Steve Arroyo’s tapas bar, Cobras and Matadors, was a bit of a drinking-and-dining, small plates game changer when it first opened on Beverly in the mid-aughts, with partners including Maynard James Keenan from Tool. The brand’s expansion to both a Los Feliz and Park La Brea-adjacent location were a little less ballyhooed, however, though Arroyo had little cause for concern, seeing as he’s half of the original partnership that launched the vastly more successful Umami Burger empire.
Squid Ink reports that Cobras will finally close its flagship location after this Monday Tuesday**, while Arroyo stays busy with his taco joint, Escuela. No word yet on whether Arroyo, who helped turned the Hollywood Blvd.-coiled Cobras into an ambitious Umami with an attached Japanese salary man’s beer bar, is holding on to the space for a new concept.
Via Instagram: Steven Arroyo to Close Cobras & Matadors [SI]
** This post was updated with the news that Arroyo is putting off the closing until after Valentine’s Day, as per Squid Ink.
