Beauty & Essex

Beauty & Essex Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: TAO Group and celebrity chef Chris Santos have brought to Los Angeles a branch of Beauty & Essex, the pawn shop/restaurant/lounge concept that originated in 2010 in NYC and has since expanded to Las Vegas. This is the first location to feature outdoor dining, with inviting al fresco areas including a ground floor courtyard and a patio on the second level. The 10,000-square-foot restaurant presents dramatic tableaus at every turn: enormous pearl-strand chandeliers; a wall of twirling ballerina figurines; a 20-foot oval skylight in the posh main dining room.

Likes: striking décor; warm and professional service.
Dislikes: noise level is high, especially on weekends.

Food & Drinks: Celebs and A-listers frequent luxe nightlife spots like this to see and be seen, and this Hollywood outpost seems born merely to fulfill its destiny, and yet Santos’ global menu transcends ubiquitous lounge bites and cliché supper club fare through pristine ingredient sourcing and elevated technique. Share silky, crunchy tuna poke wonton tacos, or a bright tomato tartare crostini with sunny side up quail egg. Spoons filled with grilled cheese, smoked bacon and tomato soup dumplings are delightful. Giant, sweet scallops, just seared to a tender satin texture, pair with pork belly for a standout dish. Do consider the grilled double cut lamb chops, served with a port wine glaze on creamy polenta. A root beer milkshake shot with Makers Mark is a cute finish. Explore the deluxe lounge spaces with smart cocktails such as the bourbon-based “The Woodsman” made with maple, lemon and muddled pears, or a mezcal barrel-aged “Oaxacan Old Fashioned.” Service is professional.