LA Venues

Towne opened this summer in a 7,000-square-foot custom-designed space by Mark Zeff. The restaurant, owned by Armen Shirvanian of Mi Piace in Pasadena, offers New American cuisine and modern cocktails. Towne offers all-day dining and drinks, and has a wood-burning oven for lunch and dinner offerings like fish, flat breads, pastas, and roasts. Private spaces include a private dining room that holds 20, as well as a wine room, which holds 50.

In August, La Petit Poubelle opened, tucked inside La Poubelle restaurant (which has been around for 42 years). The private space has an artisanal cocktail menu and uses sustainably farmed, locally sourced ingredients prepared by chef Johnny Zone. The space has a secret door and holds about 30 for a seated event.

Opened in July in the fashion district downtown, executive chef Casey Lane helms the Parish, a new English gastropub-inspired restaurant and bar. In a two-level building on the corner of Spring and Main streets, the Parish nods to old L.A. with reclaimed Douglas fir wood floors, vintage mirrors over antique glass windows, and iron sconces and furniture reminiscent of the 1930s. On the ground level, the Parish has large floor-to-ceiling windows. There's an open kitchen and stylized counters. A more formal setting with centralized lounge and bar is on the second floor. The bar features wood paneling in dark red, paying homage to L.A.'s vintage railcars. Surrounded on three sides by windows, the second floor is meant to conjure up the experience of being in a streetcar. The upstairs patio can be used as a private dining space with room for 12.

The new Faux Pas is a 6,000-square-foot bistro with a patio dining area, an airy open bar, large red booths lining the space, and a private room. Spacecraft Group's Kristofer Keith is behind the design of the venue, which opened in April and has an entrance chandelier composed of about 25 different glass and metal light fixtures. The open space is divided into two sections and features an open roof mimosa bar that anchors the entrance and allows natural light to stream in. The main dining area is surrounded by exposed brick, raw stone, and mirrors, and is filled with vintage wooden tables and chairs with a large rustic fireplace. The other side of the bistro has large red banquettes, wooden tables, a fireplace, and glass and wooden cabinets filled with vintage pieces. The private room is covered with red walls, draped with red velvet curtains and filled with antique framed artwork for about eight seated guests. There's also a back bar section with room for about 20.

In June, Jamaica Bay Inn opened Beachside Restaurant and Bar as its newest waterfront dining destination. With chef Allyson Thurber (from the Lobster and Water Grill) at the helm, Beachside offers approachable, all-day dining. The 150-seat indoor-outdoor restaurant and bar has large windows and outdoor fire pits looking out toward the ocean. There is a banquet room that can be used for private dining. It holds 65 people and leads out to the patio, which overlooks the boats in the marina.

Duplex on Third opened in July, offering a two-story space with a residential aesthetic. The culinary program is executed by executive chef Lauren Cartmel of the Polo Lounge. Designed by Thomas Schoos, the first story has an expansive patio that wraps around the restaurant, a bar and lounge with plush sofas, armchairs, and communal tables, and a dining room with hardwood floors, a fireplace, bookcases dotted with high-end flea market finds from around the world, and colorful patchwork rugs. A series of sliding glass doors separate the interior lounge and bar area from the patio, all of which open to create a seamless indoor-outdoor space. Upstairs also has its own furnished bar and lounge decorated with vintage elements, globes, and books. An adjoining private dining room with light drapes and expansive windows creates another naturally lit interior.

Innovative Dining Group debuted Soleto Trattoria & Pizza Bar in July. The trattoria and pizza bar is in the financial district downtown. Executive chef Sascha Lyon oversees the menu, which is inspired by Southern Italian cooking. Designed by Studio Collective, the space preserves details of the original building including vintage tile and wood floors, details like iron and glass chandeliers that draw attention to soaring ceilings, and brickwork. Three distinct spaces include the 360-degree bar and fireplace, an exhibition-style pizza bar overlooking the wood-fired oven, and the garden patio for alfresco dining under the downtown skyscrapers. The 1,100-square-foot outdoor area can be used as a private space.

Bootsy Bellows, named after the burlesque dancer and pinup model mother of principal David Arquette, is a '60s Art Deco-inspired nightclub offering entertainment like costumed burlesque dancers, DJs, live musical acts, puppets, and concerts. The buzzy West Hollywood venue, which opened in June, has a V.I.P. back room with a capacity of 125.

Chef Celestino Drago opened his newest venture, Osteria Drago, in August. In the former Il Sole space on Sunset Boulevard, the venue offers a selection of classic Drago dishes, along with more contemporary offerings. There's a white marble bar at the entrance and an extensive wine list. A private dining room holds 40.

The Bel Air Bar & Grill is set to reopen in early November. The restaurant opened in 1998 and was then bought by Susan Disney Lord (Walt's niece) in 2007. She ran it for three years, and then closed it 18 months ago to do a full-scale renovation on the restaurant and the adjacent building, from which she will run the Roy Disney Family Foundation. Close to the Getty Museum, the renovated Bel Air Bar & Grill will offer a bar-lounge space and two dining rooms with seating for 75. The interior design by Ralph Gentile & Associates will feature a rustic fireplace, beamed ceilings, and a palette of brown and blue. The restaurant will have a separate 1,100-square-foot private dining room and event space, the Sunset Room, which will hold 75 diners in a new divisible room that has a fireplace, views of the Getty, and a terrace.