Chinatown French bistro and wine bar Oriel will close on April 25. The closure was announced in an Instagram post, which reads, “We express our profound gratitude to all our loving and loyal staff, consistent regulars, and the welcoming community of Chinatown. It has been our honor to serve you over the past seven years.” Eater LA has reached out for comment.
Opened in 2017, the restaurant grew to be a local favorite for its stylish pink interior, well-curated wine selection, and classic French cooking. The restaurant, located right under the train tracks for the A line, offered the rumble of the metro whizzing by in the evening as customers sipped on glasses of chenin blanc between bites of baguette and beurre de baratte. Its founding menu included French bistro classics like onion soup, steak tartare, bone marrow, chicken liver mousse, and bavette steak frites. In its final days, the menu stayed true to its original form with classic French dishes like escargots, moules marinières, and saucisses aux lentilles.
Oriel was opened by restaurateur Dustin Lancaster, whose resume includes opening Bar Covell, aperitivo hot spot Capri Club, Virgil Village’s Real Charmer, and more. The interior — with its exposed wood ceiling, hanging plants, and pink accents — was dreamt up by Sally Breer, who also designed Hotel Covell in Los Feliz. Lancaster brought on business partner Michael Blackman, Augustine chef Evan Algorri, and former Bar Marmont general manager Alain Jeu to help shape and open the restaurant.
Although Los Angeles has plenty of impressive French restaurants that serve both traditional and modern takes on the cuisine, including Mr. T, Pasjoli, Le Comptoir, and Petit Trois, Oriel’s particular brand of casual bistro cooking will be missed. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before another restaurant takes over its iconic home under the train tracks.
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