In Los Angeles, a number of significant event and meeting venues opened this year. Here's our picks for the best restaurants, party rooms, hotels, corporate event venues, conference centers, private rooms, and cultural spaces that debuted in 2018. These new and renovated Los Angeles venues serve groups of all sizes for private and corporate events, business dinners, cocktail parties, conferences, weddings, and more.
La Peer Hotel opened in West Hollywood’s design district in January. The 105-room Kimpton property features a design by Gulla Jónsdóttir, with earth tones, natural materials, custom furniture, and hand-selected paintings and photography. The hotel has more than 8,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor dining and lounge spaces, including Viale dei Romani, a trattoria by chef Casey Lane that can accommodate 25 guests for private dining. There is also a 16-seat boardroom; a 3,900-square-foot rooftop terrace that holds 200; and the Drawing Room, a 1,000-square-foot space that seats 80 or holds 125 when combined with its outdoor terrace.
Sydell Group's long-anticipated NoMad Los Angeles opened in January. Located in the historic Giannini Place building downtown, the 241-room hotel was designed by Jacques Garcia and features the first West Coast restaurant from chef Daniel Humm and restaurateur Will Guidara (the team behind the NoMad New York City and the restaurant Eleven Madison Park). The property offers 10,000 square feet of event space, including a 5,178-square-foot rooftop that holds 450, a 2,375-square-foot mezzanine restaurant that seats 100 or holds 275 for receptions, and a suite that holds 30. There are also two private dining rooms, a coffee bar, and more.
Located in Downtown L.A.’s Fashion District, City Market Social House is a new contemporary warehouse event space that spans 12,000 square feet. In addition to in-house audiovisual capabilities and event production services, the venue has a kitchen with customized catering options. The space can hold 350 people for weddings, 500 for banquets, 800 for concerts or fashion shows, or 1,000 for receptions. There's also 3,500 square feet of outdoor courtyard space and a green room. The venue officially opened in April.
Meeting- and workspace-provider Convene opened its first two Los Angeles locations downtown in April. Convene at the Wells Fargo Center (pictured) spans 40,000 square feet and has five meeting rooms, the largest of which holds 250. Smaller rooms include a 16-seat boardroom and an art-driven space that holds as many as 100. The other new venue, Convene at 777 Tower on Figueroa Street, offers 12,000 square feet of event space, with six meeting rooms and a variety of common areas. The largest space holds 142 theater-style, while a smaller game room holds 16. Both locations offer high-speed Wi-Fi, event planning and catering services, and unlimited on-site drinks and snacks.
Restaurateur David Chang expanded his Momofuku empire to the West Coast with the January opening of MajordĹŤmo. Located in a 5,000-square-foot warehouse space on the outskirts of Chinatown, the restaurant was designed by Momofuku in collaboration with DesignAgency and features eye-catching artwork from artists James Jean, Adam Field, and David Choe. Warm walnut tables, a semi-open kitchen, and a ceiling of angled corrugated steel add to the industrial-yet-elegant vibe. A private dining room seats 40 or holds 60 for receptions, while a patio seats 80 or holds 130 for receptions. The entire venue can seat 190 or hold 300 for receptions. The California-focused cuisine comes from executive chef Jude Parra-Sickels.
James Beard Award-winning chef Jessica Largey’s highly anticipated Simone opened in September in the Arts District. The restaurant serves produce-driven, California-inspired fare, and is a partnership between Largey, managing partner Bruno Bagbeni, and film director Joe Russo. Housed in a building constructed in 1921, the stylish space has an “industrial-deco” design by Deirdre Doherty, with concrete floors, bronze and glass elements, and Art Deco touches. For events, there’s the 25-seat bar dubbed Duello, plus a six-seat chef’s table and a 75-seat dining room filled with handmade brass chandeliers. Two private dining rooms seat 12 and 24 guests, respectively.
A popular new spot for corporate entertaining, Two Bit Circus opened in a 38,000-square-foot warehouse in the Arts District in September. The brainchild of Brent Bushnell and Eric Gradman, the venue holds as many 800 for buyouts and is part amusement park, part virtual-reality arcade, part event space. In addition to a 100-person event room, a second-story lounge area can be rented for events that has couches, TVs, and old-fashioned board games. The real draw for groups, though, is the 100-seat Club 01, a tech-infused gameshow-inspired space that can host trivia games and wine tastings. Food is served from a large shipping container, and a robot bartender is on hand to serve drinks.Â
Imperial Western Beer Company opened in September inside Union Station downtown. The brewery and restaurant holds 307 in an Art Deco-style main room; 48 on a patio that has its own bar; and 77 in the Streamliner, a craft cocktail bar helmed by Eric Alperin. The venue offers games, pool tables, and shuffleboard, and brewery tours and tastings can be incorporated into events. A menu focused on shared plates and family-style options is curated by David Lentz.
The owners of New York-based Greek eatery Avra Estiatorio opened their first West Coast location in April. Avra Beverly Hills offers traditional Mediterranean cuisine with an emphasis on fresh seafood, which is flown in daily from Europe; guests choose their own fish from a market-style seafood display. The airy 11,000-square-foot space has 240 seats and was designed by Rockwell Group with floor-to-ceiling windows, moss-covered stone, and fresh lemon trees and greenery. A private dining room seats 40 with a glass-enclosed wine display, while a larger private space holds 150 for receptions.
Located adjacent to the new Banc of California stadium, the Fields L.A. is a new 14,000-square-foot, three-story food hall with nine different vendors including Barbara Jean, C.J. Boyd’s Fried Chicken, and Akko Port. The first-floor space (pictured) seats 200, while an outdoor cafe seats 90. A highlight for events is the massive rooftop space, which has views of downtown and space for 450 seated or 1,000 for receptions. There's also a second-floor restaurant called Free Play from chef Tim Hollingsworth. The restaurant and bar has games, a DJ booth, and space for live entertainment; it seats 275 or holds 420 for receptions.
