Caviar-Stuffed Olives and Cheeseburgers Rule at Veil & Velvet

There are two kinds of luxury hotels in Los Angeles — the central, ostentatious properties where guests stay when they want to be seen, and the tucked-away, hidden gems where visitors check-in when they want to experience luxury in private. In Beverly Hills, there are two distinct Four Seasons properties, one for each kind of guest: Beverly Wilshire, located at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Rodeo Drive, which is decidedly a see-and-be-seen spot, and Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, a far more secluded and unassuming hotel. For that very reason, it remains a favorite for celebrities to book during award season when they want a high-end hotel room that offers a more discreet scene.

And perhaps as a sly nod to the behind-the-scenes feel of the property, this winter, one of the most intriguing speakeasies in LA has popped up at the latter hotel, just in time for Christmas, New Year’s Eve and the advent of award season. Running from December through the beginning of March, the Hollywood-inspired Veil & Velvet took over The Lounge space on the hotel’s ground floor, offering indoor and outdoor seating and a whole host of decadent snacks, drinks and frivolities. While it doesn’t require a password and it’s not hidden behind a bathtub, phone booth or fake bookcase, it is located in a hotel that not everyone knows about, so consider this your tip off to go look it up.

David Wilkie, GM of the hotel, thinks of the pop-up as a “local Angeleno’s journey back in time” and notes that it combines the glamour of Hollywood’s golden era with the elevated luxury of today. The most contemporary thing on the menu is an ornate, antique jewel box holding a black “press for caviar” button that guests can press whenever they want a bump of everyone’s favorite salty, pearly snack. After all, what could be more indulgent than on-demand caviar? For the real caviar lovers, a selection of Petrossian tins with all the accouterments is also available.

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Celebrate in style

Guests can sit at either high-top tables, standard tables or on couches and big, cozy chairs near the fireplace. It doesn’t feel like a bar or a restaurant but like the entertaining area in an old world chateau that you’re lucky enough to be invited to for the night. “The speakeasy experience captures the spirit of celebration and indulgence, offering a captivating blend of nostalgic charm, modern sophistication and festive allure,” Wilkie says. Some examples of said nostalgia include a take on chicken nuggets (with truffles and maple syrup, natch) and other classics like pretzel bread, a wedge salad, shrimp cocktail and lobster rolls.

I visited Veil & Velvet a few weeks ago to get my own taste of their old school decadence and discovered that, along with the caviar button, there were caviar-stuffed olives to dress up a whole separate Martini menu. Pairing a stiff vodka drink dubbed the Pocket Rocket with this high-end garnish felt like the only appropriate move when ordering a drink at a potential celebrity hot spot in Beverly Hills. And as much as I love a good wedge salad, another menu item stood out above the rest — the royale with cheese, aka a nod to the infamous cheeseburger discussion in Pulp Fiction between John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson. Though this burger wasn’t made in Paris, it was the best thing we had that night, a perfect mix of decadent, savory flavors with Wagyu, caramelized onions, house-made pickles and melted cheddar. Even if the speakeasy disappears in March, it might be a good idea to keep this burger on the menu at The Lounge — it was too good to be a temporary thing.

Aside from the caviar-stuffed olive garnishes, there were also blue cheese-stuffed options and a whole host of classic cocktails that don’t require olives and vodka, like a Robb Royce and takes on both a Sazerac and a Whiskey Sour. Mocktails, all kinds of Champagne and plenty of rare spirits and high-end vintages are also available on the drinks menu, which includes a large selection of whiskey, Scotch, amari, vermouth and two pages of agave spirits. The bartenders were more than familiar with all the classics, and like any good speakeasy, were game to make pretty much any drink under the sun.

If you’re going to press that caviar button, though, I do suggest starting with a round of bubbles to kick off the evening. And don’t go home without trying the royale with cheese and a Martini or two. There’s also the option to skip the savory course all together and go straight to dessert, where choices like an apple pie tart and a Napoletano pair exceptionally with cocktails, The show-stopping banana split big enough for two or three people will steal the show. The ice cream in the sundae is also house-made, one of the touches that separates a Beverly Hills speakeasy from all the rest.