Restaurant in Los Angeles, United States
Pasjoli
665ptsSerious French cooking, less serious format.
About Pasjoli
Pasjoli is Dave Beran's Santa Monica French bistro and one of LA's most consistently ranked restaurants, placing #18 on the LA Times 101 Best and #70 on OAD North America 2025. The pressed duck with tableside service is the main event; book three to four weeks out for weekend seatings. A $65 early-bird format makes it accessible without sacrificing the kitchen's ambition.
The Verdict
Pasjoli is not the stiff French tasting-menu experience the price tag might suggest. Chef Dave Beran has deliberately moved the restaurant toward something more relaxed — prix fixe formats, a burger at the bar, early-bird pricing — while keeping the cooking precise enough to earn a spot at #18 on the LA Times 101 Best Restaurants 2024 list and #70 on Opinionated About Dining's Leading Restaurants in North America 2025. If you want serious French technique in a room that doesn't require a tie, this is the booking. If you want a full theatrical tasting arc closer to what Alinea in Chicago or The French Laundry in Napa offer, Pasjoli is a different animal.
What Pasjoli Actually Is Right Now
The most common misconception about Pasjoli is that it sits comfortably in the destination-dining category alongside Providence or Le Bernardin in New York City. It does not. Beran has recalibrated the format to straddle two modes: a neighbourhood restaurant with ambition and a special-occasion room with enough looseness to not feel precious. The two current prix fixe options , one anchored to the signature pressed duck, one a greatest-hits format drawn from five years of the menu , give the evening a clear narrative shape without the relentless pacing of a 10-course tasting.
The visual centrepiece of any duck-focused dinner is the service itself. Beran brings a medieval-looking press to tableside, breaks down the bird, and compresses the carcass into a concentrated gravy in front of the room. It is genuinely theatrical , the kind of moment that makes the whole table pay attention regardless of what they ordered. For a special occasion or a date where you want a shared talking point, this alone justifies choosing the duck prix fixe over the alternatives. For context, comparable tableside drama at Hayato or Vespertine is baked into a far more expensive and formal structure; at Pasjoli the theatrics come without the rigidity.
Recent reformat also introduced a $65 three-course option for diners seated before 6 PM , a genuine value entry point at the $$$$ tier that makes the restaurant bookable for occasions where the full spend would feel excessive. At the bar, the marrow aioli burger and what one LA Times critic called the leading grilled cheese sandwich in the known universe sit alongside the expanded beverage program, meaning a shorter, more casual visit is a real option. If you are considering Pasjoli for a business dinner or an anniversary, the full duck prix fixe is the right call; if you are visiting for the first time and want to test the kitchen, the bar seats and the early-bird format are sensible starting points.
Booking and Timing
Pasjoli is a hard book. Given its consistent placement in the OAD North America rankings , #78 in 2023, #76 in 2024, #70 in 2025 , and its LA Times positioning, reservation windows fill quickly. Expect to plan at least three to four weeks ahead for weekend dinner, and be prepared for tighter availability around the duck-focused seatings specifically. The early seating (before 6 PM) is your leading route to a same-week booking. Hours run 5:15 PM to 9:30 PM Sunday through Thursday, and until 10:30 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant is at 2732 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405.
Practical Details
| Detail | Pasjoli | Camphor | Kato |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuisine | French bistro | French-Asian | New Taiwanese |
| Price tier | $$$$ | $$$$ | $$$$ |
| Format | Prix fixe / bar à la carte | À la carte / tasting | Tasting menu |
| Booking difficulty | Hard | Moderate | Hard |
| Early-bird option | Yes ($65, before 6 PM) | No | No |
| Tableside theatre | Yes (pressed duck) | Limited | No |
| Bar dining | Yes (burger, bar menu) | Limited | No |
Who Should Book
Pasjoli works leading for a date or celebratory dinner where you want memorable cooking without the full formality of a tasting-menu institution. Pairs or small groups of four will get the most from the duck prix fixe. Solo diners wanting to experience the kitchen without the commitment of a full prix fixe should head to the bar. For groups larger than six, confirm availability directly , the room's intimate scale makes large-party logistics worth clarifying in advance.
For broader planning, see our full Los Angeles restaurants guide, our Los Angeles hotels guide, and our Los Angeles bars guide. For other French options in LA, consider Petit Trois, Lumière, or Perle. If you are planning a wider trip around serious French cooking, L'Effervescence in Tokyo and Hotel de Ville Crissier represent the format at its most formal end.
FAQs
How far ahead should I book Pasjoli?
Three to four weeks minimum for a weekend dinner, especially if you want the duck-focused prix fixe. The early seating (before 6 PM) is the most accessible window if you need a shorter lead time. Ranked in the OAD Top 100 North America three years running, this is not a walk-in restaurant.
Is Pasjoli worth the price?
Yes, with conditions. The $65 early-bird three-course option is a strong value for the $$$$ tier. The full duck prix fixe costs more but delivers a level of tableside theatre and technical cooking that justifies it for a special occasion. If you want French technique at this level without the theatrics, Camphor is a credible alternative with slightly easier bookings.
Can Pasjoli accommodate groups?
Small groups of four to six are manageable. For larger parties, contact the restaurant directly , the room's scale means large-group logistics need confirmation. The bar area offers more flexibility for informal gatherings without a full prix fixe commitment.
What should I order at Pasjoli?
The pressed duck is the signature experience and the reason most people book. The foie brioche remains available for the table as a longstanding favourite. At the bar, the marrow aioli burger and grilled cheese are the practical choices for a shorter visit. The duck prix fixe is the right order for anyone visiting for a special occasion.
Is lunch or dinner better at Pasjoli?
Pasjoli is dinner-only, open from 5:15 PM every day. The early seating before 6 PM unlocks the $65 three-course menu, which is the best-value format. Friday and Saturday service extends to 10:30 PM, making those nights better for a later, longer dinner.
Is Pasjoli good for solo dining?
Yes, via the bar. The bar menu , which includes the marrow aioli burger and casual options alongside the beverage program , makes solo visits practical and lower-commitment than the full prix fixe dining room. If you want the full duck service as a solo diner, the counter or bar seats are worth requesting.
What should a first-timer know about Pasjoli?
Book early, choose the duck prix fixe if budget allows, and arrive knowing the pressed duck service is a room-wide moment. The restaurant has moved toward a more casual register than its earlier format, so expect smart-casual dress rather than formality. The early-bird $65 option is an underrated entry point for a first visit. For context on the LA French dining tier, also consider Juliet and Petit Trois as lower-commitment alternatives.
Compare Pasjoli
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pasjoli | Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in North America Ranked #70 (2025); Michelin Plate (2025); Pasjoli is a Santa Monica French bistro by Chef Dave Beran, known for its smart, reimagined classics and theatrical presentation, including the signature whole pressed duck. Recently revamped to be more casual and approachable, the menu now features French onion souplettes, a marrow aioli burger, and crepes with caviar, alongside an expanded beverage program.; Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in North America Ranked #76 (2024); Michelin Plate (2024); LA Times 101 Best Restaurants 2024 - Ranked #18. There is a point during dinner at Dave Beran’s Santa Monica restaurant when the attention of the entire room shifts to a table in front of the kitchen. Beran makes a show of breaking down a duck and stuffing the carcass into a medieval-looking contraption that compresses the cartilage, bone and tissue into a pink goo that’s then transformed into a luxurious gravy. The chef is charismatic and fluid in his movements while he chats up a captivated audience, some of whom have actually ordered the duck and some who have not. Pasjoli, like many restaurants around town, is finding a groove that feels right for its particular place in time. Beran recently switched the dining room’s a la carte menu to two prix fixe options, one centering around the duck and another that reads like a greatest-hits list for the five-year-old French bistro. Longtime favorites such as the foie brioche can still be ordered for the table. The new format straddles the line between destination dining and the kind of neighborhood restaurant everybody wants to have down the street. There’s a $65, three-course menu for diners who can make it in before 6 p.m. And at the bar, you can order thick burgers dripping with marrow aioli and what I strongly believe is the best grilled cheese sandwich in the known universe.; Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in North America Ranked #78 (2023) | $$$$ | — |
| Kato | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Hayato | Michelin 2 Star | $$$$ | — |
| Vespertine | Michelin 2 Star | $$$$ | — |
| Camphor | Michelin 1 Star | $$$$ | — |
| Gwen | Michelin 1 Star | $$$$ | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far ahead should I book Pasjoli?
Book at least 3 to 4 weeks out. Pasjoli has ranked in OAD's Top 100 North America three consecutive years (reaching #70 in 2025) and landed #18 on the LA Times 101 Best Restaurants 2024 — that kind of sustained recognition keeps the dining room full. If your schedule is flexible, bar seating is a lower-friction path to a same-week visit, with a shorter menu that includes the marrow aioli burger.
Is Pasjoli worth the price?
At $$$$, it depends on where you sit. The dining room now runs prix fixe, with a $65 three-course option available before 6 p.m. that meaningfully lowers the entry price. The full duck-centered experience — Beran breaks down a whole pressed duck tableside and renders the bones into a gravy in front of the room — is a set-piece that few restaurants in LA at any price replicate. If theatrical, high-craft French cooking is the format you want, the value holds. If you want à la carte flexibility or a lower-key evening, the bar menu delivers a lot of the kitchen's quality at a fraction of the cost.
Can Pasjoli accommodate groups?
Pasjoli is better suited to parties of two to four than to large groups. The room is a bistro-scale space on Main St in Santa Monica, not a private-dining venue. The prix fixe format simplifies ordering for a table, but groups of six or more should check the venue's official channels to confirm availability and any private arrangement options before booking.
What should I order at Pasjoli?
The whole pressed duck is the reason most people make the reservation — Beran performs the breakdown and pressing tableside, and the resulting gravy is the dish's centerpiece. Foie brioche is a longtime carry-over that remains available for the table. At the bar, the marrow aioli burger and what the LA Times called the best grilled cheese sandwich in the known universe are the draws. The crepes with caviar feature on the current menu for those who want something between the two formats.
Is lunch or dinner better at Pasjoli?
Pasjoli is dinner only, open from 5:15 p.m. every day of the week. There is no lunch service. If you want the full prix fixe experience at a lower price, arrive before 6 p.m. on any night for the $65 three-course option.
Is Pasjoli good for solo dining?
Yes, particularly at the bar. Solo diners get access to the marrow aioli burger and bar menu without committing to a prix fixe, which makes the visit lower-pressure and less expensive. The dining room's prix fixe format is designed around a shared table experience, so the bar is the more practical solo option.
What should a first-timer know about Pasjoli?
Pasjoli is a French bistro that has shifted away from stiff fine dining toward a more approachable format, but the cooking is serious and the duck is a genuine event. The dining room now runs two prix fixe tracks — one built around the pressed duck, one covering greatest-hits dishes from the restaurant's five-year run. The bar operates more casually with a separate shorter menu. If you book the dining room, decide before you arrive whether you want the duck: it requires advance ordering and is the clear centerpiece of that prix fixe.
Hours
- Monday
- 5:15–9:30 pm
- Tuesday
- 5:15–9:30 pm
- Wednesday
- 5:15–9:30 pm
- Thursday
- 5:15–9:30 pm
- Friday
- 5:15–10:30 pm
- Saturday
- 5:15–10:30 pm
- Sunday
- 5:15–9:30 pm
Recognized By
More restaurants in Los Angeles
- ProvidenceProvidence is LA's most decorated fine dining restaurant — three Michelin stars, a Green Star for sustainability, and a $325 tasting menu that changes nightly based on the day's catch. Book four to six weeks out minimum. At this price and format, it is the seafood tasting menu benchmark for the city, with service depth and sourcing discipline that justifies the spend for special occasions and returning guests alike.
- KatoKato is the No. 1 restaurant in Los Angeles by two consecutive LA Times rankings, a Michelin-starred Taiwanese-American tasting menu with a 2025 James Beard Award for Best Chef: California. The 10-course menu from Jon Yao is matched by one of the city's deepest wine programs. Book six to eight weeks out minimum — this is among the hardest reservations in the country to secure.
- HayatoHayato is the most coveted reservation in Los Angeles: a seven-seat kaiseki counter in Row DTLA where chef Brandon Hayato Go cooks directly in front of guests and narrates every course. Two Michelin stars, ranked #2 by the LA Times and #10 in North America by OAD. Near-impossible to book, but worth pursuing for a serious special occasion.
- MélisseMélisse is a two Michelin-starred, 14-seat tasting-menu counter in Santa Monica — one of Los Angeles's most technically ambitious dinners. Book if French classical technique applied to California produce is your preferred register. With only 14 seats and consistent international recognition, reservations require six to eight weeks of lead time minimum.
- VespertineVespertine is Jordan Kahn's two-Michelin-starred tasting menu in Culver City, priced at $395 per person for a four-hour, multi-sensory evening. Pearl Recommended for 2025 and ranked top 26 in North America by Opinionated About Dining, it is the only restaurant in Los Angeles combining this level of technical cooking with full theatrical production. Book it if you want an event, not just dinner.
Similar venues by awards
Related editorial
- Best Fine Dining Restaurants in ParisFrom three-Michelin-star icons to the next generation of Parisian chefs pushing boundaries, these are the restaurants that define fine dining in the world's culinary capital.
- Best Luxury Hotels in RomeFrom rooftop terraces overlooking ancient ruins to Michelin-starred hotel dining, these are the luxury hotels that make Rome unforgettable.
- Best Cocktail Bars in KyotoFrom sleek lounges to hidden speakeasies, Kyoto's cocktail scene blends Japanese precision with global influence in ways you won't find anywhere else.
Save or rate Pasjoli on Pearl
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.