Reviews for Le Comptoir in Los Angeles, CA
Le Comptoir is not just a restaurant. Chef Gary Menes brings you an experience that combines impeccable taste with an at-home... feel as you enjoy the masterpieces he brings out in an eight-course journey. You are one of 10 people seated facing the kitchenwhere the magic happens. Chef begins by introducing himself and his team (Josh and Jonathan, both of whom have been with Cheffor 8+ years). The cooking and plating takes place right in front of your eyes. You can ask questions, all of which are answeredwith patience. All the dishes are exceptional and keep changing daily. The menu is vegetarian forward but several of the dishescan be substituted for fish/meat options (cooked to perfection) for additional charge. If you are a party of two or more, Irecommend one person get the standard veggie dish and the other get the meat/fish option. The wine pairing is great and all thewines are picked out by the chef to go with each course. Often times during the meal, I saw Chef Gary wash the dishes himselfwhile his apprentices were serving us, which blew my mind. I did not expect to get a lesson in management and kindness when Imade my reservation. My husband and I have been to several Michelin star restaurants, including Eleven Madison Park in NYC. Butall of them pale in comparison to Le Comptoir. It is the best dining experience we have ever had and probably will have foryears to come. Read more
One of the best dining experiences I've had. Chef Gary and his team were so welcoming.
We were absolutely blown away by Le Comptoir. We're trying to work our way through the newly-minted Michelin list in Los... Angeles and were excited to try a place we hadn't heard of before. The ambiance is amazing, with a counter seating around 8people right in front of the small kitchen where you can see the care put into each course. The menu is very focused aroundfresh produce, and several specials that depend on what is fresh and delicious that day (we really loved this aspect and howmuch the team cared about each ingredient). While some might be offput by the mostly vegetarian menu, you will not bedisappointed by the masterful preparation and quality. We did find that the meat dishes were not quite as finessed as thevegetables (which is their specialty so that makes sense) but they were still very solid. We had such a great time talking withthe team throughout the meal, and opted for the very generous and reasonably priced wine pairing which was full of veryinteresting picks we enjoyed a lot. One of the best meals we've had in a long time also happens to be one of the mostaffordable high quality tasting menus in LA, which makes this an absolute can't-miss in my mind. The price can drive up if youchoose a lot of supplements, but after trying all of them with sharing, the main menu is where the star dishes are anyway - soyou won't be missing out if you stick to the book in my opinion. Reservations can be tough to get, so plan in advance - youwon't regret it! Read more
A special experience for a not very special menu. Seven vegetables and fruits mixed dishes are well prepared and not letting... down although the ingredients were simple. The main course was disappointing small especially compared with the fruit andveggies plate second course. It was less than most side disk in normal menu. The donut desert was not impressive. The scallopand beef supplement added a balance flavor to the standard menu and replaced the weak main course. Read more
Le Comptoir was amazing. It?s a very small place, but that increases the intimacy of the whole evening. The experience of... getting to meet Chef Gary and his apprentice, and having them walk you through the menu, course by course, made for a greatdinner. If you are looking to celebrate, or want to try a tasting menu which highly showcases the veggies, then Le Comptoir isworth checking out. Read more
Thoroughly enjoyed our meal tonight, would come again when we're in LA next if there's space.
A vegan tasting menu with non-vegan substitutions (this is course #3, the fruit and vegetable tasting plate). The Apollonian... vision of an excellent chef. Read more
Dinner started great with chef Menes introducing himself, the "apprentices" and the courses. Started with a superior veloute... matching the chef status (and so later the lobster, the only two dishes worth the chef and the star). Fruit and vegetables platewas good but the rest of the dinner was not worthwhile. The Michelin star egg was disappointing (yolk could have been moreflavorful), meat definitely not worth it (I hope it was just the piece I ate!) and so the truffle and the pasta itself. I wouldstrongly suggest to avoid the common cheeses. I should have asked why the 27 year old sourdough had to be served charred bothtimes. Overall, Interesting fresh flavors but not much complexity and definitely not above the rest for the money ($350+ perperson all included but without the wine pairing). Note that the wine bottles for the pairings came already opened andpreviously utilized. The "apprentices" were great, very courteous and knowledgeable but chef Menes disappeared and barely stayedthru dinner. Maybe it was just an odd night for him. Otherwise, I am not sure why create such a setting if interactions with theguest is not much part of the intimate experience I assume he wants to create... Read more