Fine wines, plates of charcuterie, cafe fare and traditional French dishes are served with style at Church and State bistro, a cozy industrial restaurant in downtown LA.

With an organic wine list and menu full of French favorites, Church and State is downtown LA's answer to the brasserie. With quick yet hearty meals pulled from the best menus in Paris, Church and State is an ideal place to get your French fix and try dishes such as bouillabaisse, steak tartare and marinated mussels.

Out of all the restaurants in downtown Los Angeles, Church & State Bistro comes the closest to feeling like an authentic French brasserie. With an industrial yet cozy dining area lit by Edison bulbs, Church & State has a funky, festive look, completed with old mirrors and red leather seating. Any restaurant in France would be proud of the menu, which is stacked with traditional favorites such as croque madame sandwiches, steak frites, bouillabaisse, quiche and of course, escargot all delivered by waiters and waitresses who are actually French. Church & State's cocktail list draws heavily from the post World War I era, when American writers and artists flocked to Paris and drank kir royales (a champagne aperitif), panach (beer mixed with lemonade) and of course, the Hemingway cocktail. France is also represented heavily on the wine list, however so are bottles from the home turf of California as well as a fine selection of organic wines. The charcuterie here is made in house by Chef Walter Manzke, and it alone is well worth braving the somewhat sketchy neighborhood. Sit inside the cozy downtown restaurant or choose a communal table under the heat lamps outside for a more social experience. Bon appetit!

Written By Shilo Urban

Interesting Facts

On Tuesday nights you will find the highly esteemed mobile raw oyster bar of Maitre Ecailler Christopher Happillon at Church and State. Charming and very French, he will arrive to your table with three of his very freshest finds of the day to try with you