Iconic Clifton’s Cafeteria Reopens in Downtown Los Angeles

Fiona Chandra

Downtown L.A. has a new hotspot and it is a major one. After $14 million and 4 years of renovation, the oldest cafeteria in Los Angeles has reopened and transformed itself into a multi-concept dining and drinking destination. Each of the restaurants and bars inside Clifton’s has their own character while preserving Clifton’s historic look and vision.

This historic and expansive space in downtown Los Angeles originally opened as Clifton’s Brookdale back in 1935. It was a theme restaurant with a big mission to delight people during the Great Depression. To say the décor was over-the-top would be an understatement. The 16,000 square feet space was transformed into a forest with faux redwood trees, scenic mural, and even a 20-foot waterfall. The restaurant was sold in 2010 to Andrew Meieran, a businessman who opened The Edison. Meieran is a preservationist at heart and maintained much of Clifton’s charm including the building’s original stained concrete façade.

The newly revamped Clifton’s Cafeteria houses many concepts in one building across their four floors. The basement is appropriately occupied by a speakeasy bar, Shadowbox. The ground floor houses the cafeteria serving classics like Waldorf salad along with The Mill bakery and a gift shop offering California products. While the hours are now limited, they are expanding the operational hours continuously. The menu at the cafeteria is the work of Chef Jason Fullilove, previously of Malibu Pier, and inspired by the collection of Clifton’s original recipes that Fullilove found in the file drawers. The second floor is the Monarch Bar, serving craft beers and soda floats and houses the major attraction of Clifton’s Cafeteria. The 40-foot fake redwood tree whose branches go up to the ceilings. The branches are also reinforced to hold aerialists.

The third floor is the Gothic Bar, made from a redesigned 19th century gothic altar, a perfect setting to sip some craft cocktails created by Damian Windsor and Dustin Newsome. Private events can also be held on the third floor at the Clinton Hall ballroom. The fourth floor is still under renovation but will soon house a steakhouse and a tiki-themed bar. In each floor you may find murals, dioramas, fossilized dinosaur eggs, and other curiosities. Eighty years after Clifton’s Brookdale original opening, the space now continues to delight Angelenos, hopefully for many years to come.

Clifton’s Cafeteria is located at 648 S. Broadway, Los Angeles CA. More information click here.