The LA restaurants that set out to stimulate all five senses

At Vespertine, the last word in outlandish eating in Los Angeles, the staff are on a mission to "disrupt the course of the modern restaurant" as pioneers of the immersive culinary scene.

Something of an overnight sensation in southern California, the eatery was propelled to the top of Los Angeles Times critic Jonathan Gold's prestigious annual rankings soon after its launch last year.

From the volcanic stone crockery and chefs' aprons woven on a loom used for making Samurai garments, to the attentive troupe of waiters dressed in monastic black, everything has been orchestrated to stimulate much more than just the taste buds.