Spartina — Los Angeles, USA

Los Angeles-based interior designer Heather Ashton has joined forces with chef Stephen Kalt - of Iron Chef fame - to launch Spartina, a re-introduction of the restaurant Kalt originally opened in New York’s Tribeca neigbourhood in the 1990s. In the L.A. rendition - located on a stretch of Melrose Avenue that’s having its own resurgence - Kalt marries Italian dishes with ingredients from the region’s local farmers’ markets.
The result: a Cal-Ital trattoria that puts more emphasis on fresh and seasonal than checking all of the expected Italian-restaurant boxes. Dishes like grilled avocado with Moroccan lemon, Calabrian chilies and ricotta salata feel rooted in an Italian cooking heritage, yet with a decidedly Californian flourish.
To match the tone set by Spartina’s menu, Ashton has created a well-considered, unfussy and easy-going aesthetic; the almost industrial space - with concrete floors and exposed beam ceiling - is made warm with the addition of natural elements like wood wall cladding, leather-embellished seating and plenty of live greenery. French blue tables and cabinetry lend a hit of colour to the restaurant’s otherwise neutral palette, while landscape photography taken by Kalts wife, Shelley, is also on display.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
7505 Melrose Avenue
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Douglas Hill
-
Serious cyclists now have serious options, courtesy of two new models from Canyon
With two new bikes, the Endurace: ONfly e-bike and Endurance: AllRoad, Canyon is innovating with both price and performance
-
New members’ club Beihouse revives Beirut’s architectural heritage
Following the devastating 2020 explosion, three 19th-century homes in Gemmayzeh become a social hub balancing cultural memory with contemporary luxury
-
Aman New York unveils exclusive US Open-themed experience
Aman’s ‘Season of Champions’ pairs Grand Slam action with personalised recovery and performance treatments designed by Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova
-
Aman New York unveils exclusive US Open-themed experience
Aman’s ‘Season of Champions’ pairs Grand Slam action with personalised recovery and performance treatments designed by Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova
-
Caribbean cool meets mid-century glamour at this new LA hotspot
From golden mirrored chambers to jerk-spiced tomahawk steaks, Lucia reimagines Afro-Caribbean dining and design
-
Classic New York restaurants for delicious food and inspired design
From Michelin-starred fine dining to reimagined retro diners, these are the most emblematic (and easy-on-the-eye) places to eat in the Big Apple
-
Inside Hotel Chelsea’s secret basement sushi restaurant
Teruko, a new Japanese restaurant and sushi bar in Hotel Chelsea, marks the final jewel in the hotel’s years-long transformation
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Fouquet’s New York: a lush, urban cocoon for the 21st century
Set in the heart of Tribeca, Fouquet’s New York balances French-inspired refinement and cosiness
-
This surreal new seafood restaurant in LA is the stuff of mermaid’s dreams
At Cento Raw Bar, delectable fare is complemented by playful, oceanic interiors by Brandon Miradi
-
At The Ned Nomad in New York, home comforts meet a lively atmosphere
This hotel and social club is a vibrant hub of hospitality that evokes 1920s glamour for members and visitors alike
-
How Melrose Hill became LA’s hottest art district
A billionaire developer, renowned art dealers and cutting-edge restaurateurs have come together to reinvigorate this vibrant – and walkable – neighbourhood