Spring, Downtown LA’s Lauded French Restaurant, to Close After Two Years

Spring, the highly lauded French fine dining restaurant from Tony Esnault and Yassmin Sarmadi, will close some time in the next few weeks. The restaurant power couple, who also own Church & State, decided not to renew their lease when it expires at the end of August. Instead, Esnault and Sarmadi will work on opening their South Coast Plaza restaurant called Knife Pleat, which should debut by spring 2019. That Costa Mesa establishment will also showcase Esnault’s classically trained French flavors.

As for Spring, the restaurant was the subject of much praise, from a high placement on Jonathan Gold’s 101 Restaurant List and solid reviews. The space, which featured a glorious atrium and tastefully elegant decor, was nestled deep into a Downtown LA building, making it a bit hard to see from the street. In the meantime, Esnault and Yassmin opened Springside, a street-facing side restaurant that offered a more casual and approachable menu. There’s no final dates of service for both Spring and Springside, but they should be within the month.

Eater first caught wind of Spring back in 2012, and it took nearly four years for the place to finally open. Once it opened in 2016, it had a bit of a slow unveiling before positive reviews starting coming in. Sadly, it lasted about two-and-a-half years before calling it quits.

Esnault and Yassmin continue to run Church & State in the Arts District, with some new menu and interior updates in the works, plus some anniversary specials to celebrate their 10th year of business. Church & State recently had to file for bankruptcy protection to reorganize their finances due to a labor lawsuit that resulted in a $150,000 settlement.

• All Spring Coverage [ELA]