The Arts District cocktail lounge that pays tribute to the romance and luxury of early 1900s railway history, celebrates its first birthday this month.

Westbound is located on the site of the original 1893 Santa Fe Railroad’s La Grande Station and serves craft cocktails and seasonal small bites in an environment inspired by luxury railcars of past and present.

This sleek bar and restaurant is the project of Sarah Meade, the erstwhile operations manager of Studio City’s Firefly and Tiki No in North Hollywood. Meade has teamed up with executive chef Gary Nguyen, who previously worked at celebrated fine dining restaurants Melisse and Alma, and head bartender Dee Ann Quinones.

Housed within the Michael Maltzan-designed mixed-use complex One Santa Fe, Westbound joins the independent boutiques, bookstores, and dining destinations that comprise this new creative space. The restaurant features an open kitchen and executive chef Gary Nguyen’s playful yet sophisticated dishes combine his affinity for French technique and appreciation for seasonal cooking, with inspirations from his global travels.

The cocktail program, meanwhile, offers three categories of drinks: “Classics”, “Iterations of Fruit” that highlight a single fruit’s versatility, and “Reworked, Stolen or Borrowed”. The travel-inspired drink menu pays homage to classic cocktails around the world, further complemented by a rotation of global ingredients.

Ideal For

Cocktail drinkers with a love of days past

Signature Dishes

“Foie ‘n’ Waffle” featuring brioche, espresso, maple, and navel orange compote; New Zealand Tai snapper with pickled Serrano, basil, coconut, balsamic anchovies, and crispy shallot; and beet trifle with beet meringue, orange cake, brandy caramel, and a spring herb ice cream.

Signature Drinks

The Conductor made with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, black sesame, tamarind, egg white, and lemon; the Sinatra and Chanel made with Monkey Shoulder Whiskey, coco palm, frankincense, and sour cherry bitters; classic cocktails include the Espresso Martini made with Aylesbury Duck Vodka, espresso, and Varnelli Caffè Moka