My first review, but not my first visit, to Lulu. It opened in 2021. I actually dined here twice…read morein one day. Located in the lovely courtyard of the Hammer Museum (which has free admission), Lulu was conceived by Alice Waters, one of California's pioneering chefs, of Chez Panisse in Berkeley fame. Locally sourced, farm-to-table California cuisine did not exist before Chef Waters. Her friend David Tannis was Lulu's original chef. I returned here recently because the LA Times food critics are quite enamored of Lulu's current chef, Giles Clark. Lulu is an outdoor restaurant with most seating beneath several trees and umbrellas. There is a more protected bar and dining area, but they're still open-air. As such, my visits during the recent heat/humidity wave were hot and sticky. I brought my own fan. But it's a beautiful space, very peaceful and serene. Lulu is open for lunch and dinner, with a light mid-day menu between. Both lunch and dinner offer a 3-course prix fixe menu plus numerous a la carte dishes. The prix fixe menu, and some of the a la carte dishes, change daily as the menu is market dictated. Rest assured seasonal local produce anchors the menu, some are lovingly on display as a centerpiece. There is a daily agua fresca and shrub. Note the lunch prix fixe is $20 less than dinner. On the day I visited, the menus were the same (don't know about portion size), but they are sometimes different. I did the prix fixe for lunch, then a la carte for dinner. The agua fresca on this day was raspberry with 2 floral ingredients, one may have been geranium. It was delish, on the tart side. The fresh-squeezed lemonade I had at dinner was equally tart and delish. The prix fixe this day was: 1) eggplant babaganoush with grilled onion and cucumber salad 2) meatball and tomato tagine with haricots verts, olives and saffron couscous 3) cardamom-orange chocolate custard with pistachio brittle. I also received some Clark Street bread and butter. Everything was fab, especially the produce, as expected. My dinner dishes were: 1) chilled corn soup 2) tomato salad a la Niçoise with olives, egg and anchovies 3) rigatoni with lobster mushrooms alla vodka 4) summer melon sorbet with gingersnap. The soup, salad and sorbet were late summer in bowls and on a plate. The pasta was substantial with the meaty mushrooms and the sauce had a kick. Service was great at both meals, and the host at lunch was fab--I think he was a manager/do everything person. My dinner waiter pointed out Chef Giles when he was sitting in the courtyard; he looks quite young! Definitely worth visiting! And you can enjoy the (air conditioned) galleries before or after.

This is a lovely space. It's associated with the Hammer museum at UCLA. It's in the courtyard…read morewith an outdoor seating area, as well as indoor seating. There is jazzy latin tinged music playing and it's just beautiful. So that's a winner. This place was inspired by Alice Waters, who was a main force in the California Cuisine farm to table movement. Her restaurant in Berkeley, Chez Panisse, was the most amazing restaurant in the East Bay when I went to Cal. This place is far different. But it's great on its own terms. The menu tonight is themed with a movie playing at the Hammer. So it's not the normal fare. But from what I understand, they do a different prix fix menu every night, in addition to their normal offerings. This meal was wonderful. The first course was a poblano chile filled with a walnut based stuffing. It was delicate and brilliant. It was also a dish from the movie that was served at a wedding and everyone fell in love. The main was a medley of different seafoods (scallops, shrimp, clams, and tilefish) with vegetables (hominy, garlic, avocado, onion, and chile) and a lovely broth that was deconstructed and wonderful. The dessert was just enough too. It seemed to be inspired by the wedding cake from an early scene in the movie. Really great. The service is perfect. The waitperson was friendly and helpful. The food was served well timed and the plates cleared efficiently, never rushed. It was a great meal. I loved this place and I'd come again. This series is movies about food. Like Water for Chocolate is a movie I saw when I was in law school, and 29 (young). I loved this movie 33 years ago. I loved it again. The meal at LULU truly accented the film. Thank you LULU!

Here's the short take: Good food, good service, and a…read morecomfortable yet upscale setting. Here's the long take: Very good pours on the wine, and decently strong mixed drinks. I normally order several appetizers to share with friends, most recently the flatbreads, each one of which was very good, ample, and satisfying. My last visit we had the cannolis which were solid without being overly sweet. So, I recommend this place and prefer it to many others of similar ilk in the vicinity.

Bartenders are rude. TVs cannot get local stations or streamers for major and local sports. No…read moreDodgers, Lakers, USC, etc. You call yourself a bar? Not going back until they fix this. Shame, as the food is very good.

My wife and I live in Brentwood and have dined at Divino numerous times over the years…read more We enjoy the cozy atmosphere and appreciate supporting a small family-owned business. Our experiences with the food and service have generally been very positive, which makes it even more disappointing to write this review. Unfortunately, we had a very unpleasant experience during our most recent visit on May 30, 2026. We had a reservation for 7:00 p.m. and were looking forward to dining there again after quite some time. When we arrived, a mature gentleman who appeared to be the host greeted us at the door. I informed him that we had a 7:00 p.m. reservation, and his only response was, "One moment." He then walked away to attend to other tables. The restaurant is quite small, with tables positioned closely together and near the entrance. We were left standing awkwardly by the door, right next to diners who were already seated. We waited approximately seven minutes, although it felt much longer because of how uncomfortable the situation was. The wait itself wasn't the issue. What bothered us was the lack of communication. We noticed several empty tables, yet no one acknowledged us or provided an update. Feeling ignored, my wife walked toward the back of the restaurant and spoke with another staff member to inquire about our table. At that point, the host appeared upset that she had approached someone else. His attitude toward us changed noticeably, and we felt unwelcome. Rather than continue the interaction, we decided to leave. This situation could have been handled very differently with a simple explanation. Something as basic as, "Good evening, welcome to Divino. We are running about 10 minutes behind tonight. I apologize for the wait. Please feel free to have a seat on the patio, and I'll come get you as soon as your table is ready," would have completely changed our experience. Good communication goes a long way. We understand that restaurants get busy, and we don't mind waiting. What we do mind is being left standing uncomfortably without any information and then being treated poorly when we politely sought assistance. We sincerely hope this feedback is taken constructively, as we have enjoyed Divino in the past and would like to see the customer experience improve.

Keeping this one brief for now since I have some bias here as I helped design this place almost 30…read moreyears ago. I really thought it was 25 years ago but the owner/Chef Goran Milic reminded me that it was 28 years ago. With their recent media coverage, no wonder he remembers so vividly. And with that bit of information I am really dating myself. Ugh. Divino is located at the Barrington Court which is notorious for its challenge to find parking. It is also why I tend to avoid this area when it comes to dining out. For my and my wife's anniversary we decided to come here around 1130AM hoping to be one of the first customers. As it turned out it opened at noon so we were definitely extra early. This gave me the opportunity to drop in and say hello to the owner as well as check out one of my early architecture works. It's noteworthy to point out that they will be launching a bar/ private room upstairs so I look forward to checking that out in the near future. It's still under construction but it shouldn't be too far out. Divino is most well known for its pasta and seafood dishes. So my wife chose a pasta dish along with Branzino for our anniversary lunch. The foods were super tasty and exquisite. Chef Goran Milic is from Montenegro but trained in Italy so his Italian foods certainly have a strong Adriatic Coast flare. We went with tiramisu as our dessert. It was out of this world!! So must order if you're planning to visit. Just bummed that the restaurant still charged for anniversary desserts. That is pretty common in LA but I figure Chef Goran would treat an "old friend" to something extra. Haha. Look forward to returning and trying other dishes as well as checking out the new space on the second floor. Cheers!!

Toscana is a one of the few that could host a large group like ours without any hesitation. Maybe…read moreit's because they knew people from our company from previous visits. Anyhow, you're getting solid, though maybe not top-notch, Italian food here. Because it was a large work group dinner, we kinda slow walked our way into the main course after some rounds of drinks and a charcuterie board. I got myself the PAPPARDELLE AI FUNGHI. It was good, though it looked smaller than it actually felt. Maybe that's a good thing. I wish they had a couple more appetizing vegetarian options, but I can live with my choice. Also, the servers were a bit slow with the service of our drinks. Additionally, I was a bit disappointed with their version of a spicy margarita as it wasn't spicy at all. They must have missed the jalapeños. This was made up with the wine collection though, which was impressive in its own regards.

I came here on Wednesday night after many years for a group dinner!! I shared the filet mignon and…read morecarciofi salad, and both were great. The Pinot Noir was very good. It's a little pricey, but the service was great. The desserts were amazing; the raspberry tart and tiramisu are a must!!

Ya gotta be careful when places get too big. Like, 50k instagram followers big. I almost judged too…read moresoon. Thank goodness i decided to hit rustic canyon. Service: unmatched. And the bites, some of the most memorable dishes year to date. It was quiet on a wednesday evening. A few folks sat at the bar with me and we made acquaintance with each other and the bar tender. I got the peaches, mushrooms asada, and oysters. All of which: some of the best i have ever had. Without doubt, the best oysters I have ever eaten. A dark mignonette that was perfectly acidic and just spicy enough to make you clutch your glass, but not commit to another sip. The peaches were a dream. Crispy and ripe the olive oil glued the fresh cracked pepper and mini boulders of salt to each piece. And the basil gave that bit of spice leveled off with a whisper of citrus. All tied together with the strings of oaxacan cheese mellowing it all out with a subtle creaminess that simply joins the sweetness, but does not overpower. The mushrooms are a must. Cooked to perfection, the asada had a pleasant spice that lingers like a friend you havent seen in years. A linger you dont want to end. Pair that up with the gentle sweetness of the mango to keep things light. The asada coating (sauce? Idk the right word) was married to every crevice of the mushroom so that every bite exuded the smoky, tangy marinade all over your tongue like a gallon of paint splattering from a 10 story fall. Service cant go unmentioned. The basics: timely, respectful, knowledgable. But, the staff seemed genuinely interested in the experience of each guest. They all took time to answer questions, ask questions, converse, and just generally be present with each guest. A remarkable showing from the entire squad. I would love to get back next time im in la. A marvelous meal!

Came here with my wife as part of our 2026 Red Dining Book journey. It was the definition of a…read moremixed bag. We arrived in time for happy hour (5-630) and were told that we could only order happy hour items from the bar, but they would hold our table. The Balerion cocktail (tequila and dragon fruit) was balanced wonderfully, and the halibut tacos were sizable and came with a delicious aioli. The bartender was lovely and had wonderful recommendations. Moving to our table was a different experience entirely. We ordered the vermillion on corn pudding with a Calabrian chili sauce and the ribeye. The server came back 10 minutes later and told us that despite being considered a large portion, the proteins didn't count as a red book discountable item (the fish was $45, the steak, $69), and recommended we order something else in addition. We had her remove the ribeye from our order and instead got the bluefin tuna crudo. Both the tuna and the vermillion were tasty but had issues. The fry on the vermillion was a little too bready and there was almost no corn pudding underneath it, and the portion size was tiny to say the least (the tuna was three bites per person). After we ordered the churros, which were billed as "big enough to share." The plate had two 4 inch churros, merengue, and a piping of chocolate mousse. The churros were heavily fried and weren't light and airy. I would consider coming back for happy hour again, but would skip the main menu - it's too expensive for the small portions you get and the restaurant only had 4 other tables worth of patrons despite being able to hold 5 times that.

I want to clarify that I haven't visited this restaurant since before Covid. But I'm new to Yelp…read moreand I wanted to write a positive review because my memories of the restaurant are wonderful. I used to live in Brentwood and went every week; the food is excellent--you only find food like this in Italy. I remember the owner as tall, slim, very handsome and sophisticated, always friendly. Someone told me it had changed owners because they saw an older gentleman, also Italian, running it hopefully not ruining it lol. Now I live in Malibu, but I'll be back soon to try the delights of this restaurant. I hope it's still the same or even better. Sending positivity.

This restaurant is a such a staple in Brentwood. The food is really good and I love their tiramisu…read more The service is top notch, all the staff are attentive and friendly. The restaurant ambience is refined while still feeling relaxed and unpretentious. Parking spaces in the back and also plenty of street parking.

This spot is a must go, and makes my top ten list of best brunch in the US…read more My last review was 8 years ago, (so here is my update) and was so impressed with the remodel. Would love to sit at the new bar some time if I ever travel without my little one. Brunch was epic, went with a usual- my wife and I went halvsies on the benedict and egg sandwich- I added some eggs, truffle fries, sausage and turkey bacon for the group to share- All was epic. Had a bite of pancakes, and chicken salad sandwich (w/ turmeric raisin bread). We started with the crostini, and did two of each; they were epic. I personally liked the apricot one and the prosciutto/goat cheese. All drinks were great, but I loved the mezcal espresso martini, and their walnut old fashioned. Table next to us got the puffed bread, and that looked epic. Also, we loved Alfonso, our waiter; he was great, and checked in to grab us some extra stuff as we kept trying to order more, and more. Can't wait to my next visit!

Dead empty. But still asked if we had reservations around 10:45a.... stoooop... did we see a line…read moreeven 30 minutes after they sat us .... on a thursday? whaaa.... The place is like a scene out of dune, palm springs, and florida. Earth tone posh. Everything was charming until I used the restroom which was disgusting. For how clean and tight the aesthetics were on the outside the bathroom walls the soap dispenser were disgusting. Food was overpriced. $22 for everything meal wise. While the sandwiches were big, my commoner breakfast was boring. Potatoes undercooked. Spanish late nothing memorable..... Wow, the neighborhood breakfast spots has really fallen apart since rent for many of these places are sky high. It makes sense why the menu tags have to match in order to survive.

Ospi never disappoints! I came here to celebrate my birthday, and it was the perfect choice. The…read morefood is always great! The spicy rigatoni is always a must, the Caesar salad was fresh and perfectly dressed, and the other pasta and dessert were incredible too. The restaurant isn't huge, which actually adds to the experience. It has a cozy feel with a relaxed vibe that's perfect for a date. If you're looking for great food and a nice atmosphere, Ospi is definitely worth a visit.

I want to start off by saying the SERVICE was an 11/10 Very…read moreaccommodating and hospitable! The Vodka pizza was a nice surprise, nice flavor and light. I will say that if you are craving a traditional style pizza, or even a NY style, this may not hit the spot (we picked up a pie for later). Their pizzas are a lavash style, with toppings that don't overpower. We also tried the copione pizza and Tonnarelli pasta. Spicy rigatoni was great! Caesar salad could use a hint of anchovies in their dressing to bring out more flavor Nutella cheesecake was highly recommended and (coming from a non chocolate lover) did not disappoint! Yum. Desserts differ across locations Overall the food was solid. They have a generous happy hour which lets you try several of their most popular dishes, without committing to an entrée size. I will say that despite a very positive dining experience overall, nothing really blew our minds. We've tried several authentic Italian places that are both worth the splurge and a visit back. I'd maybe return for the outstanding service and a quick bite for HH, if I'm in the area. Will possibly give the Venice location a try, otherwise this wasn't a place we'd collectively return to for the food alone.