A guide to the Downtown Arts District

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.

Located in the loading dock of the Biscuit Lofts in DTLA’s Arts District, this French bistro serves classic fare—steak frites, escargot, steak tartare and more—to Angelenos with big budgets and a taste for nuanced interiors. Start with a seasonal cocktail and oysters on the half shell, then progress to housemade charcuterie and savory tartes. Don’t miss the weekday meal-deal: a three-course lunch for a steal at $25.

This family-owned café, whose interior consists of a few basic wooden picnic tables and chairs, offers homemade pies deemed by many as the best in L.A. Made from scratch every morning, popular pie options include Mexican Chocolate, Earl Grey and a savory Mac and Cheese hand pie (if that’s not a match made in heaven, we don’t know what is). To accompany your slice, Pie Hole’s coffee selection is top-notch, including their own fare trade organic blend. Craving something a little more funky? The shop also offers cold brew nitro iced coffee—one of the few places in the city to do so.

Husband-and-wife team Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis redefined modern-Italian food with Bestia, but Bavel, their newest, feels much more personal, and even traditional. The cuisine pays tribute to both chef-owners’ heritages as the flavors wind their way through Israel, Egypt, Morocco and Turkey. The space livens up the already exciting menu: You can sit on the patio, but inside, near the open kitchen and under the waterfall of hanging vines, is where the action always is.

The hand-tossed, thin crust pies at this Downtown pizza joint show off local ingredients like arugula, tomatoes, cage-free eggs and ethically-raised pork-and-beef meatballs. Aside from the standard pepperoni, margherita and veggie options, Pizzanista offers inventive slices like macaroni and cheese (available on Sundays only), along with gluten-free and create-your-own pies. A selection of beer and wine is available, but if you want to drink elsewhere, order your pizza and take it next door to Tony’s Saloon.

With a menu that includes Peruvian ceviche, orange chicken wings, Asian-spiced pulled pork sandwiches and tacos de barbacao, there’s no question that Cerveteca embraces fusion and experimentation. Offering brunch, lunch and dinner, the restaurant serves as a popular hangout for neighboring Sci-Arc students ready to wind down with a couple drinks.

Cousins Tyler Wilson and Joseph Pitruzzelli transformed a triangular space into Wurstküche, a contemporary “sausage kitchen.” The cousins’ crew will gladly grill sausages like Polish-style Kielbasa or more adventurous Rattlesnake & Rabbit to pair with a “groot” worth of skin-on frites; in case you didn’t know, that amounts to a lot of fries. Wurstküche primarily pours Belgian and German beers from (surprisingly) brand-free tap handles.

The Factory Kitchen, a Northern Italian eatery made noticeable only by red neon signage above its door, focuses all of its efforts on the food and almost none on the decor. Cement floors and peeling pillars blend into the background as servers in checkered-shirt uniforms bring out one excellent dish after another. There are many stand-out options to start with, but the focaccina calda di recco, a heavenly flatbread, should be at the top of your list. When it comes to pasta, a fan favorite is the mandilli di seta, a delicate handkerchief option with pesto, though an oxtail ragu spooned over beautiful ribbons of pappardelle is just as excellent. And to finish? The dessert list is short, but let us narrow it down for you further: ask for the cannoli.

As one of the best acai bowl shops in town, Amazebowls has grown from a truck to a brick and mortar in Downtown L.A., selling their popular bowls and smoothies from the Arts District. Try the classic Amazebowl made with acai, blueberries, pineapple, banana, agave and hemp milk; or the Instagram-friendly Coconut Acai Bowl served in a chilled coconut and topped with a slew of superfoods.

Stepping into Everson Royce Bar is like heaving a sigh of relief, a hidden gem in the Arts District that feels part elegant cocktail den, part raucous patio party. Cocktails come inspired by Los Angeles—we recommend the Oaxacan old-fashioned, or the Yo LA Tengo which comes packed with mezcal, grapefruit, Aperol, ginger and lime—whether you’re hanging with friends outdoors or tucked into a dark corner inside on a date. Don’t skip the bar bites, which include some of the best biscuits and one of the best burgers in town.

Live music, burgers, beer, cocktails—what more could you want in a casual neighborhood bar? This friendly hangout hosts a steady stream of blues, rock and bluegrass musicians that perform inside the steampunk space almost every night of the week. A fantastic grilled cheese, beer battered fish and chips and more hearty eats satisfy hungry patrons, while a list of creative cocktails and craft beer fills out the drink menu. The best part? No cover.

Walk through the nondescript door to the right after entering Lupetti Pizzeria and you’ll find yourself in one of the coolest bars in the Arts District. Modeled after Japanese kissaten, audio-focused lounges and coffee shops, Lupetti’s hidden gem In Sheep’s Clothing is part listening lounge, part cocktail bar and part coffee concept.

Located next to Pizzanista, Tony’s Saloon is a favorite for Arts District denizens who come to play a few rounds of pool, down a couple well-crafted drinks and indulge in cheesy slices from the pizzeria next door. For those looking to challenge their drinking buddy to some friendly competition, there’s darts and table tennis in addition to pool. And if you’re hungry? Pair your Peroni with a piece of pizza (you can either order from the bar or pick it up at Pizzanista to bring into Tony’s), then head to the back patio for some fresh air under twinkling lights.

Arts District frequents now have another watering hole to rival Angel City Brewery and the arcade bar EightyTwo. This brewhouse features nine beers on tap, which will no doubt be expanded, and a full cocktail bar for when you want to amp things up. Oh, and there are skee-ball machines.

Local production brewhouses are bubbling up all over DTLA, each unique in their own special way, but none quite as large or Prohibition-era as Iron Triangle. Housed in real estate that dates back to 1905, the prodigious facility and tasting room occupies nearly an entire Arts District block. Even with a 16-tap bar, cornhole pit, picnic tables and at least a dozen stainless steel fermenters, there’s still plenty of space to imbibe in peace.

L.A.’s very first distillery opened in 2011, in a split-level, Arts District warehouse where visitors can taste their way through organic spirits that include bitters, rum, liqueur, whiskey, gin, tequila and vodka. Founded by husband-and-wife team Melkon Khosrovian and Litty Mathew, Greenbar strives to be eco-conscious: A tree is planted for every bottle sold, and labels are 100 percent recycled. Standouts here include the versatile Fruitlab Organic Orange Liqueur and the clean Slow Hand White Whiskey.

This industrial space has a bare-bones, beer-hall feel, with plenty of room to spread out among picnic tables beneath a renovated mezzanine. But the main focus is the well-lit bar with 12 coveted bar stools, clean copper taps and an Art Deco-inspired backdrop. Plus, Angel City also hosts regular trivia, bingo and game nights, along with fests and performances in its front lot and renovated shed.

If ever there was a bar to geek out in, this one is it. Los Angeles’ first barcade (that’s bar + arcade for you noobs) boasts more than 40 classic consoles, from Centipede to Ms. Pac-Man—all fixed with cup holders for endless booze-fueled sessions. An entire section of the bar is dedicated to vintage pinball machines.

It’s a scene straight out of Austin’s Eastside, where food trailers and outdoor imbibing reign supreme at this patio bar and concert venue. In keeping with that theme, a revolving lineup of food trucks crank out comfort grub while craft beer and draft cocktails flow from a 1950s Spartan trailer-turned-bar. But the block party doesn’t end there—the musically-inclined head inside. Once a restoration warehouse for vintage Woodies, the high-ceilinged space has been converted into a dark, industrial performance venue featuring a DJ booth and an intimate stage for up-and-coming talent.