Chef Joshua Skenes opens Lynx in LA

Joshua Skenes has opened Lynx in downtown Los Angeles’ Arts District, bringing a new restaurant built around pizza and cocktails to 427 S. Hewitt St., according to Los Angeles Magazine and the restaurant’s website. Los Angeles Magazine reported on July 9 that the space pairs Skenes with beverage director Brandyn Tepper and presents what it described as a detail-driven, low-lit room tucked into a vine-covered brick building on Hewitt Street. (lamag.com) Lynx’s own site says the restaurant welcomes walk-ins, releases reservations weekly and operates Wednesday through Saturday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. (guide.michelin.com) The opening adds another Los Angeles project for Skenes, the chef known for Saison and Angler. (thelynxla.com) His website says he is best known for fire cooking and product-focused restaurant concepts, while Eater LA and other local outlets have framed Lynx as his latest return to the Los Angeles market after earlier projects including Leopardo and Happies Hand Made. ### Where exactly is Lynx, and what kind of place is it? Lynx is in the Arts District at 427 S. Hewitt St., next to Tatsu Ramen, according to OpenTable, Los Angeles Magazine and the restaurant’s website. Los Angeles Magazine said the storefront is easy to miss and described an intimate room in warm reds and yellows, while LAist said the exterior is marked by a vertical neon sign reading “BAR.” (lamag.com) The restaurant describes itself online as a reservation-driven spot that also accepts walk-ins. OpenTable lists it as a casual dining restaurant with Californian, cocktail bar and pizza bar categories and a price point of $50 and over. (joshuaskenes.com) ### What is Skenes serving there? Michelin’s California guide says Lynx has a streamlined menu centered on pizza, with “thin, crisp centers and puffy, skillfully cooked edges.” The guide says toppings are layered carefully, citing combinations that include mushrooms with stracciatella, mascarpone and buffalo mozzarella, as well as a pie with guanciale, soppressata, pepperoni, fermented chili and truffle honey. (opentable.com) Los Angeles Magazine said the food applies fine-dining precision to pizza and small plates, while LAist said the stated aim was to distill cocktails and pizza to their simplest and purest form. OpenTable diners similarly highlighted cocktails and pizza as the core of the experience. (opentable.com) ### Why is the opening drawing attention beyond another new LA restaurant? Michelin inspectors have already noticed Lynx. Michelin added the restaurant to its California guide, and local coverage in recent weeks said Lynx later received a Bib Gourmand distinction, a designation for restaurants the guide sees as offering strong value. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin’s guide page identifies the restaurant by name and ties it directly to Skenes’ pizza work. Joshua Skenes also arrives with an established reputation. His website says he conceived Saison in 2006 and opened its first location in 2009, and that he is known for a method built around live-fire cooking and close attention to ingredients. (lamag.com) ### How new is Lynx, really? March 2026 appears to be the practical opening window. The Infatuation said on March 12 that Lynx was in soft-opening stages, and LAist reported last week that the restaurant had opened in March before quickly landing on Michelin’s radar. Los Angeles Magazine’s July 9 story reflects the latest burst of attention rather than a first-ever opening announcement. (guide.michelin.com) OpenTable reviews dated in June also suggest the restaurant had already begun serving diners weeks before the July 9 coverage. Those reviews described difficulty finding the unmarked entrance, strong cocktails and standout pizza. (joshuaskenes.com) ### If someone wants to go now, what are the next concrete details? Lynx says reservations are released weekly through its website, and the restaurant lists service from Wednesday through Saturday, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. OpenTable and the restaurant site both point diners to 427 S. Hewitt St. in Los Angeles’ Arts District, with walk-ins accepted. (thelynxla.com) (opentable.com) (theinfatuation.com)