Matt Egan, the restaurateur behind the acclaimed Los Feliz eatery Mirate, is preparing to launch a brand-new restaurant in the Arts District of Los Angeles at 530 S. Mateo Street.
The new project, named La Morocha, will occupy a ground-floor space in a 35-story mixed-use building currently under construction, according to documents recently approved by the Los Angeles City Planning Department. While details about the restaurant’s concept and menu are not yet being shared, Chef David Castro, known for his work at La Morocha in Ensenada, Mexico, has been confirmed to be involved in the project.
The Arts District Neighborhood Council and the Los Angeles River Artists and Business Association (LARABA) have both expressed support for the project, with conditions including limited patio hours and no amplified outdoor music. During a public hearing, Egan emphasized that the new restaurant will contribute to the evolving culinary landscape of the Downtown Arts District.
It has been confirmed with What Now Los Angeles that this will not be a second location of Mirate, as was previously reported. Egan has an established track record in Los Angeles’ dining scene: he is the co-founder of Mírate, a multi-level Mexican restaurant and cocktail bar in Los Feliz, known for its innovative food and beverage program, and Mírame, a now-closed contemporary Mexican restaurant that was in Beverly Hills. La Morocha will mark the next chapter in Egan’s expanding portfolio of Los Angeles dining destinations.
Editorial Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that this will be a second location of Mirate, when in fact it will be a new concept.
