Republique (Los Angeles, CA) [4]

République Restaurant
624 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
310-362-6115
www.republiquela.com
Fri 06/26/2026, 07:50p-11:00p





Situated on the edge of Hancock Park, République was opened by Walter Manzke and Margarita Lorenzana-Manzke in 2013, and is pretty much an LA institution by this point. The last time I posted about the place was back in April 2020, for pandemic-era takeout, and a lot has happened since then, most of it unfortunate, as we saw the closing of four of the Manzkes' other spots: PettyCash in October 2023, Sari Sari Store in December 2023, and both Bicyclette and Manzke in March 2024.

On the bright side, Margie did take home James Beard's "Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker" award in 2023, after being shortlisted for the honor a whopping seven times prior. The couple has also greatly expanded their restaurant footprint in the Philippines.

Given all that's transpired, it felt appropriate to file another dining report, especially since a couple first-timer friends of mine wanted to visit.


République's main dining room out front is almost iconic at this point, and was just as bustling as I'd expect it to be.


However, I tend to prefer the more sedate rear dining room. There's seating upstairs as well.


Shown above is the evening's French-inspired menu as well as République's wines by the glass selection and cocktail/beer offerings. Do note that the restaurant has a much more impressive wine list that's apparently not available for viewing online. It's managed by Wine Director Sarah Clarke, an alumna of Antico Nuovo, Mozza, Church & State, The Dining Room, Campanile, Saam/The Bazaar, and Patina Group. The corkage fee here is $75, but the charge can be waived for each bottle purchased off the list, which is a policy I'd like to see implemented more often. Click for larger versions.


Amuse bouche duties were taken care of by a sweet, summer-y corn soup.


Rodolphe Le Meunier Butter + Moulin du Calanquet Olive Oil [$23.00] | normandy, france + provence, france
Not surprisingly, our baguette was on point thanks to its shattery crust, airy crumb, and general toastiness. The bread paired seamlessly with a dab of soft, salty, slightly sweet Normandy butter, but I might've liked that grassy, super fruity olive oil even better.


To take advantage of the corkage waiving option, I ordered a bottle of the Domaine Huet 2019 Pétillant Brut [$86], a sparkling Chenin blanc coming to us from the Loire Valley. The Vouvray drank fresh and fruity, with apple and tropical notes offset by a bitter, nutty backbone. Pretty straightforward, and a fitting apéritif.


Black Truffle Tartelette [$8.00/each] | gioiella ricotta, bill's bees sage honey, roasted hazelnut
Liberty Farms Duck Pâté [$8.00/each] | bing cherry marmalade, santa barbara pistachio
Shortly after the baguette came a platter of hors-d'œuvres. I began with the tartlet, which featured plenty of musky truffle up front, tempered by the creamy sweetness of that ricotta-honey duet, all while hazelnuts imparted a nutty crunch on the back end. Meanwhile, the pâté ate earthy and rustic, with a welcomed counterpoint from the pistachio, but even more important was the cherry's jammy sweetness.



Yellowtail Tartare [$32.00] | sungold tomatoes, jj's lone daughter ranch gwen avocado, salsa verde, tehachapi grain blue corn tostadas
A finely-textured hamachi tartare set the stage beautifully for a bevy of bright, fruity flavors, punctuated by an underlying heat, with those ultra-crunchy tortillas serving as a consummate pairing.


Beef Fat French Fries [$13.00] | sauce dijonnaise
Frites were spot-on in terms of saltiness and herbiness, and were tasty either with or without a dip of that tangy Dijonnaise. I wanted 'em a bit crispier, though.


Wood Oven Roasted Snap Peas and Carrots [$29.00] | tennerelli orchard apricots, straus creamery yogurt labneh, aleppo pepper, fat uncle almonds
Carrots arrived perfectly roasted, their sweet spicing proudly displayed and working hand-in-hand with those smoky peas. The creaminess of yogurt helped link the two main ingredients together, and I thoroughly enjoyed all the minty, juicy, and nutty things going on as well. A surprise standout.


Given that we were at a French-ish spot, the 2006 Château Ausone seemed like the right choice for tonight's twentieth anniversary selection. A blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot, the wine hails from Bordeaux's Saint-Émilion appellation, and just might be the best BDX made in '06. At the sommelier's recommendation, we decanted for about 40 minutes before imbibing.

• Initial Impressions: The nose was teeming with jammy dark fruits, with supporting herbaceous and floral elements. On the palate, I found medium tannins alongside notes of cassis, violet, sweet spice, and mineral.
• After 10 Minutes: Just ten minutes in, the claret's bouquet became softer, plusher, but with a "seedy" component that I quite enjoyed. In the mouth, think finer tannins, with some more astringent, herbier, tobacco-y nuances to go along with all that purple fruit.
• After 60 Minutes: Aromas at this point were more along the lines of blue fruit, with a distinct bouquet garni character. Taking a sip, the wine was positively silken, with plummy fruits joined by sweet, fragrant spices and dried herbs. The Ausone was drinking swell tonight, but I suspect it'll have even more to give in the coming decades.

Caramelized Walla Walla Sweet Onion Tart [$27.00] | applewood smoked bacon, cave aged gruyère
Here we had a tarte flambée that seemed pretty identical to the ones that Chef Manzke cooked up back in the Church & State days. The Flammekueche was as tasty as ever, with its marriage of sweet onion and salty pork moderated just a smidge by the cheese, the whole thing set on top of a thin, crispy crust.


Maine Lobster Campanelle [$45.00] | preserved meyer lemon
It was now time for the pasta portion of our dinner, and this first one was my favorite of the trio. The dish did a commendable job conveying the sweet-brine of the lobster, set against the sting of what I believe was Thai basil, while the campanelle were a joy texturally to boot.


Zucchini and Basil Risotto [$42.00] | sungold tomato, zucchini blossom, acquerello carnaroli rice, parmesan
A light, veggie-forward risotto was where it needed to be in terms of the consistency on the rice, and really did showcase the advertised zucchini. At the same time, the Parmigiano imparted a much-appreciated heft to the dish.


Arugula Rigatoni [$46.00] | chanterelle, morel and porcini mushrooms, preserved wild ramps
Olive-tinted rigatoni delivered in terms of mouthfeel, and served as a base for a mushroom three-way that offered a massive blast of woodsy umami, softened just a tad by those ramps.


Wild California King Salmon [$52.00] | baby violet artichokes, early girl tomato confit, potato gnocchi, brown butter, meyer lemon, basil
Salmon had that rare, velvety, luscious texture I prefer, though I would've liked some more aggressive seasoning on the fish to go along with the piquancy of both the lemon and those confit'd tomatoes. Fortunately, the gnocchi and artichokes did help tone things down a notch.


Here we see République's dessert menu and selection of after-dinner beverages. Do note that desserts ended up being on the house. Click for larger versions.


Pandan Crème Brûlée [$16.00] | wong farms mango, ube, puffed rice
The crème brûlée was my favorite of the desserts due to how well the aromatic warmth of pandan was presented in concert with the fruity funk of mango and the sweet-nuttiness of ube. At the same time, the charred bits offered a counterbalancing bitterness, while even better was the puffed rice, which actually reminded me of a wafer cone.


Strawberry Tiramisu [$16.00] | caramelized white chocolate sabayon
The tiramisu met the mark as well, juxtaposing loads of sweet, juicy strawberry with white chocolate sabayon, sponge cake, and touches of bitterness and salt.


Opera Cake [$16.00] | coffee, hazelnut, dark chocolate, caramel
A gâteau opéra brought together layers of dark chocolate, coffee, hazelnut, and salted caramel, with the overall sensation being that of a mash-up of a Ferrero Rocher and a KitKat. Yum.


Ice Cream [$6.00/each] | vanilla, banana, pistachio
Sorbet [$6.00/each] | melon, strawberry, peach
Last up was a sextet of ice creams and sorbets, with the standouts being vanilla (I couldn't stop tasting Lucky Charms marshmallows) and melon (think of a super intense representation of honeydew).

I'm glad to report that République appears to be still going strong after all these years, with Manzke's Cal-French cooking still hitting most of the right notes. I had no qualms regarding service, either, and overall, I just enjoyed a lovely time here. I guess there's a reason why this place has remained so popular over the years. As for what's next, the Chefs supposedly have a couple exciting ideas in the pipeline, so hopefully they'll eventually come to fruition...