An early pioneer of Robertson's restaurant row, Michel Richard is reborn after 33 years as Maison Richard, now off Melrose. If Richard's L.A. flagship seemed stagnant following three decades, the new space compensates by doing a 360 and going open, bright, beautiful, and breezy. Fresh flowers and odd cacti dot the tables and walls of a large outdoor patio, where all the seating is located under slatted roofs among a scatter of rustic furniture and splashes of worn southwestern color. It feels anti-stuffy, especially under the enchanting murmurs of a Koi fountain, with a relaxed SoCal vibe rarely seen in a fine French restaurant. Inside is a cafe-counter space of sterilized whites, tile floors, and deli cases gleaming with in-house baked breakfast goods and the famous dessert pastries. While a few things are being added, nothing has been scrapped from the original menu, though the space has been transformed to feel relevant again, even desirable and cool after all these years. Take a look for yourself in our slide show of Maison Richard and stay tuned for a new website soon.

By Hadley Tomicki, GRUB STREET

A Look Into Maison Richard, Reborn on Melrose