It’s hard to think of a better way to enjoy the 21^st century’s Roaring 1920s Hollywood than with an evening at a restaurant built into a 1920s Hollywood monument (The Taft Building) sitting directly opposite the venerable Pantages Theater. In contrast to many “theme” or trend-centric restaurants found on Hollywood Boulevard, RDEN endeavors to be a straight-forward reflection of its geographic location and history.

© Ryan Tanaka

The interiors are decorative nods to different decades of Hollywood, from an early 20^th-century marble-top bar to mid-century modern furniture and lighting and a mellow earth tone color palette adding up to a cohesive visual whole. RDEN’s menu, meanwhile, parallels the aesthetics with its amalgam of steakhouse, sushi and California contemporary cuisine.

Chef de Cuisine Noe Olivera seems to work with the philosophy that a cook should never try too hard to impress diners and instead let the quality of the ingredients do the heavy lifting. Creative touches and seasoning are subtle on the steakhouse standards, such as the flavorful short rib dish accented with smooth mashed potatoes and broccolini perfectly grilled rib eye and salmon, pastas and sides such as mac and cheese and crisp brussels sprouts (crunch-enhanced with hazelnuts). Sauces, in turn, enhance rather than overpower, which is important if you ordered the 32 oz Wagyu tomahawk or lobster, where the protein itself is the intended star attraction.

© Ryan Tanaka

Under the direction of Executive Sushi & Omakase Chef Tommy Ko, sushi is prepared in a similar fashion. While specialty rolls are inspired by Hollywood Boulevard’s trappings (The Vine, Shrimp Paradise and Raimu Salmon, to name a few), they don’t stray too far from classic preparations also available (such as the rainbow roll, sunset roll and crab rolls that put Los Angeles on the map as an early epicenter of sushi consumption in the country.

The appetizer menu goes slightly more global, with highlights such as spicy hummus, tuna on crunchy rice, elote corn and lavash chips and Peruvian ceviche.

Bar Manager Carlos Giron, meanwhile, is in charge of the (liquid) fireworks, including aptly-named Beautiful GarDEN and Florecita, as well as RDEN Old-Fashioned, Flor Manhattan and Passion Picante leading the more spirits-forward lineup. In keeping with the food items, garnishes are minimal to accomplish an Instagram-worthy effect without distracting from the balance of flavors and ingredients.

© Ryan Tanaka

A lot of style and substance is imbued into a sliver of space that opens out in a way that never feels crowded even if operating at full pitch. This is thanks in part to the high ceilings and the way indoors smoothly transitions to an outdoor patio, as well as how the downstairs and upstairs blend together with the placement of lighting fixtures, mirrors and high bar shelves. The design makes the restaurant experience here feel at once dramatic, intimate and perfectly suited for everything from a casual after-work gathering to a pre- or post-theater gathering with friends, date night or informal business meeting.

RDEN Bar & Restaurant

6280 Hollywood Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA

tel 323 977 1680