PINOT BISTRO

With its rich wood paneling, burnished walls and checkered floor, Pinot Bistro located near Universal City, truly imparts the air of la belle France, luring diners in search of a memorable meal in a hip, sophisticated setting. Joachim Splichal works with executive chef and partner Octavio Becerra to develop menus delivering a signature twist on classic bistro fare; like braised lamb shank accented with horseradish, Swiss chard and a sharp watercress sauce, and seasonal daily Plats du Jour. Declared "Best Restaurant in the Valley" by the Los Angeles Times, Pinot Bistro took over the space formerly occupied by the venerable entertainment industry haunt La Serre in 1992, eliminating the need for diners to migrate "over the hill" to L.A.'s westside restaurants.

In addition to its accolades from The Los Angeles Times, Pinot Bistro was voted "Best new restaurant" in Esquire, and "Best Restaurant in the Valley" by the Los Angeles Magazine. It is among the Top Ten "most popular" Los Angles restaurants and is the "Top French Bistro" in Los Angles according to the Zagat Survey, for the last two years. Recently Pinot Bistro was named one of the most popular restaurants in Los Angeles by Gourmet magazine's readership survey.

Executive Chef/Partner OCTAVIO BECERRA was planning a career as a commercial photographer when he happened to observe guest chef Joachim Splichal prepare two special menus for the restaurant he was working at the time. He was hooked. Now twelve years later, he has been nominated for "Rising Chef Star Of The Year" by the James Beard Foundation for his culinary talents at Pinot Bistro, and was made partner, on his 30th birthday, in Pinot Bistro by his mentor Joachim Splichal. Before that, Becerra apprenticed with Splichal at Max Au Triangle in Beverly Hills in 1983. He worked hard and quickly rose to the position of sous chef. After Max Au Triangle, Splichal arranged for Becerra to work in Europe at two & three star Michelin restaurants, most notably Arzak in San Sebastin, and at the one star Leonce in Florensac in the South of France. There he immersed himself in all aspects of the cuisine, including the seasonal growing and daily choosing of ingredients. "It's not just learning a new language," Becerra says, "but learning to write poetry in that language."

Upon his return to the United States Becerra began traveling all over the country with Splichal, helping to implement the management and food preparation training programs Splichal designed for various hotel and restaurant projects. The work took them on a learning experience through Augusta, GA, Chicago, IL, Aspen, CO, and the Florida Keys, where their challenge was to develop customized food concepts for each individual environment.

In 1991, two years after Patina Restaurant opened, Becerra became Chef de Cuisine. During this time he began planning with Splichal the creation of Pinot Bistro. Becerra also contributed to the launch of Cafe Pinot in 1995.

Pinot Bistro
12969 Ventura Boulevard
Studio City, CA 91604
818-990-0500
Reservations: 818-990-0500
Lunch Monday through Friday
Dinner seven nights a week
For private parties, contact Special Events Manager at 213-960-1762