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Inside Noma's scandal-plagued LA pop-up location

29 0
11.03.2026

Two unique events are happening Wednesday on a hilltop in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles: In the evening, award-winning Copenhagen restaurant Noma is set to serve its first $1,500 dinner as part of its 16-week LA residency. But before that, hospitality industry workers — led by former head of Noma’s fermentation lab and social media whistleblower Jason Ignacio White — and labor advocates organized by nonprofit organization One Fair Wage are gathering to protest the pop-up and demand accountability from Noma chef and co-owner René Redzepi, whose past allegations of physical and psychological abuse were detailed in a stunning New York Times feature over the weekend.

As global focus falls on Noma and Redzepi, few realize just how auspicious the actual location itself is. The Paramour Estate, where the Noma residency is being held, has always stood apart from the area’s vibrant core just down on Sunset Boulevard. Completed in 1923, the sprawling, 103-year-old estate has a history with twists and turns even windier than the road one must drive to reach it.

Originally commissioned by petroleum heiress and socialite Daisy Canfield for her silent movie star husband, Antonio Moreno, the lavish 5-acre estate — complete with a 22,000-square-foot mansion with 15 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms, as well as staff homes and a stunning pool — was under the stewardship of interior designer Dana Hollister for more than 20 years after she acquired it in 1998 for $2.25 million. The hilltop estate also boasts views of the entire city, all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

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René Redzepi, chef and co-owner of the world-class Danish restaurant Noma, is pictured on May 31, 2021, in Copenhagen.

The Noma residency was poised to shine a positive........

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