
Vespertine
RESTAURANT SUMMARY

Where avant-garde architecture meets experimental cuisine, Vespertine Los Angeles transforms fine dining into a multisensory odyssey within Eric Owen Moss's sculptural "Waffle" building. Chef Jordan Kahn's two-Michelin-starred restaurant redefines the boundaries between art, architecture, and gastronomy through an immersive four-hour journey that challenges every dining convention.
The visionary behind this culinary theater, Chef Jordan Kahn brings pedigree from Alinea, The French Laundry, and Per Se to his singular Los Angeles fine dining destination. Opening in 2017, Vespertine quickly ascended to culinary legend, earning two Michelin stars and claiming the top spot on Jonathan Gold's prestigious "101 Best LA Restaurants" list. After a pandemic hiatus, Kahn's experimental laboratory continues to push the envelope of what constitutes a restaurant experience, operating as part performance art, part gastronomic exploration.
The cuisine at Vespertine defies categorization, presenting a sixteen-course tasting menu that reads like edible poetry. Signature creations include the mesmerizing "obsidian mirror" of smoked mussel cream with salted plum, and artfully composed scallop with passionfruit, ají amarillo, and horseradish tuile petals. Each dish arrives as abstract art on custom stoneware, demanding active interpretation from diners. The menu evolves seasonally, emphasizing biodynamic and foraged ingredients sourced with obsessive attention to sustainability. This is ultra-premium dining where conventional taste profiles yield to conceptual impression and sensory provocation.
The experience unfolds across multiple levels of Moss's twisted bronze-steel masterpiece in Culver City's Hayden Tract. Twenty-two seats ensure intimate exclusivity while choreographed service moves like performance ballet around custom steel banquettes and translucent acrylic tables. The journey begins in the outdoor garden, progresses through the kitchen and dining spaces, culminating on the rooftop terrace. Wine pairings feature Old World producers and niche regions, while non-alcoholic alternatives include recreated Icelandic water and elaborate juice compositions. The atmosphere shifts from light, contemplative spaces to darker, angular environments designed to provoke varying emotional responses throughout the meal.
Vespertine represents the pinnacle of Los Angeles fine dining for those seeking transformation over mere sustenance. Reservations require advance planning through Tock, with prepaid bookings essential for this exclusive culinary theater. For discerning diners ready to surrender conventional expectations, Vespertine offers an unparalleled journey where architecture, cuisine, and artistry converge into something entirely unprecedented in the American dining landscape.
CHEF
Jordan Kahn
ACCOLADES

(2024) LA Times 101 Best Restaurants #50

(2025) Michelin 2 Stars

(2024) Michelin 2 Stars

(2025) EP Club Recommended Restaurant

(2025) La Liste Score: 78.5pts

(2025) Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in North America Ranked #98












