Unless you already know, @horsesonsunset might not sound like one of LA’s hottest restaurants. Chef/co-owner @waghajanian once jocularly referred to his establishment as a Cheesecake Factory. No Washington, DC food writers were within earshot thankfully. Otherwise, they would have spontaneously combusted in excitement and for the wrong reason (Corporate behemoths cranking out cookie-cutter food tend to be well regarded in a few publications here) 🙄

For those who travel to eat well, I’m thrilled to report that Horses serves much better food than any nostalgic chain. The dim interior might challenge your picture-taking ability. Putting the phone down this one time may not be a bad decision, just to be immersed in the experience. Table are placed in close proximity, and a dozen different conversations will envelop you at once. You might have to shout a bit at your dining companions to be heard. Voices have a way of reverberating around the dining room. This restaurant is loud, fun, and possessed of a charming spirit that calls back to an earlier time 😃

But the primary focus is bistro cuisine that is classically French inspired with a touch of old Hollywood elegance. The food feels right and comforting and never boring. Horses is the kind of new-ish restaurant that comes off as a bit old-fashioned and where good, solid cooking still matters 🤤🍽️😋
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1) Veal sweetbreads with frisée and capers 👏

2) Boudin Basque with fried hen's egg

3) Bread and butter

4) Sobrassada panino