Come for a meal, stay for the night at E.P. Restaurant.
My friend was visiting me from out of state, so I wanted to bring her to a restaurant that is both trendy and a good representation of L.A. dining. I heard good things about E.P. Restaurant and L.P. Restaurant but had never tried it, so I thought it was the perfect place to try, especially on a Saturday night in West Hollywood. Before getting there, we had no idea that E.P. Restaurant was an indoor restaurant on the second floor and that L.P. was the rooftop version.
E.P. Restaurant has an exclusive vibe because they check your ID at the entrance and then check you in for your reservation on the ground floor before walking up the stairs to the restaurant (and later, the rooftop). We were a little disappointed that we made a reservation for the indoor, non-rooftop section; however, we ended up really enjoying our time. Also, we can try the rooftop another time now that we know it is separated! Upon being seated, we got the perfect table for two by the window overlooking Melrose and La Cienega.
To start, we ordered the baja tuna tartare, which consists of capers, shallots, lemon, fresh potato chips, and a topping of kaluga caviar. I typically do not order a tuna tartare dish to start, but this one was highly recommended by our waiter, online reviews, and Instagram posts. This dish was extremely fresh, flavorful, and unique to other tuna tartare dishes I have previously had at other restaurants. This dish is ideal for sharing and definitely the best way to start your meal at E.P. I wholeheartedly recommend that you order this dish.
Next up, we had the buffalo milk burrata, which includes sun gold tomato conserva, basil, and grilled sourdough. The tomato-burrata flavor contrast was excellent; the tomatoes were exceptionally sweet, and the burrata was superbly buttery and salty. The creaminess of the burrata was perfect on top of the grilled sourdough. While I have had several burrata dishes at various restaurants, the sweet cherries made this dish distinct from others.
We then had the E.P. Restaurant Chop, which consists of market veggies, herbs and leaves, a sherry dressing, and mimolette cheese. This salad was not anything special, and I honestly do not think I would order it again on my next trip there. To end the night, we enjoyed the peach cobbler, which was quite unique and tasty. It consists of a coconut semifreddo, verbena poached peach, and sesame oat crisp. The contrast of the coconut semifreddo and peach texture with the crispy sesame oat topper made each bite better than the previous. The sauce was an excellent touch as well!
The staff at E.P. Restaurant was extremely friendly and accommodating. At the end of our meal, we were told to check out the rooftop even though we did not have a reservation. Our waiter mentioned that they frequently have movie nights and other private events on the rooftop, which I thought was very cool. The ambiance of the entire building (restaurant and rooftop) is quintessential Los Angeles, from the lighting, mirrors, and wall art to the open-glass view of Melrose and La Cienega.
I will definitely be going back to explore more of the dishes on the E.P. Restaurant menu, as well as trying out the rooftop scene for a later dinner or night out with friends. Overall, despite the restaurant being well-known, the service felt better than in most super popular places. Sometimes, it is easy to slip in the cracks of not providing good service in a place that is so busy and over-hyped, but I felt like both our waiter and the staff, in general, were truly caring and receptive to our inquiries and requests.