When you cross a Wes Anderson color palette with great steak frites and imaginative wine tasting notes, you get L’Oursin—the Seattle French restaurant scene’s class clown. But even though they use quips about Ocean Spray cranberry juice to describe whole-cluster grenache, this Central District spot serves a serious dinner. Pêche du jour and raw scallops nod to the restaurant’s seafood roots, while more playful snacks like panisse with harissa dip or “the cheese of the moment” keep things a tad more unexpected than escargot and cassoulet (though you’ll find those guys here, too). Use L’Oursin to earn yourself cool points with those around you by way of their sepia-toned digs, expert-level chocolate mousse, and Alsatian pinot blanc that’s described as liquified honey walnut prawns.
Food RundownPanisse
Puffy in the middle and brittle on the outside, these deep-fried chickpea sticks are our ideal drinking snack, especially swirled through the combination of harissa paste and crème fraîche.
photo credit: Aimee Rizzo
Gratinée À L’oignon
Everything french onion soup should be. A+.
photo credit: Aimee Rizzo
Pêche Du Jour
If you’re in the mood for A Nice Piece Of Fish, this is a lovely route to take. Preparations vary, but you can expect the addition of fresh produce and some manifestation of tasty sauce.
photo credit: Aimee Rizzo
Steak Frites
Ask for steak frites, and receive a wood-grilled hangar steak cooked to the correct temperature, doused in green peppercorn-kicked cognac sauce alongside a pile of fries.
photo credit: Aimee Rizzo
Mousse Al Chocolat
Whipped chocolate, candied hazelnuts, and a big here-you-go of flaky sea salt is a flawless way to end a meal here. Do it.
photo credit: Nate Watters
Dining and Cooking