A few years after opening and Ori Menashe’s Bestia continues to turn tables and require weeks-out reservations. It shouldn’t be surprising, given this spot’s penchant for nailing straightforward but innovative Italian food that arrives hot from that centerpiece of a wood-burning oven. Some of Bestia’s menu highlights have become modern icons of L.A.’s dining scene: the Spaghetti Rustichella—a small pyramid of noodles under dungeness crab—is synonymous with this hard-to-land reservation.
What once looked like a warehouse wasteland (and provided a low-cost haven for L.A.’s artists) has become a beautiful, burgeoning hub for L.A.’s young, professional and creative. With approximate limits of Second Street to Seventh Street and Alameda Street and the L.A. River, surprisingly, the Downtown Arts District is totally walkable in pockets.
Sprinkled amidst these perimeters are the makings of a community rich in character, featuring stylish galleries, handsome coffee shops, socially conscious boutiques and some of the best restaurants and bars. These pockets of budding establishments lie amidst a stretch of early 20th-century warehouses—many ex-factories—converted into swanky lofts and creative spaces.
Get the lowdown on the Downtown Arts District’s best places to eat, drink, shop and explore.
RECOMMENDED: See more in our guide to Downtown Los Angeles