Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills New Restaurant, ESTEREL, Signals a Return to the Brand's French Roots

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Six years of cooking American comfort food at Simon LA taught Executive Chef Marius Blin how to satiate the diner's palette but didn't necessarily showcase his expertise or the venerable global brand's precise French food and beverage platform.  Now at ESTEREL, named after a coastal region of southeast France where the mountains overlook the sea, Chef Blin reaches back to classic French cuisine's delivery of layered flavors for the new offering at Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills.  In a city where the next hot restaurant and red carpet celebrity chefs vie for the limelight, Sofitel and Chef Blin strive to be comfortable "in their skin" offering a true taste of the South of France that mirrors Southern California's geography and culture.

The newly focused direction is inventive, innovative and ingeniously woven throughout the hotel's operation in complete menus for breakfast, lunch, dinner, room service and catering.  Fish and seafood dominate ESTEREL's contemporary French style in a configuration of delicious soups, salads, flatbreads, entrees, and desserts.  Recurring flavors indicative of the region of inspiration are fennel, saffron, basil, sage, thyme, and a vast matrix of herbs de Provence.  Many selections are gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian.  Artfully prepared and presented, it is naturally health conscious due to its Mediterranean roots. 

The De-Light "30-Minute Lunch" is one of the highlights that should appeal to nutritional purists, gastronomes and harried executives alike.  The four-course prix fixe is $24 and includes daily fresh market selections—all for fewer than 500 calories.  The a la carte section of the menu starts with flatbreads and continues with soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, fish and pasta.

At dinner, many classics appear on the pages like Nicoise salad ($18 dinner), Escargot ($16), Chicken Roulade ($28) and Baked Alaska.  Then there are the twists and turns from beginning to end, such as Kale Caesar Salad with Bay Farm organic Tuscan kale, multi-grain croutons, in grain mustard seaweed dressing to Pumpkin Silken Cheesecake (only 167 calories) made with tofu.  The De-Light sidebar here is also reflected for evening in an array of well-balanced, low-calorie options that are delicious and aid the diner in meeting health and weight goals; Steamed Sole in Papillotte ($32) with zucchini, tomato, fennel, mushroom, lemon and thyme is only 221 calories. (www.esterelrestaurant.com)

Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills (www.sofitellosangeles.com) offers the ultimate fusion of Hollywood hip and French luxe. Located at the intersection of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills feels like an urban resort and has become the preferred hotel for the world's most discerning travelers and high profile guests.  For reservations, please contact ESTEREL restaurant at 310.278.5444.  Please contact Valentine Group LA Public Relations, [email protected] or 323.330.0578 for more info.

SOURCE Sofitel Los Angeles