Encounter at LAX

There has always been a restaurant in the spacey Theme Building (since 1961) perched in LAX's midst, though this place has mostly been the domain of fly-by travelers. Angelenos rarely venture up here unless they're waiting for someone on a long-delayed flight and feel like scratching one off the bucket list. The once staid Continental dining room (whose best feature was a panoramic view over the runways) was later transformed into a 1960s Star Trek set gone Technicolor. Outer-space lounge music dominates the entire place. The menu features art-food, that L.A. specialty that focuses more on sculptural arrangements than on culinary prowess. That said, the food is of the satisfy-all-tastes variety: roast chicken, grilled salmon, New York steak, and so on. If you're stopping at LAX with kids in tow, not to worry -- Encounter's party atmosphere ensures they'll enjoy themselves without disrupting the ambience a bit, and there's even a special "Space Cadet" menu just for them. A travel advisory: Fans of tiki bars, Googie architecture and neon "martinis" should at least come up and have a blue cocktail at the lava-lamp-festooned bar, because quirky Encounter is worth an encounter. Purists are advised to join the "Jet Set" -- basically a Negroni.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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