it’s curtains for tranquility base
Opening to great fanfare early in 2008 — with a series of behind-the-scenes write-ups on angelenic — Tranquility Base Restaurant & Lounge quickly became a destination for group events and private parties taking advantage of a large outdoor patio.
Unfortunately, regular dining hours never caught on with the Downtown crowd — both dinner and Sunday brunch were tasty if lonesome experiences for those who ventured to the restaurant, which is now shuttered following a final New Year’s Eve event.
Calls to the restaurant went unanswered on Tuesday, and a sign outside declares the closure is “due to slow times.”
A million-dollar build-out and awkward location off of 8th Street may have contributed to the closure. But with the patio encased in frosted glass, some complained that Tranquility Base was practically hidden from passersby.
Still, the menu of high-end tapas debuted as consumer preferences began shifting toward greater value and comfort foods amid an economy in recession.
However Downtowners felt about Tranquility Base, its departure is a loss for a neighborhood in dire need of activity.
Update: The restaurant may reopen on January 12, according to owner Dave Tardiff. We’ll keep you posted.
How was your experience at Tranquility Base? Let us know in the comments!
41 comments
Wow we never did give it a try…. hopefully we’ll have another chance.
It wasn’t bad, but the prices simply weren’t right unless it was happy hour.
I tried to give Tranquility Base a try, but their food was bland and boring. Their space was funky and hidden. Blaming it on poor times is a cop out. It’s still sad though. Guess I’ll just have to go to Panini Cafe more.
It was WAY too expensive to be on the regular dinner rotation. Slash the prices, increase the portion sizes, and give it another try. Think of the success of Colori just down the street and the failure of Tranquility. Tranquility needs to take a break, get realistic about portions and pricing, and come back for round two.
Their sunset happy hour menu was very affordable. I hope they give it another chance. Right now it’s a bit cold to sit outside, but during the summer it’s a nice hang out after work. I agree on the visibility factor. People should be able to see what’s going on inside.
agreed with the rest; it’s not bad for stop for a bite and a sip during happy hour; but their menu is otherwise too pricey to give it much consideration. Too bad, the space was pretty groovy though…
I have to agree with the visibility issue.
The entrance should be moved to the front through the patio area.
TB is very hidden. I heard the same bad things about the food and prices. I very rarely leave downtown to dine if I can help it, but the word of mouth about the place and the constant openings downtown has seen in 2008 never allowed me to get around to going there. No one with a patio in LA should be empty!
way too hidden, food was ok. love the TVs for ball but didn’t match the rest of the vibe. The people were/are nice and the design had great features but just didn’t match. I’d just open another place next to pete’s for a sure shot of making it until d/t picks up…good luck dave
No one has mentioned the folks who worked there-they are really the ones who made the space an inviting place to drink and dine. The happy hour was very affordable and was not just a couple of hours. Not everything has gone as planned in Tranquility’s South Park neighborhood with various delays of certain projects (i.e a hotel was supposed to open down the block from the restaurant) I will miss them and hope they can open again with some innovative changes based on the suggestions above like an opening for the patio on the street. Hope Hideaway can still be there too. (People have asked me if I am really Ira Lu-but I am not and I am a guy-but I would love to meet her)
what happened to the hideout or hideaway? was that discontinued a long time ago?
if you guys have time, you should do a rundown on the weekly gay events in downtown. i think shits n giggles is still on friday. what about mustache mondays, and did the blue velvet have a gay event as well?
Hideaway is over, yeah. It was fun while it lasted – but too much for Stephen and Bryan to continue in addition to full-time jobs. A suitable venue for that type of event is also hard to come by… they’re either too small (restaurant/bar) or too large (club venues).
The only other gay events I’m aware of are Shits & Giggles on Fridays (740 S Broadway) and Mustache Mondays at La Cita (4th & Hill). Blue Velvet’s may or may not still be going…
There’s definitely a demand for that type of event/venue though.
^^^
I found a new downtown gay event…thursday in little tokyo
http://www.myspace.com/beeswax_la
has anyone been?
The name alone fell into that broad pool of dippy, downtown Los Angeles restaurant names that still leave me scratching my head (e.g. Cafe Blu LA, etc.) — so much so that I never wanted to go there. I don’t care for the overall Cybill Shepherd feel of South Park where everything is squeaky clean and theme-park adjacent, save for The Pantry which is always good for a boozy late-nighter. Just look at the above photo: those early 90s ceiling drapey things scream: “We’re not going to be around long.”
As F. Mercury best says: Another one bites the….sun-dried tomato flatbread drizzled with olive foam and 5 other instantly-dated restaurant techniques
The gay party at TB (I just now realized that TB’s acronym is the nickname for….tuberculosis….) was West Hollywood in the 213.
There may be several reasons for Tranquility Base closing…but I just don’t understand how a restaurant thinks it will survive when it has absolutely NO SIGNAGE. Many creative signs could have been used…but weren’t. I have driven and walked by this place and you would never know that a restaurant was there. I feel badly for the employees who are now out of work…I hope they can give it another go….with a large visible sign.
large sign and get rid of the frosted glass
i really wanted to try the bloody mary bar. i never did.
hope it reopens.
I think this is the future for the yogurt place across the street. I live in southpark and there is not much foot traffic in that area. I agree that they needed a sign to let people know they were there.
We liked going there– but it was always too expensive for anything but special occasions. The happy hour food was affordable, but I seem to remember no real drink specials (maybe just one or two?). When there’s Bar 107 (with Rocket Pizza accross the street) and Colori– both places I can get tasty food and cheap (or home brought) drinks so close, it’s hard to justify paying a lot at happy hour… I hope it re-opens with more reasonable prices for the locals and SIGNAGE for the drive-in crowd.
they were definately too pricey to stay alive. i had wished for them to close since they charged me full price for happy hour food – they didn’t tell me that was an option since they knew i had never been there before. that’s what they get.
have to agree with #14 – the moment i walked in i thought, wow – this place is so 90′s. i know it a matter of taste, but it smoldered of bad taste. (s0rry)
the pricing and the drapey ceilings were a turn off.
I don’t know… I liked that it was a little hidden. It kind of gave it that exclusive, in-the-know feel. Its not like people didn’t know it was there because they advertised alot. I guess the problem was that it was mostly DT residents that knew about its location and their prices certainly did not cater to that group. I think the decor was lovely.
The Bloody Mary bar rocked. The outside patio was very nice. But the music was what killed it for me. Trying to enjoy a “tranquil” brunch was innerrupted by 50′s doo-wop or something like that. Not exactly what you would expect to hear at a place called Tranquility Base–seems like a Cafe Del Bar or Buddha Bar soundtrack would be more appropriate.
The brunch was expensive ($70) but was very good.
I tried TB 4 or 5 times so I got to know the space and menu well. I live in SP so I am very committed to patronizing all of the local businesses. I agree with the blogger who said the trouble starts with the name and concept. It is just a bit cumbersome and awkward. I didn’t have a problem with the prices, but the food didn’t have a wow factor. The slider trio tasted all the same, and, as I type this, i can’t think of what else i ate there (not a good thing). I liked the cocktails, and I really enjoyed the outdoor space with fire pit. I hope this place can rethink the concept and come back with a better menu in 2009.
This is a shame. David, Kelley, and crew were some of the most hospitable restaurateurs Downtown. No matter what time of day or night you visited they were always extremely welcoming and attentive. I hope they DO return mid-January and give it another try.
AS I walked to work this morning I for some reason gave TB a long thought. 1st I pass bye TB at least 4 times a day and have only been 3 times. Once for happy hour and that was ok, the dinner menu was a headache to go over, the prices were off and the menu simply didn’t gel or make sense. The next time was for brunch we were sold on the idea of the bloody mary bar BUT the food was really ………well I guess……..just bad. I ordered the Huevos rancheros which sadly came out in a crunchy taco shell with black beans and cold scrambled eggs….NO Salsa??!!
3rd and final time met some folks for happy hour and quickly moved across the street to hanks then colori for dinner.
Please try again it could be a great place.
I loved hopping in to Tranquility Base here and there. I will miss it!
You don’t live or travel downtown to find tranquility. If you are, you’re missing the point.
I live in South Park and I’m always trying to support the businesses there. I went to TB a few times after it’s opening, and I just that the food was bad, especially given the prices. The meat was overcooked and rubbery, and the rest of the dishes lacked flavor. I really wanted to love the place because I thought the decor and patio were great, but ultimately I go to a restaurant to enjoy good food, which TB just didn’t have. Everyone who worked there was super nice though so I do hope they find success.
The food wasn’t that great, and the crowd always struck me a being on the bridge & tunnel side – fake muscle boys and corny top4o hip hop brats from the parts west and far east looking for “downtown.” I never felt that TB (great name!) had anything to do with me or my downtown, so I ignored it. Score one for the recession!
If you’re good, you don’t need a sign. Case in point — Animal on Fairfax.
It was the pricing that did this place in.
hidden gems are great in large dense cities but in downtown it just won’t work (especially in 2009) we need more people living here before any “gems” can be discovered.
If you’re in an area of downtown with little foot traffic surrounded by asphault parking lots, you need a sign! Animal on Fairfax can forego a sign because it has some foot traffic, is on a busy arterial and is close to and feeds off the buzz of many other new trendy locales on the Westside, which has housed most of the trendy establishments in this city for years.
Let’s face it, this block is quite desolate and without a critical mass of restaurants and other businesses of interest immediately nearby, there’s no reason for the average person to walk by. The underground no signage approach simply doesn’t work in this situation. I do agree that a solid product can sometimes overcome visibility issues, though that’s far from guaranteed, especially in an area as large as downtown.
TB sounded cool in concept, but lost something in execution. The interior space was interesting and the patio was great but the main event, the food didn’t make an impression on most, especially considering the price point. The lack of signage and the horrible patio enclosure didn’t help matters. With a new menu and increased visibility this place could still work. It needed to be a destination in this economy and it wasn’t – simple as that.
Wow, I loved this place! Maybe ’cause I live across the street but mostly for the staff. No the food wasn’t great but I never really went there for that I went to have a few drinks. It was my starting and/or landing point. I did however love the french toast, the bloody mary bar and the football on Sundays. Dave, Caitlyn, CJ and everyone else just made it feel like a regular place and I’d rather support an independent owner then another Ced Moses venture or chain for a regular hangout. So until they come back it looks like its Hanks, La Cita or 107 for me. I’ll miss you guys!!!
I loved Tranquility base. I also live in South Park, so maybe that says something about me, but it was a nice place to sit on the patio and grab a few drinks. Bringing Westsiders and out-of-towners here showed that downtown doesn’t have to be a seedy pile of piss and shit. The food was ok- I never had anything terrible and I never had anything amazing. I’m not really a fan of the tapas thing, but sipping a drink, munching on fries, enjoying the fire and downtown view was always nice.
I’m surprised it didn’t pick up more with the after-work suits or local residents. Perhaps it was the color scheme, pricing, lack of parking or discernible entrance, but I really do hope that they find a way to keep their doors open. They were a friendly bunch and no matter what, downtown doesn’t need any vacancies if we expect more to come.
Sadly I’ve seen much worse places survive. Among other things I think they were victims of really bad timing. I’m going to miss seeing Dave’s friendly face. Hopefully they can find a way to reinvent themselves.
Dave! We^re rooting for you ! Love the place and have many great memories there…..Louie
I work in the building and this place really had a hard time finding its identity. If you are going to show sports, you need to turn on the volume if your patrons ask you to. (Dave refused our request, although I think he lightened up and even allowed non-playoff games to be shown later on). The prices were always too high and the food was overpriced and not good. Why am I going to pay $15 for a salad at lunch, when I can have amazing food over at Colori. Notice they are still busy as ever at Colori….good food, better pricing, and a welcoming environment go a long way.
The gorgeous plants are just dying out there… I’d love to take care of a few while they figure things out. I left a note, but haven’t received a call or email. Any ideas? Thanks!
Bring your business to Australia,
We went there 1 year ago on our honeymoon
the service was amazing
the food was awesome and
the atmosphere was scintillating!
we will never forget the experience
very sad to see it shut down
love the happy honeymooners