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    Bestia

    4.3 (8.4k reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 11:00 PM

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    BESTIA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Trendy
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Bestia

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    The most decent dish to order.
    Delilah D.

    I went again, 8 years later. 2 guests, We left hungry, no drinks. $265 later. I shoulda read my review. I shoulda ordered the pizza The oxtail ravioli, was a joke smallest dish on the planet, and 4 prawns in breadcrumbs is a hefty $36!!! Prices aside, it was just prawns in breadcrumbs. I didn't think it was anything special. 4% surcharge to support the employees on top. We should be able to pay the servers a decent wage if your prices are still this high. We joked at the table and said we went up a tax bracket and still can't fathom the prices for the plates. I think it's time for me to throw in the towel, no more Bestia for us...and on that note of the towel (napkin) we opened the table napkins to put on our laps and it was shredding lint all over, my dress was covered in lint from the napkin.... They need new napkins. That's crazy.

    Bar and counter seating
    Vivian A.

    COVID-19: Social distancing is not enforced at this establishment. Some of the staff wears a mask. All customers are not expected to wear a mask. It's optional now. The staff also wears gloves when handling food. There are no hand sanitizers available for customers to use. This place is has some indoor & outdoor seating available with limited capacity. They are not sanitizing in between customers. I mention these things in my reviews for the sake of protecting immunocompromised people like the elderly and people sick with cancer and other illnesses. COVID-19 Vaccination Proof: This establishment currently does not require proof of vaccination. While I was eating my food in this establishment several months ago, I asked if they had any special offers and they weren't offering any at the moment. They currently don't have happy hour. They also do not allow pets in their establishment UNLESS it's a service animal. Parking: The parking lot for this establishment is kinda small and tight. Good luck with street parking if you can't find any spots in their lot. They also have valet parking for $13. Tip: Make your reservation 2 - 3 months in advance to get great seating because they get booked up very quickly. Food and Drinks: One of my close male friends and I came here to celebrate both of our birthdays. Bestia is hands down one of the best Italian restaurants here in SoCal. For drinks, my friend and I got the Poderi San Lazzaro. This is a dry red wine from the Marche region of Italy. It is known for its intense ruby color, red berry aromas, and a palate with juicy acidity, soft tannins, and a distinct saline minerality. It's a good pairing for roasted meats and grilled steak. And as for food, my friend and I ordered the roasted bone marrow, oxtail alla vaccinara, 26 oz Margaret river wagyu ribeye, and fromage blanc mousse. To note, all pastas were cooked perfectly al dente. The roasted bone marrow is a signature appetizer served over a bed of spinach gnocchetti. We got to scoop the rich marrow from the bone directly onto the pasta and mix it in table-side. The marrow coats the gnocchetti to create an emulsified, glossy sauce balanced by toasted breadcrumbs and aged balsamic. This was a life changing and mind blowing dish. The oxtail alla vaccinara is a renowned, elevated take on the classic Roman braised oxtail stew. This decadent pasta dish features tender braised meat, wide pappardelle, rich brown butter, pine nuts, and a touch of cocoa powder. The richness of the meat and brown butter is cut through with creamy dollops of burrata cheese and crunchy pine nuts. So yummy! The 26 oz Margaret river wagyu ribeye is a dish that features a massive 26 oz cut of Australian Wagyu, served with burnt onion, fermented mushroom cream, radish, and poppy seeds. This had a melt-in-your-mouth kind of texture, and savory earthiness from the mushroom and onion accompaniments. The ribeye was unmistakably rich and buttery flavor. Get this and you won't regret it. The fromage blanc mousse is a seasonal dessert. This is an incredibly airy, semi-sweet dessert that lands halfway between a light cheesecake and a ricotta. It is served with a pecan graham crust, and candied quince. It's like a fancy smancy cheesecake. Staff: Radu was very helpful, kind, friendly, and attentive to my friend and I. Love this place and will be coming back very soon. They accept credit cards. There is no credit card minimum.

    Roasted Bone Marrow, Herb Caesar Salad
    Leonard K.

    If there is anything to say about Bestia, it's that it is consistent. I've been here a few times on birthdays and other special occasions, but this time around, I was at some event down the street and walked over here to get some food. We got the bone marrow, the herb Caesar salad and a pizza. The bone marrow was excellent, just as they always have been. It pairs well with their pasta that they mix it with. The Caesar salad was quite refreshing, and the herb dressing brought out a citrusy feeling throughout each bite, which was fun. The pizza was really good too. One thing I can say though is that as time goes by, the food in La just keeps getting better and better. While this place may have had showstopping pizza in 2018, a lot of other places have really upped their food game as well. But that's the great thing about innovation. We have places like this we can look at as staples, and then some new place just goes and outdoes it. I like bestia though. I'll probably come back a few more times too, now that the waitlist has stopped being over a month long. The service here is attentive. The ambiance is nice. It's a fun place to eat!

    Saffron Pici
    OG R.

    After years of hearing good reviews about this restaurant, I finally get to write my own! I wish I have dined at this restaurant sooner! What a neat restaurant! On the outside, it looks like a warehouse. From the exterior, you wouldn't expect a nice restaurant to be within the walls. Although the food was great, I think the price was slightly too high for the small portion of the dishes. It's not like I can't afford it, this is just an opinion. I decided to make a reservation here for a special occasion: my partners' mom and my mom and sister were meeting for the first time. Since I wanted the food to be amazing for this special occasion, I chose this restaurant after doing some extensive research. For a more intimate occasion, this might work out for you. But for both sides of the family meeting for the first time, this might not be the perfect place for it. I found it to be a little too loud which made it hard to hear people. Obviously, this isn't the restaurants' fault, so I'm not docking any stars for that. This is just a side note; an "FYI" With that said, I do think that the food is delicious! Everything we ordered is highly recommendable. Unexpectedly, my favorite dish was the corn agnolotti! I love corn! When the dish came after someone ordered it, I was slightly hesitant to try since I didn't really pay attention to what they ordered. It immediately became my favorite dish for the night. Everything else was also great! I've put an orange dot on the left side of the name of the dishes that we ordered in the menu. If you can, order all of them! Pictures attached. Valley parking can sometimes be a mess.

    Mirzah J.

    Valet, great selection of food, service is top notch, and the ambiance can be romantic! I'll come back again for special occasion!

    Peruvian Scallops
    Garvey S.

    We made a reservation for 2, and we're so glad we did! Place is SUPER bustling and packed. We ordered the margarita pizza, bone marrow, scallops, and oxtail pasta. Everything was delicious, although I personally found the pizza slightly underwhelming; nevertheless, it was baked very well. The bone marrow was very rich, scallops' ingredients complimented each other perfectly, and the oxtail pasta provided a needed filling dish. Service was excellent, with each server being very helpful and explanatory with each dish. Only thing I didn't like was how noisy it was inside, but it goes to show how popular of a place it is. If you want to have a conversation, try to get outside seating. Definitely worth a visit!

    Joe L.

    Heard great things about this place and finally got to try this place out! Was definitely surprised by how lively it was inside - the setting/mood felt like a mix of casual but fancy. Ordered a bunch of things to share with a group of people: a few appetizers, pizzas and pastas. Everything we ordered tasted good but sadly nothing really stood out to me. Would definitely come back though just for the vibes. Parking can be tricky to find with the limited spots available on the streets but luckily they do have valet parking. I think our group was just unlucky that night because after paying for valet, they forgot about us. We thought our cars were parked somewhere off site so we waited over 20 minutes outside before we asked them for an ETA. Turns out they still had our car keys locked away and didn't even realize we were waiting for our cars.

    Valrhona Bittersweet Chocolate Budino Tart
    Sandy C.

    Great vibe and excellent service. Drinks were constantly refilled. Branzino was very nicely grilled and generous portion. Endive and peach salad was delectable and unique combo of flavors. Oxtail ravioli was just okay and a small portion size. Dessert was amazing. Definitely recommend the Valrhona Bittersweet Chocolate Budino Tart. Parking can be difficult, so you can valet or park a couple blocks away. Coming here on a weekday early evening improves chances of getting a table.

    26oz Margaret River Wagyu Ribeye
    Justin M.

    Still stands-up to the hype after all these years. If "Trendy" was a restaurant, Bestia would easily be in top contention, even after being around for more than a decade. That says a lot. Once upon a time (a few years ago), my CFP + banking institution wanted to thank me for being one of their top private clients. They expressed their gratitude with a very generous, all expense paid full-course meal at Bestia. To say that I was impressed would be an understatement. Fast forward to now, I knew that coming back here would be a good idea. Make no mistake, even if you try to book a reservation several weeks in-advance, don't be surprised if the only available seats are at the counter. Granted, I was in a spacey table during my past visit, the counter can be an enjoyable & unintentionally entertaining space. It's great for a more casual vibe, as you get to see some of the kitchen workers put together some of their signature dishes. In many ways, Bestia seems like a microcosm of the city that it rather humbly resides within. What always catches me off-guard, is that the surrounding simple area really doesn't reflect the happening, vibrant, night-life that resides within the building's walls. You feel like you're taken so a different, very social, very bustling world. WINE: Podere 72, Poderi San Lazzaro (Marche region, central Italy) - 8.7 / 10 A very robust blend of Montepulciano & Sangiovese grapes that results in a balanced, medium bodied red wine that stands-up to heartiness of a beef ribeye steak. FOOD: Roasted Bone Marrow - 9.4/ 10 I have several friends that go here just for this particular dish. Funny enough, one can almost always tell that one is at Bestia because of the rather peculiar manner in which this dish is served. Hot, melted bone marrow is appropriately scooped out of the bone & poured onto spinach gnocchetti. It's like eating beef flavored mouth pillows of potato + spinach. It's definitely a dish that will impress whoever you are with. I can never resist ordering this whenever I am here. Oxtail alla Vaccinara - 8.9 / 10 The deep, rich maroon color of the rigatoni (thanks to beets) is a sight to behold. The pasta is firm but not too hard. It's a humble yet complex pasta dish that complements any main course. 26oz Margaret River Wagyu Ribeye - 9.4 / 10 Anybody who knows me knows that I love my ribeye. Any decent fancy restaurant does a ribeye. But no one does a ribeye quite like Bestia. The fermented mushroom cream delivers a punch of pungence not unlike a delectable dijon mustard, but to the highest of levels. This dish also makes me a believer in well-cooked onions served alongside steak. I usually like to take a home a portion of ribeye for later, but this is one of the very few instances when the steak is so good, that I can't help but finish it here. Again, the portion is more than enough to be shared. Fromage Blanc Mousse - 9.1 / 10 This seasonal dish hits all the right notes. It's the fanciest of cheesecakes, so I recommend sharing this. With its decadence, a little truly goes a long way & that's perfectly fine. The richness of the cheese is offset perfectly by the right balance of candied kumquats. A great "bite" to end on. Huge shout-out & thanks to Radu for being the nicest & most enthusiastic of servers. It's little things like him being so down to take pics of you with your party that really make me want to come back here. It the owners / management is reading this, please recognize how pivotal he is to your team. If he was working under me, I would most definitely give him a raise. Also, shout-out to Dani at the hostess stand. She is one of the most personable people. For being the first person that patrons see upon entering, she is the perfect face, attitude, & welcoming personality that the hospitality industry is in dire need of. She's a rockstar of a hostess & a pleasure to talk with. Bestia is a better place because of valuable employees like Radu & Dani. As always, come for the food. Come back for the service. I would definitely come back because of how amazing Radu & Dani are. Years after the hype, the vibe is still very much happening at Bestia.

    Megan D.

    I came here to celebrate my birthday and it was so amazing! We had the bone marrow pasta to start and it was so savory and delicious. The octopus was also divine so tender and flavorful. For the pasta we had the butternut squash and a tortellini and both were mind blowing it was so delicious and the flavors were so unique. We also tried the mushrooms pizza and it was good. For dessert you much try the peanut butter bar it's amazing

    Menu
    Adrian P.

    I've been to a lot of Italian restaurants over the years, and I can confidently say Bestia is easily in my top 3 of all time. From start to finish, every single dish hit. We started with the Housemade Buttermilk Ricotta and wow... absolutely fantastic. Super smooth, rich, perfectly balanced, and packed with flavor. The kind of starter you immediately wish you ordered more of. Next was the Herb Caesar Salad, another huge hit. Fresh, crisp, and that dressing was phenomenal. Light but still incredibly flavorful. We actually saved some of the dressing and dipped our pizza into it later... highly recommend doing that because it paired perfectly. For mains, we shared the Cavatelli alla Norcina and the Margherita pizza. The cavatelli was honestly one of the best pasta dishes I've had in a long time. Something I'd never tried before and now I'll probably order every time I come back. Rich, comforting, and insanely flavorful without feeling too heavy. The Margherita pizza was also perfect, great crust, fresh ingredients, balanced sauce, and just done right. To finish, we had the Bar au Chocolat Bittersweet Chocolate Budino Tart and somehow they still didn't miss. Absolute knockout dessert. Rich, decadent, silky, and the perfect ending to the meal. The energy, service, food quality, and attention to detail here are on another level. You can tell why this place has the reputation it does. Already looking forward to coming back.

    Cavatelli alla Norcina
    Blanca S.

    I had a mixed experience at Bestia. The ambiance is definitely a highlight -- lively, energetic, and packed with people, with great music that makes the whole place feel fun and vibrant. The service was also excellent; attentive, friendly, and made us feel well taken care of throughout the meal. The drinks were really good. I had the Crystal Pistol, Seven Faces, and Personality Crisis. That said, the food itself didn't quite live up to the hype for me. It was decent, but nothing particularly memorable or exciting, especially given the price point. For how expensive it is, I expected something that would really wow me, and it just didn't quite get there. I tried their Housemade Buttermilk Ricotta, Peruvian Scallop Crudo, Roasted Bone Marrow, Cavatelli Alla Norcina, and Panna Cotta. Overall, a great spot for atmosphere and drinks, but I'm not sure the food justifies the cost.

    Taleggio $28
    Arshad H.

    I had heard rave reviews about Bestia, which is located in a small alley way in Downtown Los Angeles. It looks like it used to be an old warehouse that was converted into a restaurant. The inside was minimalist and industrial and the seating was extremely cramped and close together. I celebrated a birthday with 3 other friends and we settled on some dishes to share. Ricotta ($21) - This dish consisted of whipped ricotta cheese, aged balsamic, fennel pollen, herb oil, salt, and some grilled bread to scoop things up. It tasted great and was a wonderful way to start the meal. Marrow ($30) - Bestia's most famous dish is prepared with spinach gnocchi and a beef bone sliced in half. The server scrapes out the marrow and mixes it with the pasta. It's topped with some breadcrumbs, sesame oil, and aged balsamic vinegar. Loved the beef flavors from this dish, my only complaint was that I wish the portion was larger! Burrata ($28) - This pizza was prepared with San Marzano tomatoes sauce, burrata cheese, olives, oregano, and fermented chiles topped this pizza. This Neapolitan crust pizza was just ok, and didn't impress. Taleggio ($28) - This pizza consisted of smoked mozzarella and taleggio cheeses, as well as mascarpone, some honey and Sichuan peppers. It had great and unique flavors and was definitely better than the burrata one. Agnolotti ($29) - This pasta was stuffed with mushroom and chestnuts, and prepared in a mascarpone, fried sage, and fennel pollen sauce. It had an earthy taste and tasted great. Branzino ($52) - The Branzino came with a pine nut pesto, chilis, mixed basil and lemon. I really enjoyed the flavor profile of this dish, it had a little bit of kick to it. Spaghetti ($42) - This squid ink spaghetti lobster pasta had excellent flavors and was garnished with some micro greens and Thai basil. Unfortunately the portion was on the smaller side. Panna cotta ($14) - Consisting of winter citrus, honey and blood orange syrup this custard cream dish was the better than the other dessert we tried and was served with some thin meyer lemon cookies. Budino ($17) - This chocolate tart was served with salted caramel, and cacao crust. While I enjoy chocolate desserts I was a bit disappointed with this one, the flavors didn't wow me and the crust was soft and a little lack luster. Coffee ($5) - Stumptown brand of coffee. It was rich and smooth and a nice way to end the meal. Overall, the serving size of dishes here is SMALL. While there are some dishes that tasted great, I wish there were more meat options that included chicken, been, lamb, shrimp or veal. Each person needs to order at least 2 to 3 dishes to fill up. Service was outstanding here from our server, Jason. He was friendly, knowledgeable and took care of allergy issues from my dining group. They really need to improve on their seating here as tables are so close to each other. We were still hungry afterwards so we visited a Yemeni coffee spot near by. Valet parking is $13. There is a 4% service charge for the worker's health care added to each bill.

    Roasted Bone Marrow

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    Bestia Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Bestia

    Can I bring my own wine to the restaurant? If so, how much is the corkage fee?

    $50 now

    Is it kid friendly?

    Oh yes! Abosolutely if they are above 8!

    How far in advance do they open reservations?

    I believe 3 months

    Is dog friendly restaurant?

    Allowed? Probably. Service animal? Definitely. Dog friendly? Like are there dog pictures on the… 

    Walk Ins for lunch?

    sure. at the bar/counter.

    Can it accommodate a scooter or walker?

    From what I remember, they have stairs and the walk way for the tables was a bit narrow. I'd call to double check to see if they can help better assist you

    I don't see a wine list, do they have a selection?

    Yes, they have excellent wine list

    Do they accept walk ins for the bar seating?

    Yes they do but u should line up early and if you're extra lucky and you're in the front of the line u may get a table.

    Do you have a cake cutting fee?

    Yes, there is a cake cutting fee at Bestia.

    Is outdoor seating available?

    Yes they have a small patio with some seating

    Can I cancel a reservation without being charged?

    There is no cancellation fee for standard reservations.

    Do they have vegetarian options?

    yes they do have vegetarian options but their menu does focus heavily on meat items.

    Are you guys open on Sunday the 25th of December?

    Is it kid friendly?

    Brought my 1.5 year old here, we had no problems. The staff was super friendly towards my son & also gave him paper and crayons. Also saw another family with a child a little older and they also didn't seem to have any issues.

    If my resv is at 1030pm and they close at 11, do we have to be out my then or would we be able to enjoy or meal?

    While we try to get all of our guests' orders in prior to 11:00 pm, we course your meal accordingly. Our late night diners have the same experience and pacing as earlier reservations.

    What time is the last call for food and alcohol?

    Our kitchen closes nightly at 11:00 pm. However, should you have a late reservation, we still course your meal thoughtfully and don't want you to feel rushed. We do last call for drinks based on where are final diners are in their meal.

    Does Bestia have high chairs for toddlers?

    yes they do

    Do they accept cash or google.pay?

    Yes and crypto too!

    Any low carb options?

    Yes! If, like me, you wait an hour for a table and they never seat you, you will have zero carbs. Lol (seriously though, show up at least 30 minutes after your res time unless you want to wait in a crowded area for an hour)

    Where is the terrace seating and where is the courtyard?

    I believe courtyard is out in front by the entrance and terrace you gotta walk out to the back where it's facing the valet

    View All 110 Questions

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    Thunderbolt

    Thunderbolt

    4.4
    (266 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    Matt B. and I are living with my parents these days, and one of the benefits of this arrangement is…read morethat we can leave the house quite easily after the kids go to bed. We decided to get a drink to celebrate Father's Day, only to strike out at the first two bars we tried--I guess a lot of places are closed at 9:30 on a Sunday. This is how we ended up at Thunderbolt, a buzzy bar in Echo Park, just far enough away that we'd never made our way over. I loved it immediately. Thunderbolt has the friendly, comfortable atmosphere of a neighborhood bar and the hip aesthetic and high-level cocktails of a millennial boozer destination. (Not that young people can't or shouldn't hang out here, but it seems especially geared toward people like us, who drank at Walker Inn a decade ago.) We ended up sitting next to a guy who regularly drives up from Palos Verdes. I guess the place gets pretty busy, but it was ideal on a Sunday night. Happening but not crowded, with just enough space at the bar for us to grab two seats together. The bartender was great, super helpful and welcoming. He also made excellent drinks. Thunderbolt is one of those bars with an encyclopedic illustrated book for a menu. Not a long menu, just a detailed one, with a lot of information available about each drink. We got a Liquid Picnic and a Barcelonnette--just one round to close out the weekend. Both were delicious. The Liquid Picnic was a smooth, savory gin martini made with London dry gin, tomato, citron, vermouth, rosemary, and black pepper. I learned from the book that it used clarified tomato water. (There was also further reading about the clarification process.) The Barcelonnette was a mezcal sour with Suze, passionfruit, and lime, the foam made without egg white through some geeky mixologist process. Thunderbolt is not our neighborhood bar, but we plan to go back when we can to check out the rest of the menu. It's a wonderful place, well worth a jaunt on the freeway.

    Was charged three times, totaling hundreds of dollars, and waiting for the pending transactions to…read moredrop (or stay :/) in 3-5 business days is no fun. We can't all be made of money, but this shouldn't have happened.

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    Bestia - italian - Updated July 2026

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