One of Los Angeles’ Oldest Themed Restaurants: A Dreamy Scottish-Inspired Spot That Inspired Walt Disney

In Los Angeles, eating is just as much a part of the spectacle as climbing up to the Hollywood sign or imagining yourself on the silver screen. People love the nostalgia of Hollywood’s oldest Italian restaurant, Miceli’s, and in Downtown LA, Philippe the Original was a favorite of Anthony Bourdain. Walk through a certain patch near the glamorous Los Feliz neighborhood, and you’ll find an odd place that’s decked out like a Scottish hunting lodge, complete with wooden beams, diamond gridded windows, and a hearth facing the dining tables. Opened in 1922, the Scottish-inspired Tam O’Shanter is one of LA’s oldest theme restaurants.

Tam O’Shanter (or “the Tam,” as it is frequently known) has the legendary reputation of Walt Disney being its regular. When you see its whimsical facade, the connection to Disney instantly falls into place, its low-slung cottage appearance something straight out of an animated fairy tale. You also wouldn’t be mistaken to recognize the eatery from the screen: It served as a backdrop to episodes of “Glee” and “Mad Men,” as well as the movie “Larry Crowne.” Its fanciful, cinema-stamped atmosphere is the catch of the Tam, but the eatery gets solid reviews for its food and service, too. “Friendly, expedient service and excellent prime rib dinner, as expected,” said Tripadvisor reviewer @SixOneTwo.

Tam O’Shanter was opened in 1922 by Lawrence Frank and Walter Van de Kamp (with set designer Harry Oliver responsible for its storybook-like aesthetic). According to a biography of Oliver, Frank said of the design, “Every piece of wood which was used in this structure was thrown into fire first with the result that we never had to paint it and it got more beautiful as the years went by.” Inside, the restaurant upholds its theme, replete with medieval furnishings, kilts, tartans, and crested flags lining the walls.

Walt Disney loved Tam O’Shanter and even had a favorite table: table 31. At the table today, a plaque designates it “a favorite spot of Walt Disney and his Imagineers.” There are also drawings etched into the wood (could these be the doodles of early Disney animators?). The Tam was close to Disney’s original studio, and it became such a popular spot for the Disney crew that it came to be known as the “studio commissary.” Artwork around the restaurant commemorates its Disney ties — above table 31, there’s an original work from the Disney animation team that features Mickey Mouse in a kilt with bagpipes. One wall flaunts pictures of the “Sleeping Beauty” castle, scenes from Disneyland, and Disney himself with the restaurant’s owner.