Blue Velvet is housed in a former Holiday Inn (now a trendy apartment space), but this is not exactly your average hotel restaurant. A sleek, dazzling interior showcases a stellar view of downtown L.A. The iron-, stone- and glass-laden décor sports ambiance-enhancing quirks aplenty, including a glowing pool deck and the vast co-ed bathroom with bonsai planters –an absolute must-visit in the L.A. bathroom tour experience. Two lounges, one red and one blue, are packed with young urbanites, each with their brightly colored martini of choice. Despite what the complexly designed interior and trendy crowd might suggest, Blue Velvet is not just about the scene: The kitchen excels as well. Crispy sweetbreads and Kurobuta pork belly are among creative appetizers. Entrées include Guinea hen, braised tofu and lamb rack with gnocchi and baby artichokes. Full bar. Serving lunch Mon–Fri, dinner nightly.
Where the Locals Eat rating
Top 100 Restaurant, Los Angeles
"First among equals and not a crab cake in sight, Blue Velvet is a hyperdesigned lounge fitted into the ground floor of a former Holiday Inn, all glass and iron wrapped around a glowing swimming pool that turns every vantage into a David Hockney painting. ... From a spot by the window, downtown is as glamorous as the view from a penthouse in a Fred Astaire picture."
– Jonathan Gold, Los Angeles Weekly
"This restaurant takes a low-key approach to its green principles, favoring instead a hip, urban setting and contemporary American cuisine to attract a following. The rest – the better-for-you ingredients and eco-friendly materials – well, that's just smart enterprise."
—Whole Life Times
"The food at this 3-month-old spot lives up to its stylish good looks. Executive chef Kris Morningstar ... is turning out polished contemporary cooking with a deft and light hand."
– S. Irene Virbila, Los Angeles Times
"Morningstar likes to have a lot going on in each dish, both in terms of flavor and presentation – a good fit with the stylish Modernist design of this lounge and restaurant."
—Gayot
How others rate Blue Velvet
Zagat 2008
22 Food Rating (Very Good to Excellent)
Los Angeles Weekly
Gold 99, 2007