Do you like music?

Ever heard of David Bowie?
What about Chaka Kahn?
Red Hot Chili Peppers or Bonnie Raitt?
Kanye West?

I could go on and on.

These are some of the elite recording artists who have recorded at Grandmaster Recorders.

And now, you can eat, drink & party where hundreds of epic songs were recorded.

A Little History

Grandmaster Recorders is in the heart of Hollywood, on Cahuenga, near Sunset Boulevard.

It began its life in the early 20th century as the Bijou, a silent movie theatre. 

In 1971, musician Alan Dickson bought it and renamed it Grandmaster Recorders.

With “What Fools These Mortals Be” as its marquee, this unassuming building became one of LA’s premier recording studios.

• Stevie Wonder recorded Songs in the Key of Life here.
• Kanye West recorded Late Registration here.
• Foo Fighters recorded Everlong here.
• No Doubt recorded songs from Tragic Kingdom here.
• And sooooooo many others!

Grandmaster Recorders remained a premier recording studio until it shuttered in 2016.

And Then What Happened?

Soon afterwards, Australian-owned/LA-Based Botanical Hospitality Group bought the building.  

Grant Smillie, one of Botanical’s partners, is an accomplished DJ & house music producer from Melbourne.  So, of course, he would pay homage to the building’s rich history.

And the plans for Grandmaster Records – the restaurant, bar & lounge – were put into motion.

In late 2021, this dream became a reality.

Grandmaster Recorders has 3 separate areas to enjoy.

Rooftop Bar

The Rooftop Bar is the perfect place to cool down after a hot, Hollywood day.  Sleek and modern, there are plenty of seats to accommodate singles, couples or groups.  

Heat lamps will warm you up on a chilly night.

Happy hour is from 4-6, Sunday – Friday, with discounted drinks and appetizers.  

I got the Crispy Fingerling Potatoes and the Pepperoni Classico, $6.00 each.

If you’re the designated driver, let your bartender know, and he or she will be able to whip up a delicious mocktail for you.  Mine was a delicious, tangy, watermelon lemonade.

Restaurant

Downstairs is the restaurant.  The hallway to the dining area displays the memorabilia from the restaurant’s legendary past.

When you reach the host desk, you’ll see some subtle, and not-so-subtle, nods to its recording past.

Not so subtle is the large Grandmaster Recorders drumset, a clear nod to the building’s past.

The more subtle nods are the lights next to the host desk. They are reminiscent of amp tubes.

A corner of the kitchen looks like a recording booth.

The paper that some of the food is served with have tiny records on them.

And the coasters at the bar look like the label from the center of an LP.

These are small details, but remind you of the building’s rich musical history.

Menu

Their menu is modern Italian-Australian cuisine.  

Their wine selection is large and impressive, with the wine cellar next to the bar.  

I started with the Caviar Cannoli.  It was crispy on the outside, crème fraîche on the inside, and caviar at either end.  It was absolutely delicious and made me regret driving – it would have been perfectly paired with a bold, red wine.

For the main course, I had the striped bass, on a bed of caponata, zucchini, pine nuts & raisins.  The bass had a crunchy skin and the inside was flaky and perfectly cooked.  Excellent.

For dessert, I had a taste of heaven – cold strawberry sorbetto, soft, creamy cheesecake & the sweetest strawberries ever.  It’s the absolute best thing I have tasted in a long time.

71 Studio Bar

71 Studio Bar pays homage to Grandmaster Recorders roots.  

“71” is a nod to the year the studio opened – 1971.  This space was one of its recording studios.  The sound booth became the bar, and the studio is for patrons.    

Owner Grant Smillie curated the music that plays on the state-of-the-art sound system, so you can bask in the creativity that permeates this room.

Location and Hours

The restaurant and bars are excellent. But it’s walking through the place that can give you chills. There is so much history in this building, and you will be walking the same halls, standing in the same studio, that so many great musicians came with their dreams. And out of those dreams came amazing music. You’re walking among these dreams.

This is a unique experience that you won’t find anywhere else in Hollywood.

Grandmaster Recorders is at 1518 Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood.

Restaurant
Mon-Sun, 6PM-10PM

Rooftop Bar  
  Mon-Fri, 4PM – 2AM
  Sat -Sun, 12PM – 2AM
  Apertivo Happy Hours, Sun-Fri 4PM – 6PM

71 Studio Bar
  Mon-Sun 8PM – 2AM

Reservations for the restaurant are recommended and are on Resy.  

The Rooftop Bar and 71 Studio Bar take walk-ins.

You can call the restaurant at 323-963-7800.

If you want to see my video on this fantastic spot, click below: