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The 10 Most Anticipated Los Angeles Restaurant Openings, Spring 2020

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Big French debuts, star local chefs, and a whole lot more

A plate of French bistro steak frites with sauce.
Fine French food
Photo by PAUL YEUNG/South China Morning Post via Getty Images
Farley Elliott is the Senior Editor at Eater LA and the author of Los Angeles Street Food: A History From Tamaleros to Taco Trucks. He covers restaurants in every form, from breaking news to the culture, people, and history that surrounds LA's dining landscape.

2020 is gearing up to be another big year for dining in Los Angeles, with huge international and star local names all vying for dining dollars in the City of Angels. While long-awaited projects like Damian/Ditroit, from Enrique Olvera and Daniela Soto-Innes of Pujol and Cosme, are now tracking for sometime this summer, there’s still a fair bit of buzzy excitement right around the corner for places from the South Bay to Downtown to Century City.

Among the earliest arrivals will be Sightglass, set to open this very month in Hollywood’s rapidly changing Media District neighborhood. Others include a rebrand of a familiar West Adams space, and one of LA’s biggest chef duos dropping a couple of side-by-side projects in West LA. As for trends: This may be the year of the French dining renaissance.

These are the most anticipated upcoming openings for spring 2020


Caldo Verde

Location: 1106 Broadway, Los Angeles

A rendering for Caldo Verde, a colorful Portuguese-leaning restaurant with lots of plants.
A rendering for Caldo Verde at the Proper
Proper Hotel [Official]

Major Players: Caroline Styne, Suzanne Goin

The Situation: Located on the ground floor of the Proper Hotel in Downtown’s South Park neighborhood, Caldo Verde will lean heavily into Portuguese, Spanish, and Moorish-by-way-of-California flavors. Expect shareable portions of the namesake soup, as well as seafood like octopus braised in squid ink and the famous pork and clams. Communal seating, as well as a bar, will round out the room at what may well be the hottest new DTLA hotel opening of the year.

Projected Opening: June 2020


Bicyclette Bistro

Location: 9575 West Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles

The Manzke chefs from Republique in Los Angeles stand for a portrait.
Walter and Margarita Manzke
Jakob N. Layman

Major Players: Margarita Manzke, Walter Manzke

The Situation: The Manzkes are taking over both the former Picca and Sotto spaces on Pico Boulevard, with plans for the first space — Bicyclette Bistro — to operate as a French bistro. That means Republique vibes but with a new Manzke spin, and a whole second space still to come. But first, chef Walter Manzke needs to recover from a scary traffic incident earlier this year.

Project Opening: April 2020


Bull & Butterfly

Location: 12746 Jefferson Blvd., Playa Vista

A rendering of Bull and Butterfly Steakhouse with pink neon bull outside.
Bull & Butterfly
Bull & Butterfly

Major Players: Ben Ford, Alan and Heidi Jackson

The Situation: Ford’s Filling Station chef Ben Ford is ready to make his triumphant dinnertime return to the city with a new modern California steakhouse in Playa Vista. Expect a menu filled with ranchero cuisine from California and Mexico and lots of charcoal and fire, as seen from the open kitchen, alongside local and Valle de Guadalupe wines. Partners Alan and Heidi Jackson are the founders of growing local chain Lemonade.

Projected Opening: Mid-April 2020


Sightglass Coffee

Location: 7051 Willoughby Ave., Los Angeles

A pristine and bright modern coffee shop.
Sightglass Coffee cafe in SF
Sightglass Coffee

Major Players: Jerad and Justin Morrison, Brett Cooper

The Situation: Bay Area coffee roasting phenom Sightglass has picked up a cool 10,000 square feet of space in the Hollywood Media District, right by Tartine Sycamore. The plan is to not only roast and serve coffee, but also offer an expansive all-day dining setup under star former San Francisco chef Brett Cooper, formerly of Aster. Next up: A second space down in West Adams.

Projected Opening: March 2020


Johnny’s Pastrami

Location: 4327 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles

Major Players: Travis Lett (no longer involved)

The Situation: West Adams’ longstanding Johnny’s Pastrami space got a big new tenant last year in Travis Lett, the now-former Gjelina/Gjusta/MTN chef out of Venice. Questions surround the seemingly-finished space now that Eater has learned that Lett is no longer involved. The restaurant planned originally to open mid-February, but with Matt Winter of M. Winter Design at the helm, it’s sure to be one pretty place when it finally opens up.

Projected Opening: March 2020


Ospi

Location: 2025 Pacific Avenue, Venice, CA

Canal Club in Venice, a corner restaurant at night with lights.
The former Canal Club
Canal Club

Major Players: Jackson Kalb, Melissa Saka

The Situation: Jame Enoteca chef Jackson Kalb, a budding young talent in LA’s Cali-Italian scene, hopes to open his next restaurant Ospi in Venice by late spring. The name comes from the Italian word ospitalita, or hospitality. The menu features pasta made on site, including some of the most popular plates from Jame, plus pizza, and a mix of California and Italian wines. The former Canal Club space will also have a full bar, with a specific focus on Negronis. Considering Jame’s popularity in family-focused El Segundo, this second effort from Kalb should be a hit among pasta-hungry Venice locals. —Matthew Kang

Projected Opening: May/June 2020


Sweet Red Peach

Location: 1035 S. Prairie Avenue unit 5, Inglewood, CA

Major Players: Karolyn Plummer

The Situation: Inglewood’s darling bakery Sweet Red Peach expands next month. The bakery outgrew its present space, took over a space only three doors down, and in April will turn it into a full-service cafe. Owner Karolyn Plummer’s specialties will be on display including her signature 7-Up cake, pies, and pound cakes. The new spot will sport cafe-style seating with coffee and homemade soft-serve vanilla ice cream, directly across the street from the new NFL stadium. —Mona Holmes

Projected Opening: April 2020


Lumière

Location: Century City

Drawings for a French brasserie with lots of glass and tall windows.
Lumiere
Fairmont Century Plaza

Major Players: Jason Franey, Fairmont Century Plaza

The Situation: Century City’s Fairmont Century Plaza has been undergoing a massive overhaul, and will soon bring Lumière to life as a refined French bistro with jeweled tones, lots of clean lines, and plenty of wine. Chef Jason Franey (Eleven Madison Park) will oversee the bistro, which is set to anchor more than 100,000 square feet of new retail and restaurant space at the plaza.

Projected Opening: June 2020


Firestone Tire Building

Location: 800 S. La Brea, Los Angeles, CA

A former Googie Firestone Tire building being rebuilt into a brewery, with fencing up.
Firestone Tire Building
Google Maps

Major Players: Chicas Tacos, Pouring With Heart

The Situation: Talk about adaptive reuse. The gorgeous former Firestone Tire building on La Brea, just south of Wilshire, is nearly complete after a years-long transformation into an indoor-outdoor destination for beer, tacos, and more. Pouring With Heart (Arts District Brewing, Cole’s) is on to pour beer under the name All Season Brewing Company, and the folks from Chicas Tacos will handle the food.

Projected Opening: April 2020


Perle

Location: 43 E. Union St., Pasadena, CA

Charcuterie, cheese, and wine on a brightly lit table.
Perle
Perle

Major Players: Dean Yasharian

The Situation: Longtime chef Dean Yasharian is back after a sizable stint over at the Chateau Marmont. The former Daniel Boulud disciple (he opened Bar Boulud in London years back) is ready to turn out staple French dishes in a laid-back bistro environment right in the heart of Old Pasadena.

Projected Opening: March 2020

Update: A previous version of this post listed Trademark, a project with Beau Laughlin and Ray Garcia. Chef Garcia tells Eater today that he will no longer be moving forward with that project; it has been removed. Travis Lett has also confirmed that he is no longer involved with the West Adams project above.