West Hollywood : Restaurant Receives Permit

The City Council approved a six-month trial permit for outdoor dining at the Rainbow Bar and Grill.

The restaurant at 9015 Sunset Blvd. has been a popular nightspot since the 1930s and has had outdoor dining for the last 15 years. But a fence put up by owner Mario Maglieri in 1987 changed dining area classification to patio, requiring a city permit, Rainbow spokeswoman Kim Karie said.

Renewal of the permit will depend on the Rainbow continuing to provide 26 parking spaces at the Bank of America lot, next to the restaurant, and eight spaces across the street at the Crosby Building.

This was Rainbow’s second permit request. The original request was denied last April because the restaurant had not arranged parking for the additional 38 diners on the 470 square-foot patio. Sunset Strip-area residents had also opposed the permit, saying the extra diners would contribute to noise and congestion.

Twenty-one Rainbow patrons and area residents testified in favor of the permit. They called the outdoor dining area an institution and said it added to the ambiance of the restaurant.