Dave Beran’s Ambitious Tasting Menu Restaurant Dialogue Debuts September 5

Dialogue, the anticipated tasting menu restaurant from former Alinea and Next chef Dave Beran, will commence service on September 5 in Santa Monica along Third Street Promenade.

Tickets for the first two weeks of dinners will be released at 10 a.m. on August 15 via Resy priced between $175 and $205, not including tax. There are two wine pairing options priced between $125 to $175. Beran describes Dialogue as a “no-tipping” restaurant, meaning the meal and wine pairings will only have tax added onto them.

Anyone signed up on the mailing list will have first dibs on seats starting August 15, while the general public will get the chance to book the dinners starting August 16 at 10 a.m. Like Trois Mec and Vespertine, the meals are served like tickets, meaning they’re transferable but not refundable. Dialogue will be open Tuesday to Saturday.

Eater asked Beran about the particulars of the menu, and he quick to point out that they will not involve anything that he cooked or prepared at Alinea or Next. The tasting menu will offer approximately 22 courses when Dialogue launches, though by opening date that could adjust slightly by one or two dishes. In addition, he’s looking to serve each diner within two-and-a-half hours.

Mariah Tauger

Any longer and he thinks diners “start to wear out” or feel a bit weighed down by all the food. It means that the times between courses will have to range about three minutes in order to serve that many courses within the targeted time. The 18 seat restaurant features counter seating, plus three tables, and hopes to serve up to 36 diners a night.

Beran also told Eater that the idea is to be at this Santa Monica food hall space for about a year, and then evaluate the response for the next move. That means they could stay at that location, or potentially find another space for Dialogue. He’s inspired by places like Saison and Ko that had a more fluid structure and format, eventually moving into different locations and contexts over their lifetimes.

Beran most recently oversaw a tasting menu at Wolfgang Puck’s The Rogue Experience.

• Why Is Dave Beran Opening His Ambitious Debut Restaurant in a Food Hall? [E]