Review: Dominique Ansel expands to the west coast, offers full-service restaurant

By Alexandra Chang, Managing Editor/Culture Editor|April 12, 2018

Photo credit: Alexandra Chang

The interior of Dominique Ansel allows customers to have a peek into the kitchen where their food is being prepared. There is both indoor and outdoor seating at this location.

If you’ve heard of a cronut, chances are, you’ve also heard of Dominique Ansel. The famed French pastry chef owns an eponymous bakery in New York City, and he recently opened a second location at The Grove in Los Angeles.

Rather than simply being a bakery, however, Dominique Ansel’s location at The Grove is a full-service restaurant offering dinner on weekdays and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. The menu serves a wide variety of dishes ranging from clam chowder to grilled salmon.

I dined at Dominique Ansel for dinner, and I would absolutely recommend this restaurant. Not only is the food delicious, but the staff is incredibly responsive and knowledgeable about every item on the menu.

For a starter, I ordered the Sweet Corn “Elotes” Milk Bread, which was one of the most delicious appetizers I’ve ever tasted. The majority of the menu items are meant to be shared, and for my main course, I split a few items with my friend: the Baby Eggplant and Caponata Tartine, the Hand-Mixed Acorn Squash Gnocchi and the Oven-Roasted Rainbow Carrots. Although the initial appetizer alone cost $10, dining at Dominique Ansel was absolutely worth the money. The food came quickly, and every bite was cooked to my liking. 

The dessert I purchased at the bakery downstairs was equally delectable. Since the bakery had sold out of cronuts early in the day (no surprise there), I opted to taste their Avocado Toast Ice Cream, which consists of green ice cream in the form of avocado toast. The “bread” is also made out of shortbread. Many of their delicious desserts are clever like this one, and I look forward to trying another one during my next visit.

Ultimately, Dominique Ansel is an appealing restaurant for everyone, as the various culinary offerings will surely be able to please any customer. It can be found at 189 The Grove Drive, and the restaurant’s hours are 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. during the week. On weekends, Saturday’s hours are from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday’s are from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. 

I, for one, am extremely excited that Chef Ansel is expanding his cronut empire to the west coast, and I hope that he opens even more locations in the future!

  • Food
  • Service
  • Price
  • Atmosphere
4.6

Summary

Located at The Grove in Los Angeles, Dominique Ansel is a restaurant that serves a wide variety of dishes and desserts. If you find yourself in the area, be sure to check it out. Dominique Ansel is located at 189 The Grove Drive.