Rockwell Group Tops Ma Yansong's Lucas Museum with Skywalker Grill

Skywalker Grill, the rooftop restaurant at the newly opened Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, pairs Rockwell Group's midcentury-inflected interior with a down-to-earth American menu overseen by chef Diego Cardoso.

The restaurant sits at the top of Ma Yansong's futuristic building, which George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson unveiled to the public earlier this month. Like the museum itself, the dining room is built around visual storytelling, with views over downtown Los Angeles and design references to Lucas' Northern California workplace, Skywalker Ranch.

Rockwell Group's Los Angeles office laid out a generous open floor plan defined by green-hued leather and velvet banquettes tucked into undulating timber room dividers. The sweeping dining room opens onto a large patio with city views. Cherry wood is the primary material — a warm counterpoint to the building's space-age envelope — and no two panels are alike, thanks to the meticulous work of a local fabricator. Luxe touches include a bar clad in silver gilt.

Firm founder David Rockwell says the design language borrows from midcentury modernism and the idea that architecture can tell stories. "We wanted the restaurant to feel connected to George Lucas' world through materiality, craftsmanship, imagination and an optimism about the future of design," Rockwell says.

"The continuous curves and sculpted transitions give the room a sense of movement," he adds. "George is naturally drawn to midcentury design and cherry wood is a featured material in his warm and inviting Skywalker Ranch. The space feels almost cinematic in its geometry."

The food leans toward California-ingredient-driven American cuisine with childhood comfort-food favourites. Chef Diego Cardoso, culinary director for Rhubarb Hospitality Collection and Oak View Group, oversees daily lunch, dinner and weekend brunch menus.

The chicken tenders arrive as a hefty order with creamy ranch and a generous dollop of caviar. Pigs in a blanket wrap ballpark-style hotdog bites around an "everything" croissant, served with spicy mustard dipping sauce. Both work as bar snacks alongside a watermelon margarita or coconut martini.

Family-friendly options include a signature Skywalker Ranch wagyu burger and mac 'n' cheese. Lighter dishes range from lobster salad and honey miso-glazed salmon to a chicken mushroom crepe. Large-format plates include crispy chicken Milanese on fennel and arugula with shaved Parmesan, and prime New York steak with chimichurri and herbed French fries. The wine list leans heavily on Napa Valley, and a rich chocolate layer cake closes out the meal.

The portion sizes feel justified by the setting: guests will need the calories to traverse the museum's massive galleries, library and gardens. Skywalker Grill is located at One Lucas Plaza, 3800 S Vermont Ave, Los Angeles.

With its fusion of cinematic geometry, warm materials and an accessible menu, the restaurant extends the Lucas Museum's narrative ambitions from the galleries to the table — and gives Los Angeles a rooftop destination distinct from anything else in the city's cultural landscape of new openings this year.