A beloved Abbot Kinney restaurant of the 2010s, The Tasting Kitchen has recently reopened this July to much foodie fanfare.
The restaurant had been closed since March 2023 due to a fire and a month-long repair process that morphed into three years of permitting and construction (a story familiar to anyone who’s ever experienced construction in LA).
Thankfully, they’ve made it to the other side with the founding chef Casey Lane back in the kitchen. The menu evolves based on seasonality but leans into simple, fresh dishes and pastas.
Tasting menus are also available for $115 (4-course) and $135 (5-course).
In a fun twist, the olive tree at the center of the restaurant survived the fire and was kept as part of the design.
Basics:
Press: Eater, California Style Mag, @TheDailyPlate
Address: 1633 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
Hours: Sun to Thu 5pm to 11pm, Fri to Sat 5pm to midnight
Cost: $$$ - likely $125-150 per person
Website (here)
Instagram (here)
Added value: I spent a decent part of my Westside years crawling up and down Abbot Kinney, and The Tasting Kitchen was always a staple. If you have any clients who fondly remember The Tasting Kitchen or who never went and just want to see what the hype was all about, this is a great option.
The Tasting Kitchen