Estérel — Restaurant in Los Angeles

I was not impressed with this restaurant at all. I decided to come down from my room because I saw brownie ala mode on the menu and deconstructed strawberry shortcake. My daughter had an MRI scheduled the next morning so she couldn't eat after 12a so I wanted to be sure to get her something before that time and since we'd already had dinner earlier elsewhere, a sweet treat sounded great.

The hostess got us seated quickly and was very nice, but it took about 10 minutes before anyone even showed up at the table to see if we needed a drink. We then ordered water and our deserts. It took about 15 more minutes for deserts that needed no cooking?!? When it came out, it was not what was expected for either dish. The brownie had no brownie, just some tri colored chocolate mousse, fruit sauce drizzling and berries all over the plate, and a tiny bit of ice cream for $15. The deconstructed strawberry shortcake had very small chopped up bits of cake, drizzled with soy milk(I think), with blobs of strawberry mousse, chopped strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries, for $16. Both looked very artistic, but neither dish was satisfying in taste or price. Took another 20 minutes before anyone even stopped by our table again. She noticed the deserts had only been picked at but offered no refund or apologies for the bougie bad deserts. She then took the plates and returned quickly with the check, which included 20% gratuity. So, I am forced to tip 20% to a person I saw 3 times, once to give water and place orders, once to take the plates, and once to drop the inflated check. Our deserts came out (with gratuity) to $46, the same as our entire meals earlier down the street at a Norms dinner. Where they were quick to seat us, stopped by the table several times for refills and condiments, food was great considering its a diner, meal came out in 15 minutes, and was a much better price point, by the way.

Overall, I was very disappointed and regretted my choice to come down stairs for a sweet treat. We would have been better off going without considering my daughter probably took 3 bites, and my sweet tooth had not been quieted at all. I don't mind paying for an expensive meal. In fact, I enjoy going out to fine dining restaurants occasionally for delicious experiences and to be treated with excellent customer service. However, this one is disappointed all around. Everyone was polite but unattentive, and when you run a restaurant with these prices, even if the meals aren't what is expected, the service should be exceptional.

I visit Sofitel every 3 months for my daughter's ongoing treatment, I will not be going to the restaurant...

Great food - in a modern French style. Restaurant was quiet with a nice garden area on a terrace.

You have to get through a bar area which seems more "opium den" style than anything - but once you do the reward is a simple menu but with excellent things on it.

I had the cauliflower with chilli small plate as an appetiser and it was cooked just perfectly - not too hard but still a little crunchy. The chilli was adequate - I would have liked just a little more heat in fact.

For my main course I chose the poulet roti - the chicken skin was crunchy and the flesh moist and tender and the vegetables peas, fava beans and rice were perfect. The flavour of the mushroom coulis and the chicken gravy...

I had breakfast at the hotel restaurant while staying at the Sofitel in Beverly Hills. The prices are a bit high, but they're in line with other major cities. I felt it fitting to order the avocado toast, Los Angeles's national breakfast. It was made with fresh avocado, tomatoes, and a poached egg on a slice of toast. The avocado was ripe and flavorful, and the tomatoes were perfectly ripe. The poached egg was cooked perfectly, with a runny yolk. I also ordered French press coffee, which was smooth and flavorful.

Overall, I had a great experience. The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the atmosphere was elegant...