LAReview
Republique
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Republique—how does one begin to describe its importance? The legendary French restaurant is a historical landmark at this point, firmly rooted in everything that makes this town great (show business, gorgeous architecture, food, etc.). Like a pop star who only goes by a single name, Republique needs no introduction: you’ll find it on every “Best of” list in the city, a gathering place for fans of history, hungry tourists, and anyone who loves dessert.
Photos by Jakob Layman
When standing in the dining room, a stunning two-story structure on La Brea in Mid City with arched ceilings and rustic wooden tables, the word “breathtaking” will likely come to mind. It’s majestic, like a wild horse or looking straight into the sun. Combined with the propped open windows and provincial street lamps above, eating here feels like being dropped into a bustling French marketplace, located in a village with a charming but difficult to pronounce name. In the past, Charlie Chaplin once called this building home, and quite some time after that, the dining room belonged to one of the city’s landmark restaurants, Campanile (helmed by Nancy Silverton). There’s a history that’s steeped into the walls, a lore you feel whenever you eat here or bite into one of their buttery croissants.
Republique is open for brunch and dinner, although we much prefer brunch. You'll find silky shakshuka, kimchi fried rice, and omelets made with gruyere and finely chopped herbs, as well as a pastry case that makes us feel like a kid in a candy store. The glass case is filled to the brim with kouign amanns, chocolate bombolinis, cake donuts glossed in hot-pink icing, and ube coconut bundt cakes decorated in intricate purple flowers. If you have a hard time choosing, just stick to the mango and passionfruit cream pie, a glistening dessert we’ll happily make our first meal of the day, any day.
Nights are a different story. Dinner at Republique was once a serious dining experience, but now, dinner can best be best described as “fine.” During our last few visits, the service was sluggish if not downright bad: dishes were dropped in the wrong order, some failed to show up at all. Everything tastes too salty; larger dishes like duck breast and short ribs were forgettable. We left with the sense that the focus had shifted to the owners' newest restaurant, Bicyclette in Beverlywood. Which is OK, probably. For now, Bicyclette doesn’t do brunch and we’re still awestruck whenever we walk into Republique’s dining room, an actual architectural wonder.
Although we’re not as hot on their dinner situation as we used to be, we’re still fans of everything Republique represents—an LA time capsule, a cathedral that worships French food. We just prefer it during the day.