Fraiche

Went there for lunch today. I really like the layout. Unlike some of the previous reviews of rude staff, I had a very pleasent encounter there. Maybe that's the difference between the lunch and dinner staff...\r I had the chopped salad which was well portioned with greens, cured meats and a nice provolone. My boss had the B.L.A.T sandwich which is Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado and tomato. He said it was nothing special and the fries were cold and kind of soggy. Client had the chicken pita and that looked pretty darn good. All in all a nice lunch. Bad construction noise from outside so if you are planning to eat there in the next week I would inquire before going. more

I took my parents and friends to dinner at Fraiche not even a week ago .\r The food and wine was excellent . We had to wait 25 minutes to be seated and the Maitre D' was definitely out of taste concerning how he treated the customers . I understand he 's French but not an excuse . Our waiter was French too but he was polite , professional , friendly ( and a good looking blond fella ) who made our experience more enjoyable .\r So , if you are ready to fight to get seated then you are in the right place , but once you are seated the waiters , bussboys and kitchen will take good care of you , just ignore the hostess , maitre D "" and manager ...\r \r more

This place has been getting major media coverage: NY Times, LA Magazine, Conde Nast Traveler etc.\r My wife and I like to dine out at good places and we have no issue spending $150-200 for a great meal AND good service.\r \r For my wife's birthday, I made a reservation for the both of us on a Thurs night at 8 p.m. -- we got there at 8 p.m. and were seated promptly. The server was nice and answered some of my questions about a few menu items. We brought our own bottle of wine ($15 corkage fee for first bottle, $25 for second, had we brought a second bottle) -- the waiter gladly opened it.\r \r I think the food is good here (Iron Chef good!) and portions ample (I hate it when you go to expensive restaurants and they server you a tablespoon or two of food on your entree -- that's not the case here thankfully). We had appetizers/salad, entree, and desert -- with tip about $144, including the $15 corkage fee for our wine we brought. The room is a bit loud: I had to learn over the table to talk to my wife a lot.\r \r Many reviewers here have mentioned the attitude of the maitre d/font door staff. While we were greeted in a friendly way, it felt fake -- like we were just another number on the social security roll to take advantage of. Also, when I called about corkage fee if we brought our own bottle, I got a curt answer and a *click* - no ""thanks for your reservation"" or anything. Bizarre. \r \r It remains to be seen if this establishment will stick around a long time, or will be yet another flash-in-the-pan on the L.A. culinary scene. Pros: Great food, nice presentation Cons: No valet, weird vibe from maitre d/front door staff more

Last night four of us dined at Fraiche for the first time and can not stop raving about it. It really was a perfect dinner and surprisingly very reasonably priced. The best part was the delicious, interesting, beautiful food with flavors that make you remember how much fun a great food experience can be. The wine list is extensive and very fairly priced. The decor is beautiful, warm and comfortable and we could actually hear the conversation at our table. Fun and professional service really added to the experience. Our waiter offered wonderful menu and wine suggestions and did not lead us astray. The memory of the red snapper in saffron sauce, the risotto and the lemon tart may keep me up at night. We had the cheese plate before dinner that was divine. There was no attitude from the waiter when we asked to omit an ingredient from 2 dishes. And the parking ramp just around the corner was free and convenient. We were seated promptly and loved being on the patio. We eat out nearly every night and appreciate/expect good food and service. Fraiche is really a great restaurant that will become a regular spot for us. Pros: Delicious, memorable food. Cons: Culver City may be a bit off the beaten path, but quick to get to at night. more

We chose Fraiche after hearing great things about it for a Friday night double-date dinner. We made reservations two days prior. When we showed up at our reservation time we had to wait 15min to be seated. Okay, thats not a big deal.\r \r \r Then it got bad...\r They sat us outside under their awning which apparently has holes in it because whenever the wind blew, leaves, branches and debris would fall onto us and our food. The busboy cleaned off everything very nice and when it happened again the manager happened to be walking by and said ""it happens once a night"". It happened twice more, we had debris in our hair and clothing as well as on our food. The waiter said there was nothing available and we could wait 30-45min to get seated inside or sit outside. I called for the manager and he moved us inside and took our wine order. So things seemed to be better.\r \r \r Then it was okay...\r The manager brought us our wine and said something to the affect of hoping it makes up for the trouble. The food was very good as to be expected.\r \r \r Then it was bad again...\r The bill came w/o the wine listed as expected. We paid and tipped and then the waitress and manager came by and said they didn't mean to comp. the wine and we had to pay for that as well. This was after we already paid our bill and some time had past. It made me feel like if we left right away they wouldn't have asked us to pay more for still being there. Now the bottle of wine we order was ~$40, which means the cost to the restaurant was ~$10-12 so I was pretty upset. The manager then brought us some very cheap ""desert wine"" and we wrapped up the night and headed out.\r \r \r Summary:\r Sit inside, be prepared for rude staff but good food. Pros: Food, cheap parking nearby Cons: Bad service, lazy manager, not a lot of seating inside more

After having this restaurant highly recommended by a friend and reading the great review in Los Angeles magazine, i decided to give it a try. Our reservation was for 8:45pm, on a Saturday night. We arrived around 8:50pm and had to wait about 15 minutes for our table, but it wasn't a big deal at all. The inside dining area struck my attention, it had a nice design and warm feel. My boyfriend and i got seated outside on the patio, which is pretty nice. The waiter was very friendly and knowledgeable, and the service was exceptional. I ordered the Baby Beets salad, which was delicious, and my boyfriend ordered the Beef Tartare which was also good. For my entree i ordered the Pork Chop, which i loved!! After the meal the waiter said that dessert would be compliments of the manager due to the extra time we had to wait past our reservation time. Overall food experience was wonderful, I will defnitely dine here again.\r Pros: friendly wait staff, attentive service, good food more

I eat here every week as I work nearby. The food is good and I like the space. The wait staff is very good now, after an inconsistent start. The management is really off putting. It is worse than every than some of the trendy ""sunset strip"" places like Koi and Katana. Pros: Good, interesting space for Culver City Cons: RUDE, terrible management and hostess. more

Avoid, avoid, avoid. I?ve never been treated so unbelievably rude by a restaurant staff before. I was excited to eat here because of all the great press it has gotten. I made my reservation two weeks out and all I could get was an 8:00 table. Okay, no big deal. We arrived and the maitre d? was the rudest individual outside of Paris. He told us our reservation was for 9:15. I told him that was incorrect and he launched into a diatribe about how I was luck to even get a table since I made the reservation yesterday. I told him again this was incorrect and he said to me; ?The computer doesn?t lie.? So basically they gave away our table and were trying to blame it on me. We should have left right there, but I guess we were suckers for punishment. These guys have read too many press clippings and forgot it?s called a dining experience. Sure, the food?s good, but nothing makes up for snide, rude, obnoxious BS service. I for one will be dancing a jig when this place shutters in a year. Cons: RUDE RUDE RUDE more

A few friends said this place was actually really good, so I decided to give it a try. The host was a complete joke. She was in complete panic that my friend and I showed up with no reservation even though there were plenty of empty tables on a rainy night in L.A. Luckily her supervisor saw our annoyance and offered us a seat in the covered patio. Since it was chilly, we chose to eat in the beautiful bar area. It is definitely a good date place. I ordered the strawberry sangri which was very tasty. The mushroom salad was delicious. The dressing was a perfect compliment to the mushrooms. I had the halibut and it was great, served over mashed potatos. I also tried my friends Italian Sea Bass. It was very tasty, but much too light for my tastes. It would have been a great meal if you are trying to watch your waist line though. I had the pear tarte for dessert. It was not my favorite dessert, but the gelato was delicious. All in all, I would say this is a very good restaurant for the area. Everything was elegant and our sevice, except for the snobby host, was very good. more

As in Steve Martin's LA Story, this restaurant should be named L'Idiot instead of Fraiche. We had a reservation for 6 people at 8 o'clock on Saturday night for a birthday celebration. After waiting for over an hour, the table that we were told was for us was given to another party. We were directed to an outside table next to the entrance and covered with leaves. When we loudly complained, the owner came charging over screaming at us. We left. All that aside, the atmosphere is like a school cafeteria. Better take a brown bag lunch with you if you go. Pros: N/A Cons: Insanely Rude Owner / Service more

Like many diners I talk about a restaurant experience only when it is great or terrible. Fraiche is consistently great. Keith, Terry, Jason et al create a setting that celebrates the dining experience. Quality, attention to detail, with out the pretensions or attitudes often found at LA's top tables. As a restaurant owner and hard to please foodie, Fraiche is where I can take my wife and friends with out worry. If you have not been- go! If you have been, you know what I am talking about. I send my customers here for special occasions and client dinners. Pros: Quality of food, well chosen wines, creative cocktails, people Cons: If you live far away, too bad for you. more

This is one of the most overrrated restaurants to date. The food is sub par-horrible! We had a slew of dishes and NONE were good. Steak chewy, frites under cooked. Pasta drown in butter. Soup ok- but it's pretty hard to screw that up. Desserts from a box. The place is nothing special-no interesting design-though the patio would be ok if it weren't for all the sidewalk cigarette smokers. The host rude. The crowd old- think your parents & grand parents. The bar is hidden in the corner, hard to get to and small, not appealling or comfortable even just to have a drink while you wait for your table. No valet-enjoy the parking garage if you can find a space. Don't waste your money and Don't listen to LA Magazine, they must be friends with these guys. Ridiculously overrated-Horrible! Pros: Not crazy expensive Cons: Everything else-food, decor, parking, host, wine list, crowd more

I went to Fraiche celebrating my birthday last year and I have been constantly going back ever since. I have never had trouble getting reservations and always been seated promptly. \r \r Fraiche's warm breads and olive tapenade are wonderful, just the right amount of tartness in the tapenade unlike many other restaurants I have tried which make theirs way too sweet. So far, I have found their beet salad, beef tartare and oyster selection absolutely delectable. Their beef tartare melts in your mouth and hama hama oysters have always arrived fresh.\r \r Their risotto is to die for, the bacon confit literally melts in your mouth. I could eat the risotto for breakfast lunch and dinner. I hope they take away the balsamic reduction which they added this year as it makes the dish an acquired taste. However, I believe that Fraiche will be able to oblige with any requests that they are capable of. Their duck confit is the best I have had in a very long time. I must compliment the chef on his duck confit as I think duck is very hard to work with especially due to its strong smell. Fraiche manages to rid the smell and the meat falls off the bone. Perfect.\r \r Service is excellent. Very friendly, always there when you need them. The last time I went, they added the balsamic reduction into their risotto which I did not like very much and wanted to take the risotto home and order the duck confit. I was impressed with the way the waitress and GM handled the matter as they took it back immediately and insisted on taking the risotto off the bill.\r \r Fraiche has the combination of the know how of managing a restaurant along with great food to make the restaurant truly successful. Everytime I go back, Fraiche never disappoints thus making it a must go to whenever I have visitors. I feel it is one of the best restaurants I have gone to and am confident in their ability to keep me coming back! Pros: Food, Service, Ambience more

Have not eaten here, and don't think I want to after being treated with such a rude attitude while trying to make a reservation. Gee, how easy it is for some in the hospitality business to forget to be hospitable! I didn't have a difficult request, just asimple reservation. No thanks, we'll eat elsewhere. more

We Liked the bar very much.The bar has great cocktails,food wise never tried it so cant comment on it.We usually hang out at the bar. more

I went in last night for the first time and overall I had an ok eperience. My dad on the other hand didnt. He didnt like his halibut....he said it had no flavor...very bland. My steak....sad to say came out on the cold end. Our Dessert was amazing and so was our wine! My father had the 5 cheese platter and it was delicious! Our server was very nice and attentive. We just had bad luck with our entrees but everything else was excellent Pros: great apple strudel! Cons: make reservations more

We had a reservation for 5 at 9:30 p.m. on a Thursday. We arrived promptly at 9:30 and were told there was a 15 minute wait, despite the fact that there were a few empty tables and no one else was waiting. At 9:50, we were shown to our table without any apology or explanation. At this time, the restaurant was two-thirds full. Because of the wait, we told the waiter we only wanted the dessert menu. She left and brought back the owner-manager (who I have since been told has a reputation for being rude) who brusquely told us to leave. Which we did.\r \r I can understand and appreciate a policy that discourages only desserts when a restaurant is busy but, in this instance, it was late and Fraiche was uncrowded. Additionally, since we had already been inconvenienced, it would have been appropriate to accommodate us rather than kick us out.\r \r As an aside, this is the first time this has ever happened to me - and I consider myself to be a sophisticated restaurant goer. more

I have not experienced the wrath of the Notorious GM (tm) on any visit as others on this board have, but I didn't have to confront him either. There were some timing issues early on that I chalked up to 'working out the kinks' but nothing seriously major. The food though, has been outstanding and consistent both visits. I keep thinking I want to try some of the other apps, but always dive into the Charcuterie plate with the soft milky prosciutto, spec and merguez sausage. Mains, the monk fish nails it. Tender, melting on the tongue, full flavored but not heavy. It comes together the way it should. The Branzino is also very good. It's preparation, in parchment, is clean and lean. A juicy and generously thick pork chop was one of the better I have had out. I've yet to try the Steak Frites, I think that's next. In the bar, Albert's (Trummer) cocktail program is up there with new comer Comme Ca. I am not so much into the exotics, but he knows how to craft a Manhattan. The hearthy design is warm and convivial and if I lived closer, I'd be there more often. Pros: Consistently good food, cocktails more

\r I have enjoyed a number of wonderful meals Fraiche in downtown Culver City. The decor is modern yet warm, and the atmosphere hip yet relaxed. Their lunches are inexpensive and excellent. Try the ?Royale with Cheese,? their version of a hamburger on a large gougiere bun.My favorite dishes are their homemade pastas, especially the beef short rib ravioli, dressed in a delicate buttery sauce. For dinner, I have often started with their charcuterie plate, which includes all the wonders of pork, such as prochetta, lardo and guanciale. My friends and I always share a few dishes, working our way through the appetizers, pastas, main dishes, cheese plate and dessert. It is also a pleasure to dine at the bar (although bar service tends to be a bit slow, unfortunately). They have a special bar menu, including oysters, steak frites and pasta. It is easy to find an excellent wine for under $45, but don?t miss out on one of their signature cocktails made with homemade infusions. more

I've been here mainly for lunch and this place is really solid! Especially their burger, which is probably the best in the Culver City area. The burger meat is high quality and comes out nice and juicy but even better than that is the burger bun, which they somehow infuse with cheese and make crispy. Very tasty! Their other, non-burger entrees are solid but don't quite live up to the high bar set by the burger. This place also scores points for a nice, airy and open interior plus a spacious outdoor patio. Fraiche is on the pricier side for lunch but it's not insanely expensive. more