Freds At Barney’s Goes LA
Author:Candace AbbottLos Angeles: city of angels, home to Hollywood, year-round summer, and an unfaltering town of who’s who. But if you want to be in the know right now, the two names you should be familiar with are Barney and Fred. Between these names, fashion, culinary, and unmistakable design collide.
Barney’s New York in Beverly Hills recently unveiled Freds, a fresh approach to California cuisine (drawing from the beloved Freds in NYC and Chicago) and a new take on restaurant design, compliments of Steven Harris Architects, with a non-traditional use of color and texture.
Sharing a the floor with men’s designer clothing and an impressive men’s shoe department, Freds sits on the fifth floor of the store and thanks to that, offers unrivaled vistas of the city and the lush Hollywood Hills. Obviously this was no accident. Interior design firm Rees Roberts + Partners sought to create a location that played up the natural beauty of Los Angeles employing not only terraces perfect for SoCal al fresco dining and white wine sipping, but a wealth of natural light and hues that speak to the spirit of LA.
The restaurant’s space manages to blend comfort with luxury in a multitude of ways, one being a custom greige onyx bar that shares space with plush cornflower blue bar chairs and a mirrored backdrop. Not too far off are tufted, velvety blue banquets that mix and mingle with an exclusively commissioned art piece by beloved contemporary artist, Rob Pruitt. Speaking the language of California, Rob created a four-panel mural that features varying gradient colors. And if you don’t speak “California,” the art leaves you wanting to learn the language. He perfectly captures emotion, feelings of optimism, and the power of light through his ethereal piece. From there you’ll catch sight of a dining room that is all style, all day with deep chartreuse furnishings and overhead orbital lighting to amp up the sexy.
The eats are equally as impressive as overseen by Executive Chef Mark Strausman. Strausman has developed an Italian-inspired menu that offers a sunny California twist on otherwise traditional menu items. An absolute must, the Beverly Hills Club with shrimp, crab, avocado, bacon, lettuce, and tomato served on seven-grain bread along with Belgian pomme frites – an ode to the famous zip code with all of its panache. And naturally, the wait staff is aptly outfitted sporting stylish uniforms from Band Of Outsiders and shoes designed by Common Projects. You can also expect dishes and behind the scenes interior and kitchen shots to show up on Freds dedicated Instagram channel. This is Barney’s afterall and it is LA…even your lunch has a headshot.
