Oh no! ‘¦ Darren’s Restaurant in Manhattan Beach, a longtime favorite in the South Bay, will temporarily close its doors on June 30. The good news!’¦The restaurant will reopen July 11, completely re-imagined by chef/owner Darren Weiss.
The new Darren’s will feature a brighter, more contemporary interior designed to encourage a sense of community, with a large community table as a centerpiece and a new menu that offers small and large plates to be shared.
In case you have not seen the scaffolding, a portion of the renovation has already begun. The facade has been demolished to make way for a new floor to ceiling exterior. However, the restaurant will remain open through June 29 to welcome loyal customers to its intimate interior for “last chance” dinners that celebrate the restaurant’s nearly seven years of dining excellence.
A revamped interior space will be light and airy, boasting cool tones of beige and sand complimented by accents of Pacific Rim teal. The wall that separated the main dining area from the indoor patio will disappear to open up the restaurant. And, the new floor to ceiling glass exterior will engage passersby while showcasing a fresh, modern European ambiance.
The new menu will feature seasonal, Euro-inspired dishes embracing the freshest of local and exotic ingredient designed to connect guests over a collection of small and large plates. Among the new menu items will be a seasonally prepared Northern Alaskan Halibut infused with Bamboo Salt and served with Heirloom Tomato Fondue. Additionally, the new menu will feature a Northeast Scallop entree served with Fungi Risotto and Braised Leeks that will undoubtedly have guests asking for seconds.
Jonathan Dahl, house mixologist will return, along with Nadia Pavlevska, the sommelier to help guests select their perfect pairings. The two pride themselves on creating the seamless balance between Darren’s culinary creations and the large selection of wine and cocktails offered at Darren’s.
posted by: Eric Fujimori
6/25/14