If you’re looking for a pristine escape from the Los Angeles crush, look no further than the transformative Falcon Restaurant. LAsThePlace.com discovered this little gem tucked away in Hollywood on Sunset Blvd. Walking into the Falcon “Lair”, you feel as if you are transported to another space and time. Chic, pristine and comfortable, the atmosphere and service at the Falcon is almost as impeccable as the food.
The décor in this luscious Hollywood “Lair” was indeed impressive. The name of the restaurant refers to the name of Rudolph Valentino’s home, but the building is actually a converted, Craftsman-style bungalow. The walls of lacquered wood, clean-lined booths and shag carpets, give the dining room a Rat Pack-era look, distinctively hip and fresh.
New Chef Mario Manabe, along with Anisette Chef de Cuisine, Brendan Collins, create fresh menus weekly utilizing seasonal, local produce from their local farmer’s market, where they even hold their kitchen and bar meetings. Needless to say, with this type of dedication, their salads are a work of art. Other menu items are just as fresh and flavorful. Our steak was flavorful and tender, grilled to perfection and came to the table exactly as ordered. The roasted lobster, straight from Falcon’s wood oven, was especially delectable..
Manabe came to Falcon after stints with Hawaii’s Alan Wong, Tarbell’s in Pheonix, AZ, The Morrison House in Washington DC; and Aubergine and Mesa in Orange County, California. After working with these culinary giants, Chef Manabe is a master of the bold but intricate flavors of inspired American cuisine. Some of Manabe’s recommendations include the seared scallops with a farmer’s market citrus salad for starters, or the house made Beef Tortellini. Stand out entrees include Pan Roasted Whitefish with cauliflower spaetzle, English peas, fresh basil and seafood fumet cream sauce.
With his inspired creations, Chef Manabe has ignited Falcon’s bar staff to put together cocktails featuring the freshest of the farmer’s market fruits, herbs and spices. Now, just as the kitchen menu changes with 
weekly trips to the market, the bar staff composes new menus as they too peruse the local fresh produce options. Falcon dinner and specialty menus are served nightly 6pm until 11pm, Saturday evenings from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m.
Additionally, the Falcon’s designers were also attentive to the restaurant’s acoustics, an aspect of the dining experience that many similar venues overlook. The sound system was just resonant enough to add to the atmosphere, but allowed us to still enjoy our conversation. Finally, the service at Falcon is something special, with servers and staff doing everything in their power to make diners have a great experience.
For more information or to make reservations, please dial (323) 850-5350 or visit www.falconslair.com or www.opentable.com.
Falcon Restaurant is located at 7213 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA. 90046.
