Arriving at the North Rodeo Drive address, they make their way up the sweeping staircase to the third-floor layout, which overlooks a lush multistory garden designed in collaboration with landscape architect Peter Wertz. Designed by Peter Marino, the restaurant evokes the elegance of Dior’s historic store at 30 Avenue Montaigne – yet crafted with a distinctly Californian flavor. Its airy spaces swirl in shades of green and chartreuse in an ode to Christian Dior’s beloved gardens. And as for a nod to the new, the floor plays the backdrop to Dior Maison, a home decor offering. Guests were quick to check out the trompe lil plates reissued by Jonathan Anderson. It’s the same design that doubled as an invitation to its first show last month.
Pre-dinner cocktails were served under a canopy of white rose petals on the bar area’s curved ebony and vinyl counters. Monsieur Dior’s favorite bloom. The party soon spilled into the dining room, where a dramatic 28-foot work by Nicole Wittenberg anchors the space. Dinner began with a caviar service and savory buckwheat medallions, served on tables dressed in crisp white linens and set with porcelain and crystal glassware furnished in Dior’s signature cage pattern.
When it came to crafting the menu, Michelin-starred chef Dominic Crane drew deeply from the Dior archives. “I went to the archive and the atelier — to understand the craftsmanship, the story and what’s beyond,” says America’s only female chef to hold three Michelin stars. Vogue. “It’s not just about fashion – there’s a lot more behind it. I wanted to see how I could get my DNA into theirs.”
The result is a smorgasbord of food and fashion that pays homage to signature Dior moments: tuna tartare filled with purple yam chips and eggplant layered with crème fraîche recalls the tulle gown worn by Emilia Clarke at Cannes in 2018; Black truffle agnolotti with mushrooms capped off Charlize Theron’s Golden Jaydore campaign. Maitake mushroom and turnip ear with guinea fowl inspired by the shimmering gold lamé sheath of Laetitia casta from 2003. and a Rabi hat with cauliflower puree and truffle, referencing a photo of Marilyn Monroe from a 1962 issue of Vogue. “I’ve worked on it for the last three years,” Crane said. “Everything is a story on a plate.”
The true showstopper of the night hit the table like the finale on the runway: a canine-topped chocolate mousse by Crain’s longtime partner, pâtissier Juan Contreras, modeled after Princess Diana and her Lady Dior bag.
