Amy ScattergoodIn the spirit of last week's Best Of LA issue, we present the Best Restaurant Bathroom in Los Angeles. Sure there are other cool bathrooms in local eateries (The Bazaar, Gjelina, Sona, Din Tai Fung), but where else can you wash up while gazing at a David Hockney but at Michael's restaurant, just north of the Promenade. It fits this year's “budget” theme too: no annoying museum entrance fees. When we asked chef-owner-restaurateur-art collector Michael McCarty if he's had problems dragging people out of any of the three art-filled bathrooms at his Santa Monica restaurant over the 30 years since it's been there, he was diplomatic. “Lot of action in los baños–you should have seen the '80s.”
The best of the bathrooms is undoubtedly the unisex bathroom on the ground floor, which features works by Richard Diebenkorn, David Hockney, Dennis Hopper, Kim McCarty and Charles Garabedian. “It's one thing to put art on the walls,” says McCarty. “It's another thing to put it in the bathroom.”
Michael's:1147 3rd St., Santa Monica; (310) 451-0843.
Credit: courtesy Michael McCarty
Credit: courtesy Michael McCarty
Credit: courtesy Michael McCarty
Credit: courtesy Michael McCarty
Credit: courtesy Michael McCarty
Credit: courtesy Michael McCarty
Credit: courtesy Michael McCarty
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