Bestia

Bestia is an Italian restaurant on East 7th Place in the Arts District of Los Angeles, California, opened in 2012 by chef Ori Menashe and pastry chef Genevieve Gergis. It is housed in a high-ceilinged industrial space with exposed brick, concrete floors, a large open kitchen and a wood-fired oven, and it helped establish the Arts District as a dining destination. The cooking is rustic Italian with an emphasis on house-cured meats and handmade pasta. The salumi are cured in-house and often arrive on a shared board. Signature pasta dishes include spaghetti rustichella with sea urchin, cavatelli alla norcina with house sausage, and the pizza dell'uovo, topped with a baked egg. Bone marrow, roasted meats and seafood dishes round out the menu, and the dessert programme, led by Gergis, includes a salted caramel budino that is among the best-known sweets in the city. The wine list favours Italian producers and the cocktail list is well regarded. The dining room is loud, energetic and busy, with a dark, moody atmosphere that suits a date night or a group celebration, and the noise level is high. Dress is smart casual. Reservations are essential and are released weeks in advance through the website; securing a prime-time table can be difficult, and some counter and bar seating is held for walk-ins. Prices are high for the neighbourhood, with a full dinner of starters, pasta, a main and drinks usually totalling roughly 60 to 100 US dollars per person. Parking is limited, and valet and nearby lots are commonly used. The surrounding Arts District has galleries, breweries and other restaurants, which make it easy to combine dinner with an evening out.