Admit it: even though you can't afford it, you've always been curious about Mélisse. As temples of fine dining disappear and casual small plates take over the world, Josiah Citrin's modern French restaurant perseveres. Its hushed room is still as glamorous as ever, its style of service still as formal. And the food ain't bad either.

But at $125 for the entry-level 5-course tasting menu (things can get a lot more expensive with supplemental items, caviar, or a far more costly “carte blanche” 15-or-so-course menu), Mélisse is not in many diners' price range. Well, here's your chance to get in the door for far less.

On July 16-19 and July 23-26, Mélisse will offer its 5-course menu for $75 per person. You need to mention “Dine Mélisse” when making your reservation. The deal coincides with dineLA, Los Angeles' restaurant week, but Mélisse couldn't figure out a way to fit into dineLA's 3-tier pricing structure ($25, $35 or $45). Still Citrin wanted to offer something to help celebrate restaurant week and allow new diners to experience his restaurant. So he's offering this deal.

Of course, $150 for two people is nothing to sneeze at. But honestly, we've spent that amount plenty of times at casual small plates restaurants recently.

Call Mélisse at 310-395-0881 for reservations.

See also:

– 5 Essential Special Occasion Restaurants in Los Angeles

– Forbes Travel Guide Releases 2013 Ratings: Mélisse Receives 5 Stars

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