Knife Pleat

What Knife Pleat does

Knife Pleat is a contemporary French fine dining restaurant founded in 2017 and located in the penthouse of South Coast Plaza at 3333 Bristol St., Suite 3001, Costa Mesa, California. It is operated by chef Tony Esnault and restaurateur Yassmin Sarmadi, a culinary partnership whose prior Los Angeles restaurants (Church & State and Spring) were both recognized on Jonathan Gold's LA Times 101 Best Restaurants list. Knife Pleat itself earned a first-time Michelin Star and a 101 Best Restaurants inclusion in 2024, and operates with approximately 13 employees across a 7-year continuous run at the property.

Name

Knife Pleat

Legal name

Knife Pleat

Website

https://knifepleat.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Knife Pleat is a contemporary French fine dining restaurant in the penthouse of South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, founded in 2017 by chef Tony Esnault and restaurateur Yassmin Sarmadi, serving $95-$295 tasting menus and recognized with a 2024 Michelin Star.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Dining Restaurant

NAICS

Caterers (72232)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Exclusive Dining Access & Chef’s Table Reservations (HSACAMAJ)

Keywords

• Fine dining restaurant
• French cuisine
• Tasting menu
• Prix-fixe lunch
• Private events dining

Headquarters

HQ city

Costa Mesa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Fine Dining Service: Full-service French restaurant offering multi-course tasting menus, prix-fixe lunch, afternoon tea service, and bar menu. Revenue generated through table service with 5% service charge added to all checks.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including Chef's Apron by Bragard ($120), Knife Pleat Macarons box of 6 ($30), and gift cards.
3. Beverage Program: Wine, cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages including corkage fees ranging from $75-$150 per 750mL bottle depending on quantity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Knife Pleat is a contemporary French fine dining restaurant operating in the Penthouse of South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California. It serves multi-course tasting menus (The Preview $195 and The Collection $295), a 3-course prix-fixe lunch ($95) and tasting lunch ($175), Saturday afternoon tea ($115), a bar/lounge menu, premium caviar service, and a wine/cocktail program. The restaurant also hosts private events, sells gift cards, branded merchandise (Chef's Apron by Bragard $120, Macarons $30), and accepts reservations via the Exploretock platform and by phone.

Product overview

Knife Pleat is a contemporary French restaurant operated by chef Tony Esnault and restaurateur Yassmin Sarmadi, located in the Penthouse of South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California. The restaurant operates as a unified dining experience offering multiple tasting menu formats: The Preview ($195) and The Collection ($295) for dinner, 3-course Prix-Fixe ($95) and tasting menu ($175) for lunch, and Afternoon Tea ($115) on Saturdays. The menu features premium caviar service, seasonal French cuisine with Japanese influences (including Tajima Wagyu), and a curated bar program. Ancillary products include gift cards, branded Chef's Aprons by Bragard ($120), and macarons ($30). The restaurant has received a Michelin Star and multiple accolades from the Los Angeles Times 101 Best Restaurants list.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Preview Tasting Menu A 5-course introductory dinner tasting menu showcasing Knife Pleat's flavors and techniques, priced at $195 per person with an optional wine pairing at $115.
• The Collection Tasting Menu A premium 5-course dinner tasting menu showcasing Knife Pleat's finest dishes, priced at $295 per person with an optional wine pairing at $175.
• 3-Course Prix-Fixe Lunch A three-course lunch menu offered Tuesday to Friday at $95 per person, featuring contemporary French cuisine.
• Preview Tasting Lunch Menu A full tasting lunch menu at $175 per person featuring multiple courses including seasonal items such as pretzel and summer squash.
• Saturday Afternoon Tea A Saturday afternoon tea service priced at $115 per person with a 5% service charge, featuring savory items, pastries, and La Mill du Thé loose-leaf teas.
• Caviar Service Premium caviar offerings including Tsar Nicoulai Golden Osetra ($165), Tsar Nicoulai Golden Reserve ($195), and Chef Esnault Crown Jewel ($395), served with pomme gaufrette, toasted brioche, and scrambled eggs.
• Bar Menu Bar and lounge seating menu featuring caviar, savory items (Shima Aji, Japanese Seabream, Tajima Wagyu), and desserts including Knife Pleat Macarons.
• Beverages & Wine Program Beverage menu including wines, cocktails, and specialty drinks with a corkage policy of $75-$150 per 750mL bottle depending on quantity.
• Private Events & Dining Private event hosting with inquiries directed to [email protected], including special themed dinners such as "Around the World" events and truffle dinners.
• Gift Cards Knife Pleat gift cards available for purchase.
• Chef's Apron by Bragard Premium chef's apron priced at $120, made by Bragard in 100% cotton, made in France, embroidered with the Knife Pleat logo and Michelin Star.
• Knife Pleat Macarons Box of 6 assorted macaron flavors available for $30 for take-home purchase.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• South Coast PlazacoreOthersLuxury retail destination that invited Tony Esnault and Yassmin Sarmadi to open Knife Pleat in their penthouse location. The partnership has sustained the restaurant for 7 years as a anchor fine dining establishment within the upscale shopping center.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Providence: Two-Michelin-starred seafood-focused fine dining restaurant in Los Angeles. Comparable Southern California Michelin-starred tasting menu experience at a similar premium price point.
• The French Laundry: Three-Michelin-starred French restaurant in Yountville, CA, run by Thomas Keller. Benchmark comparable for California French fine dining; Knife Pleat even celebrated Chef Keller's birthday, indicating professional overlap.
• Single Thread: Three-Michelin-starred farm-to-table tasting menu restaurant in Healdsburg, California. Comparable high-end tasting menu experience with deeply chef-driven, seasonal format and premium price-to-cover ratio.
• Addison: One-Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego, California. Comparable Southern California fine dining concept with tasting menu pricing and luxury hospitality positioning.
• Atelier Crenn: Two-Michelin-starred French tasting menu restaurant in San Francisco led by Dominique Crenn. Highly comparable multi-course tasting menu model at premium price points with chef-driven storytelling.
• Mélisse: Two-Michelin-starred contemporary French restaurant in Santa Monica, California, offering tasting menus in a fine dining setting. Closest direct comparable to Knife Pleat in terms of California-based French fine dining with tasting menu format and Michelin recognition.

Broad incumbents

• Maude: Chef Curtis Stone's tasting menu restaurant in Beverly Hills. Comparable California fine dining tasting menu format at premium price points targeting similar affluent clientele.
• Bouchon: Thomas Keller's French bistro concept in Yountville and Beverly Hills. Broader French cuisine overlap with Knife Pleat though at a more casual price point and format.
• République: French-influenced restaurant in Los Angeles operated by Walter Manzke. Shares French culinary lineage and LA-area fine dining market, though positioned slightly more accessibly than Knife Pleat.
• Vespertine: Highly conceptual fine dining restaurant in Los Angeles. Competes for the same affluent, experience-driven diners in the Southern California luxury market as Knife Pleat.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/knifepleat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knife-pleat

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Knife Pleat