Sunset Boulevard has a new reason to dress for dinner. christian’s Wine Bar & Restaurant, the latest venture from longtime Los Angeles wine authority Christian Navarro, has arrived at 9000 Sunset Boulevard with an ambitious cellar, a live-fire kitchen, and a crimson dining room that feels tailor-made for a night on the Strip.
For Navarro, the address represents something of a homecoming. He joined Wally’s, a neighborhood wine shop, in 1991. There he helped develop a model that brought together wine, specialty foods, and dining and helped turn it into one of Los Angeles’ most recognized hospitality destinations. The New York Times eventually dubbed Navarro the “wine therapist to the stars,” and his name has since appeared in more than 75 publications, podcasts, television programs and films.
Now his own name is above the door.
Start With the Wine
Wine is the organizing principle at christian’s, and the numbers make that clear. The program offers more than 80 wines by the glass, backed by a cellar of approximately 1,000 labels. Rare grower Champagnes, collectible Grand Cru Burgundies, and storied Bordeaux headline the serious side of the list. Other selections reach well beyond the familiar classics, giving the restaurant’s wine team plenty of room to introduce diners to something new.
That breadth is particularly useful in a restaurant with a menu this varied. Champagne and caviar work beautifully here, as does a big California red with one of the restaurant’s substantial steaks. The wine list can accommodate both kinds of evening.
Follow the Fire
Chef Alan Martinez, another longtime Wally’s collaborator, oversees a seasonal California-French menu with live-fire cooking at its core. The steak selection is serious. A 12-ounce Steak Frites sits alongside a 15-ounce bone-in filet mignon and a 32-ounce Kansas City strip. For a table ready to make dinner an event, there are also 42-ounce dry-aged T-bone and Tomahawk cuts. Sauces include tarragon béarnaise, cracked peppercorn and bone marrow beef jus.
The grill extends well beyond beef. Dry-aged red snapper is cooked over hot coals and served with lemon-herb beurre blanc. Whole Mediterranean branzino comes with cherry tomato, olives, capers and preserved lemon. Then there is the Wagyu burger, which may be the most irresistible sign that christian’s does not take itself too seriously. The 10-ounce house-blend Wagyu patty comes with Camembert, pepper jack, bone-marrow caramelized onions and a secret sauce.
Maine lobster pot pie, Australian lamb chops, truffle cannelloni, and farfalle carbonara round out the menu. The 24-month aged Gruyère fondue is another appealing choice for sharing.
Bring on the Caviar
Caviar gets its own starring role. christian’s serves Kaviari Paris Osciètre and Kristal, along with caviar deviled eggs and caviar fish and chips. For those who prefer their caviar with a little Sunset Strip attitude, there is also a tableside caviar bump. Cheese and charcuterie keep the wine pairing going, with selections including Époisses, Brillat-Savarin, Lomo Ibérico de Bellota and 20-month Prosciutto di San Daniele. And a serious cocktail program gives the restaurant another lane, whether dinner begins with a martini or the evening moves from wine to cocktails.
Sunset After Dark
The room is part of the appeal. Crimson walls give the dining room a sultry quality, while striking art photography adds visual interest. The patio opens onto panoramic Sunset Strip views, putting one of Los Angeles’ most recognizable stretches of real estate directly into the evening. The building itself has entertainment-industry history. Its enormous HBO billboard made 9000 Sunset a familiar sight for years, and the Sunset corridor surrounding it has long been intertwined with Los Angeles music, film and nightlife.
christian’s brings appropriate energy to the address. It is easy to imagine the evening here taking several directions. A serious bottle and a plate of caviar. A burger and a cocktail. A celebratory steak with a bottle of Burgundy. Or simply a glass of something extraordinary before heading back onto Sunset. That flexibility works. christian’s has the wine credentials to satisfy collectors, the food to make dinner substantial and the setting to turn an ordinary night into a distinctly Los Angeles one.
Follow along on the happenings via Instagram @christians.restaurant.official
Photos courtesy of christian’s
