Take a look, or two, because there’s a lot to see at the Double Take restaurant.
Situated at the bottom of Hotel Palomar, one of Westwood’s boutique hotels, the newly established American eatery is a great place to network with business executives while waiting for the 405 traffic to die down or to grab dinner with a special someone for a swanky evening dinner. The dishes are also on par with its high class, behind-the-scenes movie atmosphere.
The restaurant is filled with monochromatic film posters and backdrops against black-crated walls and steel grid light fixtures that cast dramatic spotlights on the lounge.
In the lounge area, pillows with prints of old school film reel countdowns sit upon chic white leather furniture sets. Potted succulents also decorate wooden communal tables, adding a dash of greenery to the sleek, modern aesthetic.
Patrons can recline in the communal lounge area and watch Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 classic, Vertigo, on the large flat screen TV or play a round of retro games such as Skee-Ball, darts or pool.
The open layout of the floor plan further contributes to the restaurant’s modern aesthetic – edges of the bar and lounge seamlessly transition into a seated dining area under purple fluorescent lights.
The menu serves both breakfast and dinner items, combining modern California dishes like avocado toast with French cooking techniques.
The dinner menu is divided into three separate categories: small, salads and plates. Customers can share appetizers such as the Haas avocado “fries” and dip them in a tangy spiced-lime aioli or nibble on some roasted mushrooms with preserved lemon and fresh thyme.
The smell of the $14 Haas avocado “fries” arrives at the table before the plate. The menu item offers two extremes, both crunchy and soft, in each fry. Upon taking a bite, the satisfying tempura crunch on the exterior contrasted well with the warm, mushy avocado in the interior.
However, the spiced-lime aioli sauce overshadows the fries, giving them a strong kick of spicy flavor.
Healthy, leafy options include Tuscan black kale with pink lady apples, shaved celery, pickled grapes and candied walnuts, or roasted beets with shaved fennel, wild arugula, toasted pistachios and goat cheese drenched in citrus vinaigrette.
The bar book also features $15 cocktails that pair spirits like Bombay sapphire gin with fresh produce like mandarin and lemon juice. Local craft $7 beers are an alternative option for more adventurous customers.
The luxurious main course meals offer classic protein choices and cooked vegetables such as the $33 short rib “pot roast” with French round carrots, pearl onions and parsnips, or the $26 herb-roasted half chicken served with forest mushrooms, black kale and new crop potatoes.
The lavish prices of the main course meals reflect the meals’ massive portions. One serving of the herb-roasted half chicken may be enough for two people. Its tender, golden bronze flesh was marinated heavily and enhanced by a sea of sweet and sour chicken jus. The white, lean meat was juicy and easily chewed.
The dish also featured cooked vegetables and potatoes. The black kale paired well with the briny forest mushrooms, which sat on the edges of the plate. The soft cropped potatoes along with the garnished leafy vegetables also added exciting layers to the high quality meal, making it well worth the price.
Double Take in the ritzy side of Westwood offers a tasty, extravagant meal for high prices, but its nostalgic Hollywood theme makes it worth the visit.