Checker Hall Is a Gorgeous New Second-Floor Highland Park Jewel Box

Highland Park’s rapidly changing restaurant scene welcomes another name this week, as Checker Hall looks to make a mark as soon as this Friday. And as the restaurant arm of the recently-opened Lodge Room music venue just off Figueroa, there’s already a lot of buzz.

Checker Hall is overseen by chef Hovig Agop (SBE) and general manager Dalton Buckels, a longtime nightlife vet who hails from places like Las Perlas, and owned and operated by the same independent hospitality team that runs the adjacent Lodge Room.

Whereas the Lodge Room music side is a big, open wood-floored venue, Checker Hall is a more intimate and enclosed kind of dining experience. The place is pushed up on the second floor overlooking Figueroa, and offers a balcony for checking out the street crowd below. Inside, an angular bar anchors the room while booths and long banquette seating ring the edges. Design Bitches handled the look, which offers custom light fixtures and a timely retro vibe.

On the menu front, Agop is working a rustic pan-Mediterranean vibe with options like shrimp or chicken skewers, plus pan-seared salmon, octopus, and more. There’s a full cocktail bar to boot, along with craft beer and wine. Hours will be 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily.

Checker Hall officially opens for dinner service on Friday, with guests entering from the staircase off Avenue 56. Show tickets are not needed in order to dine inside, as the adjacent Lodge Room has its own entry area and bar.

Checker Hall
104 N. Ave. 56
Los Angeles, CA

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