Saint Felix is a restaurant, bar and lounge wrapped into one building. Or two, since there are now two locations in Los Angeles. With a location in Hollywood and another in West Hollywood, Saint Felix is in the hub of LA life.
Although the locations require a bit of a drive into the city, visitors won’t be disappointed. The food is flavorful and the style of Saint Felix helps it stand out from the crowd.
Saint Felix’s décor combines modern with antique. The tables are modern, wooden and very simple. Hanging above some of the tables are vintage chandeliers that enhance the somewhat barren walls. The lighting is low and bestows an edgy, modern feel to the large room. On one wall is an enlarged alcoholic beverage menu, which resembles a chalkboard.
Saint Felix’s interior style resembles a chic lounge or a bar more than a restaurant. It is a seat-yourself atmosphere, lacking utensils until one informs his or her server of their intention to eat rather than taking up residence at the bar. Despite the fact that this place is not necessarily known for dining, they definitely know how to cook up some delicious food.
The food is best ordered as several dishes to share at the table because they are served as more of a large order of hors d’oeuvres or appetizers. Items on the menu vary widely in types of cuisine. Whatever is ordered is sure to be pleasing to the taste buds.
An especially tasty dish are the sweet potato fries. Servers bring them steaming hot with an array of dipping sauces to accompany the fries. The chipotle aioli bursts with flavor and comes with a spicy punch at the end. When the fries are dipped in the garlic aioli, it brings out a hint of sweetness. No matter what sauce one chooses to order as an enhancement to these already crispy, crunchy sweet potato fries, they are sure to be delicious and devoured by everyone.
Another item to order off Saint Felix’s menu is the Kobe Sliders. A trio of beef sliders, the meat is tender and juicy, and it is all piled on top of fluffy miniature buns. The sliders are piled with flavorful accents including bleu cheese and onion. For something that can be eaten in just a few bites, the sliders pack a lot of flavor.
The Cubano Tacos are a popular dish among the diners. They consist of shredded pork piled atop a small corn tortilla along with cheese and tomato. The tortillas are piled with so many ingredients that it makes them almost impossible to eat them without making a bit of a mess. But don’t be discouraged by the sky-high piled tacos, a little messiness never hurt anyone.
The Moroccan chicken cups exemplify the variety of food offered at Saint Felix. The Chicken Cups are not in the form of “cups” at all, as the name would suggest, but rather more like lettuce wraps. A piece of lettuce is filled with chicken, couscous and tzatziki sauce, which is a yogurt-based sauce. The chicken has been seasoned to perfection. Moist and tender, the perfectly cooked chicken makes the dish exponentially better.
Although the food is spectacular, the service at Saint Felix is decent. The food is prompt and comes flying out of the kitchen much faster than a person would expect. The downside to service is that the servers often forget to check on the restaurant patrons. Diners may have to wait 10 or 15 minutes in order to get a water or soda refill. However, the servers are very friendly and do their best to make sure the orders come out exactly to specifications.
If a student is looking for a place with a fun atmosphere to dine and some delicious food, then he or she should make the journey over to Saint Felix. Not the most budget-friendly eatery, diners who arrive between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. have the option of ordering smaller sizes of the dishes for $5 each. Note to those not familiar with LA: Parking isn’t the easiest or cheapest around either location. Plan your outing accordingly.
