June 25, 2025 The Newspaper Serving LGBT Los Angeles

Rustic Kitchen in Mar Vista to Close After a Decade of Service This Month

Restaurant Announces Closure as 10-Year Lease Comes to an End.

Rustic Kitchen, a Mar Vista Restaurant and Wine Bar which is a family-owned eatery operated by Chef Noelle Fanaris & Certified Sommelier John Fanaris will close this month. The restaurant’s social media account on Instagram posted a letter to its customers on December 28.

The letter comes without any previous indication of trouble and it seems, like so many other restaurants lately, that the ending of the owner’s lease signaled the ending for them. It is not yet known, as in many other restaurant closures, if an increase in the rent was a factor, but it seems possible. 

The letter reads, “To our Mar Vista community, friends, family and employees:

It is with humble gratitude and a heavy heart that we announce the closing of Rustic Kitchen. This has been a very difficult and emotional decision, but we are at the end of our 10-year lease and we have decided it’s time to move on to the next life adventure, whatever that might be.

Our last night of service will be Saturday, January 4th,

We would like to thank our staff, past and present, for being such an integral part of our business and for helping us to provide so many wonderful experiences to our guests over the years. Restaurant work is not easy. It takes commitment, thick skin, and a really good sense of humor.

We became a family and are so grateful for the lifelong friendships that were cultivated here at RK.

What an incredible journey it has been!

We set out to create a cozy, neighborhood restaurant with excellent food and a world-class wine list and are very proud of our accomplishments. Mar Vista has a truly special place in our hearts and we appreciate being a part of this community over the last 9 years that we have been open. Of course, we give immeasurable thanks to everyone who has dined with us, whether you’ve been dining with us for years or just now found us.

We are grateful for your continued support and loyalty; you are the direct reason for our success and we are truly humbled and honored to have served you. Yours sincerely and with so much love, Chef Noelle Fanaris & John Fanaris, Proprietors.

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