Galerie Channels the Spirit of the Sunset Strip in its Heyday
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For decades, the Sunset Strip has been synonymous with nightlife. Legendary spots like the Chateau Marmont, Whiskey A Go-Go, and the Comedy Store invoke eras of glitz, glam, and excess in all forms. Establishing yourself as a newcomer on the Strip is no easy task. Even so, the crew behind Galerie, a new restaurant that balances itself neatly between elegant bistro, retro bar, and culture hub, is up for the challenge. In fact, they want to take things a step further.
“We really thought there was a need for a fresh concept—one that’s catering to a younger demographic,” says co-owner Trae Meyer-Whalley. For him and business partner Simon Pompan, that concept was less clubby than what the Strip is known for, and more restaurant-focused. They wanted somewhere “you could go on any given night and while you may not know everybody, there’s a common sensibility to the crowd,” explains Meyer-Whalley, who was inspired by the cultural melting pot of ‘80s-era downtown New York.
It’s a heady idea, but an inventive one. And it has been catching on. Even before its official opening, buzz has been building around the restaurant, and previews led to a flurry of social media posts. But none of this means the food and drinks are an afterthought. The bar, helmed by one of the industry’s most regarded names, is serving up old school cocktails (think Harvey Wallbangers), playing to Galerie’s throwback vibes. Meanwhile, the menu is stacked with classic American favorites done with a California twist, including one of the best new burgers in the city.
Before you have a night out at this Sunset Strip stunner, here’s everything you need to know about Galerie.
The ’70s (And ’80s) Are Back!
While Meyer-Whalley and Pompan may only be in their mid-twenties, stories of the Strip loom large in their minds. “I grew up in Los Angeles with my parents telling me about all the fun that they had on the Sunset Strip in the ’80s, going to see rock-and-roll bands and all these sorts of things,” explained Meyer-Whalley. Galerie is meant to capture that “general ethos of an era where music, fashion, entertainment, hospitality were a lot more intertwined and thrived on the Strip,” he says.
The menu skews sharable and classic
The food is overseen by executive chef Gabriel Lindsey (formerly of Venice Beach’s Dudley Market), and chef/partner Ben Ford (who brought the gastropub to L.A. with Ford’s Filling Station). Lindsey’s burger at Dudley Market was a stand-out for Meyer-Whalley, as was his way around the grill. What both chefs bring is a reverence for unstuffy, communal dining and a mastery of American bistro cuisine. As such, the menu at Galerie is designed to be both familiar and very shareable. It emphasizes dining as a social activity, which is very much in line with the vibe-forward ethos here.
Some items on the opening menu include a bluefin tuna tartare served in lettuce cups with a bright dash of ponzu, already a hit. For something more substantial, try the French onion-inspired burger, featuring a thick Cream Co. beef shoulder patty with caramelized onions and a rich beef stock and fermented black garlic sauce adding to the umami flavor. “When I had it in our first tasting, I said it was the best burger I’ve ever tried,” Meyer-Whalley says. If the pendulum is swinging back from the thin, crispy smash burger, then let this juicy pub burger lead the charge.
You’ll also find a few salads and vegetable dishes, including a cucumber Caesar and an eggplant milanese. The larger mains include a New York strip steak with roasted Jimmy Nardello peppers, a half roasted chicken with jus, and a lumache pasta with preserved truffle and black pepper.
Drinks Evoke Another Era
Galerie’s cocktail programming is helmed by Dushan Zaric, co-founder of Employees Only, a frequent contender on the World’s Best cocktail list.
At Galerie, Zaric’s menu combines modern cocktails with nods to ‘70s-era classics. Find a retro Harvey Wallbanger (vodka, Galliano liquor, and orange juice) and Flying Grasshopper (a dessert cocktail of vodka with creme de menthe and creme de cacao), along with classics like a well-made martini, and more creative concoctions like the Double Take (mezcal, pea powder, elderflower, and passionfruit). While cocktails are the emphasis, if that’s not your thing, there’s a tight wine list with bottles mainly from California and France, and one-off specialized European brands and local craft beers like Mischief and Skyduster on tap, along with bottles of Stella and Peroni. There are also some non-alcoholic drinks, like the herbaceous Clean Sheet (chamomile, fig, and elderflower tonic).
Don’t Miss the Vintage Photo Booth
Jake Santelli and Brandon Quattrone led the design team for Galerie, which is heavily inspired by the glamour of Old Hollywood, mixed with a little Euro flair. The front patio is clad in cream and burgundy tiles. That color palette extends into the space itself, where luxurious burgundy leather booths act as cozy pockets. “The outside couches were inspired by Italian designer Carlos Scarpa,” Meyer-Whalley says. “They are a rework of one of his very famous couches [the Cornaro] from the ’70s.”
Vintage lighting pieces illuminate the space along with chrome tabletops and chairs. There’s an intimate two-top by the bar that is a perfect date-night spot. Back on the patio, “we have a proper analog photobooth,” adds Meyer-Whalley, one of just a few hundred left operating in the world.
Art and Music Are the Point
Galerie has installed vintage 1970s speakers to play vinyl records. Expect live jazz at least once a week, and a live DJ spinning another one or two nights a week. As for the art on the walls? It is for sale. Tyler Santangelo, who ran Allgorithm for many years, curates what’s exhibited. The art currently on display is all by Samual Elliot Phillips—a local Gen Z artist whose large canvases appear like collages of film strips even though they’re painted. “We are the first physical space to ever feature his work,” says Meyer-Whalley.
The art will continue to rotate over time, and “it’s really the first thing that people notice when they walk into the space,” he adds. “When I say we want to be a cultural hub, it’s not just for show — the first three pages of our cocktail menu is an essay about the artist.”
That lively spirit is apparent even at the curb, where diners spill out to share a smoke, a drink, or a chat. And isn’t that that what you want from a restaurant on the Sunset Strip?
