With nearly a century of celebrity-studded history under its belt, the Chateau Marmont is the living, breathing embodiment of Hollywood, old and new alike. In 1929, the French-inspired hotel opened on Sunset Boulevard; in the decades since, the Chateau has earned a well-deserved reputation for glamour and mystique. Entire books have been written on the famous actors, musicians, industry execs and other creatives that have slept, partied and even died within its walls. Recently, Miley Cyrus hosted a private concert at the Chateau for close friends, family and a handful of lucky superfans; prestige TV showrunner Ryan Murphy redecorated two different suites; and Doja Cat was snapped sitting inside the lobby, deep in conversation. Every year, countless high-profile parties and magazine launches are hosted in the lobby, including Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s annual Oscars afterparty.
The restaurant and bar attached to the hotel are far more recent additions. In 1995, current owner André Balazs added Bar Marmont, a cocktail bar down the street, which reopened at some point after the pandemic but remains closed as of writing. The ground floor restaurant followed in 2003. In 2020, Balazs briefly considered converting the entire hotel into a members-only club and laid off the majority of the staff after they attempted to unionize. (A deal was eventually reached in 2022, and the hotel is still in operation today.)
Honestly, there’s more scandal, gossip and tabloid fodder related to the Chateau Marmont than I could possibly summarize here. As a food and drink editor, however, what intrigued me most about the hotel was the on-site restaurant. Was the food as uniformly mediocre as the equally iconic Sunset Tower across the street? Were the celebrities as abundant as online reports claimed? How much of a scene could it possibly be? I decided to find out.
Wedding and other private event bookings notwithstanding, dinner remains the last frontier of exclusivity for the Chateau Marmont, which now offers daytime reservations on Resy. Despite the hotel’s snobbish aura, just about anyone can visit the Chateau Marmont for the relatively low cost of a pricey hotel restaurant meal. (Technically, you could also book an overnight stay at the hotel, which starts at a nightly rate of $695 on weekdays and an eye-popping $4,000 a night on weekends.)
My first attempt at scoring a dinner reservation started the old-fashioned way: a phone call. The person who answered politely informed me that the Chateau takes reservations two weeks in advance. I called 15 days in advance of the day I wanted to book, so I called back the next night and was able to secure a relatively late 8:45pm dinner reservation for a Wednesday evening. “You’re also welcome to come half an hour early for drinks,” the reservationist said. In the grand scheme of L.A. reservations, this was remarkably easy. I imagine snagging a table might be more difficult on weekends, and is likely a complete nonstarter when the ground floor is booked out for magazine parties and the like.
Despite my L.A. native status, I’ve only visited the Chateau twice before. Years ago, I spent the better part of an evening hanging out in a suite of a friend of a friend who had flown in from Berlin. More recently, last summer, I assembled an entire michelada poolside at a brand activation party organized by Dos Hombres—the mezcal label owned by Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul. Both experiences were quite fun for me, but neither of them reflects what the average non-guest can reasonably expect on a visit to the Chateau.
The night of my reservation, my friend and I arrived, standing in the cobblestone driveway of the storied hotel. We walked up to the host stand stationed outside, where the first thing anyone asked as we attempted to set foot on the premises was if we had a reservation. We did, and thus were granted access to the fairly small entrance hall, where faded Persian rugs and other vaguely Old World pieces of furniture give way to another host stand guarding the actual lobby and courtyard. Across from the host stand, you’ll find the lobby bar (not to be confused with Bar Marmont, which is entirely separate) and the bathrooms.
While discretion and privacy have long been part of the Chateau’s reputation, no member of the staff informed me of any particular photography policy. It’s possible that the definition of what those terms mean has evolved in the age of smartphones and social media—and while I did my best to avoid taking pictures of anyone’s faces during my stay in the name of general privacy, I was able to take discreet photos of the actual space, my friend and our meal.
I was hoping for a chance to soak up the scene at the bar before our meal, but the host immediately led us to our outdoor bistro-style wicker table. It was a slightly chilly evening in early June, and the entirety of the courtyard was still enclosed. The plastic covering did little to detract from the downright enchanting, garden-like atmosphere. Several tables were empty, but the restaurant still felt lively.
Part of me wondered if we’d lost out a little on not being seated indoors, within the lobby itself. A quick trip to the bathroom alleviated those concerns. The outdoor tables closest to the wall were occupied by a large party, and the ambience was much nicer in the courtyard proper. Though seemingly held for reservations, the lounge-style seating in the lobby was mostly vacant. Then again, the couches and armchairs would have made it difficult to sit down for an actual meal.
For me, the closest visual comparison to the Chateau’s courtyard might be Soho House in Paris, which I realize doesn’t help most readers imagine the feel of the space. Other iconic L.A. hotel eateries like Tower Bar (inside Sunset Tower) and the Polo Lounge (at the Beverly Hills Hotel) also offer old-school cool vibes, but out of all classic Old Hollywood hangouts, my dark horse favorite is now the Chateau. The abundance of greenery, curtained dividers, and array of seating choices easily make it the most inviting among L.A.’s iconic hotel eateries.
The Chateau doesn’t post its restaurant menus online, but I’d gleaned an idea of what to expect from the hundreds of detailed online reviews posted about meals there. Like most other hotels, the fare here is familiar, pricey and aims to please. The full menu, which I’ve included below, encompasses classics like Caesar salad and yellowtail crudo, plus what I like to call the Four Horsemen of Hotel Dining: A chicken, a fish, a steak and a burger. The signature cocktails start at $20 and above, putting prices on par with those of other establishments on the Sunset Strip.
We ordered two drinks from our friendly server: A $21 cocktail called the Tokyo Teese and a dirty vodka martini made with Belvedere (which turned out to be $29). By the time he came back to take our food order, we were slightly buzzed. I also had the game plan for our meal: the guacamole and chips ($18), the spicy tuna tartare ($33), the spaghetti bolognese ($39), the linguini and clams ($39) and a side of fries ($12). If it wouldn‘t have completely blown through my budget, I would have been tempted to upgrade to the “Make it Fun, Get a Big One” version of the bolognese ($120), just to see what it looked like.
Surprisingly, the food was good— both better than I'd initially expected, and better than it needed to be. The guacamole and chips were straight and to the point, and the nori crisps and some cucumber slices were a nice addition to the not-so-spicy but refreshing tuna tartare. Our mains and a side of fries arrived less than 30 minutes after placing our order. Both the bolognese and the linguini turned out to be delicious, faithful versions of the Italian American classics. The linguini boasted an ample ring of clams and our server shaved a small mountain of Parmesan cheese atop of the bolognese. The fries were also crispy and well-made.
Once we’d polished off our apps and mains, my friend opted for the Dusk Til Dawn ($22), the Chateau’s tequila espresso martini, and I ordered a chamomile tea ($14). We split the Nutty Chewy Sticky Gooey ($18), the most popular dessert on the menu. Consisting of peanut butter gelato, brownie bites, pretzels and hot fudge, the sundae is a pure, unbridled amalgamation of everything five-year-old you would’ve loved. Now that you’re older, you can finally have it, at least if you visit the Chateau Marmont.
While I saw plenty of multi-generational parties and immaculately dressed pairs at the Chateau Marmont on my visit, I didn’t recognize any A-list guests. The night I visited, the hotel compensated for the lack of star power in other ways. Partway through the evening, a trio of musicians began playing in the lobby, their music filtering into the courtyard and adding to the overall charm.
On my trip to the bathroom, I lingered for a moment in the lobby bar, watching the stylishly dressed clientele lounge about with their drinks, and felt a little wistful that we didn't have time to hang out in the area. The handsome wood paneling, the glass shelves full of liquor and drinkware, the dim lighting—it’s easily one of the coolest hotel bars in L.A. Like the restaurant itself, it’s only accessible by reservation. I made a mental note as I returned to my table to find my way to the lobby bar another evening.
In an altogether unexpected turn of events, I left the Chateau deeply satisfied with my meal. As a person who visits restaurants and bars for a living, I generally pooh-pooh eateries best known for their vibes, but the Chateau Marmont is one of the few exceptions. The hotel eatery is definitely a vibes-first institution, but even someone with zero knowledge of celebrity culture or industry history would appreciate eating a simple meal in the courtyard. Plus, the straightforward menu was solid and the service was excellent. If you’re a fan of Old Hollywood or in a parasocial relationship with a celebrity, even better—dinner lets you microdose the glamour of an actual overnight stay, all for a fraction of the price.