Step Inside Felix Culpa, Henderson Avenue’s New Pop-Culture Obsessed Hotspot

Flashy new Henderson Avenue restaurant Felix Culpa has arrived, and it’s totally obsessed with pop culture.

The restaurant officially made its debut last week, and the nondescript brick building at 3001 Henderson Avenue belies the explosion of pop-art-inspired chaos that awaits inside. Even the door at Felix Culpa is a little over-the-top, with its neon overlay, and a giant, iridescent recreation of Jeff Koons’s iconic statue of famous sailor-man Popeye stands tall near the entryway. Portraits of Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe, painted by Michael Moebius, bring bright, graphic pops of color to the space’s bare brick walls, and are flanked on either side with other prints from a slew of modern artists.

The most unique and eye-catching accent at Felix Culpa are the chandeliers. 13 separate, totally unique chandeliers hang dangerously from the ceiling, lighting the space with a chaotic twinkling that bounces off the glassware on tables and nearby bar counter. Considering that Felix Culpa takes its name from a Latin phrase that translates loosely to a philosophy of finding benefits in certain mistakes, the restaurant takes advantage of every quirk of the space. Only here can crushed blue and black velvet work with a geometric patterned wall, onto which a sparkling gold and red Roy Lichtenstein comic print is hung, without looking ridiculous.

Surrounded by this aesthetic of curated chaos, diners can look forward to a menu of familiar, upgraded comfort foods like tuna crudo, shrimp cocktail, hummus, and flatbreads from chef Nick Amoriello. On the cocktail side of the menu, find a savory spritzer mixed with cucumber and dill, hibiscus tea spiked with pineapple tequila and vodka, and the Remember VT, an homage to the bar at Victor Tangos mixed with Avion tequila, agave, lime, cucumber, and mint.

Felix Culpa is now open for dinner daily, from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. Monday through Wednesday and 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Before heading to Henderson Ave, take a peek inside the space courtesy of Eater photographer Kathy Tran.

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