Meet and Greet: The Cat & Fiddle's General Manager

Meet the woman who helps keep one of Hollywood's most popular restaurants, , running daily.

For the past 10 years Jacki Bellamy has served as general manager of the restaurant. She oversees a staff of 50 and helps the 30-year-old, family-owned business hold its place amid a cast of frequently-rotating restaurants in Hollywood. 

During Hollywood Patch's  last month, she shared some insight with Patch about what it's like to work at such a lively and iconic restaurant.

Patch: What do you think makes the Cat & Fiddle different from other restaurants?

Bellamy: There are many new hotspots in Hollywood, which is fantastic, but we’ve been in Hollywood for 30 years and sometimes people want to go back to the basics: good food in a comfortable environment with a menu that’s not busy with items like fois gras with buttermilk pancakes and a maple syrup reduction. Also, for a Hollywood bar, our drink prices our more than reasonable.

Patch: What’s happy hour like around here?

Bellamy: Happy hour used to be in the bar only, but we’ve opened it up to the entire restaurant because our patio is a big part of our identity. It’s $3.50 beer, wine or well drinks and an eclectic $5 happy hour menu like a spicy grilled shrimp with guacamole and the ever-popular mediterranean sliders, which are the owners’ creation.  

Patch: Share with us some restaurant happenings that may be new to our readers.

Bellamy:  is taking off. Also, we have been reworking the menu to incorporate local suppliers. We get fresh bread delivered every day. We’re using more organic ingredients. Herbs are grown on site. We’re incorporating farmers market and organic products, which isn’t easy with typical English fare like fish and chips and sausage rolls.

Patch: I hear this place is dog friendly. Do tell more.

Bellamy: We’re very dog friendly. We’ve created a special doggy menu with items like “Roll Over Rover” it’s a banger that’s a homemade pork sausage, but sorry no dogs after dark!

Patch: What would you recommend on the menu... for people? 

Bellamy: Our angus burgers because we grind the meat fresh on site. The baja fish tacos because we do the fish so well. At the bar, we just started carrying the Golden Road IPA in support local brewers — they’re in Glendale. We’re really trying to promote and support local vendors, like L.A.-based Groundworks Coffee that we brew.

At the bar, the most popular is Covent Garden Cocktail ($9) with kiwi vodka, muddled cucumber, fresh lime juice and soda, which is named after a shopping district in England. The Hendrix Martini ($11), Hendrick’s gin, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, white cranberry juice and basil grown on site. 

Patch: As I've been sitting her talking to you, I get that there's a sense of family among the people who work here. What do you like best about your job?

Bellamy: The social aspect. I’m a mom I don’t really get out like I used to back in the day. Working here, I enjoy the diversity of the clientele. That’s the reason why I think this place is great, even from night to night the crowd changes a bit, you have all sorts of people — tourists, Hollywood mainstays, young college kids, music executives, film people. I love the creative energy. Everyone here is trying to do something in Los Angeles.

I’ve always enjoyed the camaraderie with coworkers at the restaurant. We’ve become like a family. Working day in and day out with a staff that’s been here a while makes us feel like family. We are a family especially since some of our families are so far away.

The Cat & Fiddle Pub and Restaurant is located at 6530 W Sunset Blvd.