Tour Downtown's Renovated Clifton's as It Patiently Waits to Open to the Public

The Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria has been teasing out its grand re-opening for years—unveiling the original brick exterior back in 2012, then lighting up its awesome neon sign this past February. But this week, after about four years of renovations, it was really supposed to be opening up. On Monday, Clifton's hosted a benefit for the LA Conservancy, but its public opening, which was supposed to be yesterday, has been pushed back to at least later this week. Classic Clifton's! (Los Angeles magazine heard a rumor that it's an electrical issue.)

Most of the original elements of the 50,000-square-foot Historic Core eatery have been preserved, keeping the place as woodsy as ever. (Meieran did turn some old storage rooms into a new "three-level atrium.") The plan is for Clifton's to have an old-fashioned cafeteria, plus several bars, including a Gothic one, a tiki one, and an Art Deco one on the fourth floor. (Los Angeles magazine noted that the fourth floor was unfinished as of Monday.) Our friends at Eater LA have more information about the food and drinks. Take a look around:

· First Look Inside the Huge Makeover at Downtown's Weird and Wonderful Clifton's Cafeteria [Curbed LA]
· 1,000 Conservancy Buffs Descend on Clifton's, Public Opening Delayed [LA Mag]
· Here's Clifton's Lit Up in Neon For the First Time in Decades [Curbed LA]