Innovative Dining Group partners Lee Maen, Philip Cummins and Craig Katz are on track to open Delphine, a French brasserie at the W Hollywood Hotel & Residences by late January. IDG has found success with concepts like Sushi Roku and BOA, but this is their first French foray.

Maen discussed IDG’s vision for the Delphine. “The idea of the restaurant is a brasserie that has been around for a long time in the south of France,” he says. “Delphine is a mythological woman’s name who was potentially a frequent guest of the restaurant, a glamorous woman from the south of France.”

IDG’s partners have been targeting Hollywood for years and finally felt the timing was right. Maen said they were also motivated by the opportunity to be in a location that captured the energy of the street and of the W’s guests.

When asked what distinguishes Delphine from other brasseries in Los Angeles, Maen said, “I’d start with the design. A lot of brasseries are kind of that typical Parisian style with red booths, dark wood, and a pewter bar top, similar to Balthazar in New York…We’re totally a different palette and style. It’s a Mediterranean coastal look, landscaped with trees inside. The weather in the south of France is very similar to the weather in California, so the styles match.”

Mark Zeff of Zeff Design worked to translate the Côte d’ Azur to the heart of Hollywood. Design elements include barrel wood ceilings, a Carrera marble bar and a blue and white palette accented with black and grey accents. You’ll also find the Living Room, an indoor bar and lounge with a 45-foot ceiling. The 6000-square-foot space even houses Station, an outdoor bar and lounge with a 35-foot movie screen, named for the corner’s Metro stop.

Chef Sascha Lyon worked with Daniel Boulud for the opening of Restaurant Daniel and later worked at two notable Manhattan brasseries: Balthazar and Pastis. His menu will change seasonally and won’t be limited to French cooking. Maen said people will find many dishes they’ve come to expect at a brasserie, but Delphine will also have Mediterranean influences from Spain and southern Italy, and plenty of seafood. A couple dishes that you won’t find on typical brasserie menus are Arctic char with braised cabbage, duck confit and bacon; and a Spanish inspired “Escalavida” pizza with peppers, eggplant and garlic.

Construction’s about 95% done, but with the timing of the holidays, IDG decided to push back the opening until the end of January. Maen is currently thinking January 28. Delphine will be open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. They’ll also be open late night to pull people leaving the bars and clubs.