By Laura Eckstein Jones By Laura Eckstein Jones | January 22, 2024 | Food & Drink, Best of The Best, Eat, Date Night, Drink, Bar Bites, Food & Drink, Food & Drink Feature, Entertainment, Apple News, Food and Drink Feature,
PHOTO COURTESY OF ADKT
THE RESTAURANT
The recently opened ADKT—standing for Art, Drinks, Kitchen, Tunes—is bringing something fresh and new to the Fairfax District. Located on the busy stretch near Canter’s Deli and Jon & Vinny’s, the almost-instant hot spot by operations director Giorgio Carlos (Coya, Cipriani, Billionaire Club) and artistic director Mathew Cape (The Larchmont, Le Petit Marché) has drawn influencers and foodies alike to the lively French-inspired supper club that serves French food with Californian and Asian influences alongside inventive cocktails and live music.
ADKT’s glam dining room; PHOTO COURTESY OF ADKT
THE VIBE
While plenty of restaurants and bars line Fairfax Ave. and the surrounding areas, there are none quite like ADKT. From the moment you ascend the staircase to the second-floor restaurant, you’re transported to a loungelike speakeasy space filled with red velvet booths, dim lighting and Parisian-style boudoir art and decor. There’s a range of entertainment, from DJs playing French lounge music to live bands playing jazz and much more.
THE DRINKS
Bar director Nathan Oliver’s (Bicyclette, Republique) cocktails are the perfect way to start the evening. There are a slew of standouts, including The Petit Souer, with Bertrand Cremant rose, fresh strawberry puree and lemon; the La Pause Cafe, with Toki Japanese whiskey, coffee liquor, espresso and housemade almond orgeat; and the Old Fashioned in Paris, with Woodford Reserve rye whiskey, Courvoisier VSOP cognac, green chartreuse, aromatic bitters and smoked Sakura wood. Smartly, most drinks can be made without alcohol, meaning friends and family who don’t imbibe will feel included in the fun.
Wine-and-Champagne-lovers will love the selection of high-end bottles (Dom Perignon 2013, Petrus Pomerol 2009, Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac 2006) and wines by the glass. There’s even orange wine (Gerard Bertard The Orange Gold 2021)!
THE CUISINE
The menu is a perfect size—enough dishes to stay interesting, but not an overwhelming amount. Start with one of the uber-fresh raw bar items, such as the Japanese sea bream or the ADKT Seaboard with oysters, bigeye tuna, tuna ribbons, scallops and Maine lobster, before moving on to the entrees, which are meant to be shared.
Go for classics, including the Chateaubriand, made with Black Hawk Farms wagyu; the 32 oz. Black Hawk Farms tomahawk served with old fashion jus, shisho chumichurri and Périgueux jus; and the wild Chilean sea bass served with white vermouth butter and Kaluga caviar—it melts in your mouth beautifully.
Sides are served separately. Try the grilled broccolini with garlic, lemon and butter sauce, the refreshing mixed salad and the decadent potato gratin with black truffles.
If there’s any room left, go for one of the desserts. There’s only a small selection currently: apple crumble, chocolate mousse and a dairy-free sorbet trio.
The menu has a section dedicated to raw starters; PHOTO COURTESY OF ADKT
THE TAKEAWAY
While ADKT isn’t necessarily reinventing the wheel regarding the French-style brasserie menu, the restaurant as a whole is a breath of fresh air here in Los Angeles, especially with the emphasis on live music and the attempt to rev up the nightlife in a city that tends goes to bed early compared to New York, Miami and of course, Paris. Fresh ingredients and warm, attentive—yet never overwhelming—service will keep guests returning, as will the festive atmosphere.
Time will determine whether diners will tire of the theme, but for now, ADKT is doing something different for the dining scene here, and that’s always a good thing.
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