Coronavirus has devastated the restaurant industry at both a local and global level, and in Los Angeles, the pandemic just claimed another business: Bon Temps, the gleaming and sophisticated brasserie in the Arts District, is closed for good.
Lincoln Carson’s first standalone restaurant garnered national praise and was our own number two best new restaurant of 2019, as well as the home to one of L.A.’s best desserts of the year. An industrial-modern setting for delicate uni tartlets, succulent roast birds, custardy quiches and other French-inspired plates with Carson’s meticulous attention to detail, Bon Temps was a tucked-away gem with big leather couches and an alleyway patio made for lingering and the food to match. Now, citing coronavirus, the former Michael Mina pastry chef has shuttered the restaurant as of last Sunday, April 26.
“After a successful opening year, Lincoln Carson has made the difficult decision to close Bon Temps permanently as a result of the financial devastation from the government-forced shutdown in the wake of Covid-19,” a representative for the restaurant says in a statement.
Bon Temps pivoted to takeout meals as restaurants closed dine-in services statewide, then halted operations altogether. It soon returned with more takeout options, including parcels of Carson’s lauded pastries on weekends. Today we learned Los Angeles has lost some of the best pastries in the city.
“Lincoln is thankful to everyone who visited Bon Temps over the past year,” the representative says, “and is using this time to reflect, rest and plan for the future.”
The team at Time Out very much hopes that those plans for the future involve some form of Carson’s cooking in Los Angeles again someday.
Bon Temps was located at 712 S Santa Fe Ave.
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