Lucia

You might just miss Lucia—sandwiched between rolling shutters—if it weren't for the golden snake door handle and fun-house mirrors that catch the eye as you stroll down Fairfax Avenue. Follow the snake inside, and a whole other world opens up: the Afro-Caribbean culinary diaspora, set in what feels like the golden era of Atlantis (the lost empire, not the hotel). Towering shell domes crown palm-patterned velvet booths along the edges of the room, all with direct views of the white terrazzo bar anchored by 18-foot sculptural palms. Should you want a bit more privacy and quiet (a DJ spins every night beginning at 8pm), a rear dining area with non-shell booths is just as vibey.

Owner Sam Jordan, formerly of Olivetta and Issima, originally tapped Top Chef Canada semi-finalist Adrian Forte (also Drake's private chef) to conceptualize the menu. But Lucia has changed quite a bit since it opened last May, and that's a good thing. Gone is the photo-driven fare claiming the Caribbean label—caviar bumps and sauced-up coconut fried chicken. Instead, newly appointed executive chef and Miami native Cleophus "Ophus" Hethington, a two-time James Beard "Emerging Chef" finalist, is bringing his Trinidadian roots to an evolving menu. The result is Afro-Caribbean comfort cuisine with a modern twist you can't get anywhere else in L.A. To start, opt for the hefty spiced Jamaican bun with coconut butter and sorrel-apricot jam, or the hearty wagyu beef patty with hot sauce and mango calypso. Mango is a throughline here: slices alongside albacore crudo, pickled flecks in the tamarind Caesar, and sweet-tangy talkari with the curry duck breast—a standout. Hethington rubs the duck with a spice blend he calls the "full diasporic curry," lets it sit and dry to concentrate the flavor, then scores the fat to order. A pistachio and cocoa nib dukkah finishes it with crunch and a bitter edge. Just as good is the green fig leaf fish roast featuring seasonal catch (barramundi on my visit). Despite the name, it's poached, not roasted—marinated for a day in sour orange-style kosho—then wrapped in fig leaf and confited in garlic oil so the flesh stays delicate. A red pepper broth gets poured over it, drawing out the subtle coconut and vanilla aromatics from the leaf. It's a beautifully clean and layered dish. Pro tip: Order the trifecta of plantains—served as classic maduros, rich mole, and addictive chips—as a side with your mains rather than as a first taste, as they're listed. Rice and beans are obviously on the menu, and we have no notes on either the coconut rice or the Cuban-style black beans. In fact, it's the best arroz con frijoles I've found in L.A. since moving from Miami.

The bar plays with Caribbean ingredients too: a pickled okra and bay leaf martini, a soursop paloma, a lychee margarita with jerk-spiced agave and sorrel. Taro sky juice and a coquito-carajillo hybrid both work as after-dinner pours. Speaking of dessert, dasheen (taro) puffs have been reimagined as churros and they're damn delicious. The wine list is extensive and skews toward Black-owned vineyards. 

For all the praise Los Angeles’s diverse culinary scene gets (and rightfully deserves), it’s a joy to finally have a restaurant that represents the Caribbean and a chef who educates palates on how expansive it can be.