French brasserie cooking, taken seriously, on Ventura Boulevard.

Petit Trois began in 2014 as a 21-seat counter in a Hollywood strip mall. The Sherman Oaks location, opened in 2018, is the fuller version: a brasserie with a marble bar, banquettes, a chef’s counter over the open kitchen and a second dining room.

Chef Ludo Lefebvre, who comes from Burgundy, keeps the cooking classic. In the restaurant’s own words, he turns simple classics into something opulent without being overstated. The Valley location adds weekend brunch and full table service to the original’s counter format.

The better French dinner is not always on the other side of the hill.

It is a reminder that the Valley has serious restaurants of its own, and that the obvious reservation is not always the right one.