Bicyclette, Los Angeles CA

Our friends are regulars here and boy do we regret not having joined them at Bicyclette every time they asked us. Now they are closing and all I can say is, we may have to say goodbye to a whole lot of excellence!
Hot crusty baguette with a mountain shaped butter, succulent chunky mussels in a smooth broth, silky duck pate, the best fried chicken, golden fries, duck duck duck oh The Duck and desserts to fulfill all desires for decadence.
Bicyclette don’t close just relocate if you have to leave this space!

BE AWARE!

The Male host is condescending and rude.

I was told I had an hour and a half at the bar. But there were people who were there before me still sitting having their dinner.

He was aggressive towards me when he brought me to the seat. And also passive aggressive when he came back to seat someone else.

I think a lot time places in LA, people forget that we are the one paying and they are the ones SERVING!

The food was wonderful but I got one dish that was supposed to be warm served cold.

My bartender was wonderful and respectful.

Beautiful environment. Server not very knowledgeable but very kind. Food was not hot enough. Soup was tasty but not hot. Braised short ribs was barely warm.

Had an amazing dinner here, so sad it's closing! Come in before it closes. Delicious food and service. Amazing butter, mussels. Loved the atmosphere, very intimate and felt like I came inside a hidden gem in Paris.

Disappointed for # 38 on LA Times 101 Best Restaurants list. Menu very similar to Rebuplique’s but less quality. Are Manzkes overreaching?

What a controversial experience! We dined at Manzke and absolutely loved it! So decided to try Bicyclette and it was very disappointing. Escargot was so sad - just bunch of snails floating in oil … no flavor and why is there pasty over it? Little vessels are so hot - it’s impossible to get inside of it for the first 10 mins.
Bread+butter was probably the only delicious thing.
Onion tart was oily and like not that impressive. Steak was not bad but not good.
Tuna tartar was fishy but saved by whatever it was mixed with.
Waitress was super sweet, helpful and fun.
Tables are way too close to each other … like we could hear everyone’s conversations and it was just awkward. Idk weird experience for the price. If I ever were to come back I’d probably just go to the bar to have their wine which was great.

It is a very cute neighborhood restaurant. I used to love going there until I had a very unpleasant experience with the sommelier, Liz, when I dined there with my girlfriends on 12/17/2023.

I love and am knowledgeable about wine. I am not picky but am always very conscious of what I order and drink. I ordered a bottle of Christophe et Fils 2021 Chablis. I wished the restaurant had an older vintage but thought it would be easy with a casual meal. I noticed the somm pouring 2022, not 2021, the one we ordered. When I mentioned that it wasn’t the vintage we ordered, she looked unconcerned and offered to let us try it first. She said she would bring a different one if we didn’t like it. We were surprised by her reaction because she didn’t seem concerned by her mistake nor apologetic. It was almost like she knew exactly what she was pouring and was annoyed that we noticed. We didn’t want to make a fuss so told her it’s fine.

The wine wasn’t great. It was too young but it wasn’t the end of the world. When I saw our check at the end of our dinner, I noticed that she charged us the price shown on the menu which was for the 2021 vintage. I asked about a potential price difference to the somm because I was actually very curious. There are reviews on the 2021 vintage but none on 2022 probably because it’s too soon. She said it’s the same price. I couldn’t understand. She saw one of us trying to find vintage reviews online. She made a snarky comment about us looking online and we were all taken aback. I’ve never met a server / sommelier who talks back and makes snarky comments to customers especially when we found out that the 2021 vintage was out of stock!

It’s hard for us to gather because we now have children. We planned this dinner many weeks ago and were very excited. We walked out of the restaurant wishing that we were never there. We still talk about how the somm’s behavior ruined our night. This all started because she poured us the wrong bottle. This could have been prevented if she had been on top of her job understanding the wine inventory, told us that the wine we ordered was out of stock, and presented us with options. I was in the restaurant industry before so I try to be more understanding about service but this was very disappointing.

No one as uncaring as she is deserves to work in the industry especially at a reputable restaurant group.

I live in BH and own a pilates studio nearby on Robertson, so I spend a lot of time in this area. This is a great local French restaurant with delicious food and great service. Best escargot ever and the caramelized onion and goat cheese tart is to die for. Even the baguette and butter is delicious. I really liked the duck for a main course. Honestly you can’t go wrong with anything you order here and the craft cocktails are great too. They have an excellent wine selection as well and it has a cute/cozy French bistro vibe. Highly recommend! Finish with the profiteroles or one of their other excellent desserts and you won’t regret!

As a SoCal native Walter Manzke’s cooking has always relied on the state’s best Ingredients, and after years of work with Joachim Splichal followed by Bastide, Church & State then Republique it might be argued that there is no more qualified Chef in Los Angeles to run a Parisian Bistro like Bicyclette.

Located on the ground floor of the building where Manzke resides, a 1* Michelin Tasting Menu above, Bicyclette instead focuses on casual fare featuring faultless execution and great Ingredients made to taste as they do in Lyon and Paris.

A low-slung space below street level, dim lights focusing attention on a spotless kitchen next to the bar, guests entering Bicyclette are greeted warmly by each staff member they encounter even before looking at the menu or ordering a beverage.

A buzzy space without being too loud, just as it is pricey without breaking the bank, diners are directed to a list of daily specials in addition to the monthly menu which includes a top-tier Baguette from Margarita Manzke intended to be eaten with a selection of Spreads.

Smart to order a Cocktail, Miyako Hotel Special Royale a complex sipper with lots of Herbs and Citrus, Hors d'oeuvres priced per piece are highlighted by individual Snails in Puff Pastry plus delicate Choux currently filled with Brillant Savarin topped in Medjool Date Puree.

Not about to forgo “French” Onion Soup complete with a wdge of Bread and caramelized Comté the choice of Plats saw both Duck and Quail lose out to a peerless Croquette of Pig’s Trotters with Lentils and Salade Lyonnaise.

Turning Pastry over to Margarita, her work at Republique a city-wide phenomenon still, Tarte Tatin finds itself magnified by Cuyama Farms Apples plus Salty Caramel while Rice Pudding is fluffy like those in old Paris Bistros with Fruits added for texture and a hint of the tropics.

We went early and we were glad that we did. The restaurant gets super loud and crowded starting at 6: 00 PM. The dinners were generally good but stay away from the duck leg “confit”. It isn’t confit, rather than being cooked in duck fat it must have been overcooked in an oven. Very dry and generally bad. That being said, the escargot was pretty great. They exclusively use organic flour so I can have it without getting a reaction (allergic to glyphosate). The scallops were amazing, although the portion was tiny. Our waiter was fantastic, on top of everything and entertaining too. The ambiance was very much like a French bistro, but about twice the size and with better food.

The best French food I've had outside of Paris! Wonderful, friendly, attentive staff, and a beautiful atmosphere. What more could you want?

Great food and service. Tasted almost everything on the menu and loved it all. The mussels and duck liver mousse were my personal favorite.

A gastronomic journey that tantalizes the senses! The gracious hosts made us feel right at home, enhancing the enjoyment of the divine dishes served. The Escargot was a delightful surprise, while the Crème Brûlée left us longing for more. The cozy ambiance, adorned with French artwork, created an intimate atmosphere perfect for indulging in the finest French cuisine.

This was a fantastic experience. The food was superb and waiter was attentive. I was afraid this place might not live up to the hype about it, but it did not disappoint. The drink menu is totally unique and allows you to try cocktails and combinations you could never do at home because of the more exotic ingredients.

I had the short rib, was perfectly tender and the reduction sauce made the dish. Was served with thick cut Nuske bacon,

Only complaint is side dish French fries were overcooked,

Not your cozy romantic restaurant, more like a tourist attraction. The food was okay. They wanted a $25 deposit for the reservation which was ludicrous. The place was very loud, we couldn't hear ourselves talk, our waiter had to kneel down near our table so we could hear him. This was a waste of time and money.

Our meal at Bicyclette started out great. The baguette with liver mousse was a great starter, the onion soup was just about perfect, and the cocktails were good. However, it went a bit downhill from there.

The entrees were very slow coming out of the kitchen, to where we had to ask the waiter about it. The entrees, braised beef and duck confit, tasted pretty good but were a bit too rich. The fries were nice and crispy but the tarragon aioli was disappointing and did not complement the fries.

After finishing our entrees, our waiter was completely inattentive. We sat without any attention, not even refilling our water, for at least half an hour before we were able to get ahold of someone. The restaurant was very loud at that point, and the tables are very close together, so the atmosphere became rather uncomfortable. We would have ordered dessert but by then we just wanted to go home.

While Bicyclette was not a horrible experience, and some of the menu items were truly delicious, I am not eager to return. Considering the price of food here, they should reduce the number of tables in the dining room so that each can have more space and attention, improving the experience for the customer.

Filled in quickly for dinner and we had to leave for next dinner party. Food was freshly prepared lots of flavors. Good suggestions for wine pairing with our different food. Loud atmosphere

Solid food all around. Good baguette. Loved the escargot. Will need to try the onion tart next time!