Clifton’s Republic, formerly the long-running Clifton’s Cafeteria in downtown Los Angeles, recently reopened after it was closed for renovations for about a year.
Time Out magazine recently went to the venue and filed a report:
Once you enter off Broadway, you’ll find yourself in the split-level Brookdale Dining Hall. (The classic cafeteria, much to the dismay of some Clifton’s devotees, is not operational at the time being, but promises to be open for all-ages brunches soon.) You’ll enter through the first-floor Forest Glen area, where faux greenery and rocks, petrified wood, a mural of trees and mahogany leather seating instantly transport you to a woodsy wonderland. Look behind you and you’ll see a cross-section of a redwood; look up, and don’t be startled by the stuffed bear, captured mid-roar. Much of the decor is preserved from the 1930s iteration of the space.
Some beloved Clifton’s landmarks can also be found here, including the Old Tree Wishing Well, the Great Stone Fireplace and the Little Stone Chapel—a turret-like space that you can enter and find a hidden, charming diorama of trees. Anecdotally, this space was said to inspire Walt Disney’s vision for Disneyland—in particular Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. In fact, Brookdale Dining Hall was the first commercial project of modern architect Welton Becket, a close friend of Disney’s who later collaborated with him on some Disney World projects. (Becket was also the mastermind behind the Beverly Hilton, the Cinerama Dome and the Music Center and its venues, so he’s a pretty big deal in L.A. history.)
Head upstairs to the Monarch Lounge, where Clifton’s famous faux redwood is planted, both of which are an homage to California’s last wild Grizzly bear before the species went extinct here. But don’t think about that, because—oh, look!—there’s a disco ball beckoning guests onto a dance floor, right next to a bar serving cocktails with fitting names like the Grizzly, Painted Fern and Firefly. Although there’s a typical nightclub vibe in this space, there are also plenty of quirky touches throughout—artifacts from Clinton’s famed “Cabinet of Curiosities” and little alcoves you can duck into for a quiet conversation. There’s also a Photo Cave—a more spacious photo booth option great for group outings.
There’s more. You can read all about it here. Additional spaces will open at Clifton’s later.
For now, Clifton’s is open Fridays and Saturdays only from 6 p.m. to late, including all-ages until 9 p.m.
Andrew Meieran purchased Clifton’s in 2010 and reopened it in 2015 after about $14 million in renovations on the nearly 80-year-old space. It suffered several setbacks, including the COVID-19 pandemic and a burst water pipe last year that forced more renovations.
Clifton’s opened about 1935 at 648 S. Broadway, near the original western terminus of U.S. 66 before the highway was extended westward to Santa Monica. Clifton’s was part of an eventual eight-restaurant chain.
(Image of Clifton’s Cafeteria in Los Angeles by Michael Li via Flickr)