All About the Chic New All-Day Eatery Hitting Sunset Strip

Is the Sunset Strip suddenly going more casual? After years of tony openings — particularly along the pricey Sunset Plaza stretch — a new concept for the former Cravings space could spell a turn towards the lower tier.

Cravings used to be a longtime staple for that stretch of Sunset, offering guests plenty of patio seating, a slightly more elevated dinner vibe inside, and lots of people watching. An eventual shutter led to some speculation that the Chin Chin corporate team could be up to something with the address, but until now they’ve been mum on exactly what. That mostly led to some wild speculation there could be competing Chin Chin restaurants across the street from each other, but as it turns out the plan is to move in a different direction.

That direction doesn’t have a name yet (or at least one the company has shared), but will include everything from brunch to lunch and dinner. There will be pastry and bread making going down on site (plus coffee roasting), and a whole classic new American aesthetic overall. That means plenty of sunlight and tall ceilings, but also a whitewashed palette full of grey marble and stark paint.

Perhaps most interestingly, chef Craig Hopson has signed on to oversee the project in his new role as overall executive corporate chef for the Chin Chin brand. The Australian-born chef has earned Michelin stars in the past and did stints at places like Le Cirque in New York City, but more recently has been floating around Los Angeles in his capacity as one of the names behind the socially-conscious takeout concept Everytable.

Per Chin Chin reps, the nameless spot should be opening soon (think mid-December), so expect a whole new casual option for what was at one time one of the pricier pieces of restaurant real estate anywhere in the city. Some key recent losses in the form of inexpensive mainstay Poquito Mas and the short-lived Avenue 31 could be driving prices down, while other casual newcomers like Pono Burger, ramen specialist Daikokuya, and rustic dinner option The Guild are further helping to usher in a new era of price-conscious eating along the way.

8653 W. Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA