Belle Petit Restaurant (Simonette)

Finding Simonette is like joining a secret society. If you miss the discreet entrance to the Pali Hotel, don’t worry—you’re not alone. I half expected to need a password and a special knock to get inside.

Once you do manage to infiltrate, though, the vibe is gorgeous. Plants in the back room, chic décor in the front—basically the kind of setting where you instantly wonder if your outfit is underdressed. The service? Flawless. Our server was so helpful and friendly, I briefly considered asking them to come manage my life.

Food highlights: the onion soup. Yes, the onion soup. It came in quietly, without flash or drama, then casually stole the whole show like a surprise celebrity cameo. Mussels, salmon, and the Parisian burger all held their own, but that soup is now my Roman Empire. Dessert was a strawberry cheesecake and crème brûlée duo that could easily ruin you for other sweets.

The one sour note? Parking. The valet sent us to what can only be described as the Parking Hunger Games—a permit-only street where nearly every car got ticketed. (Ours was a crisp $63 souvenir of the evening.) Honestly, it felt like the valet was running some kind of social experiment in mass disappointment.

Still, would I return? Absolutely. Next time, I’ll just Uber in, glide past the parking chaos, and head straight for that onion soup like the responsible adult I sometimes pretend to be.