V is for Victory: V DTLA

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Part restaurant, part social club, V DTLA is a seductive and welcoming space in the middle of downtown that encourages all day hangs and feeds body and soul.

There’s a new wind blowing through the design-scape and it’s knocking down the spare, industrial vibe in favor of something brighter, softer and sexier. Color and pattern, upholstery and greenery are back. Just consider V DTLA, birthed in Stockholm, which bills itself a social dining hub.

All images courtesy of V DTLA

All traces of Malo restaurant, the former occupant, have been erased. In its place, co-founder Christian Lagerlöf and Benjamin Calleja of Livit, have created an all-dining dining destination that uncovers the visual legacy of Brock Jewelry Store’s opulent two-level space to stunning effect. The 5,600 square foot restaurant, tucked just under the Seven Grand Whiskey Bar on 7th Street in downtown, is a breathtakingly temple to beauty and comfort that bewitches and beguiles. Commandeer one of the private spaces along the perimeter of the restaurant, convene a meeting upstairs in the lounge overlooking the main space, or cluster around the tables downstairs. Stay all day? Without a doubt.

Christened after the Roman numeral 5 and in honor of the five senses, V DTLA doesn’t disappoint in its objectives. Visually compelling and comfortable, it dazzles with smells and tastes from morning — with the aroma of coffee from Vagabond Coffee Company and fresh pastries from Mr. Holmes Bakehouse — through lunch — dominated by Genovese-style sourdough pizza, quick-fired in a custom-built oven imported from Italy — through bright, tasty cocktails at happy hour then on to more pizzas, salads and inventive, shareable plates for dinner and late into the night (it’s open until 11 during the week, midnight on Fridays and Saturdays). Technology, via an app and the use of geo-fencing, pulls the dining and ordering experience into the future. So, too, does sustainability, with minimal meat options on the menu and a ‘no disposable plastic’ policy bringing a new world sensibility to a restaurant that brings back old world grandeur.

The centerpiece of the space is the oval bar, crowned by an vivacious headpiece of plants, encircled by green tiles and lit from within, that dominates the front of the first floor. Led by Calleja, the design team turned the jewelry store’s former vault into a private dining room, uncovered the ornate original ceiling and repurposed the beautifully-carved art deco mahogany display cases. The elegance of exuberant marble accent walls, fossilized wood table tops and plush chairs and couches upholstered in saturated hues, is playfully interrupted by ebullient graffiti, courtesy of Spanish artists, Pichi & Avo, and punctuated by art works. The disparate juxtapositions shake the space into vibrant life.

“Our focus has been to create an oasis in the city, a home away from home, and an all-day space that invites guests to socialize no matter the time of day,” notes Calleja. “We have traveled the world sourcing the best materials, furniture and décor, collecting unique design and art features to enhance the already magnificent Brock and Company jewelry space––all of which helps create an emotional connection with all five senses.” 

V DTLA, 515 West, 7th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014, open at 7 am on weekdays and 10 am on weekends and until 11 during the week, midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.