Award-winning chef Dave Beran – formerly the chef de cuisine of Michelin 3-starred Alinea in Chicago, is back to his fine dining roots with Seline on Main Street in Santa Monica, not far from his French-themed Pasjoli, which is celebrated for the chef’s creative use of an entire duck.
Wallpaper* dines at Seline
The mood: modern art gallery
Designed by Rugo Raff Architects Ltd. in Chicago – who also designed Beran’s other West Coast spots, along with Alinea in Chicago – the indoor and outdoor space is set off Main Street in Santa Monica behind large double doors which lead to a front patio space. Once inside, the discovery reveals an open kitchen that flows seamlessly with no barriers through the 38-seat space, inviting guests to feel part of the culinary process.
The room is elegant but not stuffy, with soft lighting, walnut tables, and loose cushion banquettes in navy. Meanwhile, the gold embroidered backs of tufted chairs meld nicely with the navy carpet’s metallic sheen. Usually seen at high-end homes, Fine Paints of Europe were used for high gloss acrylic in monochromatic shades of dark grey on the ceiling and walls, which are punctuated by several large bold paintings by David Choe in the main room that add dramatic scale and contrast, along with ‘roses’ by Arielle Pytka. De Gournay wallpaper in the hallway leads the way to the power room where Phillip Jeffries ‘burnished bark’ adds texture over a bright pop of coral wall colour.
Along with the menu, custom plateware in varying sizes and dark colour schemes spark conversation as an intriguing and artistic prop for the food, from Graham Burns Studio, Match Stoneware, Made in Australia, and Jason Roberts.
The food: an epic journey of unexpected flavour combinations
Seline is an evolution of Beran’s first Los Angeles restaurant, the now-closed 18-seat ‘dialogue’, an exploration of modern fine dining but this time on a larger scale. The menu features 15-18 courses that tell a personal story of the chef’s culinary journey while showcasing Southern California inspiration. From the ‘obvious parts of the squab’ (breast and leg) to the following course of ‘less obvious parts’ of liver and bitter chocolate, skin and hazelnut to heart and strawberry. The menu is full of surprises and melding of unexpected tastes and temperatures, such as frozen mustard and passion fruit, caviar and coffee.
Wine director Matthew Brodbine has created two brilliant beverage pairings, one of global wines and another with non-alcoholic concoctions to compliment the tasting menu. The outdoor garden, opening in early Spring, will seat 20 additional guests and offer two smaller menus, an eight-course Garden menu, as well as a Canape menu, and will also be utilised to grow herbs and veggies for the kitchen.
Seline is located at 3110 Main St Ste 132, Santa Monica, CA 90401, United States; selinerestaurant.com
Need more inspiration? See our reviews of the best new Los Angeles restaurants
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