Mistral — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Edit The owner of Mistral reached out to me personally as he was concerned about my dissatisfaction. Although this does not change my experience, but I definitely appreciate the gesture and the fact that he cares about his customers and his restaurant. Had dinner for dinaLA at highly rated Mistral. After "swimming" to the restaurant in a pouring rain, we're greeted and seated by the host at a table so close to others that I couldn't help but to only hear their conversation. When it asked if we can be seated at a table in a corner instead I was abruptly told that other people are on the way. I didn't know you can reserve a specific seating like at concert venues, but I'll definitely look into that.

After ordering drinks and food in a very loud atmosphere, I was looking forward to the meal. Ribeye, salmon, beet salad, onion soup were all...fine; not bad but not great. Items off dineLA menu were better. The biggest disappointment was the chocolate souffle. Somehow they managed to exclude the middle gooey goodness and not an ounce of molten chocolate was to be seen. As I resulted to enjoy a side cup of whipped cream instead of this pathetic attempt of a souffle, I couldn't help but think how I missed frozen souffles Trader Joe's carried for $4.50 and how it would put Mistral's to shame.

Needless to say I was disappointed with the whole experience. With an average price tag of $100 per person you have certain expectations. I expect the waiters to explain the menu, provide suggestions, offer pairings and recommendations. I expect food to be on par with the price and walk away feeling the experience had been worth it. For me it hasn't... Not even close. I will not be returning to Mistral. I'm sure they won't miss me but I'm certain I...

Tonight was my first time dining in but it won’t be my last. I’m a big French Bistro fan and have been to most in town and would consider this one of the better ones. In the valley my favorite two are here and Petit Trois a few blocks away. The inside is well done and cozy, but not too crowded. Service was a bit slow tonight, but the meal was still very good overall.

We started off with the Steak Tartare and it was great. A healthy sized portion with tons of flavor, and the toasted bread with it was very nice. Next we ordered the Tomato, Cucumber, & Sweet Onions and we really loved this dish. The tomatoes are always great in California and the lemon dressing was the perfect choice. For my entree I chose the John Dory, which was panko crusted and not a usual choice for me, but I did like it on this dish. It was another healthy sized portion, of fish this time, so overall I enjoyed how shareable and large each dish was.

We had an event after dinner so we passed on the chocolate soufflé but I plan to order that next time. Overall it was a really delicious meal and I plan to return in the...

Took my wife's father there for his birthday. We sat in the patio section which was great because I was able to easily take our baby for a stroll when he got fussy. Food was pretty good. Pricier that other French restaurants that we frequent because Mistral gives slightly more food. For example, I ordered angel hair pasta and fries for my 3-year old, and they brought servings good for the whole table. I ordered duck confit, which at other places would be one piece of leg. However, they have 2 nice sized portions. We bought of bottle of their wine because bringing our own would have been a $40 corkage fee. We brought a small birthday cake and they do charge a $4 cutting fee per slice. Good service although my wife pointed out to me that there were no females on staff at all anywhere inside the restaurant on this pretty busy night. I don't know if that was just for that night or what. Good experience overall and would make another visit if I'm ever craving French food...