Faux Pas Bistro Shakes Things Up
No mistake here, Faux Pas Bistro is turning all things on its head. Opened six weeks ago, the French-inspired bistro beckons passersby with a breezy indoor-outdoor dining space, in line with the trendy 3rd Street and Fairfax district.
Stepping inside, the other half of the restaurant looks like you’d find the Godfather movie characters plotting their next move in the deep set, red semi-circle booths over a meal of Pizzette Marguertia, Spaghetti XXL Meatball and dry-aged New York steak. Of course, Faux Pas Bistro does not disappoint their Francophile guests either by covering the French cuisine essentials like Niçoise salad, Coq au Vin and Croque Madame/Monsieur sandwiches.
The centerpiece of Faux Pas Bistro, between the light and dark elements of the space designed by Kristofer Keith of Spacecraft Group, is the horseshoe shaped bar. Anxious to see if their cocktails were as equally playful as their menu, I started with a Dirty Martini; always a good standard to judge the talents behind the bar. It comes as a vodka martini, unless you specify gin.
The cocktail arrived at our table in a petite shaker; shaken and served tableside. It’s a nice touch getting front row seats to watch the making of your martini. Another unexpected surprise was finding the three robust olives stuffed with blue cheese — just an example of Faux Pas Bistro doing things a little different.
Other standard cocktails include the Pisco Sour, Gimlet, Old Fashioned, Cosmo, and of course, in keeping with the French roots, Absinthe with sugar cube and water.
Beyond the classics, the signature cocktail is, yep, you guessed it: the Faux Pas. Faux Pas is a juicy jolt of vodka, plum, citrus juice and apple cider. If you liked grape soda as a kid, you’re gonna love the adult version at Faux Pas Bistro of grape vodka, moscato, fresh grapes and a splash of champagne.
If a scotch straight up is your fancy, this may not be your cup of booze. For someone easing into scotch, the Blackberry Fox is like a picnic on the banks of Loch Ness, Scotland. With fresh blackberries, mint and citrus, the scotch is a back palate tickle.
Channeling childhood once again, the Mounds Bar cocktail is just like those candy bars of Halloweens past. It’s ooey, gooey goodness of coconut vodka, chocolate bean liqueur, topped with freshly shaved chocolate and coconut. I highly recommend an order of the Faux Pas Frites to pair with this decadent dessert cocktail. Just don’t expect a-typical pomme frites here. The restaurant’s fries are smashed, crispy little potato discs served with black pepper ketchup.
Although I didn’t try any of the whimsical mimosa flavors offered on the weekends for brunch like Strawberry Blood Orange, Prickly Pear, Mango Jalapeno and Peach Raspberry, I’ll be back for the blessed bottomless bubblies.
When you’re in the mood for casual Euro-centric ambiance, classic cocktails and comfort food served in portions Mom would approve of, despite what the name may imply, Faux Pas Bistro does not misstep.
Faux Pas Bistro, 7910 West 3rd St., Los Angeles CA 90048
