collected by the museum. The exhibition chronicles 130 years of Japanese American history, beginning with the early days of the Issei pioneers, through the World War II incarceration to the present. Among the many notable artifacts on display is a Heart Mountain barracks, an original structure saved and preserved from the concentration camp in Wyoming.

Union Center for the Arts 120 Judge John Aiso St. A Los Angeles, CA 90012

The Union Center for the Arts anchors the northwestern end of the Little Tokyo Historic District. Completed in 1923, The building was the former Union Church, the combined home of three Japanese American congregations. After suffering severe damage during the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the Little Tokyo Service Center Community Development Corporation completed a multi-million dollar renovation of the building in 1998 to house three arts organizations: East West Players, America’s premier Asian American Theatre; Visual Communications, a nonprofit with the mission to develop and support the voices of Asian American and Pacific Islander filmmakers and media artists; and LA Artcore, an art space dedicated to recognizing diverse artistic accomplishments and bringing innovative exhibits and events to the public.

Shabu-Shabu House 127 Japanese Village Plaza Mall Los Angeles, CA 90012

Locals line up at this no-nonsense spot for cook-it-yourself Japanese shabu-shabu, a Japanese hotpot dish of thinly sliced meat and vegetables boiled in water and served with dipping sauces, such as ponzo. Choose from 10 pieces or 15 pieces of meat – your meal comes with raw veggies to cook, noodles to boil, and a bowl of steamed rice. Once the soup is ready, simply toss your veggies into the pot and dip your beef into the boiling soup. Lightly dip the cooked items in the ponzu sauce and eat with rice.

X Lanes LA 333 Alameda St. #300 Los Angeles, CA 90013

X Lanes is a splashy 50,000 square-foot venue equipped with state-of-the-art LED lanes, competition felt-quality billiards tables, private karaoke rooms, and retro to modern video games. You can expect to compete with players from all over the world with the high-performance virtual dart machines. X Lanes serves a great selection of American-style grub including appetizers, fresh pizzas, burgers, pastas and even steaks. Planning a party? The venue can accommodate special events up to 500 people!

Q Pop Shop 319 E 2nd St #121, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Q Pop is your one stop destination for unique artist made goods, vinyl toys, rare records, and Japanese funky street fashion. Located in the heart of historic Little Tokyo, Q Pop features beautiful interior design by Justin K Thompson, and two large murals by renowned artists Kevin Dart, Chris Turnham, and Elizabeth Ito. Q Pop is the exclusive southern California seller of Harajuku fashion label Algonquins, as well as the exclusive US seller of Super Lovers. Q Pop is also a mini gallery space where exhibitions, events, and performances take place regularly.

Japanese Village Plaza 335 E 2nd St. Los Angeles, CA 90012

No trip to Little Tokyo would be complete without a stop at this iconic destination. Japanese Village Plaza offers a unique shopping and dining experience in a relaxing, comfortable atmosphere. More than just a historic shopping center, it is a place where customers can come early and stay late for a variety of services, specialty markets, and gift boutiques. Abundant parking is available on Central Avenue, between 1st and 2nd Street.

The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA 152 N Central Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90012

Located in a former police car warehouse in Little Tokyo’s Historic District, renovated by architect Frank Gehry, The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA (formerly The Temporary Contemporary) opened in 1983. Originally established in 1979, MOCA houses one of the most compelling collections of contemporary art in the world, comprising roughly 7000 objects, and has a diverse history of ground-breaking, historically-significant exhibitions. With two distinct venues in Los Angeles—MOCA Grand Avenue, and The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA—and Michael Heizer’s seminal artwork Double Negative (1969-70) in the Nevada desert, MOCA strives to engage audiences through an ambitious program of exhibitions, educational programs, and publishing.

Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple 505 E 3rd St Los Angeles, CA 90013

Throughout its 2,500 years history, Buddhism has evolved over the years to meet the spiritual needs of the people. The Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple offers a spiritual environment that cultivates individual exploration based on the Buddhadharma. Through self-reflection, we are encouraged to strive for harmony with respect for the differences in our diverse community. The Little Tokyo Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple is an affiliate of one of the oldest and largest denominations in Japan, the Shinshu Otani-ha, with approximately 10,000 temples and 10,000,000 members. It espouses the teachings of Jodo Shinshu, also known as Shin Buddhism, a form of Pure Land Buddhism.

Fugetsu-Do Confectioners 315 East First St. Los Angeles, CA 90012

Family owned and operated since 1903, Fugetsu-Do is the longest running mochi business in Little Tokyo. They are famous for their variety of hand made Japanese confections, from small sweet cakes to chocolate filled mochi – a Japanese confection found usually in the shape of a small, round rice cake which can be eaten with condiments such as kinako (roastedsoy bean flour), manju (sweet red bean paste), soy sauce dip, and seaweed. Traditionally, mochi is made by pounding steamed glutinous rice in a large wooden mortar, called the usu, with a wooden mallet called the kine. Mochi was originally made as offerings to kami (gods) at shrines, and eventually became an integral part of the Japanese New Year tradition..