Audrey at the Hammer Creates Cuisine as Artful as the Museum's Other Offerings

Just as hotel restaurants have become a central on-property focus in recent years, so too have museums eateries. Manuela at Hauser & Wirth and Otium at The Broad have set the dining bar high for museumgoers, and Audrey at the Hammer falls right in line. The gorgeous patio is perfect for sit-down dinners, casual cocktails or lunch with the ladies, and the menu—from restaurateur Soa Davies Forrest and chef Lisa Geffen—showcases seasonal Southern California fare rooted in European technique. Think dishes like a sunny citrus salad with rainbow radishes, Castelvetrano olives and pecans; or Baja kampachi crudo with makrut lime leaf, finger lime and chile oil. It’s worth nothing the abundance of vegetarian items, like eggplant steak with trumpet mushrooms and perilla salsa verde as a main dish. Audrey, named after one of the Hammer’s board members, Audrey Irmas, also has a bang-up cocktail menu and funky wine list with lots of biodynamic bottles. Design-wise, the modern interiors land somewhere between the Draycott and Paley, with ample patio space and artwork by renowned Cuban American artist Jorge Pardo. In fact, the space itself is a work of art, perfect for a post-gallery viewing, cocktail in hand. 310.443.7037