Bestia

Every time I come to Bestia, I am amazed at how packed it always is. Even on a Tuesday at 6pm. Bestia remains consistent even after many years. Most dishes are really great. A few standout dishes are the bone marrow, scallop crudo, butternut squash gnocchi and the pork collar. They also have a solid wine list. If you need a place to take people that has an elevated but "safe" menu...this is it.Service is always 10/10 also!

Bestia is on almost every LA restaurant must-try list and now I see why--it's the perfect spot for quality Italian food with a classic LA-esque vibe. I ordered the 'Nduja pizza, which was absolutely delicious. The solid woodfired crust delivered the perfect crunch and smoky flavor, making each bite a delight. I also recommend the seasonal squash tortellini which was beautifully paired with a wild boar bolognese sauce.The only thing I didn't really enjoy was the slow roasted lamb which was served with an anchovy crème fraîche and lettuce--reminiscent of a deconstructed Caesar salad with lamb. The dish was heavy with bold, gamey, and slightly fishy flavors that didn't quite match my palate, but it is one of their recommended entrees. In retrospect, I wish I had opted for the roasted marrow bone instead, but I plan on coming back to try it soon!

Came here for my birthday (special thanks to my gf!)! Reservations were extremely hard to get but we managed to get a reservation! (People reserve way in advance because it's so popular!) We had the "best" time and all the food was top notch! We had the grilled branzino, herb caesar salad, roasted marrow bone, Peruvian scallop crisp, squid ink spaghetti, and coffee and donuts to finish it all off! So yes, I pretty much got the whole shabang here and though it would be simple to just pick a few here (for those wondering what items to order), I think it's worth just getting everything, since when are you able going to be able to eat here often given how hard it is to get a reservation? Strangely enough though I was shocked how much I enjoyed the salad, best salad I had in my life.Service is super solid!Ambiance is okay, but this is one of those places where most people just come here for the food (whereas lots of trendy places to visit are all ambiance and mid food). Great for business casual or special occasions! Highly recommended!Street parking recommended if possible!

So this has moved into perhaps my top LA spot. And it's as much for the people as the food. You can't really go wrong here. We ordered a lot. The scallop crudo was probably the best dish - which I didn't want to order as l'm not a big scallops fan. The pizza was also outstanding. And I don't even like olives, but it's like the perfect addition for flavor. The bone marrow - so they scoop it onto this little pasta that we weren't crazy about, and it makes it hard to get the marrow. We asked if it's possible to just have the marrow, but were told it has to be scooped onto the pasta stuff. Seemed weird, but it's just good to know. Good service Desserts were solid, but the pizza and scallops were definitely what stole the show. It's loud and happening, so be sure you like lively!After visiting, I recently emailed to find out about accessibility for my parents as I wanted to send them to Bestia for their anniversary, and my father is in a mobility scooter with no ability to walk. I got not only a quick response, but what felt like a whole team working to ensure that he could dine there comfortably. As someone with mobility issues as well (genetics, man), I am used to restaurants not responding or waiting weeks for a mediocre response, often indicating the places don't really want to try. These folks were interested immediately in how they could accommodate him. I can't give enough five stars.

I wouldn't have known how to get here if my friends hadn't already been here before - there's no sign as far as I can tell that says Bestia. Not an issue, very LA-esque.We had a 5pm reservation and got seated right when we arrived. The restaurant gives super cute date night vibes. Our server was fantastic, had recommendations, and checked in with us often. Dishes are shareable / family-style.Appetizers: Peruvian Scallop Crudo, Herb Caesar Salad, Beef Tartare CrostinoEntrees: Sage & Mortadella Pizza, Spinach Tagliatelle Pasta, Squid Ink Spaghetti PastaDessert: Warm Fuyu Persimmon & Ricotta Tart, Holiday Cookie Frozen TorteEverything, 5/5. Just order all of it.

I came here for the first time this past weekend and was absolutely blown away! We had a Saturday reservation at 6pm and were seated right away. Even at 6pm the restaurant was packed and lively. Our server was fantastic. He really knew the food and was able to guide us. We started with the beef tartare, bone marrow & grilled prawns. I'm not a huge fan of beef tartare or bone marrow but was open to trying both. The beef tartare was very good but not something I would go out of my way to order again. The bone marrow was incredible! I've had it many other times and many different places and no where has come close to preparing it like Bestia. It was served over spinach pasta and was so rich in flavor we were all scraping the bowl clean. The prawns were very good as well. For our second course we got a red and white pizza, the burrata and the sage/mortadella. The sage/mortadella was the clear winner between the two. The burrata pizza was nothing special, and we won't be ordering it again. For our main course we go the lamb neck and cavatelli tagliatelle. The lamb neck was served with lettuce cups and a sauce. The lamb was tender and flavorful but definitely on the fatty side which was expected. The tagliatelle was bold and rich and the truffles were amazing! For dessert we got the "coffee & donuts" which aren't actually served with coffee so don't get confused like we did. These were tasty and just the right amount of sweetness for after the meal. I'm not surprised that this place has been around for so many years. The menu is more farm to table than stationary dishes so I'm excited to come back and try what they have to offer next!

I was eager to try Bestia, seeing the thousands and thousands of rave reviews and finally got a chance to on our recent trip to LA. Reservations are absolutely a must, as far in advance as you can--it's packed all the time! We got seats at the counter which was nice to watch all the action. It's crazy how quickly and swiftly they churn things out, and with so many people behind the counter it's definitely a well oiled machine. The one downside is that people were constantly bumping into us when passing by to be seated or to go to the restrooms. We got the Caesar salad, nduja pizza, lamb and persimmon rice pudding. The salad was awesome, loved the tarragon. The pizza was okay--I wanted to like it but it sort of left us feeling bloated, and the lamb, while nice and tender, is VERY rich. So it's good that it came with lettuce and herbs to cut through it, but after the pizza we were close to comatose already :) The persimmon rice pudding was interesting, in a so-so way. The rice had a nice texture to it, but the persimmon was a bit too slimy for my liking. Overall, vibes are great for a night out and it definitely is a cornerstone in the LA dining scene.

Came here for dinner recently and the food was great. The scallops were one of my favorite dishes!! Our dinner was on the late side because we only got reservations at 10pm and we were seated on the extended outside covered area. The only reason why I took off a few stars was because of the service. I felt like because we weren't sitting in the main room, getting anyone's attention was harder than usual. Our table was tiny for the amount of food we ordered and the plates weren't being cleared off fast enough. At the end we waited 30 minutes for our last dish to come out which was the pasta. We were told it was on its way at 11pm and didn't get it till 11:30pm.

Great food! I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone. I enjoyed the ambiance and service.

Fantastic food and an interesting wine list. Every dish I have had is delicious. The service is great and very proactive. You probably have to plan ahead to get a table reservation but it's worth it.