BestiaOne of the best in LA!I'm only about food that's why Bestia gets 5 stars.
Reservation system is my only complaint. I made an open table reservation for 945 and waited for 20 mins and saw 4 couples seated before me. Honestly, not cool if I made a reservation. Aside from that, food is amazing...one of the best in Los Angeles! Service was great and the aesthetic is outstanding will go again despite the reservation malfunction!6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMBest italianIt was great. Great location, outstanding food, excellent wine, the service was very helpful. The noise level was a little
too "energetic" , but everybody was having a great time, obviously !6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMIncredible in every way.....outstanIncredible in every way.....outstanding food, attentive service, everything was perfection!6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMNoisy but tasty!Our food was fantastic, but you nearly had to shout to chat with all the noise. Just bad acoustics, I guess. Grilled octopus was amazing, and our pasta was perfect.6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMfelt like stock market floorIt was just way too loud in there, could not even concentrate on my own thoughts. Food is comparable to Terroni, but ridiculously long wait to schedule reservations is unwarranted. It was like reserving for a molecular gastronomy place, not high end comfort food style restaurant.6/10/2013 12:00:00 AMIncredible dining experience!Incredible dining experience! At first you aren't sure about the area that it is located, but the building and atmosphere are fantastic. Love the brick walls and decor. The menu is outstanding and very unique. If you like chicken livers, the chicken liver crostini is so flavorful! The octopus was cooked perfectly, not too chewy. Great family style, allowing you to try many different items. Would definitely recommend Bestia to all my friends and family!!!!6/4/2013 12:00:00 AMIt's relatively new and hadIt's relatively new and had just been in the AAA magazine so expected it to be tough to get into but i placed my reservations weeks in advance and could only get 6pm - the night I showed up - at 6:45 there were probably still 15tables empty and tons of bar seating - that frosted me a little. But...food great, service A++++6/4/2013 12:00:00 AM210 [5-/4-] Zuppa*,Crudo*,Prawns*,M210 [5-/4-] Zuppa*,Crudo*,Prawns*,Marrow*,Gizzards,Chitarra,PorkChop*,PannaCotta,Butterscotch*(2GlCasalegrande,1Still,1Sparkling)6/4/2013 12:00:00 AMI Discovered Bestia Before J. GoldGreat take on Italian fare. Italian with a twist. Kale, Squid Ink Pasta, Meatballs, Pork Chop, Pizzas are amongst my favorites!!6/3/2013 12:00:00 AMFavorite DishAll of them! Everything I have ever had there has been amazing. Love the Octopus anti pasta! The kitchen is open so it's great to watch the chiefs at work. They also have Great Cocktails. Kenny is an excellent bartender. If your a cocktail enthusiast he's your guy.
We had excellent service at the bar & then a wonderful waiter as well! For dessert the coconut carmel tart is wonderful! Reminds me of a samoa girl scout cookie.6/3/2013 12:00:00 AMAlmost Perfect! I'll be back!I loved this place--- there are many things that makes this place special! The intriguing and unique menu, the ambience, the location... the food and service was impressive, and most certainly "outstanding", but there is room for improvement, which is why I still give it 4 stars. Our wine was expensive, and not as good as so many others I've tried. Also, our kale salad was lackluster. Am I being too picky? In any case, this is about as good as it gets in L.A. these days. Definitely a hot spot!6/3/2013 12:00:00 AMSecond time-just as greatThis was our second experience at Bestia. Once again, great food, great service. We brought a couple of bottles of wine with us, but our server recommended another great bottle. We picked a few menu items, but the staff is great at suggesting the right amount for the table. Definitely order something from each section on the menu and share everything. Highly recommend the salumi plate and the meatballs!!6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food w/ lots of noise!If you are looking for a quiet, romantic place then skip Bestia. Just like the name, the "beastly" noise is overwhelming. Not only are you seating very close to one another, where the waiters' posterior can sometimes be in your face, but the noise will knock you out. It is a very noisy, energetic (lt's call it that), eating environment.
Now, the food, well that's a different story. Very creative and very good. You will forget the noise as the food hits your palate and the flavors explode in your mouth. The grilled calamari salad is excellent, the roasted pork w/ polenta is divine. The pasta, to die for. The wine list, well, it should include more varieties, not just Italian wines. It is somewhat limited. Overall, I go again.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMFabulous!This was my second time at Bestia.... The artisan cocktails certainly start the night off right. The only hard part of the evening is trying to narrow down the items you want to order. After that you just kick back, relax and enjoy a perfectly paced taste adventure! LOVE IT.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Hot Spot in an industrialGreat Hot Spot in an industrial part of Downtown. Very lively, especially near the food preparation bar where the chefs yell orders and comments to each other as part of "the show." We waited with others for the doors to open. The activity and noise level built up quickly but we were still able to hear each other across out table. The seats are hard, but if 3+ in your party, 2 of you get a cushioned bench! We had to leave by 7:30 for Disney Hall, which worked fine. There still were a few empty tables or spots at the "bar," which is a good way to get in if you did not make reservations months in advance. Food was EXCELLENT - not just foam and hundreds of unique ingredients to make your eyes glaze over like many of the chi-chi places.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMI love this place! Food, atmosphereI love this place! Food, atmosphere, friendly and professional staff and what a fabulous way to spend an evening, never feeling rushed, another "best" in downtown!5/29/2013 12:00:00 AMNever disappointsThis is my third time dining at Bestia and it still blows my mind. The food is always so fresh and well prepared. I always leave the restaurant looking forward to my next visit. I can't pick out any favorite dishes because all of them have been so amazing. AND I really appreciated that they took note of the message I left on my Open Table reservation about it being my boyfriend's birthday without me having to remind them. They showed up with a candle lit dessert at the end of the meal. Kudos to them for paying attention. Thank you!5/29/2013 12:00:00 AMLived up to its billing.Set in a renovated warehouse, this urban chic restaurant delivers meat and cocktails exceptionally well. While the outdoor seating lacks the buzz, the main indoor dining room - especially the tables with a view of the open kitchen - provides an energized place to enjoy the italian heavy menu. In order to enjoy the full italian dining experience, consider sharing the pasta course. While pizza is on the menu - and I'm sure its good coming from a wood burning oven - its seems a shame to waste the dining experience on something that lacks little chef input. Instead the kale salad, the lamb's neck, the suckling pig, and the goat ragu were all great plates to enjoy.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMWell worth the trekWe thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at Bestia - especially the cured meats and the ravioli. Dessert is to die for. Bit of a treck across not too exciting parts of downtown but totally worth it. Make sure you book in advance.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMAn event for dinner...Love the open kitchen concept. Able to hear the chefs and expediters calling out orders. The seating schedule makes for a dramatic experience as well - line up in front of super industrial looking building straight out of a movie set, be seated and let the show begin. We shared a number of plates from appetizer through main course and were not at all disappointed. Service was perfect, food came out perfectly timed, water refilled expeditiously, plates cleared as soon as we were done with a course. Overall an excellent experience. Do note that due to the industrial design, this place gets super loud, so don't go expecting to have intimate conversation. Go expecting to have an excellent, if loud, experience.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic industrial spaceFantastic industrial space with great decor - love the meat hook lighting - the food was awesome and prices are totally reasonable5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMWish they hadn't run out of food!Reservation for 3 at 9:15pm. We were seated quickly and our server was great. She gave us recommendations and really took time to talk with us. Food was spectacular - at least the stuff we ordered and got. They were SOLD OUT of so many items. I can understand maybe 1-2 items on a late Sunday night dinner but it was a little disappointing to hear her again and again saying sold out.
OLIVES and LITTLE GEMS - both yummy. ROASTED MARKET VEGGIES - sold out. CHICKEN LIVER CROSTINI - sold out.
DIVER SCALLOP CRUDO - definitely a table favorite. PAN SEARED OCTOPUS & CALAMARI - another fav we'd come back for
ROASTED MARROW BONE - too sweet SALUMI - lovely! CAVATELLI ALLA NORCINA + SQUID INK - love the al dente!
RICOTTA FRITTERS - sold out.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMA great destination restaurantOne of the best meals I have had in Los Angeles in many years.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMAbsolutely Transcendent Food!Bestia is fantastic! The dishes are small and intended to be shared amongst your table. I really like the "small dish" concept because it allows you to try many dishes without feeling stuffed. The dishes come at one or two at a time and are replaced by your server as you clear your plates. The service was prompt and appropriate. However, our server was low on energy and didn't offer recommendations to the table. Additionally, he wasn't aware of what dishes were no longer available for the evening - he had to check with the kitchen before he came back to the table. Fortunately for me and my party, all my favorite dishes were still available. I highly recommend the Mussels, Alla‘nduja Pizza, Veal Tartare Crostino, the Roasted Marrow Bone!5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMAMAZING AS USUALHands down best restaurant in LA.
Always enjoy the amazing innovative food and the great ambiance and service.
Highly recommended!!!5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMEpicenter of Downtown Food SceneBestia has everything going right at this moment, hence reservations must be secured well in advance. Off the beaten path even by warehouse-district standards, the food and the experience make it all worthwhile. Do not miss out on Bestia.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat FoodHave been a few times food and service always excellent. However this time server was very pushy regarding never of plates to be ordered and how things should be ordered. It was to thee point of being very annoying and her opinions and attitude were not pleasant. Hope this doesn't become a trend because the food is great5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMCool new LA gemAwesome place, food is amazing and the place is very authentic!5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious and innovativeRidiculous flavors! Great for sharing small plates. Innovative pizzas, fantastic pasta, and the whole fish was to die for! Perfect for foodies who want a hip vibe and outstanding food! So glad I have a resie to go back in June.5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMBest-iaBestia is the only new and notable restaurant in LA right now, especially in DTLA. In a sea of many semi high profile chefs (a top chef contestant or a sous chef at melisse) trying to package themselves as culinary heavy weights in los angeles, Chef Ori Menashe is the real deal. I've loved his food since he was at the helm of Angelini Osteria and at his showcase at Test Kitchen. Resos are a tad difficult, but it's soo worth it.
The seasonal items on the menu changes, but you mus try the Salumi and the Orata.5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMExceptional creative foodExceptional creative food at reasonable prices. The freshness of a restaurant that prepares everything in-house is evident in every bite at Bestia.5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMLove the dinner hate the barOverall great place to eat food is excellent and once we were seated the waiter and the rest of your staff was magnificent unfortunately the same cannot be said about your bar staff we arrive 1 1/2 Pryor to our reservations in order to enjoy the night and have a couple cocktails before dinner needless to say the bartenders or mixologist take themselves way to seriously we managed to order just one round of drinks during our wait having been a round the Los Angeles bar scene for over 15 years I can with sincerity let you know that the rudeness and lack of interest shown by your bar staff was unacceptable and almost ruined our night luckily your serving staff were fantastic they truly delivered .5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMBEST - ia!!!It was great. Everything from service to food, food, food..... Can't say anything bad about this place.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMFull endorsementFabulous roasted vegetables. Salumi plate contained one item not to my taste, but it was nicely presented and everything else was delicious, so that's just my taste. Both pasta dishes were excellent, and the waitress picked us a lovely wine to go with our meal. Very much met the hype; I'd go back in a minute.5/6/2013 12:00:00 AMFirst time here and we wereFirst time here and we were seated in a timely manner. The food is great... a bit too rich for my taste but still very good. Some oddities about cocktails... no olives for the martinis, unknown brands, but generally ok. Small tapas-size dishes at full size prices. The Jerusalem Artichoke soup, the roasted veggies, the buratta pizza were all outstanding. The house filtered water was tasty, if you can consider water tasty... it was. Very interesting menu and fusion. Will definitely come again and try other dishes on the menu. There is some parking on the street but best to valet probably.5/6/2013 12:00:00 AMEasy to see why this is consideredEasy to see why this is considered best new restaurant in downtown. Food, service, ambiance, energy were all excellent. Highly recommend.5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMCool business dinnerHad a great experience. After the recent uproar about restaurants billing guests for missed reservations,Etc, I found the staff resilient and fair about late arriving guests.
We were seated at what I call the " Perch". It seats 8 on stools and has a great view of the bustling interior.
All the dishes the our waiter recommended were great!5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMGo for the food!The food at Bestia is spectacular, the kind of meal that is so good it kills conversation. The roasted marrow bone with spinach gnocchetti was astonishing, a perfect blend of tastes. Ditto the pan-roasted chicken gizzards. The service was good, but the place was jammed so the staff was a bit overwhelmed. Everyone was very friendly, but I could sense they were rushing. The bartender took time to pour us some wine samples while we were waiting, but she was interrupted twice during our selection. Bestia is unbelievably noisy and so insufferably upscale, it might as well be in the heart of West Hollywood. Lotta fancy cars in valet parking (which costs $6). Dinner for two with wine is about $175. Ambiance is so-so... but go for the food!5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing in every way imaginableI can't say enough about this restaurant. My friends said it was the best Italian meal they've ever had, and while I wouldn't go quite that far, I would definitely say that it's the best meal I've had in downtown LA by far. Everything from the bar to the decor to the service was top notch. A definite must for business meals, first dates, or group outings.5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMWorth the HypeOne of the coolest spots I've been to. Total NYC feel tucked away in the DTLA arts district. Would recommend it to people looking for a fun, hip spot to check out.4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Spot. Fantastic Food. NOISE!!After a second visit, this much is clear: 1. Bestia's food is simply outstanding. 2. Bestia is a wonderful addition to a neighborhood
that LA lovers know to be our own version of Tribeca. 3. Architect and Designers must consider how to deal with NOISE when creating these beautiful open spaces. Bestia rocks....your eardrums. If you want to have a rational conversation with your dinner
companions, this is not the place. Open Table DOES NOT HAVE A NOISE classification which describes rooms like Bestia.4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMfood beats the noiseOn a Monday night Bestia was packed. All the food and waitstaff were outstanding. Only drawbacks are the noise (you have to yell a bit across the table), and the smokiness inside. They may need to work on their exhaust from the wood-fired oven in the open kitchen.4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was my second time andThis was my second time and Bestia and it remains both a palace of comfort-food and risk-taking cuisine. Beautiful food, great service, and a wonderful destination. I look forward to my third visit4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMReally great food, and niceReally great food, and nice hotspot! Really love the ambiance, and wait staff is always friendly and helpful!4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMI now have a new "favoriteI now have a new "favorite restaurant" in DTLA. As soon as I pulled in off of Santa Fe Ave onto 7th Place, it's as if I was driving into an area totally disconnected from Los Angeles. The valet parking is convenient, and the exterior is inviting. The interior has a great vibe going, the place was energetic. The waiters were on top of everything, solid service. The dishes are family-style, small plates, but OMG...is there anything in that place I didn't find absolutely delicious? From the bread to the calamari to the squid-ink pasta to the bone marrow, no disappointments here. Pricey for sure, but great for ocassions. Thanks to Open Table for making it so easy.4/23/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious, fresh and fun....GreatDelicious, fresh and fun....Great atmos and cool digs...
delicious cocktails too.....definately going back4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding meal. Diver scallops,Outstanding meal. Diver scallops, veal tartare, calamari salad, uni pasta were all unbelievably delicious. Making another reservation right now... Service was phenomenal.4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding dinner. ScallopOutstanding dinner. Scallop crudo, chicken gizzards, pasta with goat ragu were all exceptional. I have never tasted gizzards as tender. Dessert was chocolate boudini tart is not to be missed. This was definitely one of our best meals and we are already making plans to return. Noticed a lot of folks brought their own wine since the wine list is very limited. Loud room.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMEverything about this restaurantEverything about this restaurant was superior - from cocktails to dessert. I'd return any time.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat creative Italian Food,Great creative Italian Food, went with a chef who specializes in Italian cuisine and she rated it highly as well.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AM