During its four decades in West Hollywood, the Palm Restaurant was the place to be seen, even if you were shooting a movie halfway across the globe. Caricatures of more than 2,000 celebrities and power brokers covered the walls, a tradition that can be traced back to the Depression and the original Palm in midtown Manhattan. When starving artists couldn’t afford the tab, they paid for their meals by sketching local celebs.
The Palm Beverly Hills has just moved into spanking new digs in Beverly Hills, but with a few exceptions, including Farrah Fawcett, Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty, those caricatures didn’t make the trip. Instead, the drawings were cut out of the plaster drywall and given to the people who inspired them. A huge mural celebrating LA landmarks is the artistic focal point of the new 6,000-square-foot restaurant.
I was invited to a press dinner just a few days after The Palm Beverly Hills opened. The new space, with its exposed bow-and-truss ceiling, is filled with light and gorgeous. Every table, including what are sure to become coveted booths, has a full view of the action. What we saw that night was a felicitous crowd of longtime patrons enjoying a menu that had all their familiar favorites like aged prime beef, chicken parmigiana, gargantuan lobsters from Nova Scotia, creamed spinach and slices of chocolate cake the size of a loaf of a bread. There are also some new, less-indulgent items on the menu—a kale salad, salmon with quinoa tabbouleh and grilled chicken paillard.
The restaurant seats 185 including two private dining rooms that allow guests to be a part of the festive scene while still enjoying their own space. The James Dean room, in the front of the restaurant, has glass walls as well as metal drapery that can be drawn; it seats 12. The Regal Beagle, in the rear of the dining room, can accommodate 22 for a sit-down dinner, 35 for a reception; it has floor-to-ceiling glass doors.
With talent agencies and entertainment companies within walking distance, the Palm Beverly Hills is being booked for holiday parties and Variety bought out the whole space for their annual Dealmaker’s Breakfast.
The Palm Beverly Hills still retains its Charlie’s Angels-era vibe—it opened in 1975—especially at the bar where retro globe table lamps provide flattering lighting and the cocktails have names like Strawberry Fields, Texas Kicker, Little Vixen and Sin City Kiss.
