Whomever created brunch, the breakfast-lunch compromise, was genius. Let's just say, I don't exactly bounce out of bed on Sunday mornings. Maybe it's mostly a mental thing, but Sunday A.M. is my guilt-free zone when in comes to sleeping in. Breakfast is almost always out of the question, so brunch is my go-to. I was invited by The Food Pervert to check out Bagatelle's Sunday brunch last week at 11:30 a.m., but had she mentioned an earlier time slot, I may have had to re-negotiate. So 11:30 a.m it was. She scooped me up in an Uber and we headed over to the STK adjacent restaurant.
I started with a Prickly Pear Bellini, which was bright pink and not too sweet, thankfully. For a quick pick-me-up, the bartender poured us two green looking shots. Was I ready for a shot at 11:30 a.m.? Yes, of course I was! Luckily, it was a well-balanced and a somewhat "healthy" morning remedy made with cucumber, mint, basil and some other secret ingredients…refreshing. Next we were seated downstairs and perused the menu for our food options. Our server was friendly, slightly flirty and seemed to be having a good time. That element seemed contagious around here.
The first dish to arrive was the Beef Tartare served in a cute mini Bell jar. The Filet Mignon inside was chopped consistently and mixed with quail eggs and capers. The crispy onions on top gave the starter a nice crunch and a simple herb salad accompanied the tartare. I enjoyed the rich flavors of the tartare, but I could only eat so much of it before moving on the Crab Salad. I would definitely order these 2 dishes together in the beginning again. The Crab Salad was on the lighter side, complementing the tartare; it wore big heaps of lump crab meat, sliced avocado, mixed butter lettuce, frizee, citrus wedges and a divine citrus vinaigrette. Yes, I crave naughty food at brunch, but the Crab Salad at Bagatelle was bright, uber fresh and the perfect addition to our morning meal.
I've got to warn you, the next portion of our brunch dining experience at Bagatelle involved some serious food porn. The Food Pervert and I just stared at the Lobster Benedict and French Toast at first and then took a bunch of pictures of our dishes because we wanted to remember that moment forever. I poked my poached egg and watched the warm, orangey-yellow yolk ooze all over my sautéed lobster and hollandaise, and after I took my first bite, it hit me - I was in brunch bliss. It was an ingredient affair I wanted to repeat over and over again. Foodgasm status.
Our final dish was French toast made with Brioche bread, homemade strawberry-maple marmalade and topped with some creme fraiche. I have to be honest, at that point I only had room for a couple of bites, but the ones I took were great. The bountiful berries heaped on my Brioche were big and juicy and the dish as a whole was definitely flirty like the other elements of this place. I had to finish with a cup on coffee, because as much as I wanted our party to continue that day, I had 2 other events to hit so I had to keep my endurance.
And speaking of parties, at around 1 p.m., Bagatelle became crazy full with hip patrons and punch bowls. The bar at top was even packed, and as much as I wondered why the somewhat sheer curtains had been drawn all morning, I finally understood. We were surrounded by hair-of-the-dog seeking familiar faces looking for a good time and a hangover cure…looks like they found it.
P.S. We are excited to announce that Bagatelle is now starting a happy hour and on the best of nights - Friday! Join the fun, "Party at Bagatelle" for happy hour priced drinks and apps from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Friday night.
755 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 659-3900
