A few months ago, Eater reported that “a mysterious Mexican steakhouse restaurant” was making its way to Beverly Hills — but details were slow to emerge. Given who’s behind the project, it may now be clear why: The Hideaway, slated to open the first week of August, is the brainchild of Hollywood party producer (and wedding planner to pop superstar Britney Spears) Jeffrey Best of Best Events, as well as co-owner and nightlife vet Sylvain Britton of Warwick. The restaurant also has additional heavyweight Hollywood backing, seeing as both Cruel Intentions star Ryan Phillippe and ATL actor Evan Ross are among the investors at this soon-to-open nod to 1970s Baja California on the subterranean level of the Rodeo Collection at 421 N. Rodeo Drive.
The bar and kitchen teams have a few bold-faced names as well: The team tapped local bartending aficionado Julian Cox to create the cocktails, and chefs Alex Moreno (formerly of Habana in Irvine) and Viet Pham (formerly of Studio City’s Firefly) to design the food menu, which plays heavily into Best’s nostalgia for childhood trips he took to Mexico.
Best tells Eater, “Beginning in the 1970’s, I’ve gone down to Puerto Nuevo, a small beach town in Rosarito, Mexico, with friends and family. The restaurants there serve the freshest seafood, caught that day in the ocean nearby, along with handmade tortillas, and flame-grilled beef, chicken, and veggies.”
Moreno and Pham’s interpretation of a Mexican steakhouse translates to menu selections like Hernando’s chic chop salad (iceberg and romaine lettuce, black beans, corn, avocado, tomato, jicama, pomegranate, crispy tortilla, and house vinaigrette), pescado zarandeado (grilled branzino with salsa verde, salsa roja, and charred lemon), and a tomahawk steak served with roasted cipollini onions and chimichurri.
As for the drinks, Cox’s cocktail selections include the Juquila (mezcal, chile-balsamic mix, lime juice, agave syrup, and Brothers rhubarb bitters), and a Tommy Margarita (blanco and resposado tequilas, agave syrup, and a lime half).
With its faded stucco and terracotta accents, the Hideaway’s design (created by Best and his business partner Ken Jones) is an homage to old-school Baja restaurants mixed with touches of Hollywood glamour. There’s a 100-seat custom-made Talavera tile patio lined with cream wrought-iron tables and anchored by a grand fireplace. Inside, archways open up to intimate dining nooks outfitted with leather booths and vintage movie posters. Tableside buttons that read “Push for Tequila” do just that, delivering diners’ tequila of choice on-demand.
The Hideaway’s kitchen will be open daily from 11 a.m. to midnight. The bar will be open from 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Tuesday, and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
