The next time you’re on busy Melrose and need an escape—and a bite to eat!— look no further than Meteora. Chef Jordan Kahn (of Vespertine fame) recently unveiled a new lounge that’s a casual counterpart to the restaurant’s highly creative, multi-sensory dining experience.
The new space is “inspired by a cozy living room gathering,” Kahn says. “Our primary intention is focused on relaxation and comfort.” Read on for why you should make this casual spot your next pit stop.
1. Not-your-average bar snacks
Kahn describes the bar menu as “small vignettes… a more relaxed entry point to our creative cuisine.” That means captivating dishes like grilled oysters with flaming beef fat and spiced tomato jam that’s made using an ancient cooking tool called flambadou (a large cast-iron cone that catches the beef fat and drips it over the oysters). There’s also naturally fermented and grilled sweet potato flatbread that’s ideal for dipping in roasted bone marrow or sweet crab rice made in a clay pot.
2. Cocktails two ways
Whether you’re in the mood for a classic with a twist or something entirely new, Meteora’s cocktail lounge has you covered. The Desert Mango, an arresting mango nectar, rum, and pisco cocktail, stands out among the signature cocktails. Meanwhile, drinks like the herby Amazona gin and tonic with some passion fruit-like granadilla fruit make up the timeless selections list.
3. A lush oasis continued
The new lounge reinforces the lush, oasis-like feeling of the rest of the restaurant. All of the materials in the lounge—rattan bar stools, a wood-topped bar sculpted by Kahn, and a ceiling sculpture of partially dehydrated vines handmade by Mayan artisans—are natural and sustainable with no plastic used throughout the space. “We really wanted it to feel earthy and have that juxtaposition of coming off Melrose,” says Zara Ziyae, Meteora’s marketing director. “It’s a hideaway.”
The lounge is open Wednesday to Sunday from 5:30 pm to 11:00 pm, and Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm.
Karen Palmer is a pizza- and pasta-obsessed food writer based in Los Angeles. Follow her on Instagram at @karenlpalmer.
