Located in downtown Los Angeles, Redbird finds its niche in one of the city’s most historic edifices, inside the rectory building of St. Vibiana—the wedding, events and performing arts venue, and once the headquarters of the Roman Catholic church in southern California.
Chef Neal Fraser and Amy Knoll Fraser, his wife, have crafted a beautifully dynamic restaurant space with 25 seats in the lounge, 24 at the wraparound indoor/outdoor bar and 66 in the courtyard with a retractable ceiling. Actual Roman Catholic cardinals once lived here, and a massive door behind the host stand was donated to St. Vibiana's by a pope, but now it's the domain of Chef Fraser and his locavore, California-inspired neo-French cooking.
They've done an incredible job turning the former cathedral into one of the most anticipated new L.A. restaurants in recent years while paying respectful homage to its original tenant.