Soon after famed chef Jordan Kahn opened Vespertine in Culver City in 2017, the late LA Times critic Jonathan Gold placed it right atop his 101 Best Restaurants list writing that it is “in its way perfect.”
That would have been enough for Vespertine to rest on its laurels, but the fine-dining spot soon nabbed two MICHELIN stars, only one of five LA restaurants with that distinction at the time.
After a pandemic break for in-person dining, Vespertine is back in all its glory—after all, this is the kind of restaurant that can only be fully experienced in-person. That’s because the sensory-driven tasting menu weaves in everything from what’s on the plate to scent to sound to architecture.
Though the restaurant is essentially the same, Kahn is eager to welcome Angelenos to Vespertine 2.0. “Our purpose and approach remain the same, but we’re a lot better at it now,” the chef says. “We’ve had a couple of years to connect with people, and what we’re doing has evolved in a way that we can continue the work with better methods and approaches.”
Read on for everything you can expect at this one-of-a-kind dinner.
What to eat
There’s only one way to go at Vespertine, and that’s the showstopping 16-course tasting menu. The restaurant is limited to just 20 diners a night, so you’re looking at an especially intimate evening that kicks off with an aperitif in the garden and a tour of the kitchen before you settle in for the evening.
Kahn is especially excited for you to try the deep seven, a seafood course of deep-sea fish from Hawaii, and red earth, a smoked pumpkin dish with dried strawberries and bone marrow that was inspired by a trip to Mexico with his wife. “It’s deeply earthy, vegetal, and sweet,” Kahn says. “It feels like an extremely soulful dish.”
Closer to home, look out for the spring course that’s made entirely out of wild flower species like lupins, wisteria, and black locust that are all grown at the restaurant. “They’re not just a garnish; they’re the entire dish,” Kahn says. “So it’s like you’re tasting springtime.”
After dinner, you’ll head to the gallery level for dessert, and come warmer weather, you’ll have a chance to eat on the building’s rooftop as well.
What to drink
Vespertine offers three optional beverage pairings, and you can always go the more traditional route by selecting wine pairings that spotlight producers from Spain and France. But the dynamic pairing is the way to go if you want the full Vespertine experience.
“[It’s] the most experiential and the one we recommend to most guests, especially first-time visitors,” Kahn says. You’ll get to drink a variety of wines, sake, beer, juices, and fermentations.
Or consider the nonalcoholic pairing that has a mix of juices, teas, and fermentations.
Where to sit
Eating here mirrors the changing courses, meaning you’ll move throughout Culver City’s iconic Waffle building over the two-and-a-half to three hours of dinner. “The building itself is an architectural marvel; it has an aesthetic quality that doesn’t exist anywhere else,” Kahn says.
The building gets its name from the curved shape and netted red steel facade designed by Eric Owen Moss Architects. Kahn redesigned the interiors along with OV & Co Space, including the dining room on the second floor of the restaurant, where you’ll sit at iridescent tables and solid gray banquettes. You’ll also find unexpected serving pieces throughout the meal, like pitchers that don’t stand upright, as well a long, winding overhead sculpture designed by Moss.
“The experience is a little different for everyone,” Kahn says. “When people leave, they sometimes look like they’ve gone on a pretty incredible journey. We don’t want to say that what we do goes beyond dining, but it is a more complex sensory experience.”
