When is Rumi's Kitchen opening in Century City?

No firm date has been announced. The restaurant's own future openings page still lists Westfield Century City as opening in Spring of 2026, and Westfield's directory still carries it as coming soon. Spring 2026 has passed with no revised timeline from either party.

Where will Rumi's Kitchen Los Angeles be located?

On the second floor of Westfield Century City at 10250 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90067, in the mall's former Pink Taco space.

Is Rumi's Kitchen Century City open yet?

Not yet. As of late July 2026 the Century City location has not opened and no opening announcement has been posted by the restaurant or by Westfield Century City.

What kind of food does Rumi's Kitchen serve?

Upscale Persian food built around kababs cooked over a coal-fired grill and served with saffron rice and tahdig, alongside stews, salads, dips, and Middle Eastern desserts.

Who is the chef behind Rumi's Kitchen?

Chef and owner Ali Mesghali, who was born in Iran and grew up in Los Angeles. He opened the first Rumi's Kitchen in Sandy Springs, Georgia, making the Century City location a homecoming.

What are the signature dishes at Rumi's Kitchen?

Menu signatures include joojeh kabab, koobideh, shirazi salad, khoresh bademjan, mast-o-khiar, fried eggplant, and kunefe for dessert.

Where can I find other new Persian and Middle Eastern restaurants in Los Angeles?

Food Journal Magazine tracks new arrivals in its monthly guide at foodjournalmagazine.com/post/new-restaurants-los-angeles and in its LA restaurant news hub.

Atlanta's Rumi's Kitchen Is Still Set for Westfield Century City, but Spring Has Passed

Q: How many Rumi's Kitchen locations are there?

Rumi's Kitchen operates in Sandy Springs, Alpharetta at Avalon, Atlanta at Colony Square, Houston, and Washington's Mt. Vernon Triangle. Century City would be its sixth market and first in California.

Q: Will Rumi's Kitchen Century City have private dining?

The Century City location is planned with two private dining rooms and a patio looking out over Santa Monica Boulevard.

Jul 25
3 min read

Updated: Aug 5

Coming Soon Alert: Los Angeles's most anticipated new Persian arrival has quieted since a Spring 2026 target was posted, and Century City is still waiting on a firm date.

Rumi's Kitchen, the upscale Persian chain founded in Atlanta and grown into a five-market brand across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, is set to open at Westfield Century City on the mall's second floor at 10250 Santa Monica Boulevard. Per the restaurant's own future openings page at rumiskitchen.com, the new location is billed as "opening Spring of 2026." That window has passed without an updated timeline posted on the brand's site as of publication.

A Return to Los Angeles for Chef Ali Mesghali

Chef Ali Mesghali, who was born in Iran and grew up in Los Angeles, opened the first Rumi's Kitchen in Sandy Springs, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta whose Persian community mirrors Glendale's. Los Angeles Times restaurant critic Bill Addison has described that original Rumi's as the "crown jewel" of Sandy Springs. Rumi's now operates in Sandy Springs (currently in a reopening cycle), Alpharetta (Avalon), Atlanta (Colony Square), Houston, and Washington's Mt. Vernon Triangle. Century City will be Mesghali's California homecoming and the brand's sixth market.

The Mall's Continuing Restaurant Push

Westfield Century City has spent the past several years explicitly courting higher-end dining concepts to sit alongside its retail lineup, and Rumi's Kitchen joins recent additions on the property. The Century City spot takes over the mall's former Pink Taco space on the second floor. The location is expected to include two private dining rooms. Rumi's is one of the higher-profile arrivals on our new restaurants in Los Angeles watchlist this quarter.

Where LA's Persian Corridor Stands

Los Angeles's Persian dining tradition is anchored in Westwood, Beverly Hills, Sherman Oaks, and Glendale, with a mix of long-running kababi restaurants, market-and-tea-house hybrids, and newer chef-driven concepts. Rumi's arrives with a chain infrastructure the LA scene mostly doesn't have and a chef with local roots. That combination positions Century City as the brand's boldest launch to date.

What We Have Our Eyes On

The Persian menu at Rumi's is built around kababs from a coal-fired grill, served over saffron rice with tahdig, the crisp golden rice crust that Iranian home cooks build a career on. Signatures to watch for at the Century City opening:

Joojeh Kabab — saffron chicken kabab, the brand's most-ordered protein.
Koobideh — the ground beef and lamb kabab and the yardstick for any Persian kitchen.
Shirazi Salad — finely diced cucumber, tomato, and onion in citrus.
Khoresh Bademjan — a slow-cooked roasted eggplant stew.
Mast-o-Khiar — yogurt with cucumber, mint, and walnuts, the opener that tends to hit every table.
Fried Eggplant — the classic starter, executed against the same standard as the kababs.
Kunefe — a shredded-phyllo Middle Eastern dessert soaked in syrup, a Rumi's menu-page fixture.

For the full current menu and any updates on the Century City timeline, see rumiskitchen.com.

The Restaurant's Own Site Still Says Spring

As of late July 2026, Rumi's Kitchen's own future openings page still lists the Westfield Century City location as opening in Spring of 2026, and Westfield's directory still carries it as coming soon. Spring ended a month ago. Neither the restaurant nor the mall has posted a revised date, and no opening announcement has followed.

The project itself is not in doubt. The Century City location is taking over the former Pink Taco space on the second floor, and per earlier reporting it is planned with two private dining rooms and a patio looking out over Santa Monica Boulevard. Chef and owner Ali Mesghali grew up in Iran and in Los Angeles, which makes this something of a homecoming, and it would be the group's first California location alongside its rooms in Atlanta, Houston and Washington, D.C.

We will update this brief when a date is confirmed. For the rest of what is opening around town, see our monthly guide to new restaurants in Los Angeles.

Rumi's Kitchen at Westfield Century City is set for 10250 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90067. Follow the rest of the LA arrivals cycle on our LA restaurant news hub. Food Journal Magazine will update this brief the moment a firm opening date is confirmed.