Don’t let this little yellow bungalow on Sunset fool you. Josephine is not as wholesome as it seems. This French-Italian restaurant in Silver Lake is decorated with gingham tablecloths and potted carnations, but also blasts Pearl Jam, scatters vintage Playboys around the dining room, and, once the sun sets, is as dark and dim as a dive bar. It feels like grandma’s house got taken over by a Nirvana tribute band, but the layer of grunge makes Josephine refreshingly unserious. Its bistro cooking, on the other hand, is quite serious, and will impress whatever date, friend, or Gen X rock fan you bring to this casual neighborhood spot.
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
For the most part, Josephine changes its line-up of dishes monthly. You might see fried sweetbreads in a pool of basil cream, seared tuna belly served over jammy Basque peppers, and pasta specials like duck-stuffed tortellini cooked with cherries and mustard seed. And then there’s Josephine’s heavy hitters, which never leave the menu: the lemony roasted chicken that’s a great centerpiece for a group dinner on the garden patio, and one of LA’s best steak frites, complete with triple-fried duck fat fries.
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Where Josephine sometimes struggles is consistency. We’ve had fries and beef tartare arrive oversalted, and the crust on a summery ricotta tart required some significant forearm strength to cut through. The $44 half chicken is delightful, except when it shows up with a juicy leg and a dryish breast. But the occasional misstep here and there isn’t enough to derail what is otherwise a reliably fun dinner. If you’re looking for a date spot that doesn’t feel like your typical candlelit setup, or just want some rich, butter-heavy cooking and a nice glass of red wine, Josephine delivers. That, plus a little rock-and-roll too.
Food RundownBeef Tartare
It’s as rich as raw beef tossed in beef fat aioli sounds, and also just plain delicious—a great start to a meal.
Fennel Salad
Exactly the kind of bright, crunchy bite you want as you eat your weight in steak and pasta. The pieces of orange bleed into the vinaigrette and you get a smooch of heat from pink peppercorns.
Mushroom Tagliatelle
Nice al dente pasta in a creamy mushroom ragu. It’s homey and a little simple, but sometimes simple works well.
Chicken Josephine
The kitchen doesn’t always cook these chickens evenly, so you could end up spending $76 (or $44 for a half portion) on a bird that’s overcooked in one part and approaching pink in another. Get a good one, though, and the whole table won’t shut up about it. The lemon and thyme rub comes shining through, and the schmaltzy drippings season the roast potatoes beneath.
Steak Frites
The best dish here. The hanger steak is cooked a reliable medium-rare (bordering on rare), the au poivre is extra tingly from Japanese green peppercorns, and you’ll be talking about the savory, triple-cooked duck fat fries tomorrow.
Chocolate Cremeux
A smooth, dense chocolate dessert that’s not overly sweet. If you’re a chocolate person, you obviously want this.
