Fig & Olive
8490 Melrose Place
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310-360-9100
Let me start off with the ambiance of this place. I went during lunch with a friend on a Saturday. The atmosphere was light and airy. The restaurant was nicely lit from the natural sunlight outside and there were lots of well dressed people. To me it seemed like a good place for a nice date with a significant other, or a fun gossip brunch place with your girls. The staff are incredibly friendly and the service itself was great. We sat down and were given some bread with 3 different types of olive oil. The waiter then continued to tell us what flavor and where each olive oil was from which I thought was a nice conversation starter for diners to talk amongst themselves after ordering their drinks.
Started off the appetizers with the MAINE LOBSTER BISQUE (Pimenton chive mascarpone and olive oil crackers.) and the TRUFFLE MUSHROOM CROQUETTE (Cremini mushroom, parmesan, béchamel Truffle Olive Oil aioli). They were both delicious. But if I had to choose one out of the two, I would definitely say go with the Truffle Mushroom Croquette. They were to DIE for.
PAELLA DEL MAR (Black tiger shrimp, sea scallop, calamari, mussels, saffron rice with chicken, green pea, red bell pepper, artichoke saffron aioli, pimenton & oregano Hojiblanca Olive Oil)
Personally, I thought this was a little bit on the bland and too salty side. It wasn’t terrible, but I didn’t really feel like finishing this plate.
TRUFFLE RISOTTO (Arborio rice, cremini and black trumpet mushroom parmesan, scallion, parsley White Truffle Olive Oil)
The Truffle Risotto was heavenly. You can taste the pungent truffle taste and it went really well with the parmesan cheese. The texture of the risotto was nice and soft and really easy to enjoy. It is on the more “heavier” taste so I would really recommend a nice wine or cocktail with it.
AND finally for dessert we had the DESSERT “CROSTINI” (Amarena cherry, mascarpone, pistachio shortbread with micro-basil) The presentation was lovely, but be warned these cherries are super sour! They were far too sour for my taste so I only managed to have a “taste” instead of eating the whole thing. We also shared a CHOCOLATE POT DE CRÈME (Crunchy praline financiers & vanilla cream). This chocolate creamy goodness I definitely recommend. It wasn’t too sweet or too heavy like it might sound. It was delectable and airy and my friend and I were practically fighting over the last bite, it was just that good.
Over all I think Fig & Olive is a great place in both taste and atmosphere. I do recommend being careful with course pairings in the menu because I feel like some pair better than others. Other than that, I can’t wait to come here again.
