Spring (Los Angeles, CA)

Spring
257 S Spring St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Dining date: 7/9/16

Spring opened at the corner of Third and Spring in February after a long, long, wait. The restaurant is from the team behind the Arts District’s Church & State with a fairly similar concept. Whereas Church & State is traditional French bistro, Spring expands its scope to a little more of the Mediterranean.

The space is beautiful essentially a large open atrium with a tree at its center. Plenty of natural light shines through while an expansive open kitchen greets patrons as they walk in.

Bœuf Tartare grass fed strauss family farms beef, anchovy, garlic, cured egg yolk

Beef tartare was tender with a nice vegetable condiment but would’ve benefited from a little more salt.

Pate Artisanal au Lapin strozzapreti pasta, braised rabbit, piquillos, spinach, shallot, lemon

Pasta was really well done with a nice texture and a deliciously rich rabbit ragu. I would definitely get this one again.

Bourride delicate fish stew, fennel, potato, leeks, garlic, saffron, aioli

This stew, very similar to a bouillabaisse, featured a rich shellfish soup which really made the dish. Sweet morsels of fish were bathed in the soup that also included soft cubes of potatoes and leeks.

Agneau au Sautoir lamb sirloin, couscous, rutabaga, scallion, raisin, mint, harissa

Lamb sirloin was cooked just right, tender and flavorful with the lamb jus.

We passed on dessert given that they were out of sorbets this evening, which was a main component in almost every dessert on the menu.

Spring was good and exceeded moderate expectations. The food was very comparable to what I remember at Church & State, though the vibe feels a bit more upscale here. There were some inconsistencies in service that affected this visit but I would give them another chance.