Upon arrival to the North Rodeo Drive address, they made their way up the sweeping staircase to the third-floor setting, which overlooks a lush multi-story garden created in collaboration with landscape architect Peter Wirtz. Designed by Peter Marino, the restaurant is reminiscent of the elegance of Dior’s historic boutique at 30 Avenue Montaigne—albeit seasoned with a distinctly Californian flavor. Its airy spaces are awash in shades of green and chartreuse in an ode to Christian Dior’s beloved gardens. And as for nodding to the new, the floor pays backdrop to Dior Maison, the home décor offering. Guests quickly spotted the reissued trompe-l’œil plates by Jonathan Anderson—the very same designs that doubled as the invite to his debut show last month.
Pre-dinner, cocktails were served at the bar area’s curved ebony-and-onyx counter, beneath a ceiling of white rose petals; Monsieur Dior’s favorite bloom. The party soon flowed into the dining room, where a dramatic 28-foot work by Nicole Wittenberg anchors the space. Dinner began with caviar service and savory buckwheat madeleines, presented on tables dressed in crisp white linen and set with porcelain and crystal glassware rendered in Dior’s signature Cannage pattern.
When it came to crafting the menu, Michelin-starred chef Dominique Crenn has drawn deeply from the Dior archives. “I went to the archive and to the atelier—to understand the craftsmanship, the story, and what lies beyond,” Crenn, the only female chef in the U.S. to hold three Michelin stars, told Vogue. “It’s not just about fashion—there’s so much more behind it. I wanted to see how I could bring my DNA to their DNA.”
The result is a smorgasbord of food and fashion that pays homage to signature Dior moments: tuna tartare with purple yam chips and crème fraîche recall the layered eggplant-hued tulle gown worn by Emilia Clarke at Cannes in 2018; black truffle agnolotti with mushroom consommé evokes Charlize Theron’s golden J’Adore campaign; Guinea hen with maitake mushrooms and turnip was inspired by Laetitia Casta’s shimmering gold lamé sheath from Cannes 2003; and a ribeye cap with cauliflower purée and truffle, references a Marilyn Monroe image from a 1962 issue of Vogue.“I’ve worked on this for the last three years,” Crenn said. “Everything is a story on the plate.”
The true showstopper of the night hit the table like a finale on the runway: a Cannage-topped chocolate mousse by pâtissier Juan Contreras, Crenn’s longtime collaborator, modeled after Princess Diana and her Lady Dior bag.
