Ambiance - although this place has lots of seating, it has a cozy, neighborhood vibe…read more Service - excellent. From the friendly greeter/hostess to the Italian sommelier who checked in on us and joked with us often, they really made us feel we've been customers for a long time. This is only our second time here. Our friends' last time of eating her was over 10 years ago. This is simply because we all live far from this resto. Our friends lived in the valley and we live in OC. Food - very authentic Italian food. We ordered a bottle of wine, clam linguine, shrimp cake (for appetizer), Frutti de Mare, rigatoni Norma, pappardelle Alfredo, cioppino, tiramisu and flan.

I came here for dinner, and it was really good. We started with the calamari, which was crispy and…read moredelicious. We also got a salad, which was fresh. The pasta was delicious as well. We got the Bianchi & Neri. The pasta was perfectly au dente, and the sauce was delicious. I thought the price was fair, and the ambiance of the restaurant was nice. Service was great, no complaints.

Charming laidback outdoor courtyard setting nestled in trees and a lively kitchen-view, counter…read moreseating inside. The menu is inviting with plenty of great options without being overwhelming. Less is more. But let's talk art (culinary, that is). The dishes certainly deserve main features. To start "the best Caesar salad in LA" and I quote which was certainly true. Grilled octopus charred on the inside and juicy at the center. Spicy pomodoro is perfectly al dente and a well-balanced sauce. But, my favorite-- the agnolotti! Wow, melt in your mouth! The flavor profiles of corn, crème fraiche, and old bay were delicious. My only wish -- larger serving of this (smallest pasta serving on the menu). To complete it, banana pudding tiramisu -- delicious too with a firm center and oozy outside. Atala was wonderful and very sweet. Recommendation: come with a group of at least 4 to try more on the menu -- the large plates (branzino and ribeye) looked excellent! Definitely a worthwhile visit.

I dined here for the first time on a Saturday evening and I am thoroughly pleased! The ambiance and…read morethe decor is amazing..... especially next door at the raw bar, it's like you're in a beautiful cave. Everyone was friendly and knowledgeable of the menu. Our waitress made some good recommendations so we decided to try a few items (family style). We ordered duck confit, spicy pomodoro, sweet corn agnolotti, branzino (highly recommended), charred octopus, steak tartare, cavatelli finocchio, hamachi crudo, date cake and banana pudding tiramisu. Everything was absolutely delicious! You really can't go wrong with any choices on the menu. Everything we cooked to perfection with a lot of flavor. Also, if you sit at the hightop bar, the kitchen is an open concept so you can watch the chefs cook and plate the food. As far as the drinks, I am not sure if they have a full bar but they do have a few selection of wine along with a small cocktail menu. I stuck with the cucumber basil (with tequila). Flavorful and refreshing. Street parking may be hard to find but they do have valet parking for $12. Overall, it's worth a visit. I look forward to dining here again.

Still stands-up to the hype after all these years…read more 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.

Bestia was unfortunately very overhyped. The restaurant encourages ordering shareable plates, but…read morethe portions were extremely small, and the food itself was just okay--not bad, but nothing memorable. The biggest disappointment was the service. Our server was unwilling to accommodate even simple requests. One friend in our group doesn't drink, and when we asked if her mocktail could be served in a cocktail glass so she could feel included, he simply said no. He also refused to make an espresso martini despite having the ingredients available. To make matters worse, one of our dishes never arrived. When we brought it up, the server responded, "I asked you if it came out and you said yes," instead of apologizing for the mistake. Afterward, he took the bill and appeared to be talking negatively about our table. For a restaurant with such a stellar reputation, I expected much better. Between the tiny portions, average food, and poor service, I won't be back

Loved dinner with my girlfriends here! It's such a charming space and the service and food were…read moreexcellent. The standouts for me were the squash blossoms and the potato pizza. Would love to come back and try more! Parking, as in most of LA, is tricky. They have valet.

To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of this place, and I'm not really understanding all the rave…read morereviews. Is it awful? No. But is it anything special? I don't think so. This was actually my second visit. The first time, my husband and I stopped in for lunch and had a couple of items that were good, but I left feeling like maybe we just didn't order the right things. Since so many people seem to love this place, we decided to give it another shot. This time we came with a group of four and ordered a variety of dishes. We started with the octopus, tartare, and burrata appetizers. For pizzas, we had the Mortadella Pista and the Prosciutto with Truffle Oil Pista. We also ordered the Cacio e Pepe, mushroom risotto, and the Nutella dessert. The appetizers were okay, but the burrata was definitely the highlight. The pizzas were good and enjoyable, but nothing particularly memorable that would have me planning a return visit just for them. The Cacio e Pepe was decent, but the mushroom risotto was honestly the worst mushroom risotto I've ever had. It tasted like Campbell's cream of mushroom soup had been used as the base. The ambiance was nice, the service was good, and the drinks were enjoyable, but again, nothing felt especially memorable or exceptional. On a positive note, the prices were fair for what you get. Overall, I personally don't feel the need to come back. It's a perfectly fine meal, but with so many great dining options around, this just didn't stand out to me.

My first time coming visiting from out of state on a recommendation. Our server, Jillian provided a…read moregreat menu selection and offered great ideas on what we should order all throughout the evening she asked what our favorites were from dinner to dessert. Highly recommend as this is certainly a favorite for service , food and atmosphere. Look up menu and you will not be disappointed... reserve ahead as this place is busy for all the reasons mentioned. And ask for Jillian as your server.

SHOUTOUT TINA BADDEST BJYTXH FOREVERR she was the best server ever always got us drinks and was…read moreso attentive '!!$

Yummy. It is a Japanese Italian fusion place but the style of pasta dishes lean more Japanese…read more The ambiance of the place is also dark and a bit quaint, reminding me of some Japanese taverns. The pastas are spaghetti based and it comes with a side of salad and bread! I personally recommend the mentai pasta as it is flavorful and well balanced.

Loved it. Haven't been here in a while and it was just as good as always. Came in for dinner with…read morefriends. Simple interior with a decent amount of seating. Good for a couple or small group. The pastas are amazing! The uni and mentai cream are delicious. They have the perfect ratio of pasta and creamy sauce. Pour a little of the chili oil on them to spice them up. If you're looking for something a little more familiar then the Bolognese is a great choice. Service was good. Friendly staff. There's a pay lot in front. But you could also find street meter parking within a block or two.

We were visiting LA and this restaurant was recommended to us. Really glad we tried it. It was an…read moreamazing experience, from the ambiance to the food. The service was on point, and our wait staff: Beatrice was super helpful and understanding be qe had some dietary needs and she came through and was both patient and understanding. The food was aiming, we started with the charcuterie board and the pulpo, and if you've had that before u know it can be difficult to find it tender and fresh. I had the beef cheeks and it was excellent.Also the cocktails were on point. I would absolutle recommend this place to my family and friends.

This review is late, but my wife and I had dinner here a few months ago and it was such a treat…read more The food and the ambiance were incredible. Our server Diego was an absolute delight and was incredibly helpful. He was very attentive to our needs, and his customer service was the best. We can't wait too frequent this restaurant again. I give this restaurant and Diego 5 stars!!!

If you want to try Donna's you need a reservation! This place gets packed but it's a great little…read morerestaurant with a cool vibe in Echo park. The Caesar salad and garlic bread was phenomenal, enough to make us come back just for the "appetizers." They were exactly what everyone had said they were going to be. The fusilli was also very good, not too spicy and the perfect mix of tomato/creamy. The chicken parmigiana was solid and it was huge! I don't think I'm the best critic of the chicken parmigiana since I rarely order at other restaurants but I had to try it since it was what everyone talked about. The flavor was great, but I could do without it and just order the Caesar, garlic bread, and fusilli

An LA staple for a reason- long wait time/hard to get reservations, the service is great, and the…read moreambiance is very LA influenced. Photo ops in every corner! I would suggest this place only for smaller parties because how little space there is inside. We got the garlic bread, calamari, vodka, lasagna, seafood lemon pasta, and pesto pork pasta ??? Not sure the name and the food was good! This place is most definitely for cheese lovers- everything had SO much cheese it was a bit overwhelming. Probably won't be back because of their limited selection of pastas- really wanted to see more variety but felt it was a little lacking and the pasta was just good, not great.

The best authentic Neapolitan pizza I've had in los Angeles. The crust was incredible, the cheese…read morewas perfect, and the arugula prosciutto pizza was outstanding. The Caesar salad was really good, and the branzino was honestly one of the best I've ever had - great presentation too. The kitchen staff in the back were some latino dudes but tbey clearly know what they're doing because the food tasted very authentic and well executed. I'm giving 3 stars for service because we waited way too long for our bottle of wine. When it finally came out, it wasn't the bottle I ordered, and our waitress Lauren insisted it was the same thing, which felt insulting because it was obviously not the same vintage - it was off by two years. At that point, I just wanted some wine already, so l let it go. That said, the ambiance was great, and the food alone makes this place worth visiting.

An adequate take on Neapolitan pizza for Americans…read more The pies are larger than normal. The dough is spongy. The cheese isn't melted enough. The service is ok. We asked for no dressing and olive oil on the side. We got balsamic vinegar and no oil. If you don't know what proper Neapolitan pizza is, this isn't bad per se. It's just not as good as the real thing.

Tried a few dishes, and the standout was definitely the rigatoni--easily my favorite…read more Would come back again, especially to grab a seat at the bar and try more from the menu.

Mother Wolf has been on my list for quite some time. We decided to finally dine here on our…read moredaughter's last night before she returned to college. The experience did not disappoint -- it was beautiful from beginning to end. Our extraordinary server was James. He was engaging, attentive and unpretentious. His knowledge of the menu was impressive as he explained each section and item in a simplified way. After making our choices, he suggested changing one of our pasta selections since they all had heavy sauces. We accepted his recommendation of the Spaghetti Arrabbiata, which turned out to be everyone's favorite! The tomato-based sauce was light and perfectly spicy. Everything and I mean EVERYTHING was amazing. The focaccia, oxtail meatballs and burrata with ham were a great start, showcasing the quality of the ingredients and thoughtful preparations -- they set the tone for our entire meal. The taste and texture of the freshly made pastas were unmistakable and so, so good with the wonderful sauces. The lamb chops were well-seasoned and cooked to perfection. I especially enjoyed the bed of sliced snow peas, green beans and English peas set over mint sauce. After all that, we had just enough room for shared desserts -- Budino and Tiramisu. Both were the perfect finish to a delicious meal. If you like chocolate, the Budino is for you -- rich but not overly sweet. Each yummy bite with the crumble topping was nicely balanced by the sprinkled salt. Service was impeccable and well-coordinated. We especially appreciated that dishes and utensils were changed after each course. A couple things to keep in mind: *Reservations - Via Resy. The reservation window is open 14 days at a time. *Parking - Valet is right in front. We found street parking just around the corner on Sunset (metered but free after 7pm). *Price Point - Approximately $100 per person. Mother Wolf is a cashless establishment. A 5% wellness fee is added to all checks. We will absolutely be back!