The new restaurant on Fairfax Avenue serves bold Caribbean fare in a sleek and luxurious setting. (photo courtesy of Brandon Barré/Lucia)

Angelenos have a new Afro-Caribbean culinary destination, as Lucia opened on May 28 in the heart of the historic Fairfax District. As the first restaurant in the city to offer modern Caribbean cuisine in a luxurious setting, Lucia – meaning “light” – aims to illuminate Los Angeles with the bold flavors, rich heritage and diversity of the Caribbean islands. Poised to become a culinary and cultural mecca, it’s an elevated space where epicureans and creatives can gather for refined Afro-Caribbean food, impeccable service and a sumptuously designed atmosphere.

Guiding Lucia’s vision is founder and owner Sam Jordan, whose wealth of hospitality expertise includes being a founding partner in L.A.’s Issima and an owner of Oakland’s Kissel Uptown, having a foundational role at the prestigious Hotel Arts Barcelona, and co-founding Sonoma’s Red Bear Winery with his father.

“Los Angeles has such a diverse food scene, but I felt there was a gap and underrepresentation for bold, soulful Afro-Caribbean cuisine with this modern, elevated approach,” Jordan said. “There are such unique flavor profiles across the Caribbean islands that make it hard to replicate in other locations, but in Southern California, we have this incredible range of produce and accessible products that allow us to stay truly authentic.”

Jordan visited nearly every Caribbean island to draw inspiration for Lucia, and tapped the acclaimed Jamaica-born culinary innovator Adrian Forte as executive chef.

Forte looks to the bounty of local farmers’ markets when applying his creative spin on traditional Caribbean fare, such as a colorful bowl of loaded rice and peas with crispy shallots and garlic and hot sauce or a comforting Oxtail pepperpot with butter beans, farofa and pickled Fresno peppers that fuses culinary traditions from Guyana and Jamaica. Familiar dishes incorporate island flavors, like coconut fried chicken with fermented chili aioli, coconut milk powder and housemade butter pickles, and a ribeye steak marinated in housemade jerk seasoning, served with toum and spiced jus. Guests can also sip inventive tropical cocktails alongside saltfish and fig croquettes (a play on St. Lucia’s national dish) at the bar, and enjoy late-night dishes such as baked Trini Mac Pie (a staple of Trinidad and Tobago) and sweet potato sticky pudding in a lively, welcoming atmosphere.

Lucia is located at 351 N. Fairfax Ave.

For information, visit luciala .com.