DAMA is a Latin-inspired restaurant and bar with deco-tropical designed by partners Antonia Lofaso, Pablo Moix, Mario Guddemi and Salvatore Aurora (Scopa Italian Roots, The Chestnut Club, Black Market Liquor Bar, Old Lightning) located in the Fashion District, Downtown Los Angeles at City Market South. The former Pacific Banana Co. building has been transformed into a lush indoor-outdoor cocktail bar and outdoor patio with exceptional food and beverage offerings.
The top-notch cocktail menu designed by Pablo Moix combine both classic and tropical favorites executed with precision, technique and consistency. Chef Lofaso’s menu is filled with shareable flavor forward dishes, all of which were inspired by her travels to Spanish, Latin American and Caribbean countries. The expansive 5,000 sq. ft. venue features a plush indoor lounge, three private terraces a large outdoor patio and can seat up to 190 guests.
Our Team
Mario Guddemi
Owner
Food and family go hand-in-hand when two Italian cousins from Staten Island, New York, Mario Guddemi and Salvatore Aurora proved that a family that eats together, also does big business together. Growing up in the family business, these guys have done it all.
Salvatore Aurora
Owner
From sweeping the floors to dishes to management of both menus and staff, they’ve earned their stripes and learned from the ground up how to run a restaurant efficiently and successfully. DAMA is the 7th restaurant concept they developed together.
Antonia Lofaso
Executive Chef / Managing Partner
Best known for her roles on Top Chef, Restaurant Startup, Cutthroat Kitchen, Iron Chef America, Best Thing I Ever Ate and most recently, Food Network’s Guys Grocery Games, Antonia Lofaso is one of America’s most beloved chefs and is currently the Executive Chef and Owner of Black Market Liquor Bar (Studio City, California), Scopa Italian Roots (Venice, California), Antonia Lofaso Catering and her newest concept DAMA (Downtown Los Angeles, California), named by EATER LA as Downtown’s Most Exciting New Restaurant and Lounge. She also has developed her own chef wear company, Chefletics, a lifestyle brand that creates the most fashion-forward, technology advanced, comfortable and beautifully designed culinary wear.
Pablo Moix
Beverage Director / Managing Partner
Pablo Moix and has been behind the stick for 22 years. Since moving to Los Angeles from New York in November 2001, he has opened some of the best bars in Los Angeles focused on cultivating an extensive cocktail program while sourcing and securing exclusive spirit selections, both rare and vintage. Moix has created some of the most nominated bar programs in the world and has received multiple nominations from Tales of a Cocktail Spirited Awards for World’s Best Drink Selection, Best American Restaurant Bar, Best New American Cocktail Bar and World’s Best Spirits selection.
