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It’s an age-old struggle when going to a concert: Do you eat dinner at home before you go, do you find the perfect restaurant near your destination and try to time it perfectly, or do you just fill up on snacks and drinks at the show? I’ve encountered that dilemma several times when seeing a show at the Hollywood Palladium, and while its refreshment offerings are a cut above most—churros, popcorn and predictably pricey cocktails—its new lounge, Vinyl Room, offers a solution for an elevated dinner-and-a-show experience.
Last week, I got the chance to experience Vinyl Room before it opened to the public just in time for the venue’s two sold-out Gorillaz shows, and it was one of the most exciting openings I’ve checked out in a while. The first-of-its-kind lounge and dining destination from Live Nation offers pitch-perfect vibes for concertgoers.
Vinyl Room will be open exclusively on concert nights, beginning 90 minutes before door time and remaining open during and after the night’s show. You enter the restaurant off El Centro Avenue (but there’s also a ramp that provides access straight to the Palladium’s lobby). The room—which used to serve as storage space—was cavernous yet warm, and much bigger than I expected. I had no idea all that square footage was hiding inside the venue, which itself just underwent an extensive renovation in 2023.
Vinyl Room certainly lives up to its name: It’s wallpapered with records by artists who have played the Palladium throughout its 85-year history, from the Beach Boys to Paramore, as well as posters for past Palladium shows, including two—Jack White and Social Distortion—that I was in the audience for myself. A DJ behind the bar was fittingly spinning vinyl the whole night. There are also stacks of eclectic choices that you can flip through (but surprisingly no listening station). There is, however, a roomy photo booth in the back modeled after a recording studio. Once you want to grab a seat, you can choose between a few comfy booths, high-top tables, inviting velvet couches and midcentury armchairs.
But Vinyl Room isn’t all style and no substance. Beyond its design, it’s serving up a delicious menu of Japanese-influenced shareable cuisine from Ryan DeRieux, head of culinary for Live Nation venues, and a bar program with understated, thoughtfully crafted cocktails named after songs, in keeping with the hi-fi listening lounge inspiration.
The star of the show on the menu was the American wagyu skirt steak—it was the best steak I’ve ever eaten at a restaurant—served with a house gochujang steak sauce reminiscent of A.1. Sweet carrots served with a carrot-top chimichurri and cumin granola were another winner, as were the beautiful spicy Caesar salad and blistered shishito peppers I enjoyed as starters. Dessert brings a fun spin on Taiyaki, a traditional Japanese dessert that’s meant to bring good luck. The fish-shaped treats are typically made with waffle batter and filled with red-bean paste. At Vinyl Room, DeRieux uses croissant dough, filling one with hazelnut chocolate spread, one with strawberry jam and one with cookie butter, which you can then dip in chocolate sauce or passion fruit bavarois.
Third-generation bartender and music lover Sean Kenyon spoke eloquently of the synergy between cocktails and music: Both use the same age-old riffs and recipes to create something that’s inspired and new, yet informed by the past. Here, he’s crafted a highball-heavy cocktail menu. I sampled the citrus-forward Superfly, as well as Vinyl Room’s take on an Old Fashioned, made with single-origin Japanese whisky and wakoucha tea syrup, and finally the refreshing, shōchū-based Life on Mars.
Sounds pretty amazing, right? But there’s a bit of a catch: You can’t just stroll in on a show night, order a cocktail and hang out. Well, you can, but it requires upgrading your ticket at the door. Access to the lounge is reserved for Vinyl Room members, or those who add on a one-night lounge pass to their show ticket—which start at $35, though the amount may vary slightly by show. The silver lining: That should keep the space feeling more exclusive and never too crowded. And for a special night out, I’d say it’s worth the investment. I’ll definitely be back myself.