Church & State

Not good. There are so many cool places popping up downtown, this one is one of the first but is sub-​standard. First, the vodka selection is a joke. I don’t recognize one but I have it a shot and ordered a dirty martini. That came looking like apple juice because they not have NORMAL olives. They used the marinated black olives and the flavorless juice from those. Why didn’t the waitress warn me? Then I asked for the salad recommendation. I heard something goat cheese, and I got bread and a mason jar of goat cheese. Normally this would make me happy but I was actually in a rare mood for some greens. Then I got the trout. Saaaaaalty. Wow. I peeled off what meat was on it, not much, and had the sides. I must have had four bottles of water when I got home to neutralize the salt lick.
All in all, that place doesn’t add up to the hype, or the cool ambiance, location, etc. move on to any of the surrounding restaurants and you will be much happier.

Definitely not worth the price. Their drinks were not strong at all. Usually when you order a cocktail you expect a little kick but these drinks pretty much tasted like juice. I also heard the drinks were not strong from the other 5 people in my party who all order different drinks.
Their food was alright in my opinion. The macaroni was extremely cheesy and I could not even take a bite because it was pretty much a block of cheese melted on the plate. I also had some of the steak and it was nothing special. Fries were too salty as well.
Service was good but honestly I don’t think I’ll be coming back here again. Food was NOT good and definitely nothing special for a $ 500+ bill. I suggest you spend your money elsewhere.

Disappointed to say the least. This place has been around for a long time and I have heard good things in the past. So I finally took the time to try it out for the first time this weekend.
I knew something was wrong when I tried to reserve a table and found out on Open Table that I could have any time slot I wanted. That means people aren’t going to eat here anymore.
When I arrived I found out that my reservation wasn’t even listed. No worries though because the place was empty. My girlfriend ordered the steak and fries and I got the Bouillabaisse.
Our food arrived rather quickly but we were quickly disappointed. My girlfriend’s steak had literally 5 slices of beef and the rest was filled with fries. $ 35 for a meal that left her still hungry isn’t exactly what I was expecting. My stew also came out very skimpy. I will say that the flavors was good but it literally had the portions of a pre meal soup. Again $ 32 for soup that left me still hungry… not cool.
I won’t be going back and if you’re hungry don’t go either. Gordon Ramsey would have a fit if he saw these prices and what they’re charging…

Meh…
I work a few minutes away from this place, so I knew about it. But decided to give it a try for date night on a Saturday night. Honestly I don’t understand these places.
The food is whatever, the prices are definitely healthy, and the service is crap. I guess this is why it’s only three stars.
At the suggestion of our waitress, I had the braised lamb chops and my date had the steak and fries. Neither plate memorable, or anything that I could then get anywhere else and have it be much better done.
Despite the open communal seating and the high ceilings, The place seems cold and aloof not warm or inviting. Maybe they had an off night (on a Saturday night), maybe they just don’t care…
Despite the restaurant being half-​empty at 945, I left the restaurant with the sore neck trying to track down anybody who would refill my water, or bring a new fork when I had dropped mine on the floor.
We had enough so we didn’t stay for dessert and opted to go elsewhere. Perhaps somewhere with a bit more warmth both in tone and service… And a place that perhaps acted like they cared for us to be dining there.
I always look for a dish, ambiance, or reason to bring me back to a particular restaurant. Sadly in this case I have none…

I had heard amazing things about Church & State and upon getting a Blackboard Eats complimentary glass of wine coupon, I decided this was a perfect opportunity to try it.
I went with a coworker and friend after work on Thursday, June 2^nd 2016 who had eaten there once before and thought it was excellent. In fact, we ordered a few of the same dishes she had tried previously since she recalled them being so good. We ordered the goat cheese appetizer, the charcuterie plate, the steak tartare, and a tarte. We also shared the crème brûlée and blueberry tart for dessert.
The ambiance is beautiful, clean and open. The service was lovely, attentive, and amazing, so I would truly give this part of Church & State 5 Stars.
The reason I am giving it only 1 Star is because I got terrible food poisoning that evening after I ate. I was ill for 24 hours and while my colleague also did not feel well, I apparently ate more than she did of one of the pates, which is what I think must not have been good quality (or must have been left over too long, or something).
I am sure this rarely happens with the restaurant, but I wanted to warn others of the charcuterie plate, as the cost of being painfully ill for that period of time was certainly not worth the taste!

Great little place downtown with an easy paid parking lot across the way. Reservations are a must! The steak and frites are pretty much the best thing here, my wife had the duck which was good but not great. Loved the charcuterie appetizer — very good selections and the desserts were not too bad either. Only downside was the wine — the sommelier was friendly and professional, but was really pushing the $ 150+ wines hard. In reality the wines presented normally sell in the $ 30 – 45 range, I understand the reality of a markup but that’s just crazy. They need more mid-​range wines or lower the markup. Maybe next time I’ll just pay a corkage.
Server was very friendly and always brought bread to the table. Overall, good atmosphere for a nice evening downtown.

A sopa de cebola é o melhor pedido com certeza, você não vai se desapontar. O pato é ok, nada de mais, mas não espere muito.
A conta é justa pelo lugar e são todos amáveis e o lugar é sensacional!

Great service! My water was never empty and they asked if we wanted more bread all the time! They let you eat your meal in peace but ask if you need anything.
My family ordered to much food but it was a great experience being a first timer. We tried the snails and Flatbread for our appetizers and I also got a French onion soup. The Flatbread was very flavorful and had a good texture of flaky crunchy with the gooey cheese. They also gave us their signature baguette bread. It’s a little tough but it seems very fresh and I think it’s one of the more unique baguettes I’ve tried. The snails was very garlicky and had a crust you eat with it. Very good. I think this dish is better for a first timer then anything else, however if I go their again I probably won’t get it again. The French onion soup is so good. It doesn’t have a lot of salt like many other places make it but a good mixture of onion cheese and bread.
My family got the flant steak, patte, and mussels for our entrees. By this time I was already stuffed.
For dessert we had Blueberry tart, a strawberry cake, and a chocolate coffee moose. My favorite is the Blueberry tart. It was sweet and tangy. You can really tell the blueberries were fresh. I felt that the strawberry cake was a little dry but it had cream in the center. The chocolate coffee mouse was really good but a bit sweet for my taste. But it does match well with coffee or a Latte.

My husband took me to Church & State as a surprise last Saturday night. Our experience exceeded our expectations, both in terms of food and service.
Let’s start with the food. We chose the lavender infused goat cheese and escargot as our appetizers. Both were absolutely divine! The goat cheese was whipped with real lavender and lavender-​infused honey and came with herbed crostinis. The escargot was uniquely presented in individual ceramic pots and topped with flaky dough.
We ordered the pan seared duck and classic bouillabaisse for entrees, complete with a side of fries garnished with garlic aioli. We both enjoyed the bouillabaisse slightly more than the duck.
For dessert, the waitress brought us a whipped cappuccino chocolate mousse which was to-​die-​for!
This place is great for small parties and celebrations. Anything over 10 people will get a bit hectic though due to the size and layout of the restaurant.

Update: The restaurant will file a police report if I ask not to be harassed or continue to block any accounts because of my review. Several users (I assume is the waiter or his friends) have been harassing me via Unilocal since I posted this review. They told me THE RESTAURANT WILL FILE A POLICE REPORT AGAINST ME if I continue to ask them not to harass me or block their accounts. I can only assume the management is upset I said one of their servers was rude? Perhaps they don’t even know about this though. Nevertheless I have taken it up with Unilocal.I’m incredibly confused why I’m being harassed because I had a bad experience with one of the servers. It’s not like I found a cockroach in my food or on the table!
Original: Expensive, small portion, but so worth it. The food and atmosphere are impeccable. The only reason I give it 3 starts is because our server was extremely rude and the service in general was subpar.
I have a gluten intolerance and I mentioned it to our waiter. He abruptly said «well I don’t know what to do. All our chefs touch gluten. So we have nothing for you.» I told him I would find something a just deal with it because I heard the food was amazing. He proceeded to tell me «Yeah well, we can maybe put something together with less gluten but that’s going to take a while but whatever. We can do it for you I guess. Anyways, I’ll let you gather yourself and come back later.» and Im quoting!
I was so appalled. I ordered a sandwich he accused me of not having any sort of gluten intolerance. «you don’t actually have any gluten problems… Do you» then said «that’s like literally the worst thing you can order. But whatever. It’s your choice okay?»
I have managed 2 restaurants before and now started my own textile business. I would never let any of my employees treat any guest or customer in such a way. Such an unprofessional place. No one greated us when we walked in. No one said thank you. No one said goodbye. No one offered me water. Nada.
I don’t think I’ll be recommending this restaurant to anyone no matter how nice the food and atmosphere. Of course if people ask, I will be honest and let them know disrespectful staff but nice food. I truly hope I am the only one who had to go through this. I was so disappointed.

Tiny seating space, but loved the mysteriously dim and busy ambience. Very attentive waitress who made us feel valued.
Bone marrow was juicy and rich. Some bites erred on the salty/​spice side because of the seasoning they use on top.
Steak tartare tasted fresh and had the perfect amount of seasoning when paired with the crispy bread. Fries dipped in the garlic spread was delicious too.
Escargot filled pastry cups were very hot, so be careful! Most of the cup is empty, only 1 snail on the bottom, so don’t let the tall pastry fool you.
Lox pizza had capers, onion, cream cheese? And was too salty
Mac n cheese wasn’t as good as I had expected after reading other Unilocal reviews. Disappointing that it was in the same league as fried mac n cheese balls from Cheesecake Factory.
|Check out @eugeniaeats on Instagram for more amateur shots of beautiful and delicious food|

My review is super late but, they have Amazing food, great service, what else can you ask for? Had endive salad with blue cheese (my favorite of tonight) had amazing bottle of champagne which was recommended by the manager, forgot the name but i wish i knew so i can buy more. Seafood soup was good but i had better ones and seafood cant never taste bad if they are fresh, had a dozen of super fresh oysters… It was not enough… I wanted more. I went to bestia right before church and state and had dinner but food was still good even though i was full!
Gotta check it out at least once if u r foodie

My rating for this place was a perpetual debate between my husband and I, and so I’m updating it here. I originally gave this place a 3 star because I felt it was about average — average for fancy food price (~80 a person), average for food, and average for ambiance.
I have since been reminded that «average» in America is something like ihop or denny’s, therefore Church & State should probably be a bit above.
On reflection — while I still think this is a once-​only place for us and nothing stood out enough to come back, if I’m trapped in this 5 – 6 mile radius of downtown Los Angeles and there’s no other better options in my opinion, it would be about a 4 star. I am a fan, but not enough to come back.
That said — try it once instead of having regrets.

I am quite impressed with Church & State. Great service, food, desert and wine selection. The restaurant layout is very cool with its open kitchen concept. Service was great and the sommelier was spot on with his recommendations. One really awesome thing with the menu here is that you can either order the full or half size for selected items on the menu. This allows you to dine family style and share. I highly recommend the charcuterie and french onion soup. The steak frites was also good but the only disappointing item I tried was the crème brûlée which I thought was a bit too runny and the sugar crust way too thick. Nevertheless, a wonderful dining experience overall at Church & State and I will definitely be back again.

In the two months I have been living in LA, we’ve been to Church & State three times already, so you can definitely say this is one of our favorites!
Admittedly, I have only tried the tartes and mac and cheese here, and the tartes were definitely my favorite! My absolute favorite is the caramelized onion/​bacon. Its savory, cheesy, crispy, and even lighter than a flatbread. .but still loaded with flavor.
We also really enjoy the Le CeChat for an appetizer. Its surprisingly tasty and the perfect way to keep your belly content while you wait for dinner.
On the cons, *sometimes* service can be a little slow, but they more then make it up to you. Also, drinks can be steep and adds to the bill fast. Even when we go sans-​alcohol, there are no refills so it adds up quickly.
Valet parking is available a few hundred feet away from the restaurant.

I came here with some friends and I must say this place is a gem. The food was quite tasty! We ordered a huge plate of oysters with roasted bone marrow (Moelle de boeuf). It’s $ 15 a plate. Loved the outdoor seating area! The waiters were attentive to our needs, and the atmosphere was perfect for our day out. Parking is difficult (as always in LA), as we had to park quite a ways even on a weekday.
Because the service and food was so tasty, I definitely will be back again!

I had pretty high expectations for this place. I saw Church & State listed on a list that showed that they had one of the best Charcuterie Plates in town. My GF and I love Charcuterie so we had to come here. Also, the photos made the Charcuterie Plate look enormous!
We arrived on time for our reservation so we got seated right away. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating. Our waiter was pretty nice. We started off with some cheesy bread puffs that were amazing! I wish they gave us more.
Charcuterie Plate: This is what we came for and it was a little disappointing. Yes, the variety and quantity is there but the quality isn’t. The cuts and terrines were smaller than we thought and the taste was average for the most part. I definitely like Terrine’s Charcuterie plate more.
Mussels: Really good. Mussels were nice and meaty but some of them didn’t open — meaning they were bad. Fries were nice and crisp and the aioli was perfect.
Brussels Sprouts: Pass on this. It was bland.
Slightly disappointing that the Charcuterie Plate wasn’t heavenly — I probably hyped it too much. Parking on street was easy for us.

It’s the anniversary week at church and state from November 1 – 6! That means they are rolling their price and menu back to 2008 when it was more affordable for el cheapo like me to try their food! Good find slave girl and this is our story.
Parking over there was a nightmare due to the location. Street parking is available but be aware of those tiny spots of red on the curb. They are sneaky like that.
We had a reservation at 7:30 and we got there at 7:15. We were told we couldn’t be seated until 7:30 even though I noticed 2 empty tables inside. We were finally seated close to 7:40 while the open tables remained open with no one occupied for the 25 min duration. Then we noticed our candle was the only one that wasn’t lighted around us. Even the empty tables had lighted candles… I know I know, little things, but I was getting less and less impressed. Throughout our meal, I had to flag down our waitress most of the night to get water and other stuff. The vibe I got for this place was Beverly Hills price with SGV Chinese restaurant service. Now on with the food.
We ordered snails, steak tartare, chicken liver mousse, steak and fries, and a side order of brussels sprouts.
Oh man, that chicken liver mousse was so freaking good. Silky texture with excellent flavor. If you go there, that’s a must to order.
Sad to say, everything else was under seasoned except the fries. Snails were buttery and garlicky but that’s about all the taste you get. When it arrived to the table, we were told it was really hot and to be careful not to touch the container. As you can see in the picture… how did you supposed to eat them if you can’t touch them??! I see what you did there church and state… Steak tartare was OK by itself but completely overpowered by the salad that had way too much vinegar. The actual steak was cooked really well… for the middle 3 pieces only. The end pieces were well done and resulted to a dry, chewy texture. What a shame. I did ask for salt and I hope that didn’t hurt anyone’s feelings.
All and all, thank you for the price reduction or I would never try it due to the star rating on Unilocal.For the regular price they charge, I would probably go to that restaurant across the street for more tasty flavor.

Meh. I’ve experienced better is exactly my sentiment about Church & State. Usually I’m a procrastinator with my reviews, but since something like this stands out so much, I have to write a review and post pictures. AND standing out, this time around, was not a good thing with Church and State.
So, I found out that Church & State was celebrating their anniversary from November 1 –6 and will be offering their original menu and prices from 2008 (which by the way, wasn’t too much of a discount). Me thinks it might have been slightly inflated to 2015 prices. But hey, I don’t determine the prices, and I already knew that it’s a $$$ spot.
Anyways, parking is as expected in the arts district of downtown. Lucky if you nab a space on the street as someone is leaving, but if not, there’s a valet/​paid lot across the street from Church and State.
We had a reservation at 7:30 p.m. and we arrived at 7:15 p.m. We were told we couldn’t be seated until 7:30 even though I noticed a few empty tables inside and out. Explaination: Oh, people were running late for their reservations, so we have to hold them. Oooook, but you couldn’t give them our table when they arrived? Or make substitutions? Hey, what do i know about being flexible, especially for those who are prompt.
We were finally seated around 7:40 p.m. while the open tables remained open for the 25 min duration, and stayed empty for majority of our meal. Then we noticed our candle was the only one that wasn’t lit compared to every table… I know I know, nitpicking but the service from the host and who I presume was the General Manager left a quite bitter taste in my mouth.
Anyways, even with that beginning, I still had high hopes for dinner. We ordered: Escargot, Steak Tartare, Chicken Liver Mousse, Steak Frites, and Brussels Sprouts. You really don’t have to order extra fries, because both the steak tartare and steak frites came with the order of fries.
Pretty much everything came underseasoned, with the exception of the fries. We had to ask for salt, and I’m glad that salt was provided without too much fuss. Everyone has a different pallet and I’m just happy it wasn’t an issue.
The escargot came in these ceramic pods similar to a soufflé (see pictures), but with no instructions on eating. And when it was delivered to our table, we were just warned that they were hot. So we poked through and tried to eat it. From our lovely server, Holly, she explained that she «cuts» off the top of the pastry and waits for a moment to cool before diving into the buttery goodness, then use the puff pastry to soak the left over sauce. Steak Tartare was ok, nothing too spectacular, and not understanding where the fries fit into the menu. Steak Frites was a bit dry on the ends, middle was cooked well — but it was strange how the middle was tender and juicy, and the ends surrounding the meat was dry.
Best thing on the menu we tried? Chicken Liver Mousse. However it was created, that stuff is gold, genius a must try. It’s seasoned to perfection, along with the crostini.
Overall, it’s nice to experience Church and State once, but far better food in the area, and in Los Angeles. Our server was great, thank you.

Cute restaurant with nice ambiance but disappointing food. We came here because this place was voted having one of best charcuterie plate in Los Angeles from some food sites.
We ordered steamed mussels, brussel sprouts, and large charcuterie plate.
They served complimentary cheese puff and warm bread which was super nice.
The charcuterie plate was disappointing. They did a good job in terms of providing more varieties of meat but It does not taste as great as I expected. The only thing I like for that plate was rich chicken liver mouse and pickles. I would rather to get better quality of charcuterie in Bestia or Terrine. Some of the meat smelled like leftover. The brussel sprouts was average. Steamed mussels was $ 19 but somehow the broth they used to cook mussels smelled super fishy and yucky. I can barely eat those mussels because of the bad smell. The mussels come with fries and garlic aioli sauce. This was probably my favorite of the night. The fries was crispy and sauce was super creamy.
I just think this place could do better on their food if they get such cute interiors and perfect location (Art District). I probably will not return because honestly the dining experience was just indeed disappointing and expensive.

Church & State is my go-​to DTLA restaurant.
First of all, the location brings me back to San Francisco. Growing up my dad would always take us to the nicest, most yummy places that were gems in industrial areas. Love it. So millennium meat packing distract!
The inside of this place is so charming. I am a Francophile and this restaurant is so French. All the wine stacked up on the brick half wall that borders the restaurant is charming!
Recently I came here for lunch and had the Chelsea Oysters, the carrot cauliflower cashew soup, the Tuna Niçoise salad and the Salmon with lentils. We finished off with the 5 cheese board.
Our waiter recommended a fabulous Chardonnay. See the photo of the label! We had a bottle with our lunch. I recommend!
Food was excellent, service was excellent!

Endives et Cressons — belgian endive, watercress, fuji apples, bleu des causses cheese, walnuts, vinaigrette
Filet d’Agneau — colorado lamb sirloin, braised shoulder, ratatouille, lamb jus
Steak Frites — new york strip loin, french fries, sauce bearnaise
hidden gem in an otherwise
real shady part of dtown.
lofty, unfinished industrial vibe
visible pipping
exposed building elements
embroidered detailing in red
bulb lighting illuminates space
open kitchen adds to the vibrant energy
circulating amongst the conversations
and soft clanking of stemware.
lusciously velvet.
effortless character
minimal chewing required.
protein literally starts disintegrating
upon contact with moisture.
quality meat with no flavor blemishes
aka no gamey taste.
C&S’s dish abolishes previous
foul, subpar experiences with lamb.
impressionable execution.