Welcome on planet earth, stranger. There aren’t many other buildings in our galaxy that embody the excitement of the space age as perfectly as the Encounter restaurant in the Theme Building at LAX. It actually took us more than five visits to the airport before we finally found the time to touch down at this icon of googie design. But what a positive surprise it was. We left our wagon in the nearby parking structure and walked over. The architecture for itself is a trip and it needs a couple of minutes to take it all in. You just gotta enjoy the different views and perspectives before entering the core of the building. But then the experience begins: you enter the elevator which takes you right back into the settings of a 1950s science fiction tv series, purple shimmering lights and spheric sounds from outerspace included while you’re getting beamed up into the Encounter restaurant. You are greeted by a cosmic diner atmosphere, mixing up lava lamps, an aluminum bar and extraterrestrial wall decoration. On top of it: the view across the runways of LAX. Imagine all of this after dawn with the Encounter magically illuminated and your eyes following the myriads of lights from the nightly activities at the airport. And don’t worry to choose this place for lunch or dinner. The food is very good and in combination with the extraordinary atmosphere it will make for a special moment in time and space…
Los Angeles Int’l Airport, 209 World Way, Los Angeles, CA 90045
(310) 215-5151
www.encounterlax.com
google maps
The Johnsons Mid-Century Time Travel Guide 