Absolutely loved it! Went there for my husband’s birthday in December. We ordered literally everything off the menu and everything tasted delicious!! Can’t wait to go
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dewi Aldrich
Relatively brand new restaurant that specializes in French-inspired cuisine.It's got a cute, romantic, bistro-like atmosphere that's perfect for date night or an outing with friends.Service was somewhat lackluster. Our server never really introduced himself -- he just swung by to take our happy hour order. He then came back to take our order off the regular dinner menu, then disappeared. We saw him float around between the different rooms, but he never came back to check in on us. Another male server came by and asked if we needed anything. Some time had passed between our appetizers, our first few dishes and our main entree, which was the steak. We had to ask for that, before it finally came.There's a happy hour menu, which is quite a good deal -- we began with two glasses of the Bordeaux for $8 each; a $10 beef tartare toast, and a $5 salmon rillette tartine. The wine was good, and so was the tartare. The salmon rillette tartine, however was rather underwhelming in both appearance and taste. It need oomph, at the very least some salt.We also ordered the French onion soup -- good, but not amazing. It was a tad stingy on the cheese.The salad Nicoise was very underwhelming. I have traveled to Nice, France and had salad Nicoise at various restaurants while there -- this was far from what you get in France. It had way too much lettuce, no anchovies, and the yellowfin tuna was nothing extraordinary. It also severely lacked any real flavor -- it's a simple salad, but the lemon vinaigrette missed the punch or acidity it needed to bring this classic French salad together. And at $24 a plate, I expected better.The best dish of the night was the Bavette, a flank steak, which was cooked to our liking: medium rare. This was accompanied by mashed potatoes and some greens. Tasty!We skipped out on dessert and had 2 more glasses of wine: the Cab Franc and the Côtes du Rhône red blend of Syrah & Grenache -- the latter was excellent, fruit forward, a medium red, while the former tasted light-bodied and flat. But to each his own when it comes to vino!Parking: the small lot adjacent to restaurant is a crapshoot -- so best to park in the garage directly across from the restaurant. It's only $3 per hour. We paid for two hours during a 5:30 PM reservation and thought that was plenty.Would we return? Not in a heartbeat. There are more enticing restaurants in LA.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
Casey
Great people, great food. A destination restaurant; worth the trip.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Green Beans, Beef Tartare, Fish
Lydia Cheng
Oriel is a modern wine bar/bistry that serves french food. The food is simple but tasty and the service is great. They have a pretty good sized wine list and a lot of food options as well. The atmosphere is great, with a cozy patio and interior. This is a lovely gem tucked in the quieter part of Chinatown and is a great spot to catch up with friends or for a date night. Tons of easy parking right in front of the restaurant and it’s located under the train line by the Chinatown metro station.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Moules Marinières
D L.
Comfort French food with great wines and service. Our server Zamir was very friendly and steered us in the right direction. The atmosphere is chic and the music was a fun mix of French pop and R&B. We'd come back for sure if in the area. Prices are more than fair especially for LA.This review isn't personal but our honest experience.
Marven F.
It is located just steps from the Chinatown metro station so you have the ambiance of an urban cafe. I was there for Happy hour and had a selection of their specials and they paired well with the white wine. Reasonably priced.
Kristen H.
Loved the tucked-away feel and service, will def be back.Perfect if you're looking for a meal of a bunch of tasty snacks; loved the bread and pretty much ate it with everything. Am giving them an extra star for being so kind and accommodating to having a place for me to lock up my bike.Highly recommend the steak tartare, escargot, and duck pate; kinda learned that I don't really get gnocchi, I didn't love the texture but the sauce was still delicious.
Huyen B.
what a hidden gem! I love French food but don't really have any spots, especially around downtown. Soo happy we found this one, really amazing everything was so good I love the industrial yet still French chic vibe inside and it honestly doesn't break the bank. Food was done so well, very delicate flavors and not too salty. really friendly service, overall feels like a great local neighborhood French restaurant
Timothy Maloof
Awesome food and beautiful space, a very nice place for dinner or just wine; very thoughtful wine list
Lisa C.
Overall - we were super excited to try this place and was really disappointed in the food, especially given it's great reviews on both yelp and Google. Also, I love French food, which made this even more disappointing.Ambiance- solid 4. There are 3 different seating area, the front entrance gives off small and kitschy vibes. The "main dining room" feels homey and the outdoor area is surprisingly large.Parking - 5 stars. It was super easy to pay for and find parking.Wine - 4 stars. We had the Beaujolais and it was fantastic. FoodEscargot - 1 star. This was the most disappointing probably because I had been looking fwd to this the most. Escargot is supposed ot be buttery and filled with herbs. This, as pictured, had no herbs and the liquid you see isn't butter. It just tasted like the water left over from when you steam food.Bread with spread - 1.5 star. This just wasn't great. The bread itself was pretty solid but the spreads were juat meh. The pickles were good though.Bavette - 1 star. The potatoes and salad were okay but the beef itself lacked flavor. Imagine airplane food but a budgeted airline. I was shocked at how bad it was. Beef tartare - 2 stars. This wasn't great and lacked flavor. I liked the ambiance and wine but as for food,a definite NO. I might come back for wine and a cheeseboard since no cooking is involved. Prices are far and it's a cute place.
Recently I had a chance to stop by Oriel in LA's Chinatown on the recommendation of Linda the Foodie. Even though I only had a cup of soup and bread, it was clear why this place gets such high ratings. Oriel is a cute small spot with an approachable bar. The soup was one of the best versions of a French Onion Soup, but it was the butter that stole the show. According to the bartender, Oriel gets their butter (which was rich and perfectly salty with small salt crystals) from Normandy, France - but he wouldn't name who makes it. I highly recommend this place if your in or around downtown LA!
Doug McClintock
Great romantic French restaurant to make you feel like you're somewhere else.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Viviana H
Tried out this spot with my friend on a weekend and we got there a bit after restaurant opening (opens at 4:30p) for an early dinner. It was quite empty at that hour and we got to choose from sitting OUTSIDE (patio), inside by the bar, or right at the entrance inside what felt like a greenhouse section. We chose patio outdoors. It was quite nice sitting outside with fresh air and catching some sun while intermittently hearing the overhead metro pass by quite loudly. This restaurant is wedged between the main Alameda street and the south edge of Chinatown and almost beneath the overpass of the metro line. It's also right across the street from Homegirl Cafe and Homeboy Industries.Ambience was very chill. We heard much Spanish music in the background while dining.Food came out fairly quickly and the server was friendly and even helped us take photos.We ordered:- escargot - very earthy- mashed potatoes - fluffy and delicious - my favorite of all items ordered- steak tartare - it was ok - not sure I enjoyed the flavors of this preparation as much as others I've had at other restaurants- French onion soup - not bad! Would order again as wellRestrooms : 2 separate restrooms for either gender but so dark you can't see much in there and there's a tiny candle lit only.Parking : there's a $3 paid parking in the lot right in front of the restaurant, otherwise there's lots of meter parking along the streets that you can access since literally by the time the restaurant opens most of the things in Chinatown already has closed.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Viviana H.
Tried out this spot with my friend on a weekend and we got there a bit after restaurant opening (opens at 4:30p) for an early dinner. It was quite empty at that hour and we got to choose from sitting OUTSIDE (patio), inside by the bar, or right at the entrance inside what felt like a greenhouse section. We chose patio outdoors. It was quite nice sitting outside with fresh air and catching some sun while intermittently hearing the overhead metro pass by quite loudly. This restaurant is wedged between the main Alameda street and the south edge of Chinatown and almost beneath the overpass of the metro line. It's also right across the street from Homegirl Cafe and Homeboy Industries. Ambience was very chill. We heard much Spanish music in the background while dining. Food came out fairly quickly and the server was friendly and even helped us take photos. We ordered:- escargot - very earthy - mashed potatoes - fluffy and delicious - my favorite of all items ordered- steak tartare - it was ok - not sure I enjoyed the flavors of this preparation as much as others I've had at other restaurants - French onion soup - not bad! Would order again as wellRestrooms : 2 separate restrooms for either gender but so dark you can't see much in there and there's a tiny candle lit only. Parking : there's a $3 paid parking in the lot right in front of the restaurant, otherwise there's lots of meter parking along the streets that you can access since literally by the time the restaurant opens most of the things in Chinatown already has closed.
Natasha M.
Hello Yelpers!I hope everyone is good. I also wanted to drop a quick note about Oriel Chinatown! My partner and I had an impromptu date night at Oriel and it was so perfect. The restaurant is amazing we enjoyed the low lit dining area looking up at the metro train zoom by occasionally while having dinner and talking over the oriel spritz (a take on Aperol spritz) Justin (bae) ordered the sardines. They were not for me but he loved them. I got the French onion soup (yum) then we shared the steak and ordered dessert (not pictured) the chocolate mousse was delicious It's a great spot, food is good, wine list is extensive and the vibe is on point.
Absolutely loved it! Went there for my husband’s birthday in December. We ordered literally everything off the menu and everything tasted delicious!! Can’t wait to go
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Relatively brand new restaurant that specializes in French-inspired cuisine.It's got a cute, romantic, bistro-like atmosphere that's perfect for date night or an outing with friends.Service was somewhat lackluster. Our server never really introduced himself -- he just swung by to take our happy hour order. He then came back to take our order off the regular dinner menu, then disappeared. We saw him float around between the different rooms, but he never came back to check in on us. Another male server came by and asked if we needed anything. Some time had passed between our appetizers, our first few dishes and our main entree, which was the steak. We had to ask for that, before it finally came.There's a happy hour menu, which is quite a good deal -- we began with two glasses of the Bordeaux for $8 each; a $10 beef tartare toast, and a $5 salmon rillette tartine. The wine was good, and so was the tartare. The salmon rillette tartine, however was rather underwhelming in both appearance and taste. It need oomph, at the very least some salt.We also ordered the French onion soup -- good, but not amazing. It was a tad stingy on the cheese.The salad Nicoise was very underwhelming. I have traveled to Nice, France and had salad Nicoise at various restaurants while there -- this was far from what you get in France. It had way too much lettuce, no anchovies, and the yellowfin tuna was nothing extraordinary. It also severely lacked any real flavor -- it's a simple salad, but the lemon vinaigrette missed the punch or acidity it needed to bring this classic French salad together. And at $24 a plate, I expected better.The best dish of the night was the Bavette, a flank steak, which was cooked to our liking: medium rare. This was accompanied by mashed potatoes and some greens. Tasty!We skipped out on dessert and had 2 more glasses of wine: the Cab Franc and the Côtes du Rhône red blend of Syrah & Grenache -- the latter was excellent, fruit forward, a medium red, while the former tasted light-bodied and flat. But to each his own when it comes to vino!Parking: the small lot adjacent to restaurant is a crapshoot -- so best to park in the garage directly across from the restaurant. It's only $3 per hour. We paid for two hours during a 5:30 PM reservation and thought that was plenty.Would we return? Not in a heartbeat. There are more enticing restaurants in LA.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
Great people, great food. A destination restaurant; worth the trip.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Green Beans, Beef Tartare, Fish
Oriel is a modern wine bar/bistry that serves french food. The food is simple but tasty and the service is great. They have a pretty good sized wine list and a lot of food options as well. The atmosphere is great, with a cozy patio and interior. This is a lovely gem tucked in the quieter part of Chinatown and is a great spot to catch up with friends or for a date night. Tons of easy parking right in front of the restaurant and it’s located under the train line by the Chinatown metro station.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Moules Marinières
Comfort French food with great wines and service. Our server Zamir was very friendly and steered us in the right direction. The atmosphere is chic and the music was a fun mix of French pop and R&B. We'd come back for sure if in the area. Prices are more than fair especially for LA.This review isn't personal but our honest experience.
It is located just steps from the Chinatown metro station so you have the ambiance of an urban cafe. I was there for Happy hour and had a selection of their specials and they paired well with the white wine. Reasonably priced.
Loved the tucked-away feel and service, will def be back.Perfect if you're looking for a meal of a bunch of tasty snacks; loved the bread and pretty much ate it with everything. Am giving them an extra star for being so kind and accommodating to having a place for me to lock up my bike.Highly recommend the steak tartare, escargot, and duck pate; kinda learned that I don't really get gnocchi, I didn't love the texture but the sauce was still delicious.
what a hidden gem! I love French food but don't really have any spots, especially around downtown. Soo happy we found this one, really amazing everything was so good I love the industrial yet still French chic vibe inside and it honestly doesn't break the bank. Food was done so well, very delicate flavors and not too salty. really friendly service, overall feels like a great local neighborhood French restaurant
Awesome food and beautiful space, a very nice place for dinner or just wine; very thoughtful wine list
Overall - we were super excited to try this place and was really disappointed in the food, especially given it's great reviews on both yelp and Google. Also, I love French food, which made this even more disappointing.Ambiance- solid 4. There are 3 different seating area, the front entrance gives off small and kitschy vibes. The "main dining room" feels homey and the outdoor area is surprisingly large.Parking - 5 stars. It was super easy to pay for and find parking.Wine - 4 stars. We had the Beaujolais and it was fantastic. FoodEscargot - 1 star. This was the most disappointing probably because I had been looking fwd to this the most. Escargot is supposed ot be buttery and filled with herbs. This, as pictured, had no herbs and the liquid you see isn't butter. It just tasted like the water left over from when you steam food.Bread with spread - 1.5 star. This just wasn't great. The bread itself was pretty solid but the spreads were juat meh. The pickles were good though.Bavette - 1 star. The potatoes and salad were okay but the beef itself lacked flavor. Imagine airplane food but a budgeted airline. I was shocked at how bad it was. Beef tartare - 2 stars. This wasn't great and lacked flavor. I liked the ambiance and wine but as for food,a definite NO. I might come back for wine and a cheeseboard since no cooking is involved. Prices are far and it's a cute place.
Restaurantji Recommends
Recently I had a chance to stop by Oriel in LA's Chinatown on the recommendation of Linda the Foodie. Even though I only had a cup of soup and bread, it was clear why this place gets such high ratings. Oriel is a cute small spot with an approachable bar. The soup was one of the best versions of a French Onion Soup, but it was the butter that stole the show. According to the bartender, Oriel gets their butter (which was rich and perfectly salty with small salt crystals) from Normandy, France - but he wouldn't name who makes it. I highly recommend this place if your in or around downtown LA!
Great romantic French restaurant to make you feel like you're somewhere else.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Tried out this spot with my friend on a weekend and we got there a bit after restaurant opening (opens at 4:30p) for an early dinner. It was quite empty at that hour and we got to choose from sitting OUTSIDE (patio), inside by the bar, or right at the entrance inside what felt like a greenhouse section. We chose patio outdoors. It was quite nice sitting outside with fresh air and catching some sun while intermittently hearing the overhead metro pass by quite loudly. This restaurant is wedged between the main Alameda street and the south edge of Chinatown and almost beneath the overpass of the metro line. It's also right across the street from Homegirl Cafe and Homeboy Industries.Ambience was very chill. We heard much Spanish music in the background while dining.Food came out fairly quickly and the server was friendly and even helped us take photos.We ordered:- escargot - very earthy- mashed potatoes - fluffy and delicious - my favorite of all items ordered- steak tartare - it was ok - not sure I enjoyed the flavors of this preparation as much as others I've had at other restaurants- French onion soup - not bad! Would order again as wellRestrooms : 2 separate restrooms for either gender but so dark you can't see much in there and there's a tiny candle lit only.Parking : there's a $3 paid parking in the lot right in front of the restaurant, otherwise there's lots of meter parking along the streets that you can access since literally by the time the restaurant opens most of the things in Chinatown already has closed.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Tried out this spot with my friend on a weekend and we got there a bit after restaurant opening (opens at 4:30p) for an early dinner. It was quite empty at that hour and we got to choose from sitting OUTSIDE (patio), inside by the bar, or right at the entrance inside what felt like a greenhouse section. We chose patio outdoors. It was quite nice sitting outside with fresh air and catching some sun while intermittently hearing the overhead metro pass by quite loudly. This restaurant is wedged between the main Alameda street and the south edge of Chinatown and almost beneath the overpass of the metro line. It's also right across the street from Homegirl Cafe and Homeboy Industries. Ambience was very chill. We heard much Spanish music in the background while dining. Food came out fairly quickly and the server was friendly and even helped us take photos. We ordered:- escargot - very earthy - mashed potatoes - fluffy and delicious - my favorite of all items ordered- steak tartare - it was ok - not sure I enjoyed the flavors of this preparation as much as others I've had at other restaurants - French onion soup - not bad! Would order again as wellRestrooms : 2 separate restrooms for either gender but so dark you can't see much in there and there's a tiny candle lit only. Parking : there's a $3 paid parking in the lot right in front of the restaurant, otherwise there's lots of meter parking along the streets that you can access since literally by the time the restaurant opens most of the things in Chinatown already has closed.
Hello Yelpers!I hope everyone is good. I also wanted to drop a quick note about Oriel Chinatown! My partner and I had an impromptu date night at Oriel and it was so perfect. The restaurant is amazing we enjoyed the low lit dining area looking up at the metro train zoom by occasionally while having dinner and talking over the oriel spritz (a take on Aperol spritz) Justin (bae) ordered the sardines. They were not for me but he loved them. I got the French onion soup (yum) then we shared the steak and ordered dessert (not pictured) the chocolate mousse was delicious It's a great spot, food is good, wine list is extensive and the vibe is on point.