Bestia

"More than a decade after it first opened, reservations are still hard to come by at Bestia. Clamoring crowds can’t get enough of Ori Menashe’s rustic Italian pasta, especially the cavatelli alla norcina, or the blistered crust pizzas with toppings like sage and mortadella. Save room for a taste of Genevieve Gergis’s always-impressive, and oft-rotating, desserts including a creme fraiche panna cotta and a strawberry crostata." - Rebecca Roland

"Ori Menashe worked for years as the chef de cuisine of Angelini Osteria before opening this stunning and often cacophonous restaurant in the Arts District with his wife Genevieve Gergis. Menashe’s approach starts with classic, familiar Italian like nduja-studded mussels, wood-fired pizza, and handmade pasta. But nearly every dish draws on the umami-packed cuisines and cooking techniques he’s tasted across LA, like lobster squid ink spaghetti with serrano or grilled prawns with salsa roja, preserved lemon, and chile de arbol. The influences are subtle, and more often than not folks won’t realize it, but in the decade since opening Bestia’s flavor-first approach has become emblematic of modern LA cuisine. Gergis’s desserts are swoon-worthy, like the bittersweet chocolate budino tart." - Matthew Kang, Eater Staff

"It’s true: eating at Bestia involves a lot of patience, with a not-unlikely wait for your table even though you made your 9pm reservation eight weeks ago. But this is some of the best Italian food in the city, so you should do it at least once. The menu is enormous (and kind of overwhelming) and is best tackled by letting the waitstaff guide you in the right direction. Which should always involve the charcuterie and the bone marrow." - jess basser sanders, brant cox

"This Arts District pioneer opened in 2012 (practically a lifetime ago in this part of town) and it still gets just as busy as it did on day one. For the most part, things at Bestia haven't changed much, with crowd favorites like the spicy lamb sausage pizza and cavatelli still on the menu. Does Bestia have steeper competition today for great Italian than a decade ago? Absolutely. But odds are you'll still be at your table for a couple of fun hours, eating delicious Italian food and taking in one of the busiest dining rooms in the city." - brant cox, sylvio martins

"Bestia opened in 2012 and has been a supreme being of Los Angeles ever since. This Italian spot was one of the first sceney destinations to move into the Arts District, and now it has established itself as the seminal restaurant of the last decade. They serve fantastic pizza, perfectly-made pasta, and gigantic plates of charcuterie in a massive industrial warehouse that feels as exciting as it did a decade ago. Booking a primetime reservation can be tough,so if you’re more of the impromptu type, just do what we do and walk into the bar after 9pm on the weekends for some late-night pizza and pasta. " - brant cox, nikko duren, garrett snyder, sylvio martins