Few pairings feel as effortlessly seductive as the haze of cigarette smoke mingling with a brine-kissed raw bar. This week, a new LA spot played up the relationship with an exclusive first look at Cento Pasta Bar’s seafood sister, Cento Raw Bar by Chef Avner Levi.

Inside, the joint’s white plastered walls feel plucked from the Mediterranean. They’re the brainchild of Brandon Miradi, designer and creative director of Cento Raw Bar, which is set to open for walk-ins on May 12. From blood red flowers to seafoam green counters, pops of color punctuate the dining room. Along with a multi-course menu by Chef Levi—that features raw scallops, crudos, and shiso uni bites—the new restaurant crafted custom stainless steel cigarette trays with designer Cameron Saffle, presented to party guests via white glove delivery.

Max Block of CARVINGBLOCK—an epicurean maison that specializes in experiential design—and creative collaborators and hosts Sophia Ziskin and Celia Babini handpicked guests for an inaugural dining experience at Cento Raw Bar. In the crowd, one could spot actors Gideon Adlon and Alisha Boe, cookbook author Molly Baz, DJ and How Long Gone podcast host Jason Stewart, photographer June Kim, and Substack’s Austin Tedesco.

Every great party must come to an end, however. To remember the night, Cento Raw Bar bestowed select guests with a memento: a custom Cento Raw Bar ashtray, loaded with two cigarettes. To relive the delectable evening, they’ll just have to come back when doors open this month.

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