Like its predecessor, the new menu channels a similar light and playful theme, with a fresh lineup of dishes that might include a seaweed meringue in the shape of a fish with caviar and smoked butter or a dessert course inspired by Randy’s Donuts. A wine cellar curated by wine director Caroline Costarella (formerly of San Francisco’s Lazy Bear) and general manager Daniel Gorlas (formerly of Per Se) features over 300 bottles, and two wine pairings, priced at $225 and $415, are available with dinner. The current tasting menu is set at $495 without pairings, though Zabala says he may one day offer a shorter tasting menu at a lower price. Until then, the restaurant remains one of the most competitive reservations in town and is booked through early March.
Kick off the new year with an elaborate Spanish tasting menu at Somni — if you can score a reservation. The restaurant’s previous iteration within the SLS hotel rose to become one of the nation’s top fine-dining destinations, earning a spot on the 101 Best Restaurant guide in 2018 and 2019, before closing in summer 2020. In 2022, chef Aitor Zabala announced plans to reopen the restaurant as a sole-chef proprietor in West Hollywood. In late November, he made good on that promise, reopening Somni as a chic, 14-seat restaurant within the former Bazaar space.