Where the Locals Eat rating
Best Brasserie
Top 100 Restaurant, Los Angeles
"Alain Giraud is a familiar personality in Santa Monica, California. His accent has reverberated throughout the city's famed Farmer's Market for years, his unwavering presence proffering a passionate support for his many friends, purveyors and farmers that arrive each week. ... It is, therefore, a testament to his professional vision that Chef Alain Giraud unveils Anisette, a Brasserie in association with Tommy Stoilkovich and Mike Garrett of The Falcon Group, mere steps from his beloved Santa Monica Farmer's Market."
– Anisette website
"At Anisette, Giraud isn't presenting a modern interpretation of French cooking, a chef's fantasy of French cooking or riffs on the theme of French cooking – the brasserie serves regular French cooking as designed by an amazingly skilled French chef, steak-frites and onion soup and winey house terrines, prepared with superb California produce and served by Santa Monica waiters who occasionally seem practiced at French diffidence."
– Jonathan Gold, LA Weekly
"I'll definitely be back for the splendid seafood platters, a comforting bowl of onion soup when the weather turns cold, and maybe some moules (mussels) or steak frites. Not to mention coffee and a croissant after the farmers market."
– S. Irene Virbila,
Los Angeles Times, Sep 17, 2008
"No detail has been overlooked, from the tile and mosaic floor, the wood panels and the antique mirrors to the zinc-topped bar manufactured in France (which took two months to ship), to save you a trip to Paris if you are craving a brasserie ambience and food."
– Gayot.com
Full bar. Serving breakfast Wed and Sat, lunch Mon–Fri, dinner nightly. Sat–Sun brunch 9 am–3 pm.
How others rate Anisette
LA Weekly
Jonathan Gold's 99 Essential LA Restaurants, 2009
Los Angeles Times
** (very good)