Fig & Olive has maintained its position in West Hollywood on Melrose Place for many years now. The wherewithal in LA is often hard to come by in the restaurant biz. This sexy upscale restaurant, bar, and private dining area screams date night although their pillow-thrown cozy tables are intimate for small groups too. The ambiance is romantic and airy with olive trees and rosemary bushes set aglow by dimly lit candles, and jars of olive oil lining the walls in front of the kitchen.Fig & Olive is passionate about using the best olive oils, flavors, and cuisine from the Riviera and Coastal regions of the south of France, Italy, and Spain. They select extra virgin olive oils to not only be offered as a tasting before your meal, but to be paired with each dish.
Our savory seasonal Mediterranean fare began with delightful soft dipping breads with three types of olive oil from different countries. We continued to enjoy these bread bites throughout the entire meal because they were just too good. Vindicated, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa was so enjoyable I had another. It was one of the best Cabs I have sampled in a long time. The well thought out creative cocktail menu satisfied my boyfriend’s spicy bold tastebuds with the El Matador, a tequila, rum, lime juice, cilantro syrup, and muddled jalapeño medley but not before he started with a Fig and Olive Dirty Martini with tasty olives and brines.
The Crab Salad appetizer is a winner with generous lumps of crab mixed with a bit of horseradish mayo, celery, and topped with crunchy shredded green apples. The Hamachi Crudo and Crostini Bites were a great start too. You can select 3 to 6 Crostini Bites to share. We opted for the burrata and pesto, the goat cheese and caramelized onion, and the prosciutto and fig with olive and walnut. These flavorful bread bites were perfect for cutting in half. We were encouraged to sample the Mushroom Croquettes with truffle mayo and parmesan, and now we know why. The were not too mushroom-y nor did the truffle overpower the crunchy fried bite with the warm goo inside. The Mushroom Croquettes were some of our most memorable bites of the night. Fig and Olive is nice place to share a number of small dishes, if you wanted to forgo a main dish.
Since falling in love with the salt casked branzino at Angelini Osteria on Beverly and dining there for years just for the branzino, I couldn’t wait to try the Mediterranean Branzino here. The fish was flakey and melt-in-your-mouth moist, but presented in a way I have never tried, with a sweet 18 year old balsamic glaze almost reminding me of a sweet barbecue flavor. The branzino fish pieces were plated on top of caramelized figs and snow peas. I would pass on their mashed potatoes because they didn’t taste like real potatoes but perhaps that is because they are made with olive oil and not what I am use to, butter and milk. The Fig and Olive Tajine caught my eye on the menu as well as the Chateaubriand for two, but my boyfriend opted for the Rosemary Lamb Chops rare with ricotta gnocchi and braised honey eggplant. His lamb chops appeared with a cover to capture the smoke of the wood burning oven and most likely to accentuate the rosemary and olive marinade. My bites of his meal were tender and wonderfully seasoned. Stuffed to the hilt, we found room to sample a rich and creamy chocolate Pot de Creme with praline, worth every calorie.
Also, starting October 3 – October 31, Fig & Olive, in support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation and in participation with Breast Cancer Awareness Month of October will offer a prix fixe dinner for $55, with selections curated by Executive Chef Wilfrid Hocquet & Nutritionist Elissa Goodman, where guests can experience the health benefits associated with the Mediterranean Diet.
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