Downtown Los Angeles has a new upscale French restaurant, Spring. A beautiful glass domed patio is a perfect backdrop for a special night out.

I really can't complain about the Los Angeles restaurant scene. We have such a diverse collection of ethnic cuisine and healthy options that you could eat somewhere new every night of the year. BUT, the number of French restaurants in Los Angeles is on the lower end in terms of restaurants represented here. So when I heard about the opening of a new upscale French restaurants, Spring, in downtown LA, I couldn't wait to check it out.

I was excited to have a French night out, so I even took the metro downtown, to take me back to my time living in car-free Paris. As soon as I stepped into Spring, I smelled a sweet seafood stock, that I soon learned was the soup de homard. That soup was on our table shortly after, and the cognac-laden, lobster, chestnut soup delivered on all notes. Rich and delicious.

The dining room is quite the breath of fresh air. There's a glass ceiling that's lofted high into the sky. Large potted trees and a trickling fountain are the centerpiece of the spacious room, and delicate white lights add to the romance of the airy space.

You can bet that there's an extensive French wine list at Spring. I appreciated that there was a range of prices under and over $100. I recently went to a tasting event featuring wines from the Jura, so we enjoyed a lovely wine from the local area of Arbois. The light, but earthy red allowed us to enjoy the bottle with both fish and meat.

I'm always happy to see beef tartare on a menu, especially a French one. Spring's "tartare de boeuf" is beautifully displayed grass fed Strauss beef, softly mixed alongside garlic, olives, tomato celery and fennel. It's a nice play of textures.

Delicate wild halibut is slowly cooked and sitting on top of cannellini beans, cabbage, celeriac, carrot and basil. It's subtle and refined.

It had been a while since I'd said "Magret de Canard," and honestly, how much fun is that? The maple leaf duck breast was beyond moist and tender with a honey spiced skin, radish, turnip and huckleberries. Absolutely divine.

Since we hadn't finished our wine, not that we needed an excuse, we ended with the "chocolat monegasque." Bittersweet chocolate ganache was crumbled and swirled, along with praline and lemon honey sorbet. The sorbet was refreshing, but not the best pairing on the plate. The chocolate on chocolate was a very sweet ending.

With entrees mostly priced over $30, you won't likely make Spring a weekly restaurant, but it is nice for a special occasion. The ambiance, service and dishes make this a romantic or birthday-worthy night out.

Spring
257 South Spring Street, Los Angeles
213.372.5189