When it comes to dining, Los Angeles offers a vast cultural melting pot that celebrates techniques from around the globe while using local, year-round California produce. For the best restaurants to book in December, here are three new spots; from a rustic Japanese Tavern in Venice to a Southeast Asian ‘flavour house’ in historic Filipinotown, and an upscale private club in Beverly Hills for season greetings.
Discover the best new restaurants in Los Angeles
December LA restaurant openings
Gravitas
While Camden Drive is a buzz with plenty of new dining options this past year, and more to come, Brandon Steven and Seth Glassman have opened a multi-level members-only club called Gravitas and have brought along New York chef Preston Madson who worked with the 1 Hotel Group, among others.
The Mood: Las Vegas glitz and Miami energy
You might think that private members' clubs in Beverly Hills are rife, but this is not the case, with only one other club that is more of a co-working space, Gravitas brings a different level of amenities and service to the area with interiors and architecture by Kelly Architects. The 28,000-square-foot venue features temperature-controlled, digital wine vaults for members to store private bottles. The main ground floor is spread out with two bars, one centred around an open-air garden dining room with green velvet banquettes, heated Terrazzo floors, high-tech heat lamps at the tables, and a weather-proof retractable roof.
A grand central staircase leads upstairs to The Loft, with a recording studio and private rooms, a wide screen area and a stage for live entertainment. For Gravitas Elite Members, private G.E.M Booths are equipped with separate Bluetooth capabilities and the ability to call a server at the touch of a button. As a premium members perk, Gravitas will offer 'G-Car' chauffeur services.
The Food: supper club fare with a lighter, fresh touch
Top orders include baked crab roll, little gem lettuce Caesar salad, bucatini cacio e pepe, and the show-stopping chicken parmesan which comes in a round shape served on a cutting board, and at first glance looks like a pizza with crispy edges, red sauce, melty mozzarella, and topped with arugula. Steaks and chops are also available, along with Japanese A5 Wagyu, caviar service, and Ora king salmon pan roasted in a Meyer lemon beurre blanc, topped with fish roe. The deconstructed cheesecake looks like a modern art sculpture with three layers of round ball formations but is light and fluffy. There are plenty of zero-proof cocktail creations, but for those who do imbibe, order the signature G martini with Ford’s gin, Pear vodka, dill vermouth, caper brine, and celery bitters.
Gravitas is located at 435 N Camden Dr, Beverly Hills; gravitasclub.com
Rasarumah
The golden touch of the Last Word Hospitality team behind Found Oyster and Barra Santos has joined forces with celebrated chef Johnny Lee for the latest cool and buzzy spot in the Historic Filipinotown area. Rasarumah means ‘flavour house’ in Malay, and the menu is packed with Malaysian and Southeast Asian favourites.
The Mood: a cool warehouse-style café where to take a date
Designed by Last Word Hospitality and Wick Architecture, the former 1920s-era ground floor brasserie factory on Beverly Blvd. draws inspiration from Penang’s bustling cafes and architecture, complete with linoleum checkered floors, wood furnishings, decorative ironwork, along with some of the original exposed brick wall structure and wooden rafters. The dining room leads the way to a long stainless-steel bar and maple tables next to butter yellow and muted orange banquettes and booths against Roman clay walls, illuminated by antique brass sconces. Chef Lee is a lifelong photography enthusiast, and the walls are also dotted with his prints of recent travels throughout Asia.
The Food: Indonesian, Singaporean, and Malaysian standouts
The culturally rich, diverse menu covers fun, finger food for small bites, such as satay skewers of pork jowl or chicken, along with peanut dipping sauce. Sip ice-cold Carlsberg Danish pilsner beers at the bar, along with shots of shochu or bottles of sake. Whatever you do, start with the shrimp chips and a trio of house-made Indonesian sambals from spicy green chilis, to dried shrimp, and bright red pepper flavour profiles. The crispy coated Malaysian fried chicken with sweet chilli should be paired with nasi lemak (a rich, coconut rice that is considered Malaysia’s national dish.) Other popular picks include a savory fruit salad called rojak; or char kway teo with fried rice noodles, Chinese sausage, and head-on shrimp. Lovers of Singaporean-style thick yellow noodles should order the hokkien mee with pork, seared squid, and lardon. Large-format dishes include banana leaf steamed black cod and wagyu beef cheek rendang. Cool your palate after the meal with the coconut non-dairy ice-cream sundae.
Rasarumah is located at 3107 Beverly Blvd; rasarumah.com
RVR
The former MTN space in Venice (which closed in 2020) has morphed into RVR by former Gjelina group co-owner and chef Travis Lett, who is back for his first solo venture since leaving the group. And, with a line around the block by the 5 pm opening time, it seems the locals are happy he is behind the stove again.
The Mood: cosy neighbourhood Japanese tavern
Designed by Matt Winter of M. Winter Design, the rustic space evokes an old Japanese wood barn with a mid-century modern twist. All the wood-work was handmade and positioned as art from the solid mahogany shelves behind the bar to the DJ wall, or the Pennsylvania bluestone on the floor, the pub bench style seating for the booths, or the banquette dimly lit with overhead statement lighting pieces. The latter were custom-made in the 1950s by an unknown mid-century architect for a post-ranch home. Winter reclaimed, restored, and reglazed them with hand-laid stained glass and tortoise shells. Japanese cheesecloth drapes cover the atrium which evokes a fisherman’s net to block the sunlight. A large wood center table is great for groups but the real coveted seats seem to be around the bar, which has a bird’s eye view into the kitchen action.
The Food: elevated Izakaya comfort fare
Chef Lett is back in the very last spot where he helmed the kitchen at MTN. While there is sushi on the menu, this is not a high-end omakase experience, but simple foods of Japan such as noodles and grilled dishes. Soothing pork and chicken broth ramen with thin noodles and melt-in-your-mouth pork belly is a comfort food dish that will ward off any marine fog chills this winter. One bowl is filling enough but they do come in two sizes, so order a small portion if you plan to dip into the gyoza, chicken thigh karaage, sushi hand rolls or duck meatballs. The vegetable offerings are also hefty with roasted radishes and greens paired with sweet and sour ume plum, Fuyu persimmon and purple daikon, or Japanese sweet potato with miso butter. The bar menu offers stand-out highballs with Toki whisky or iischiko shochu.
RVR is located at 1305 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice; rvr.la
November LA restaurant openings
Chez Mia
The coveted old Ago space on a busy corner of Melrose Avenue has been completely transformed by Marissa and Matt Hermer of Boujis Group (Olivetta and The Draycott), in creative partnership with entrepreneur Kurt Seidensticker, into an expansive indoor-outdoor Provençal-inspired restaurant.
The Mood: South of France by way of West Hollywood
Once again, the owners enlisted Tom Parker, director and co-founder of UK and LA-based architecture and interior design firm Fettle, to bring the vision to life of cherished travel memories throughout Southern France and Coastal Europe. The transportive scene is filled with 500 varying shapes and sizes of potted plants on the lush garden patio dotted with lemon trees and vintage Sicilian heads from LA-based sculptor Stephanie Morton-Millstein. Even the wrought-iron chairs have overlapping cushions that resemble petals, which flank banquettes sheltered by pergolas, all surrounding a central main bar. The smaller interior space holds an open kitchen with chef counter seating.
The Food: provençal seafood feast
Caviar plays a starring role on the menu here, courtesy of Petrossian, with gougères, deviled eggs, or Royal Beluga service with blinis. Culinary director Ivo Filho takes his cues from coastal cuisine along the Côte d’Azur, such as scallop crudo, plateau de fruits de Mer of oysters, shrimp, and snow crab claws; lobster bisque bucatini and classic Dover sole meunière. Wood-fired offerings include a whole branzino and grilled lamb chops with Provencal sauce.
No matter how much of the bounty you order, do not skip the warm Fougasse bread, the French cousin of Italian focaccia, fermented for 48 hours, then served as a crispy oval mound with salted Normandy butter, and end with a creamy Valrhona chocolate mousse sprinkled with a slight crunch of almond praline. The wine list spans the Mediterranean coastline to California’s American Riviera, or opt for a French cocktail such as Monet’s Lavender made with gin, clover honey, and butterfly pea flower.
Chez Mia is located at 8478 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood; chezmia.com
Orla
Located in the glamorous Regent Santa Monica Beach hotel, designed by AvroKO’s San Francisco studio and Wimberly Interiors, Orla by chef Michael Mina is one of the most highly-anticipated hospitality projects to finally come to fruition as part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ luxury and lifestyle portfolio.
The Mood: if a sleek yacht was a hotel restaurant
Past the central lobby at Orla Bar, the open-air views of the sandy shore from the main dining area compete with the handmade Pompeii mosaic crafted by 16 Sicis Master Mosaicists – nautical nods found throughout the restaurant design. The concept was inspired by a Mediterranean voyage on the Aegean Sea, which starts with yacht deck flooring and a ‘king plank’ centre spine down the middle of the dining room. A compass design appears on the carpet in the lower dining area with a large-scale starburst. A niche above the dining room banquettes holds a large driftwood sculpture installation, with brass detailing by local California artist Joe Ferriso, who collected the large-scale pieces of driftwood off the California coast and bleached them.
The Food: a fun night on a cruise with food you want to eat
If you love a tableside cart, Orla is your spot. From custom-designed fish and dessert carts to a gin cart, the action never stops. While the Royal Caviar Fateer service here includes Daurenki, Baika, and Special Reserve Ossetra, other interesting starters include macaroni béchamel with mushroom duxelles, and black truffle, or King crab fregola with heirloom carrots. The showstopper is an abundant kebab platter for two loaded with filet mignon, lamb kofta, chicken dolmas, halloumi, tangerine labneh, smoked eggplant dip, saffron basmati rice and pita. For a special event, book the Odyssey private dining room with muraled wallpaper with ship and ocean scenes by Fine and Dandy wallcoverings, plus a custom chandelier resembling octopus tentacles.
Orla is located at 1700 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica; orlasantamonica.com
Puzzle
The owners of romantic West Hollywood Amour, 111 Hospitality, have opened Puzzle on Sunset Blvd., an action-packed intimate room that syncs all the senses. While you are just a few feet away from some of The Strip’s most iconic music clubs – The Roxy and Whisky – this is a seductive venue to cosy up for a romantic dinner date this holiday season with live entertainment.
The Mood: speakeasy in Paris
You might be tempted to draw the curtains on one of the five intimate alcove booths amid the 15 tables and bar, but then, you would miss the international DJs or eclectic singers that roam the main floor. Co-owner and designer Serge Bueno’s vision was for a stunning speakeasy reminiscent of Parisian clubs with a distinctive European feel. Rather than using the red or black velvet upholstery of traditional nightclubs, he opted for a chicer look with a deep green motif. Inspired by Venetian architecture, with gilding and bronze ornaments – made from moulds salvaged from castles, all the elements meld together to form the perfect puzzle.
The Food: French-influenced with a side of caviar
Start the evening with a caviar bump on a mother-of-pearl spoon, accompanied by a chilled shot of vodka to set the tone. You can carry on with Chef Kevin Dray’s gallic cuisine – who hails from Avignon in the South of France, including a frothy mussel soup with fennel cream and saffron or a wild langouste flambé with Hennessy Cognac in a rich mushroom bisque. If you are feeling extra decadent, there is plenty more caviar on the menu in the form of linguini pasta or a baked potato pilled high with Ossetra Royal. Dessert includes a flambée crêpe, and a cold brew coffee cocktail with Baily’s, Belvedere, Frangelico Mozart Chocolate Liqueur, and chocolate shavings. Still, you can always stick around for bottle service as well.
Puzzle is located at 8947 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood; puzzle.love
October LA restaurant openings
Muse
On the border of Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades, Muse is the brainchild of 24-year-old prodigy chef-owner Fardad Khayami, who is reimagining traditional French cuisine. At first glance, it might feel like you have stumbled upon a hidden art gallery in Paris, but this jewel-box spot tucked away on Channel Road near the Pacific Ocean is a special mix of design and gastronomy.
The Mood: hidden jewel
With just 35 seats, including romantic nooks with banquette seating, Muse is an intimate fine dining experience designed by Marc Ange Design Studio. With offices in both Los Angeles and Paris, the studio blends French surrealism, Italian romance and a touch of California cool in the space. This includes rich wood panelling and gold, earthy tones, along with sculptural lighting in the form of a Fantino Chandelier and wall sconces with curved glass panels to highlight the rotating display of museum-quality artwork from Catalan-Spanish painter Joan Miró.
To add to the mysterious allure of the restaurant, a private dining room will debut in November offering an exclusive tasting experience. For something a little less formal, you can tuck into one of the four seats at the bar, where the full menu is also served.
The Food: Michelin stars in Paris
Chef Khayami started his culinary rise during the pandemic while a student at USC when he launched a campus pop-up called Museum with his former roommate who is now the Muse bar director, David Gelland. Muse’s menu is overseen by executive chef Jason Gonzales (last seen at French spot Juliet in Culver City) and is divided into three and four-course meals. Do not skip over the perfectly flaky croissant-shaped brioche puff pastry before savoury snacks of veal bonbons or the lobster pomme souffle topped with caviar.
The sliced lobster with saffron in a moat of risotto and the eggplant cappelletti with Gruyère are both solid second-course comfort options. For a main dish, a Provencal style rack of lamb with pea puree or whole crispy skin branzino in beurre blanc, and tarragon pistou hits on another level and should be shared with a side of thick pommes puree with rosemary. At the end of the meal, a pastry tray is presented with the house favourite vanilla St Honoré and the creamy tiramisu is scooped out of a terrine tableside which is a fitting indulgent end to the meal.
Muse is located at 108 W. Channel Road, Santa Monica; musesantamonica.com
Rokusho and Udatsu Sushi
Boulevard Hospitality Group (BHG) and Three Star Lane (3SL) have brought two Tokyo institutions to bustling Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. Both Rokusho and Udatsu Sushi concepts hail from the original sister restaurants in Tokyo which are located side by side. In this case, the dual dining spots are situated in the same building on two different floors. Both restaurants are overseen by Chef Hisashi Udatsu (of Tokyo’s Michelin-starred Udatsu Sushi) and Naotaka Ohashi (of Michelin-starred Tirpse.)
The Mood: brutalist Japan
Located within a historic former Hollywood recording studio, Rokusho on the ground floor was reimagined by award-winning studio gry space with industrial, Brutalist architecture and 34 seats including a centre bar which is a perfect perch for ordering cocktails and sake with sushi bites. Udatsu Sushi is tucked away upstairs behind an antique wooden Kura door that dates to the Meji era imported from Japan, where an 8-seat concrete counter awaits, also designed by studio gry space with an industrial Brutalist theme. The Yakisugi barstools are crafted by Deceres Studio using the Japanese woodworking method of charring cedar wood. Botanical sculptures by Alejandro Bataille add to the raw simplicity of the space.
The Food: Japanese soul
Rokosho features Japanese comfort food with a layered sushi cake along with signature items from the Tokyo location such as wagyu aburi, kushikatsu (fried skewers with meat or veg), the nori snack, and a katsu sando. These fun finger foods are complemented by tonkatsu (pork cutlet) and sushi, led by Executive Chef Carlos Couts - formerly of Michelin-starred Sushi by Scratch. The beverage program spans whiskeys, Japanese gins, natural wines, sake cocktails and agave mixology from a mezcal espresso martini to Clase Azul tequila highballs.
Udatsu Sushi is serving an authentic 17-course omakase menu with a meticulous flavour progression, led by Executive Chef Shingo Ogane, Chef Hisashi Udatsu’s trusted protégé. The restaurant showcases premium ingredients from fishermen and farmers in Japan and Southern California. The rotating menu also features seafood from Tokyo’s renowned Toyosu Fish Market, and the rice temperature is also customized to complement the chosen fish’s flavours. A vegetarian omakase menu is also available. As a sake connoisseur, Chef Udatsu, alongside Naotaka Ohashi, will present an evolving selection of natural wines paired with seasonal brews from Japan’s lesser-known sake houses.
Rokusho is located at 6630 Sunset Blvd, Hollywood; rokushola.com
Udatsu Sushi is located at 6634 Sunset Blvd. Floor 2, Hollywood; udatsusushila.com
