Chef Bernhard Mairinger Returning with Lustig in Culver City

A brand new restaurant called Lustig is making its debut in Culver City, located at 8703 Washington Blvd.

The new restaurant, designed by Studio UNLTD, will move into the former home of La Dijonaise space inside the Helms Bakery complex in the first quarter of 2023, according to Eater LA. This will be chef Bernhard Mairinger’s first restaurant since his Bierbeisl Imbiss closed down in late-2016. Before the quiet closure, the Austrian chef made a name for himself with his Beverly Hills restaurant Bierbeisl. Now, after years of private dining experience and catering events, the former Patina and Nick & Stef’s chef is ready to return to the restaurant scene.

Mairinger, who earned a James Beard Rising Star chef nomination while at Bierbeisl, plans this new restaurant with 55 interior seats and a 30-seat outdoor patio. Guests can expect an elevated dining experience within a brightly colored room surrounded by large windows. A lot of the food Mairinger expects to serve has been featured at his private events in recent years, such as a modified Nicoise salad. Other entrees include his famous schnitzel with a yuzu cranberry sauce, a raclette pizza, and other central European fares. Martin Riese, the world’s one-and-only water sommelier, will help Mairinger with operations.

“I’ve always missed having a restaurant, to be honest. There’s something about it, the energy, that routine,” Mairinger tells Eater LA. “I do miss seeing all my customers and loyal clientele. It doesn’t get much better than this, with a great landlord, excellent neighborhood, and already a lot of excellent food around. I want to be known as a place to have a good time and a good meal. I think there are all the key factors that will hopefully allow this restaurant to last much longer.”