Ooh la la! Faux Pas Bistro brings a certain je ne sais quoi to haute cuisine in Los Angeles. Grab an order of pommes frites or a glass of champagne, and savoir la vie en rose along the Left Bank — except you’re in the heart of Southern California, where the sun always shines, and the people speak your language.

You’ll immediately notice something different about the Faux Pas Bistro, starting with the striking design, dreamed up by Kristofer Keith, the award-winning lead artist of Spacecraft Group. At 6,000 square feet, this airy bistro includes an outdoor patio dining area, a private room, and large red booths circling the main seating area. Above the entrance hangs a breathtaking chandelier composed of 25 glass and metal light fixtures, and the area is bifurcated by an open-roof mimosa bar (featuring six different types of mimosas) where natural light floods the premises.

Within the room, diners and guests will notice the high-quality white marble countertops, exposed brick, and raw stone that comprise the surroundings, as well as the large, homey fireplace anchoring the bistro. Equally noteworthy are the vintage wooden tables and chairs, the red velvet curtains, and sumptuous mirrors. Overall, the vibe is sophisticated yet warm, elegant yet charming. It’s the perfect setting for a meeting with friends, family, or associates over a demitasse of French-pressed coffee, an apertif, or a mimosa.

Faux Pas Bistro manager Alejandro Morales and server Kirby Anderson

Having just opened within the last two months, they are off to a brilliant start with the food. Diego Bernal is the new chef de cuisine most recently from Gordon Ramsay at the London. The food is well-thought out, delicious, and with the flavors of each element/ingredient in the different dishes easily discernible, flavorful and delightful.

Located adjacent to The Grove shopping center on W. 3rd Street, the Faux Pas Bistro serves brunch, dinner, and drinks with French classics mixed with American comfort food. Start with favorites like black mussels steamed in Chablis, shallots, garlic, and saffron, with a ribbon of cream. Light eaters will enjoy soup and salad, such as longtime favorite French onion soup or the cannellini bean soup paired with a simple green salad or the more exotic options frisee with lardons, goat cheese brulee salad, or ahi tuna nicoise.

For healthier appetites, a croque madame or a croque monsieur makes for a satisfying repast. If you prefer a more domestic option, the crispy chicken sandwich or the Faux Pas burger are top choices — go ahead and add a side of pommes frites or Faus Pas fries (fried smashed sweet potatoes and yams with garlic aioli). You deserve it, right? However, if you’re counting calories, try the grilled seasonal vegetables, the BruZZel sprouts (one of the signature dishes at the Faux Pas), or the haricots verts.

Don’t stop — there’s a lot more to enjoy on the Faux Pas menu. You’ll flip your beret over the tres bonnes entrees, such as Quiche Lorraine, vegetable terrine, trout almondine, bouillabaisse, and coq au vin, to name just a few. As you may have noticed, vegetarians, pescatarians, and omnivores will have no problems finding dishes to their liking on the Faux Pas Bistro menu, without compromising flavor or luxury.

The Faux Pas culinary touch extends across the continent as well with a selection of enticing thin-crust pizzettes topped with the freshest ingredients and a range of scrumptious pastas, from mac and cheese to risotto, with several more choices on the menu.

No French meal would be complete without dessert, and the Faux Pas Bistro has you covered there too. Try out the Tiramisu (a favorite already) with Faux Pas’ unique twist, the fanciful profiteroles filled with whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate, or the refreshing fruit tart, bedecked in seasonal berries, vanilla bean custard, and Chantilly cream. Is your mouth watering yet?

The French have it right on many counts, especially in the culinary world, and the Faux Pas Bistro does it right with French favorites, continental classics, and good old American comfort food. For a taste of the City of Lights in the heart of Los Angeles, drop by the Faux Pas Bistro on West 3rd Street. Bon appétit!

7910 W. Third St., Los Angeles, CA 323.424.4767

Kristofer Keith

More on Spacecraft
“Spacecraft is a full service hospitality design and construction firm based in Los Angeles, California. Their design philosophy is a combined focus on logical space planning, project unique schemes, and leading edge designs.

Spacecraft, under the guidance of founder Kristofer Keith, aims is to deliver project relevant environments, each created with the success and longevity of the proposed business as priority.” www.spacecraftgroup.com