Tantra in Silver Lake Becoming... Something

By Elina Shatkin Fri., Jul. 29 2011 at 1:14 PM

Categories: Bar Openings & Closings

Chef Imran Ali of Tantra / 3705 Sunset Blvd.

If you've seen the big wooden signs boarding up the front of Tantra, the Silver Lake venue that couldn't really decide whether it wanted to be a credible Indian restaurant or a Bollywood-themed nightclub and so did both poorly for far too long, you know that Spacecraft has been revamping the space for what seems like forever.

Now comes word, via a press release, that the still unnamed space -- it's just referred to as 3705 Sunset Blvd. -- will once again be an Indian-themed hodgepodge: restaurant, lounge and art gallery rolled into one.

The chef is Imran Ali. The cuisine is Modern Indian. The space is divided into a larger, all-white dining room and a smaller, more intimate lounge designed to look like an Indian temple and dotted with the work of local artists. The back parking lot and entryway have been transformed into a patio enclosed by foliage and 6-foot walls.

On the venue's Facebook page, the cuisine is described as the "Californication of Indian fare," which, frankly, couldn't make it sound less appealing in our opinion, but Ali writes, "The food will be intoxicating and the spirits uplifting for the full 'Tantric' experience." Ok. Just be careful if Sting and Trudie Styler book out the joint.