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With history under almost a century of celebrity history, Chateau Marmont is the embodiment of Hollywood, the living breathing of the old and new. In 1929, the French-style hotel opened on Sunset Boulevard. In the decades since then, the Chateau has gained a deserved reputation for its charm and mysticity. The entire book is written by famous actors, musicians, industry executives and other creatives who slept, party, and even died inside the walls. Recently, Miley Cyrus held a private concert at Chateau for close friends, family and a handful of lucky super fans. Ryan Murphy of Prestige TV Showrunner has renovated two different suites. And the Doja cat was snapped, sitting in the lobby, deep inside the conversation. Every year, countless famous parties and magazines are held in the lobby, including Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s annual Oscar after-party.
The restaurant and bar attached to the hotel is a much more recent addition. In 1995, the current owner Andre Barmont added a street cocktail bar. The restaurant on the first floor continued in 2003. In 2020, Balaz temporarily considered converting the entire hotel into a member-only club and fired most of its staff after attempting to union. (We eventually reached a deal in 2022, but the hotel is still in operation today.)
Photo: Jerry Matthews at Chateau Marmont’s Shutter Stokkeksteal
Honestly, there are more scandals, gossip and tabloid feeds associated with Chateau Marmont than you can sum up here. But as a food and drink editor, the most intriguing thing about the hotel was the restaurant on site. Was the food just as mediocre as the equally iconic Sunset Tower across the street? Was celebrities as abundant as the online reports claimed? Perhaps how many scenes is it? I decided to find it.
Despite bookings for weddings and other private events, dinner remains the last frontier of Chateau Marmont’s exclusive rights, and now offers daytime reservations for Resy. Despite the hotel’s Snobbish aura, everyone can visit Chateau Marmont and visit at the relatively low cost of an expensive hotel restaurant meal. (Technically, you can also book an overnight stay at the hotel, starting with an eye-opening $695 per night on weekdays and $4,000 per night on weekends.)
Photo: Patricia Kellyyo in the Timeout
My first attempt at getting a dinner reservation was the old fashioned way to call. Those who answered politely informed us that the Chateau had booked two weeks in advance. I called 15 days before the day I wanted to book so I was able to call the next night and secure a dinner reservation at 8:45pm, relatively late on Wednesday evening. “You are also welcome to come 30 minutes earlier for a drink,” the booker said. With the grand plan for LA booking, this was very easy. Getting a table on weekends can be more difficult, and if the first floor is reserved for magazine parties, etc, it could be a complete non-starter.
Despite my LA Native status, I have only visited the Chateau twice before. A few years ago, I spent most of the evening in a friend’s suite of a friend who jumped out from Berlin. Recently, last summer I assembled the entire poolside of Michelada on the Mezcal label owned by Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad, a brand activation party hosted by Dos Hombres. Both experiences were very enjoyable for me, but neither of them reflects what the average non-guest can reasonably expect from a visit to the Chateau.
Photo: Patricia Kellyyo in the Timeout
On the evening of my booking, my friend and I arrived and stood in the cobblestone driveway of the famous hotel. We walked to the host stands stationed outside. There, when we were about to step into the property, the first thing everyone asked was whether there was a reservation. We did so, and were given access to a rather small entrance hall, where faded Persian rugs and other vaguely old world furniture gave way to another host stand guarding the actual lobby and courtyard. Across the host stand is a lobby bar (not to be confused with a completely separate Barmarmont) and a bathroom.
Discretion and privacy have long been part of the Chateau’s reputation, but staff members didn’t let me know about certain photography policies. The definition of meaning of those terms may have evolved in the age of smartphones and social media. And although I did my best to avoid taking pictures of someone’s faces during my stay in the name of general privacy, I was able to take careful photos of the actual space, my friends, and meals.
Photo: Patricia Kellyyo in the Timeout
I was hoping for an opportunity to absorb the scene at the bar before dinner, but the host quickly led us to an outdoor bistro style wicker table. It was a slightly chilly night in early June, and the entire courtyard was still surrounded. The plastic covering rarely undermined the charming, attractive garden-like atmosphere. Some tables were empty, but the restaurant still felt active.
Part of me thought that in the lobby itself I might have lost a bit by not sitting indoors. A quick trip to the toilet alleviated these concerns. The outdoor tables closest to the walls are occupied by a large party and the atmosphere was much better in the courtyard. Although it appears to be held for reservations, the lounge style seating in the lobby was mostly available. Again, the sofa and armchairs have become more difficult to sit for actual meals.
Photo: Courtesy Jason Frank Rothenberg
For me, the closest visual comparison to the Chateau’s courtyard might be a house in Soho in Paris. Other iconic La Hotel eateries, such as the Tower Bar (inside the Sunset Tower) and the Polo Lounge (Beverly Hills Hotel), also offer an old school cool vibe, but of the classic Old Hollywood hangouts, my favorite of the Dark Horse is the Chateau. The rich greenery, curtained dividers, and a variety of seating options make it the most attractive of LA’s iconic hotel eateries.
The Chateau does not post the restaurant’s menu online, but has gathered ideas about what to expect from hundreds of detailed online reviews posted about the food there. Like most other hotels, the fares here are familiar, expensive and pleased. The full menu included below includes classics such as Caesar salad and oil crude, as well as four jockeys from the hotel dining room, chicken, fish, steak and burgers. Signature cocktails start at over $20 and place prices on par with other establishments on the Sunset Strip.
Photo: Patricia Kellyyo in the Timeout
We ordered 2 drinks from our friendly server. A $21 cocktail called Tokyo Tees and a dirty vodka martini made in Belvedere (it’s now $29). By the time he returned to take our food orders, we were a little bustling. We also had our meal game plan: guacamole and chips ($18), spicy tuna tartare ($33), spaghetti bolognese ($39), linguini and clams ($39), fries ($12). If it hadn’t blown my budget completely, I would have been seduced to upgrade to the “Big One” version of Bolognese ($120) to see what it would look like.
Surprisingly, the food was good. Both were better than I initially expected. The guacamole and chips were straight and pointy, and Nori’s potato chips and some cucumber slices were perfect additions to the less spicy but refreshing tuna tartare. Our main and fries side arrived within 30 minutes of ordering. Both Bolognese and Lingini turned out to be delicious and faithful versions of Italian-American classics. Linguini boasts a rich circle packed and our server shaved a small pile of Parmesan cheese above Bolognese. The fries were also crispy and well made.
Photo: Patricia Kellyyo in the Timeout
After polishing the app and mains, my friend chose the dusk until dawn ($22), the tequila espresso martini from the chateau, and ordered the chamomile tea ($14). Split up the most popular dessert on the menu, the nutty, sticky gooey ($18). Comprised of peanut butter gelato, brownie bites, pretzels and hot fudge, Sunday is a pure, steamy fusion of all the five-year-olds you’d love. At least if you visited Chateau Marmont, you’re old and you’ll eventually get it.
I saw many multi-generational parties and perfectly dressed pairs at Chateau Marmont on my visit, but I didn’t recognize any A-list guests. The night I visited, the hotel compensated for the lack of star power in other ways. In the middle of the evening, a trio of musicians began to play in the lobby, and their music filtered into the courtyard, adding to the overall charm.
Photo: Patricia Kelly Yeo is timed out on a $18 Sunday at Chateau Marmont
On a trip to the bathroom, I stayed in the lobby bar for a while and watched the stylishly dressed customer lounge over drinks. Handsome wooden panels, glass shelves filled with liquor and drinks and dim lighting, like the restaurant itself, are one of the coolest hotel bars in LA, and are only accessible by booking. Another night, when I returned to the table to find my way to the lobby bar, I made a mental note.
Photo: Shutterstock
On a completely unexpected turn of events, I left the chateau deeply satisfied with my meal. As someone who has visited restaurants and bars for a living, I am generally the Poop-Puu eatery best known for their atmosphere, but Chateau Marmont is one of the few exceptions. The hotel’s eateries are definitely an ambience facility, but even those with no knowledge of the culture or industry history of the celebrity would appreciate eating a simple meal in the courtyard. Plus, the easy menu was solid and the service was excellent. If you’re an Old Hollywood fan or have a parasocial relationship with celebrities, even better, dinner can tweak the charm of an actual overnight stay.
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