Camphor

“Always a memorable experience! The service is top-notch from the moment you arrive. We are especially appreciative of Michelle for helping with our reservation and ensuring everything was taken care of. The wait staff was wonderful, attentive, and professional, and the manager went out of their way to make us feel welcome and valued throughout the evening. The food is always an amazing culinary experience, consistently exceeding our expectations. Every visit reminds us why we keep coming back. We look forward to many more future visits and highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for exceptional food and outstanding service. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”

“This French restaurant is a great option in LA We loved the deconstructed onion soup ( tartine) and the chicken ( yes the chicken!) is delicious . The endive salad was good but a bit too simple. Ambiance is fine and very mixed crowd ( kids too ). The sommelier was helpful and helped our experience . I’d go back !”

“Camphor feels intentional from the start. A couple of days before our reservation they called to ask if we wanted to pre order any specials, so we reserved the Dover sole for our party of four. It ended up being the star of the night, perfectly cooked and silky with capers, parsley and a bright lemon butter sauce that made the whole table pause for a second. After a dish like that, it is hard for anything else to feel quite as dramatic, but there were still some really fun standouts. The chicken was one of the smartest plates. The base is a juicy chicken breast, the top is a truffled thigh pâté blended smooth, so you get two textures and layers of flavor in every bite, all tied together with a sweet and sour style sauce that really works. The scallop ravioli will make any scallop lover happy, slightly on the sweeter side, very buttery, with full pieces of scallop tucked inside instead of being minced. The carrots on purée were simple and really well done. Their “Fusion Caesar” was another surprise, very anchovy forward in the best way, with imported French cheese, fresh dressing and radicchio that somehow avoids the usual bitterness. The sourdough crouton situation is memorable, crispy on the outside, airy inside, and one of the best bites of the salad. I am normally not a brioche person and still found their brioche quite good and less sweet than most versions, though I still personally lean team sourdough. The onion soup was another dish I would come back for. It takes all the comforting flavor of a classic French onion tartine, but without the heavy, soggy bread situation. Instead, you get that deep, savory onion broth with a beautifully crunchy sourdough element that keeps its texture, so every spoonful has both flavor and contrast. It is such a simple idea on paper, but they really elevated it. Dessert felt a bit more restrained compared to the savory courses, but there were still bright spots. My favorite was the marshmallow vanilla ice cream, which tastes mostly like a really good vanilla with about twenty percent marshmallow in the background. It is familiar, nostalgic and very easy to finish. The marzipan style dessert reminded me of an elevated Hawaiian shave ice, more of a refreshing palate cleanser than a rich dessert. The tart leaned more custard than classic tart for me, almost like a crisp mille feuille with a very thin layer of pastry and a soft center. If you love delicate, custardy desserts you may really enjoy it, I just expected something more like a traditional tart with a defined crust from the description. Next time I am definitely trying the bread pudding with ice cream, which sounds more in line with what I personally love in a dessert. One of the things I appreciated most about Camphor was the bar. Their chartreuse forward menu is rare, and such a treat if you enjoy herbal, complex spirits. The Last Word I ordered was one of the best I have had, beautifully balanced and very chartreuse forward without feeling aggressive. The cocktail list in general feels thoughtful and worth exploring. Service was spot on all evening, from our main server to the team clearing plates and answering detailed questions about every dish. I also met one of the owners and was genuinely impressed by his presence in the room and how tuned in he seemed to each table. It is very easy to see how they earned their Michelin star so quickly, and I am already planning to come back for another round of Dover sole, onion soup, and a visit to their Koreatown speakeasy.”

“Absolutely exceeded expectations and is now on my must-return list. The DTLA location can be tricky for street parking, but plenty of public parking nearby—and it’s perfect for a post-meal city walk with great bars around (Death & Co is right next door!). The food was consistently impressive. The savory cream puff was a fun opener. The Sea Bream with uni, cucumber, and apple granita was stunning—refreshing, creative, and incredibly well-balanced. The Scallop was the dish that truly wowed us, especially with the sauce that we ended up finishing with bread. The Chicken was surprisingly outstanding—juicy, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. The Ribeye was visually impressive but overly salty for our taste. The Kiwi dessert was refreshing and beautifully layered, and the complimentary madeleine at the end was delicious enough that we asked for another.”

“Service was good but the food is not worth Michelin star. Oysters were lukewarm, steak was too salty, seasonal vegetables were literally just steamed asparagus. Presentation of the onion soup was very creative but there was nothing special with the taste. Scallop was ok. The complimentary truffle cheese amuse bouche tasted the best. I have been to a lot of fine dining restaurants but I have never seen a single place charging 3% credit card fee to the customer. If I pay less than $10~15 with card then I will understand but if I’m spending over $300 you guys definitely make enough to pay the card fee yourself. The food price itself is already over priced for what you get. Tip is also after tax.”