When designing a new restaurant in Los Angeles, famed interior decorator Jeremiah Brent’s first thought was that he wanted it to look nothing like Los Angeles. In fact, when he initially walked into the vacant Culver City space, he felt most inspired by European modernist movements founded in cities many thousands of miles away: namely, Gio Ponti and his biomorphic, playful curves; Charlotte Perriand’s functional-yet-beautiful simplicity; and the geometric motifs of the Vienna Secession. “I incorporated elements that felt like an ode to the past, but also felt strangely relevant now,” Brent says.
Then, he looked at the birthplace of restaurant culture, Paris, and its many bistros, brasseries, and bars-à-vins. “The biggest inspiration for me was the intimacy of the street café,” he adds.
“The biggest inspiration for me was the intimacy of the street cafés in Paris”
Indoor and Outdoor Dining
The result is Juliet, opening February 1. Helmed by Rohan Talwar, the restauranter behind beloved L.A. eateries Margot and Norah as well as David Fishbein of Runyon Group, it serves modern french food amid Brent’s high-design atmosphere: French ticking stripe chairs and saffron velvet banquettes line wood table tops with scalloped edges, all of which sit upon a herringbone wood floor. Statement wicker arches jut from the gray-blue walls, while rich mahogany accents are predominant throughout. The bar, however, serves as the main interior statement, with its shiny red lacquered front and marble countertop.
And smack dab in the middle? A communal table that runs the length of the room, perfect for those on a casual date night or looking to solo dine with a book and glass of Sancerre. “It cuts the formality of dining right in half,” Brent says of his offbeat design choice.
There’s also a patio adorned with rattan seating—very much a material of the moment—and leafy greenery. “The irony, for me, about Los Angeles is, you’ve got this great weather and there’s not a lot of outdoor dining,” says Brent. “That’s the opposite here.”
Culinary director Michael Williams developed a menu recognizably—but not exclusively—Gallic in origin. Le Marais meets L.A. in dishes like moules persillade (chilled mussels and sauce verte) or poisson cru (sliced amberjack, Meyer lemon ponzu, and chili oil.) Meanwhile, crêpes Suzette are doused in Grand Marnier, dolloped with chantilly cream, and finally garnished with Southern California oranges.
And just like the great bistros of Paris, Brent hopes Juliet becomes one of those places that’s been around—and stays around—forever. “It has such a duality between function and beauty,” he says.
