We’ve seen some of Downtown L.A.’s most beloved spots permanently close over the past year, but now one of L.A.’s very best chefs is bringing some much-needed news of a big project to the area.
Michelin-starred chef Curtis Stone, known locally for his Beverly Hills tasting restaurant Maude and Hollywood’s Gwen Butcher Shop & Restaurant, will be opening a massive rooftop restaurant atop an Art Deco building in DTLA. Slated to open in April 2022, Stone will start serving in an 11,755-square-foot rooftop restaurant, bar and event space atop the Trust Building, along with a smaller quick service spot on the ground floor.
At a time when many Angelenos are questioning whether this whole commute thing is still for them, the rooftop space will make an interesting argument for going back to the office: It’ll be open exclusively to building occupants as a WiFi-connected lounge during the day. But after 5pm, Stone’s restaurant will start service and welcome in the public. In addition, the lobby level grab-and-go spot should cater to the nine-to-five crowd.
There’s not a whole lot else we know about the restaurant yet, but we can gush a bit about the building. Originally known as the Title Insurance and Trust Building, the 1928 structure started its life as an office building, served as a temporary library after the Central Library fire in 1986, and just last year wrapped up a multi-million–dollar makeover into a retail and office space. Just about a block away from Spring Arcade and around the corner from the Last Bookstore, the Trust Building’s most defining feature is its tile murals above the entrance from artist Hugo Ballin, who’s credited with Griffith Observatory’s rotunda mural, as well.