Kettle Black Is Silver Lake's Most Stylish Italian Destination

Wander past Sawyer on Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake these days and you’ll likely find a room full of beautiful people chatting themselves silly over simple dinner dishes and a glass of chilled rosé. Just steps away, though, there’s been a rather uninteresting roll-down door that faces out to the street, hiding its wonders behind the metal curtain. That’s where you’ll now find Kettle Black, a cocktail bar with a strong Italian food focus — and it’s opening tonight.

Beau Laughlin and his entire team at neighboring Sawyer have managed to keep their next project, Kettle Black, a secret almost from the start. That speaks a bit to Laughlin’s showmanship, but also to the pride he’s taken in the tall, brick-wrapped building.

The masterfully done main dining room was designed by Laughlin and partners Brett Cranston and Jay Milliken, and comprises some 3,000 square feet of tile, wood, and glittering back bar. There’s a long banquette along one wall with a living greenwall above, plus communal seating down the middle and a marble bar at the opposite end. Behind that is a golden back bar so tall you’d need a jet pack to read the top shelf, and way in the back is the wood-fired oven and chef’s counter seating, right up close to the action.

The space itself was formerly a bank, which means there’s a cool old vault back towards the bathrooms, and above that a semi-private dining space with a built-in skylight. In all, Kettle Black feels rather expansive despite its square footage, with room for 100 guests at a time to congregate under those seventeen foot ceilings.

As for the food, chef Sydney Hunter —formerly of Petit Trois and the late Superba Snack Bar in Venice — is leading the charge with an array of Italian options on the plate. That could mean pasta like a gnocchi with braised lamb, or any of the array of quick-fire pizzas coming from the back. You’ll also find a full bar, plus happy hour specials running daily that will include a $7 meatball sandwich and $3 house beers.

Kettle Black opens for business this evening, keeping hours from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily.

Kettle Black
3705 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA