Hollywood glamor is back! And this time with more glitz than ever before. Now, thanks to the Tao Group, Hollywood have been given a facelift as Beauty & Essex joins their takeover of Selma Avenue.

Bistro string lights lead you down an enchanting brick alleyway to the front of a Pawn Shop. It is here where the adventure begins.

Acting as the portal to Los Angeles’ best new hidden gem, this speakeasy front actually functions as a retail store – selling such elusive items as special edition guitars and collector art.

Once passed the treasure trove, you’ll find the most elegant and illustrious restaurant and lounge waiting for you beyond its doors. It’s obvious throughout this two-story establishment that grandeur is at the epicenter of its appeal.

Luxurious Design at Beauty & Essex

According to the original New York B&E design firm, AVROKO, Beauty & Essex was modeled after a “fashion doyenne’s 1930s department store fantasy.” The “fashion doyenne” is rumored to have been the lead designer’s grandmother and the true inspiration came from her Art Deco era jewelry box.

With classic Chanel flare, Beauty & Essex boasts a “jubilee of jewels, feathers, and fur.” Adorned with an 18 ft chandelier in the foyer and a scaping 100,000 string pearl chandelier in the Pearl Lounge, it’s clear Beauty & Essex invokes their “outrageous glamour” ethos to the fullest.

Brought to us by famed Chopped judge and renowned chef, Chris Santos, the menu at B&E is particularly distinguishable. Each location – New York, Las Vegas, and now Los Angeles – have personalized items that play on the city’s culture. For Los Angeles, that means incorporating “South of the Border” flavors.

Pictured above: (left to right) Emerald Gimlet, Chilaquiles, Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup Dumplings, Movie Theatre Sunday

Menu Highlights

MiLLENNiAL was privileged to dine with B&E and experience some of best of these nuances.

Our cocktail of choice: The Beauty Elixir

If you are a fan of gin – and even if you’re not – you will LOVE this cocktail! Summer could not have chosen a better drink. With ingredients that include Bulldog Gin, Cucumber, Strawberry, and Rose Sparkling Wine, you’ll feel refreshed and emboldened by this choice.

Our appetizer winners: Chili Relleno Empanadas & Mexican Street Corn Ravioli

Stuffed with a delicious manchego cheese and just the right amount of poblano (the famous Mexican chili pepper), these little gourmet empanada starters were the perfect combination of light and fluffy.
But the true stand out was the ravioli. With poblano crema and jalepeno cotija, each bit offered the right amount of sweet and spicy, making this a classic staple of the Hollywood-based restaurant.

Our main entree: 24oz Bone-in Ribeye

Definitely worth sharing, this steak comes with four signature sauces, of which, the truffle hollandaise was the best! Cooked Medium, the steak cut like butter and tasted robustly flavorful. We paired the Ribeye with Broccolini, which came in a garlic chili sauce, and added a nice and healthy bite to the carnivorous dish.

While Tao Restaurant might have stolen the initial glory from the group’s opening, it is Beauty and Essex that is the real diamond. From the rapturous ambiance to the decadent menu, Beauty & Essex is the quintessential star of Hollywood in 2017…not to mention the place to be seen this summer.

Originally published on July 2017