Came here on a Saturday night to celebrate our anniversary. Reservations are a must because it was…read morebusy when we got there and most tables inside were taken. We found metered parking on the street but it can be difficult, unless you valet. Inside is loud, sometimes we found we had to yell at each other but as the night went by and tables cleared out, it became much better. The ceilings are low and the room walls are brown, so it can look a little stuffy. Service was great, our waiter was amazing. There were like 10 specials and he knew them all backwards and frontwards lol. I ordered the chicken schnitzel and I have to say it was good! It was pounded out thinly and it wasn't heavy at all. French fries were ok, nothing exciting. Chocolate pudding was really good, something I would order again. My only complaint was that between our appetizers and entrees, we waited over an hour. Apparently the kitchen was backed up.

My five-star rating is for the butterscotch pudding…read more It was divine. Classic butterscotch flavour in the creamy pudding, topped with delectable salted caramel and homestyle whipped cream. Perfect dessert. I chose this spot specifically for this item for a very weighted reason, and it delivered. The rest? (Dinner and drinks, plus service and ambience) Were it not for the pudding, I would give a 3-star rating at most. First off, we waited way too long to be attended to upon being seated. My cocktail (the Jar Manhattan) was nothing special - and a bamboo cherry skewer, really? - and my boyfriend ordered a beer and received the can with his glass as if he were being pubicly chided for ordering suds at "such a fancy place" [Fast Times At Ridgemont High's Rat quote]. Our meat (skirt steak and pork chop) were not cooked to our liking. We're still kicking 24 hours later, so it wasn't like a premise liability raw meat thing! Just that we ordered the steak medium well and it was vividly red and bloody (see pics) and my pork chop was thiccccc and very pink (pork can be cooked to completion and still be pink, so I wasn't concerned, but...). We just wish our meat would have been a little less...alive. We also had to practically beg for knives...aren't knives usually brought out just before plates if one orders a meat entree? The entree plates were too small, especially if you're insisting on family-style sides that people need to slop onto their main plates. The bread app was incredibly mediocre, and BIG NOTE, civilised people need butter knives for bread...either with the table setting service, or give us one proper butter knife with the bread plate. Despite the lack of real estate on the entree plates, the sides are shareable without being charged extra...about 2 servings per vessel. The mashed potatoes were good. I parked at the Beverly Connection, $4 for the whole evening via SpotHero. There's also valet right outside the restaurant if you don't want to walk about 10 minutes. I got what I wanted out of this experience (the pudding), but I wouldn't say this was an outstanding meal or dining experience. If they think they can charge their current prices, they should brush up on table setting etiquette (plating, flatware, etc.) and be sure to promptly serve - kiss the asses of, even - the patrons whom they expect to shell out their hard-earned money at this surprisingly long-standing establishment.

Patiently waiting for this place to open again because it's one of the greats. I've been here solo…read more I've been here with a group. The vibes are great every time. The food is incredible but I've only tried three items, and they're all goated: - paccheri pasta - creste de gallo pasta - brown sugar pudding for dessert Will be trying everything else as soon as they reopen.

Olivetta is a restaurant I loved dining at and will absolutely be back to. One of the most…read morebeautiful restaurants in the city for sure, it's being added to my collection. However, no photos allowed and I respected the rules of the restaurant. So let me have my words do the photographic build up for Olivetta. We were headed to valet ($20) and somehow lucked into getting one of the very few parking spots right out front, score. We were warmly greeted and walked to our reservation immediately, walking by a rowdy gen x party at the bar adorned in cowboy hats & wanna-be influencers at nearly every table. It's so pretty inside, each room a little different but equally awe inspiring. I loved the vibe and my seat was perfectly placed in front of a giant mirror. My avoidant self did not have to view my reflection, but rather it was like a TV showing me all the hustle and bustle of the restaurant as diners shuffled back and forth to their seats. Watching the crowd was fun. Classy, range of ages, range of demographics but everyone is LA cool. You can be who you want here and Olivetta exemplifies that under their beautiful exterior. We had a perfect server by the way, very friendly and gave just the right level of service, not too much, not too little, just what I like, like I'm Goldilocks of Yelp LA Dining. We started with the squash blossoms, maybe regrettably so, as we had a hard time choosing an app. I'll try something else next time as they underwhelmed me. A nice crisp on the flowers but the stems were a bit much and I just found this dish to be aiight. Now the pastas I absolutely loved. We tried two and just adored them both. I was actually surprised at how good the portions were for such a classy, cute place. The Creste di Gallo was a sensation for the eyes and mouth, with a fun tableside creation of this dish. There's a generous shaving of cheese and delectable bone marrow in the dish, really great flavor and consistency. The Agnolotti was equally, if not even more, creamy and delicious. I was so full but could not stop eating this rich sauce over sage cream sauce and dried sage leaves. The roasted carrots were a nice accompaniment with our meal over a puffed feta bed sprinkled generously with pistachio and dill. Despite being full, we were still able to get through about half of the Chocolate Olive Oil Cake which was fluffy and soft with a chocolate ganache to pour over the top. I wouldn't have minded if this came with gelato or ice cream, just a tad but it was still a solid dessert. I do wish they had some non-alcoholic items like hot tea or coffee or espresso to go with dessert, they only had alcoholic offerings. Prior to beginning dinner, we did order some drinks. They had 3 Mocktails on their menu and were out of 1, so my friend and I ordered the only 2 mocktails ($16 a pop) options on offer. We found them okay - just fine, but wished they were excellent or more NA options were available & more care was intended for those of us who are Cali sober. Other than drinks though, I absolutely loved Olivetta. I'll absolutely be back to try more on the menu and I'm sitting here craving the Agnolotti, omggggggg it was so bomb. I def will be copping that dish again.

$$$$ That said, a…read morebeautiful rooftopview, beautiful layout & decor so it does not feel like... a plain roof. Clean towels provided and clean restrooms close by also on rooftop. You will not be doing laps; intimate just plunging pleasure from the heat. The champagne was not bubbly and the plate portions were tiny but was the bartender was in a good mood to offset the flat drinks.

This is a very quiet roof terrace bar near LACMA at top of Kimpton hotel. A great place to have a…read moredrink after visiting the museums (LACMA, Petersen's Automotive, the Academy Museum or La Brea Tar Pits) or have a quiet business meeting. Nice view of LA and sunset. A variety of cocktails on menu (limited wine list) and interesting appetizers and fare. The crunchy fingerling potatoes with aioli were delicious. So was the burrata with artichokes. The roasted cauliflower we ordered was actually romanesco (a cross between a broccoli and cauliflower) but was a bit undercooked. Chocolate pot de crème was excellent. What really made the place special was the service - our two waiters, Chris and Levi were so accommodating, and understanding of dietary restrictions, and affable and helpful. 5 stars for their service and their friendly disposition.

You gotta love a place that makes you feel like a regular on your first visit! I've been here…read moretwice now and love the food (marg pizza and squash blossoms), drinks (best Hugo spritz I've EVER had), vibes (best staff, love the dim lighting and patio is divine)! And they give you an arancini to start just because!! I will be back! Check this place out!!!

This place is a hidden gem--and it's not even hidden! It's right on Beverly Boulevard. Why aren't…read moremore people here?! This is my second time at Florence, and both visits have been fantastic. The food is excellent, the service is great, the waiters are ridiculously handsome (just saying ), and I had the best Hugo Spritz I've ever had. The first time I came, I sat at the bar, and tonight we were on the patio. The patio is beautiful, with a gorgeous tree in the middle covered in string lights. It feels intimate and romantic without being stuffy--such a lovely place to spend an evening. Everything tonight was excellent--great food, great drinks, wonderful service, and a beautiful atmosphere. I genuinely don't understand why this place wasn't packed on a Friday night. Go to Florence! I want this restaurant to be around for a long, long time.

Good vibes, good old fashioned and also a lot of tributes to France in the decoration. Always a…read moregood night here.

It's actually a small venue and there's a little stage for the DJ, and another bar in the back…read more There's a few tables and the bathroom has a cute "Life is a Puzzle" sign. Usually good house music playing in the back.

LADiDa is the rooftop/poolside restaurant at the SLS Hotel. SLS was famed French designer Philippe…read moreStarck's first American hotel, opened back in late 2008. The rooftop space has been refreshed, but clearly with Starck's vision in mind. I recall back in 2009, the 2 small pools were surrounded by huge framed mirrors and paintings, which limited the space for seating/lounging and had a claustrophobic feel even though you were outdoors. The space is now open, with a more dedicated area for the restaurant and bar, and several types of seating/lounging options around the pool. LADiDa is open for lunch and dinner daily and a weekend brunch that I think is new-ish and being heavily promoted. LADiDa and the 10-seat omakase Sushi by Scratch are the only hotel dinner options, but there's a huge variety of restaurants surrounding the hotel. I enjoyed a decent lunch at LADiDa after I was able to check-in early at the hotel. It seems anyone enjoying the pool deck can order off the lunch menu; much of the lunch menu is hand-held food. This may not be the case at dinner and brunch. The servers must attend to the entire pool deck, so service was quite slow and inattentive, although very friendly. Note all the hotel's restaurants have an automatic 20% gratuity added. I don't know exactly where the kitchen is; it's not on the pool deck, as there's only a small tent that the servers go into when not on the deck. The restrooms are one level below, so maybe the kitchen's there too? I sat in the dedicated dining area, luckily under an umbrella in the 90 degree heat. Alas, many of the tables had no shade, a lunch/brunchtime problem. I ordered a "Buzz Free" Zero Spritz and a chicken avocado sandwich with fries. The plates and drinkware of course are reusable plastic, the utensils are disposable plastic. Condiments come in single-use packaging. The spritz was very refreshing. The sandwich was fine, with a good amount of chicken and avocado, plus tomato, onions, truffle aioli and serrano chili slices I was able to pick out (I'm a spice wimp when it comes to heat). The fries were thin and crisp. Overall a pleasant meal. I'd come back to try dinner and brunch if there was adequate shade.

I had the risotto with split pea. Absolutely delicious. Creamy with the right amount of Parmesan…read morecheese. I also had the pork/veal/beef meatballs with a red pepper sauce. Also a 5 star dish. Only drawback is the kitchen is located on the ground floor and the restaurant is on the 4th floor. The food came lukewarm.

A charming hotel restaurant serving classic Italian food. The decor and atmosphere here is inviting…read moreand done nicely. I liked how straightforward the food was and kept classic. The service was friendly, attentive and changed our plates out from the appetizers to the entrees. I really enjoyed the Lasagna Classico especially for being hearty without that greasy feel. The Eggplant Parmigiana was also done with a more rustic take that was enjoyable as well.

I have ordered through doordash, it was prepared and delivered very fast, however their quality was…read morefar from acceptable. The pastas were cold, oily and very bland. Same with the eggplant. Their portions were also very small.

There are few things that make me happier than a beautiful upscale venue with exquisite brunch food…read moreand easy parking. So, that pretty much defines Culina. My photographs, their extensive number, will convey the beauty aspect better than any of my descriptions could. It's gorgeous everywhere. You feel as if you are in a tropical resort in the Maldives. While Culina for dinner is largely Italianesque, brunch is pure California here and perfectly so. Again, see what we chose from the well rounded menu, in my pictures. All of it was flawlessly done and elegantly plated as well. There was pretty music playing in the background, audible even over the shouts of patrons on one end of the room. Wait, what??? We were there during the FIFA final and it took all my courage not to look at the screens in the bar. I had taped the final and did not want to see it in bits and pieces a priori. (That worked, miraculously and my fave, Spain won, yay!) If I were to stay in a hotel in Los Angeles for some reason, this Four Seasons would be my top choice. It is well laid out and done in such a way as to offer surprises around every corner. Lush, green, floral, Versailles-like in its use of costly materials and mirrors, there is not one thing I would change. I love this place. Caroline, our server, was lovely. She seemed to know exactly what we needed when we needed it. She went out of her way to make us feel welcome and even special. She brought us a surprise plate of biscotti as we sipped our coffee at the end. Valet parking was effortless and part of the cost was defrayed by validation from the hotel (Caroline reminded us!). What more could I want? The banquette we were on was so comfortable I could have stretched out and taken a nap. :-D We hated to leave.

CULINA RISTORANTE If…read moreyou're looking for a spot that delivers on both vibe and standout dishes, Culina is absolutely worth the reservation. THE FOOD: Let's start strong--the Focaccia della Casa was a total crowd-pleaser, warm, fluffy, and gone in seconds. The real star, though? The Crudo Ricciola. It was so fresh and flavorful we ended up ordering three rounds... no regrets. The Little Gem Caesar Salad tasted beautifully authentic--simple, crisp, and perfectly balanced. And the Pollo Primavera? WOW. The Brussel Sprouts- double wow'n Easily two of the best dishes of the night. Only miss for me was the Handkerchiefs alla Carbonara. It just didn't hit the same mark--lacked depth and that rich, indulgent flavor you expect from a great carbonara. THE SERVICE: Service felt polished and well-paced--everything arrived right on time, and the team handled the table effortlessly. THE AMBIANCE: Elegant yet relaxed. It strikes that perfect balance where you can dress up a bit but still feel comfortable lingering over good food and conversation. Overall, Culina nails the experience with a few truly standout dishes. I'd come back in a heartbeat--especially for that crudo.