It’s truly “back to class” for modern fine-dining venue Fellow, founded in 2017 and situated in Los Angeles’ Westwood neighborhood. The fashionably eclectic restaurant with adjoining art gallery re-opened in July 2021 with its superb menu, flawless service and genre-defying décor in top form. It may be located in the heart of UCLA’s “college town,” but it’s unquestionably a grown-up date night or business lunch destination.

Los Angeles restaurateur Philip Camino (with partner Terry Tolba) took a striking, two-story, 1930s building and filled it with bright, airy and modern furnishings and accessories that make the ideal backdrop for an equally striking menu put together with high-quality, locally sourced vegetables, sustainable seafood and executive chef Chris Flint’s imagination. The décor is a departure from such common (albeit appealing) L.A. restaurant interior design motifs like “beach house,” “Zen” and “Mid-Century Modern.” This makes a statement: Fellow does its own thing, even with the now-familiar “New American” description in its marketing materials.

The food and drink menus follow suit. Asian and Latin culinary influences abound in sharable plates, elevated bar food and refreshing cocktails as it does in other high-end L.A. eateries. What arrives at your table, however, is original and yet approachable, straightforward and executed with balanced texture and flavor. While the kitchens at some New American fine-dining spots get a little too clever at the expense of the final product, most of Fellow’s dishes and cocktails hit the mark.

Although the signature cocktail list is relatively short, Adam Fournier (2021 USBG/Diageo U.S. Bartender of the Year) stirs up inspired creations for every thirst, as well as a zero-sugar option (You Had Me at Fellow, house-made with monk fruit-sweetened orange vanilla soda) that can be done spirits-free or fully loaded. On a list where every cocktail is a winner, the Bellona (gin, florals, sherry, seltzer), Fields of Barley (rye, mash bill syrup, bitters and citrus zest) and the Miami Vice Milk Punch (a tightly guarded recipe) are standouts. Sommelier/beverage director Scott Lester, meanwhile, applies the skills detailed on his top-tier resume (The French Laundry in Yountville, California; The Restaurant at Meadowood in St Helena, California; and Eleven Madison Park in New York, New York) to Fellow’s innovative beverage program.

Highlights on the savory end include tempura-fried maitake mushrooms and striped bass and Hamachi crudo starters and poached striped bass and seared duck breast mains. The dessert list is short but sweet, with a decadent riff on rice pudding, pistachio cake with cherry sorbet and a complete rethinking of the ubiquitous chocolate lava cake (Butter Mochi, overflowing with luxuriant dark chocolate and dulce de leche).

With everything Fellow offers, meeting planners will want to bookmark the locale as a definitively L.A. Westside meeting destination. Beyond the food and drink, the venue offers assistance from its own in-house event planning team, custom curated menus and cocktail/wine pairings, and several indoor and an outdoor space to suit every kind of gathering.

Fellow
1071 Glendon Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
tel 310 208 1071