The Cannibal LA Delivers on Its Name With a Confident Industrial Design

As a restaurant with a very visceral name, the Cannibal LA had to appear equally dramatic. It needed to conjure the menu, a goes-without-saying comprehensive list of meats and beers, but it also had to be astute. Since the restaurant is set in the burgeoning Hayden Tract neighborhood of Culver City, where clever artistry is a calling card, the place couldn't just get by with the expected black leather and dark woods. "The overall goal was to disrupt the space," said founder and owner E. Christian Pappanicholas. The result is a palette of industrial materials that unite to create a confident, carefully intertwined design. High ceilings accented in wheat-toned wooden frames enclose smooth concrete walls and floor-to-ceiling windows. And upon closer look, copper light fixtures by local Studio MAI hang above stained white oak tables and porter-colored floors. It's a muted, controlled aesthetic, but it's not without some whimsy. "The artwork is from Pee-wee's Big Adventure — it's the opening dream sequence where he is winning the Tour de France," Pappanicholas said. Given that dramatic edge is a defining feature of the restaurant, it's important to have a touch of humor.