Celebrating our wedding anniversary at Vespertine was nothing short of magical. Over the years, we've dined at multiple Michelin-starred establishments, from 1-star culinary treasures to the elite 3-star experiences. Vespertine, in our opinion, deserves to stand among the ranks of the very best with three stars. This currently two-Michelin-starred gem redefines the dining experience, delivering not just a meal, but an unforgettable journey for the senses. From the avant-garde architecture that sets the stage, to the impeccable service that leaves no detail overlooked, every moment felt like a masterpiece. The presentation of each dish was a work of art, and the exquisite flavors left us speechless. Kudos to the visionary chef Jordan Kahn and the entire staff for curating such a transcendent experience. Vespertine is more than a restaurant--it's a symphony of creativity, passion, and culinary brilliance.

I finally went to this experience and it was very nice. The presentation of the food entrees by Chef Jordan was very interesting and unique. You had 12 courses to dine with plus dessert and tea. The waiters were phenomenal. They explained everything thoroughly how the meal was prepared and where the ingredients came from. Fantastic view. The building has a modern architectural abstract look with three levels. Some food items were just ok and some were outstanding. You start on the top floor in the kitchen and then work your way down to the second floor for entrees and then to the bottom floor, for desserts and tea. They have a beautiful courtyard outside in the waiting area. Note: Expensive so bring your wallet. The experience is worth trying.

Dinner at Vespertine has a base price of $395 per person, and I'm not totally convinced the place makes money. It's in a crazy sculptural building designed by architect Eric Owen Moss, who's named as chef Jordan Kahn's collaborator in this one-of-a-kind restaurant. The whole building is dedicated to running Vespertine, as is a giant staff of skilled chefs and servers. Matt B. and I went for my birthday, on an otherwise random Tuesday. We showed up a few minutes early for our 6:15 reservation and were invited to wait in the garden, which looked like a futuristic cemetery. There was a lot of seating, smooth stone slabs heated against the cold. Eerie, soothing music came in over our heads, singing bowls and elusive, not-quite melodies. The sound bath continued when we went inside, and played throughout our two-and-a-half hour meal. Service was immaculate, starting with a guided visit to the kitchen, where we saw chef Kahn and his cooks at work. Then we went downstairs to the main dining area, where we settled in with the help of our waiter Ryan. He presented us with a single sheet listing beverage pairings and extras--every decision we had to make for the night. We picked our pairing and we were off, with Ryan and team attending seamlessly to our every need. Vespertine doesn't have a bar or a readily available wine list, so a beverage pairing is the default option. We went with the standard pairing, which came with nine different wines apportioned in 4 oz. pours. We had to drink steadily to keep up, a wonderful new wine appearing with each course. The food was astonishing. Ingredients, flavors, presentation--every dish was delicious and unlike anything I've eaten at another restaurant. We started with Wild Scallop: raw scallop and aerated scallop mousse with passionfruit, aji amarillo, petunia flowers, and horseradish crisps. Cold and delicate, with layered textures and a gentle heat. Next was the Seasonal Paradox, a taste of summer in the depths of January. Sugar snap peas came with kiwi, Meyer lemon rind, puffed buckwheat, almond milk and wild onion custard, and a vinaigrette made with pea shells and wild onion oil. The whole dish was carpeted with tiny flowers from Vespertine's garden. Deep Ocean brought sweet, succulent wild prawns from 2,500 feet under the sea, with gooseberries and Mountain Rose apple vinegar. They came in a round depression carved into a giant cube of crystal-clear ice. The Obsidian Mirror was another stunner, glossy and black, served in a heavy black bowl with a polished mussel shell in place of a spoon. This was the only visual clue to the contents of the dish. The black surface was a mussel gelée, and underneath, we found a smoked mussel panna cotta with salted plum. The Deep Seven was a more straightforward dish, a beautiful piece of grilled kinki served with an Indian mallow flower stuffed with peppery red papaya paste. This was designed to be eaten in a single bite, and it was an incredible mouthful, smoky and buttery, tangy and savory. One of my favorite courses of the night. Another top contender was the Coturnix Quail, without question the best quail I've ever had. This was apparently some kind of mutant XL quail, and we enjoyed its bounty a few different ways. First we got the breast, dry aged and cured with koji, then grilled to honest-to-goodness perfection. It was tender and juicy, with a sweet lacquer on the skin, served on a bed of heather flowers with a side of quail egg/trumpet mushroom/butter emulsion. Then there was Oat Porridge Bread made with quail fat, and smoked and butter-grilled quail thigh in sacred pepper leaf. Superb. Pine-Fed Lamb was our last course upstairs, a gorgeous hunk of meat with yeast fudge, magnolia, mitsuba, and cherry. We moved to the ground floor for the final courses, beginning with the Red Earth, a warming dish of heirloom corn custard with dried strawberry, chile, smoked pepper broth, and palo santo water. We drank Douglas fir tea infused with roasted pear, then received the Caramelized Pancake. This was amazing, rich with salted lamb fat, served with whipped cream, Laphroaig-infused birch syrup, and blueberries. Matt got the Icy Birch, a disc of frozen birch juice over parsnip and reduced milk, while I got the Sea Urchin. This was a creative dessert of Hokkaido uni with white chocolate ganache, black walnut, candied kelp, and 1931 Pedro Ximenez sherry. I'm not sure it was worth the extra price, as I loved the birch, but it was my birthday and I'm glad I tried it. The last course on the menu was a brilliant dessert made of several Layers--black raspberry panna cotta, sheep's milk yogurt, and sponge cake, to name a few. We got one final gift: a taper-shaped cylinder of black sesame and Amazonian cacao, with a candle in one end. Is Vespertine over the top and a little ridiculous? Sure. But the experience is both exquisite and utterly unique. If you're looking for a special fine dining restaurant in L.A., nothing is going to beat it.

Superb experience and everything you can expect from a 2-star restaurant. Vespertine is different than the other Michelin star restaurants in LA. It has a different "Zen" like vibe accented by the decor, the ambiance, the music. Service was exceptional by the team we met (kiefer, Anastasia, Camile) and the food was outstanding. The level of skill needed to produce these kind of dishes, both look wise and flavor is very high so big kudos to the Chef Jordan and his awesome crew.

Vespertine is my personal favorite Michelin star restaurant I've visited. I enjoyed the music, dark and relaxing ambiance. It's a really unique sensory experience. The staff are all very nice. I only wishes they didn't rush through the service I went with my bf for new years it was our 2nd time going! Still my favorite restaurant and I look forward to returning when the menu changes

I've been wanting to come here for ages! Finally got it down in the calender for the Mr's birthday. Given that the menu changes I can't really rave about their "house signature" etc etc. all I could say is that from the moment you pull up to the moment you leave - the experience is nothing short of spectacular! They do have valet and it's $25. Every dish that was presented with beautifully crafted, it's basically a theatrical experience coupled with dining. I'm stilling thinking about the dark/black pearl dish that you scope with a mussel shell. Literally melts in your mouth and the other dish that I couldn't stop thinking about was the "layered" cake that looked like a winding staircase from above with each layer being something different. I also particularly love the variety of patrons in the dining room. Illustrating yet again that food connects everyone from all walks of life. Service was attentive, there are several staffs who will come out to serve the various dishes with a special story and history behind each dish. They do give you an enveloped menu at the end to take home so that you can look back at your culinary journey at a later date. Expect to drop $1k+ for a meal with beverage pairing for two. But it is a nice thing to do once or twice a year! Cheers!

My friend had been waiting since the pandemic for this to open. If you go before sunset, you can see a beautiful view of Culver City and beyond. It really sets the tone of the entire fine dining experience. All the dishes were very beautiful, but I think the fried sourdough ball was my favorite of the entire meal, flavor wise. From the obsidian dish to the spring flowers, there is so much to take in. We were introduced to douglas fir tea and birch ice as it was the first time we had ever tried these flavors; so neat. Everything looks artistically presented. The only gripe I have is the seating since we are oddly facing other people, which gives me bad flashbacks to the herringbone configuration on Air New Zealand business class but I digress! The food and service is amazing here and there is a reason for the hype. They even let you see the kitchen before you get to your seat; it feels like an experience. Parking is valet or there is some nice street parking nearby.

A breathtaking and transformative experience - truly a once in a lifetime kind of meal. Everything from the architecture of the building to the interior design and flow of the evening is so incredibly well thought through. I loved every single second of my time here and am grateful to have experienced it. The springtime dish with the flowers and almond paste was the most beautiful and awe inspiring dish I've ever seen/had. The details that the culinary team here put into everything is truly seen, felt and tasted. My favorite dish of the night was the uni with white chocolate creme and candied kelp - I've never tasted anything like this! Such a wonderful experience coupled with beautiful ambiance and superb service. Definitely a dinner I'll be thinking about for a long time.