The Normandie Club — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Who remembers KTown 10 years ago? Who remembers KTown 5 years ago? Who remembers KTown 2 years ago? Now look at who is reviewing Normandie Club NOW. I’m surprised at the 4 star reviews of a local bar that is slinging great cocktails the likes of which rival super established heavyweights like Varnish, Seven Grand. AND in an area that is still pretty closed off to most of LA’s nightlife demographics. I really feel like people reviewing Normandie club haven’t spent much time in KTown at all OR they are expecting something they get elsewhere, but when you think about it you’re getting a place that’s punching well above it’s weight and to me closer to 5 than 4. Just because it doesn’t have that WOW factor.

You can’t name another place that does what they do, for these prices, at this quality. It reminds me a lot of my local bar back home in the experience/quality of drinks. Each time I come here the bartenders are super friendly and we hit it off right away and the regulars who you can spot out easily are chill, though I have had friends have less than stellar experiences, but that’s more their fault for going late and being drunk already. It’s a neighborhood bar for me. I get that it’s dark and quieter which I guess is great for dates, but that’s as much for your enjoyment of the cocktails as it is for the enjoyment of your night. If you look closely at the details of the actual décor, not just the lighting you’ll see the dark wood, rounded bar, napkins and glassware and rustic brick, no tv, candles, menu are all part of it. It’s getting more popular, so I’m seeing more and more party people coming in, which is cool, but I’d steer clear of the weekends, late nights as it’s not so quiet then.

I love Korean BBQ, but everyone can tell who comes in here after eating KBBQ and being in KTown it’s a lot. You get used to it, it’s not a bad thing, just par for the course.

Of course when you are at Normandie Room you get a trou norman, for those that don’t get that reference it’s a mid meal digestif used to help you continue eating when your full, it’s really just calvados, but I love order it the French way.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows though. Some criticisms are Imo they might play a little too much on the classics, putting out too many riff’s, actually most of their menu is that. it gets easy to get lost in the naiveté of clients not knowing what they want and leading them down that path to where the drink may be so far removed from where you started that it’s not even ground in the main families. It’s going to be well made in technique and tools, but I’ve seen some drinks go out where I’ve said to myself “yo, they will definitely not like that”. And as I watch there is no head nod after that first sip. It’s a great drink, just not for them and I could see it the whole time. If someone wants an old fashioned they’ll ask for it, if they order your house styled old fashioned they’ll ask for it, you can’t confuse the 2. Not everyone is a cocktail person and even they sometimes don’t know how to order, but you can tell how to interact with them by how they order and sometimes they don’t pick up on that, usually because they are busy.

LA’s beer game is still in it’s infancy as is the clientele’s, so I’m glad they don’t overwhelm the public with huge variety, after all it’s still a bar. Yeah they sling craft cocktails, but it’s not all about cocktails people.

In summary, it’s not Varnish, it’s not PDT, but those places are much more specific and exclusive. Where as this place does a lot of things well and...

The Normandie Club is hands down my favorite bar in LA. Given at how many bars and lounges there are in this city, that is not a statement to take lightly!

I used to frequent the Normandie Club almost on a weekly basis as it was a mere block away from my apartment. It was my MacLaren's, but in a dimmer, much more intimate manner. While I have moved away, I still often opt to stop by The Normandie Club when I'm in the area for a night out in LA.

While The Normandie Club may not have all the exclusive whiskies that you may be able to find at Seven Grand or the Basement Bar at Miro, they do have a decent collection. Not a fan of whiskey? No worries, they have plenty of other spirits for your tasting pleasure. If you simply don't know what you want, you can easily ask the bartender to whip up something for you.

If you are fancying something a bit more than a pour, easily wait or make a reservation for The Walker Inn. Located in the same building but in the back of the Normandie Club, The Walker Inn is a more intimate speakeasy that cultivates a tasting journey for the aficionado of the spirits.

Aside from the laid back vibe of this bar, what really brings me back to this place are the folks that work here. No matter how many months have passed since my last encounter, the front door man, Terrance, will always remember and give me a friendly greet. Not only him, but the bartenders there have a pretty good memory as well! In my recent visit, I said hi to the bartender before ordering, and she looked at me and had an "Hey, I remember you" moment. Jody even recalled a drink that the fella did not like and made sure to ask if he preferred the traditional style instead. Small attention like so truly makes the experience personal...

I got mixed vibes from this place. First it was kinda hard to find because there wasn't a huge neon sign pointing to this club and after you walk inside it's super dark, kept lit by some dim-lit lights and candles. If they played Drake over the surround sound it would of completed the ambiance. Normandie Club has the fancy, posh lounge feel to it. I would come here after-work for a quick drink with coworkers or come here on a romantic date but if you're thinking about a place to turn up, this isn't it.

I ordered the old fashion. The bartender poured with a heavy hand so the drink was strong and they added the large ice cube so it doesn't dilute the drink. It also came with a slice of dried banana as a drink umbrella. Once again this place has the nice posh feel to it so they charge the nice posh price too. I think the drink came out to 12 bucks.

Once again you gotta feel out the lounge and go there depending on the occassion that you're going out for. If you're coming here for a romantic date or a deep-conversation talk session then this is it for you. If you're looking to wild out then you're better off walking two blocks down to...