Can a cobalt courtyard transform a bustling urban boulevard into an exquisite European marketplace? Can a special occasion restaurant successfully spawn a little sister with a Mediterranean muse and artisan inspiration? And can one of LA’s most indisputably romantic restaurants over 10 years running invent a spin-off so casual, so inviting, that it needn’t be detained for anniversaries and Valentines?

Yes. Yes. And yes.

The Little Next Door is the answer to your French countryside calling. An organic bevy of handcrafted indulgences are prepared on site in an ambiance so authentic you might start patting for your passport.

Farm fresh ingredients are the foundation of this abundant café/marketplace marriage. Exclusive jams, condiments, and terrines - all home made - surround the cozy seating which can only be described as divinely European. Bentwood breadbaskets and bird nests decorate a pharmaceutically precise display of in-house exclusive preserves.

The goliath copper espresso machine percolates a waft potent enough to put any recovering coffee addict back on the horse, artisanal cheeses are served in polite portions on rustic breadboards, and brioche sandwiches sing with locally grown herbs, adorned with fresh picked greens. A library of wine provides ample entertainment while you await your pain au chocolate.

There is nothing that I ate here that wasn’t special. Whether it was the mint leaf punctuation in the fruit salad or the Marcona almonds accompanying the chevre, every bite sung a song of culinary reverence. My kind of music.

If the menu (delightfully written on the chalkboard) weren’t so magnificent I’d say you’d be sated on atmosphere alone. The organic boulangerie serves up perfectly puffed pastries on china from the owner’s collection. Each bistro table is adorned with a fresh floral pick from the garden, in mismatch bud vases. Your preferred espresso beverage is served in proper French fashion, in a two-handed bowl beneath a sepia swirl cloud that appears more Monet than latte.

The attention to detail will astound you. The aroma will intoxicate you. The environment will transform you. This is a place to linger.

And conveniently, it’s right next-door.

By,
Jolie Loeb

Little Next Door
8142 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
323.951.1010
www.thelittledoor.com