It is fitting for Los Angeles that a creative and inventive restaurant featuring modern Californian cuisine with a definite French influence is immediately adjacent to a freeway on-ramp. But located in West LA above a wine warehouse on a largely unglamorous commercial block that provides access to the 405 Freeway (there’s a gentleman’s club across the street) is Upstairs 2, a restaurant specializing in small plates.
Don’t let the location deceive you.
Upstairs 2 blazes a culinary trail with creative and delectable small plates that make the restaurant perfect for family-style sharing and social gatherings. More than just great food, Upstairs 2 is unique in its unconventional menu organization. Instead of a menu where dishes are traditionally grouped by food categories (for example, appetizers, main courses, salads, side dishes, etc.), Upstairs 2 organizes its savory menu by wine pairings.
Patrons of Upstairs 2 choose between items depending upon their pairing with red or white wines and their sub-categories (roses, aromatic reds, European reds, American reds, sparkling whites, full-bodied whites, etc.). Patrons can decide which wine they desire and then pick their food accordingly. But even non-drinkers will enjoy Upstairs 2 just for the good food.
The menu changes daily but some constant staples include a tarte flambee (an Alsacian French flatbread that is the perfect bite of tangy, sweet, salty, and crunchy), house-made gougeres (perfectly paired with Stilton cheese and pear puree), and a French steakhouse burger with Morbier cheese and caramelized onions.
For true food connoisseurs and wine aficionados, Upstairs 2 is a must visit.
