Several L.A. restaurants have transformed historic churches and cathedrals into dining destinations
Los Angeles has no shortage of restaurants with a story to tell, but some come with architecture and history built right in. Across the city, historic churches, cathedrals and other unexpected spaces have been transformed into dining destinations, offering Angelenos a chance to eat, drink and experience a piece of L.A.’s past.
Few things are more romantic than Gothic cathedral architecture. Towering ceilings, stained-glass windows and centuries-old details set the scene for an evening that feels a little more magical than your average dinner. From dining inside a former cathedral to sipping cocktails in a converted church, these restaurants are giving some of the city’s most unexpected historic spaces a second life.
Redbird
Credit: Courtesy Redbird
For those seeking a romantic evening for two or an aesthetic girls’ night with cuisine fit for royals, Redbird is the ideal spot. The restaurant was built inside 1876’s St. Vibiana Cathedral, designed by L.A.’s early architect Ezra Kysor, which faced demolition after an earthquake. The historic building was saved by the Los Angeles Conservancy, and inside this Downtown L.A. landmark sits Redbird, featuring modern American cuisine from chef Neal Fraser.
Roasted figs with goat cheese, lavender and honey are a must-try appetizer, while the porterhouse for two with king oyster mushrooms and aceto balsamico is the perfect date-night staple.
In addition to brunch, happy hour and a traditional dinner service, Angelenos can get more involved in the experience through guided cocktail classes with beverage director Tobin Shea. The class covers classic cocktail history while also teaching bartending techniques.
Sous Sous
Credit: Patrick Michael Chin
The newly opened Sous Sous is built inside a 1931 Bethany Presbyterian Church. The building has evolved alongside Silver Lake for nearly a century, becoming an early home to East West Players, one of the nation’s first Asian American theater companies, before later transforming into a neighborhood antique market. The location now hosts Hotel Lucile — a name inspired by the 1860 poem Lucile by Owen Meredith that explores themes of identity and transformation, ideal for such a dynamic building in an ever-changing neighborhood.
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Sous Sous sits at the heart of the church, serving New American French cuisine from executive chef Patrick Costa. Costa intertwines influences from Marseille and Nice with Charleston and New Orleans through port-city culture, coastal flavors of citrus, herbs and spice, local fish and market produce, all handled with the charm of Southern hospitality.
Tartine Bakery & Cafe
Tartine’s brick-and-mortar Santa Monica location has a rather interesting history, going from cathedral to long-serving funeral home and now into a popular eatery. The chapel’s cruciform plan serves as the basis for the restaurant’s interior layout, featuring stained glass and a stucco finish that honors its Tudor Revival style. Tartine Bakery & Cafe received a 2020 Preservation Award from the Conservancy for its work on the location.
Tartine features a sprawling patio perfect for brunch on a sunny day. The cafe is famously known for its country sourdough bread, along with its signature cinnamon-and-orange-zest morning bun. For those with an extra sweet tooth, the morning bun latte pairs nicely with its counterpart.
