VENICE’S CASUAL COOL COUCOU JUST OPENED A SECOND LOCATION IN WEST HOLLYWOOD
Coucou, Venice’s California French bistro, opened a second location in West Hollywood on Monday, March 25. Located at the south end of the Norma Triangle — one of LA’s most fascinating neighborhoods where West Hollywood meets Beverly Hills to the west and the Sunset Strip cradles the north — the restaurant is steps away from the 66-year-old Troubadour concert venue.
Owners Jesse and Hayley Feldman opened the first Coucou in Venice in 2023 and always thought that West Hollywood would be an ideal location for Coucou part deux. “Originally, we thought we should be on Melrose, near Olivetta’s, or get as close as we could to Great White, which seems to be thriving and having success with similar [customers],” says Hayley. “And then this little space came up.” Their search led them to a recently renovated space that could easily be redesigned, required few updates, and was brought up to code.
The Feldmans reimagined the prime location to seat 75 in the main room and another 75 on the patio. The restaurant features mahogany wood throughout, a marble-topped bar, custom banquettes in the dining room, and retractable glass windows.
With Bouchon alum chef Jacob Wetherington in the kitchen, the new Coucou added more traditional French dishes to its menu — a common request heard at the original Venice spot. New to the menu is a flatbread topped with bacon and escargot served with aioli and green garlic, buttery crispy potatoes with parsley and garlic, bone marrow served over frisee, and steak tartare. The new location will also serve weekend brunch with a classic French omelet, mussels mariniere, Nicoise salad, and more on the menu.
Coucou’s desserts will include the restaurant’s beloved soft serve sundae, along with new offerings like a chocolate mousse with chantilly cream, olive oil, and Maldon salt. To drink is an extensive California and French wine list and cocktails that include a fresh take on a martini, white negroni, tiki cocktails, and aperitifs.
The new Coucou will keep later hours, which will likely capture Troubadour crowds looking for a post-show meal and offer bar hoppers an escape from the crowds on Santa Monica Boulevard. Though this section of Santa Monica Boulevard hasn’t historically been a restaurant hotbed, except for Dan Tana’s, the area has seen some notable openings recently with Uchi located less than a mile away and the forthcoming Somni reopening across the street later this year.
Coucou is located at 9045 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA, 90069, and is open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. from Monday to Friday, and until midnight on weekends. Reservations are available on Resy.