Simonette: Where My Taste Buds Took a Mini Paris Vacation (and Refused to Come Home)

We had dinner at Simonette in Culver City’s Pali Hotel last Thursday, and let me tell you — I left with a full belly, a happy heart, and mild jealousy toward whoever gets to live in that gorgeous space full-time. The hotel itself has old-Hollywood charm; it’s from 1923, back when “streaming” meant gossiping about Joan Crawford down the hall.

The vibe: Elegant French café meets California garden magic. If you’ve ever dreamed of sipping rosé under twinkly lights while pretending you’re effortlessly chic — this is your place. We didn’t get seated in the garden (next time, I’m bringing bribes), but even indoors, the space was stunning.

The service: Perfection. Our server had that sweet spot of being attentive but not hover-y. Like, if Michelin gave stars for “refilling your water before you realize you’re thirsty,” they’d earn one on the spot.

The food: Ooh la la.
We started with the Caesar salad and vegan potato croquettes from the DineLA menu — crispy, golden, and definitely not sharing-size (oops). The tapenade with crostini was a flavor bomb of olives, orange, capers, and garlic — like Nice and Naples had a delicious little baby. The French onion soup was so rich and comforting it basically gave us a warm hug.

For mains, we went full sampler mode:

• Mussels that could’ve starred in a seafood commercial.
• Salmon with farro and veggies — classy, balanced, makes you feel like you have your life together.
• And the Parisian burger — caramelized onions, American cheese, and bordelaise sauce so good I considered proposing to it. Plus those fries? Crispy perfection.

Dessert was the kind of thing that ruins other desserts for you. We shared the Basque strawberry cheesecake (fluffy cloud of joy) and crème brûlée (crackly-topped heaven).

By the end, we were all in that blissful post-meal silence where everyone just nods and smiles.

Final verdict: Simonette is pure magic — amazing food, cozy-chic vibes, stellar service. 10/10 would risk my jeans button again.