Opinions BESTIA Los Angeles

A very pretty friend and I decided to try Bestia on a Thursday at 5pm. After arriving and entering an outdoor patio that leads into the indoor seating, we couldn't help notice the bright blue wall, nicely trimmed tree, outdoor string lights all coming together to make a quiet eating experience but my pretty woman friend wanted us to experience the inside. Inside was livelier, more people, closely positioned tables,and an open kitchen facing the eating area. Cool modern music that's not too loud. Our waiter was very friendly and helpful. We ordered the coconut red chili oil scallops garnished with herbs and a slice of strawberry. I was pleased with the combination of flavors. Then we shared the bone marrow pasta, which was packed with savory flavors and interesting soft textures. It was delicious. Of course, we had to try the herb ceasar salad everyone raves about when talking about Bestia, and the hype is all true. We then shared a marguarita pizza and let me say this, despite the overly salted tomato sauce, the napolitano style crust elevated the rest of the pizza ingredients. I had old sunglasses: a tequila blanco cocktail with sweet citrus flavors all well balanced, I couldn't just have 1. My pretty friend had unsweetened ice tea, which was refreshing with a subtle fruit flavor. For dessert, we shared the chocolate dessert with a crispy sweet and salty crust that complimented the rich thick chocolate mouse that was just the right amount of sweet. It's the kind of place you take an attractive friend you really, really like. Recommend you plan at least a couple of weeks ahead to get a table because this place has a big following.

The food and service was amazing and to me that made it worth the visit, but if you are a small party (1-2) expect that you may be seated at the bar or a weird, tiny table somewhere. You must like the high energy vibe to enjoy it 100%, hence 4 stars from me.

Had a small wedding dinner here and cannot speak highly enough of the service, food and overall experience. From initial contact all the way to paying the bill, we really felt the entire team was aware of the occasion and took every chance to acknowledge and celebrate it. Definitely one of the highlights of the best day of our lives.

it slaps

Amazing food, incredible ambiance, really fun spot to gather with friends or bring your loved ones visiting from out of town.

This place absolutely slaps. It’s ridiculously overpriced, but it’s some of the best pasta I’ve ever had. Go once, and order everything.

Highly rated and high quality ingredients albeit expensive for the portions, pasta all cooked al dente. Our favorite dish was possibly the roasted bone marrow which is scooped and mixed into spinach gnocchetti, although inflation seems to have removed fennel as a topping. The Tagliatelle, a slightly wide noodle with light pork ragu. The Chestnut & Mushroom Agnolotti was quite unique in a wonderfully surprising way.

Unfortunately, you'll no longer be able to find the cassoeula ("a version of a traditional cabbage stew popular in Milan") that was mentioned by Jonathan Gold because it "hasn't been on the menu for quite some time".

The service although cordial can sometimes be hard to find due to the sheer volume of customers in the dining area, specifically servers. There are plenty of busboys around to refill water or take away finished plates. The atmosphere was dimly lit but very crowded and noisy with narrow spaces to walk, don't come here if you're claustrophobic or looking for an intimate environment.

For any special occasion, you won't be receiving anything complimentary so don't wait for it. There are only two unisex bathrooms which is a bit surprising considering that the restaurant felt like it seated 100 people.

For pasta, we'll stick to Colapasta.

If you're still starving afterwards, Guerilla Tacos is right around the corner.

Very nice place, with a relaxing environment to eat with a partner and enjoy pasta.

10/10!

The food was very good but was very rushed. Felt more like a tourist experience than dinner at a good restaurant.

The menu at Bestia features a tantalizing array of modern Italian dishes, expertly crafted with locally sourced ingredients and innovative techniques. From house-made pastas and wood-fired pizzas to savory meats and seafood, every dish is a culinary masterpiece bursting with bold flavors and artistic presentation.

This place always gives me that happy feeling when I come here. The staff is amazing ❤️

this my go to place when i have visitors in LA> and at times when I go elsewhere , its like I feel I shouldve just gone here . u can order anything , cus everything good... but mussels is good, branzino, the squid ink... burrata is cool, of couse the bone marrow gnocchetti is a must.. so many , u cant go wrong really , depends what u in mood for.. the music can be a lil loud but its mostly 90s hiphop music and thats a plus.

Sorry, but this place is either overrated or people don’t know good food. While the staff and service was impeccable and amazing, the food was not very good, too expensive, crowded, loud, and for some strange reason hip hop music was being played. Hip Hop at an Italian restaurant? Sorry, but we will not return.

雰囲気凄くよくて美味しいイタリアンでした。
ただ季節でメニューが変わるみたいでGoogleの写真の料理はないです。
シーザーサラダが1番美味しかったです。

Hidden place in an alley. Best to do small plates to share. We loved the bone marrow and pasta, the lamb, the raw scallops, and everything else on the menu haha. Very professional atmosphere and you can’t go wrong.

A group of us went to Bestia to celebrate my daughter's birthday. The food was excellent and the wait staff was amazing.

When it came time to pay the bill, I handed one of the managers 3 credit cards. When he returned to the table he had only two credit cards. After being told, another manager returned questioning whether we had given him three credit cards, as they were unable to find the third card. This is where the exchange became very uncomfortable.
When the manager was asked by us, what they were going to do to make this major inconvenience right. They offered NOTHING. No deduction on the bill, no offer to come back with anything complimentary.
As we got up to leave, they found the card, which they had given to another patron, and they (thankfully) gave it back. The manager offer NO apologies for their error. This exchange went on for 30 min.
Not only was everyone in our party upset, the mere fact the a restaurant of this caliber treats their patrons like they are trying to do something underhanded, was very disturbing.

I will never go back to the this restaurant and will make sure that everyone I know how we were treated.

I guess customer service is a thing of the past for Bestia.

Bestia was underwhelming and average at best. I was so excited to visit, yet so disappointed when I left. We ordered the scallop crudo, tagliatelle, and Kurobuta Pork chop, and then added on a bread order which never came. :(

The scallop crudo was very tasty, with a complex palette of coconut curry and Meyer lemon. Yet the portion of scallop was tiny for $26; perhaps 1-1.5 scallop per order. With mains, the flavor of the tagliatelle and pork was light and subtle; so “meh.” We have had so much better in LA, for less money.

What bothered us the most is that the service staff seems like they were on stimulants and we felt rushed throughout the whole meal. Sat at 6:50 and was out the door by 8pm. For $200 ($100pp with 1 drink each) you can do so much better in Los Angeles.

Overrated.

We had reservation around 7.45pm arrived early so while waiting outside you can order drinks from the bar so that helps.
Food is excelent.
Ambience is great, little loud inside but not obnoxious. Our server was super attentive. Would go back here again.

The bone marrow pasta was the best! The truffle pasta and lamb neck were good too. Everything else was okay. The inside is really cute, but the music was so loud I got a headache at the end of the dinner.

Lively on a Monday, both food and service were impeccable. Agnolotti melts in your mouth! Donuts were too sweet for me, but the accompanying coffee ice cream was delicious. Very accommodating of dietary restrictions and food allergies.

The definition of a restaurant that is close, but not quite, Michelin Star level, despite seemingly trying.

Don't get me wrong, the food was a great 8.5/10 as all of the dishes were satisfying, and the service was excellent, but there were things that put me off a bit.

First, what is going on with the service charge? 4% isn't ground shattering, but why is it there in the first place? And it's 4% just so you'd feel like an a-hole asking to remove it. So, a second compulsory tip for JUST the restaurant? Why not price it in? This sort of behavior shouldn't be encouraged. I don't care what they say it's for, because who knows if they're telling the complete truth. Even if it is for paying staff, price it in. Stop doing this; tipping culture is ridiculous as it is. Just state prices are higher/priced up, so you can give health insurance or whatever you claim.

The chairs were hard and a bit rickedy. I get that it's an aesthetic, but a padded seat or contoured chair isn't super expensive. Also it was very crowded. Like a trendy party bar. If that's your vibe, it's great. I'm indifferent, but it is slightly harder to talk. Just mentioning it.

Brief review of plates:
- bone marrow: good but the star of it is the pasta and how well seasoned it was. Marrow off the bone fun and a nice touch, not sure if it was necessary taste wise. 8.5/10

- cocktails: average. Good amount, they don't skimp on you, but it's a standard affair. 7/10

- Cesar salad: fun take and presentation. Sauce was great, but a bit excessive and soaked it all a bit too much. Despite this it was a great dish and easily finished off. 9/10

- pizza: the honey was a fun touch. It was very Italian. Lots of pepper and spices. Very thin, fresh and tasty crust. 8.5/10

- Truffle pasta: $48? I guess due to the actual truffle in the ingredients. It was good, but not nearly $48 good. Pasta was a bit squishy, though the steak was well cooked and the sauce was on point. Unless you're dying to have actual truffle, it's not worth it. Truffle oil would have sufficed. 7/10

- "donuts and coffee": freshly fried zeppole, coffee ice cream was great. I recommend it if you, well, like coffee and donuts. 9/10.

Overall it's not a bad experience, but it just felt like it wasn't completely up to the hype or price. I suppose you pay for consistently good, tasty food and good waiting service. Not for a ground breaking experience. Not quite worth the price for me though.

Reserve a table now and order some stretchy eating pants! Order two more dishes than you think you'll need and remember that your dessert stomach is separate from your dinner stomach. Splurge!

Incredible food and great service. Expensive, but definitely worth it.

Excellente carte, cuisine savoureuse et appétissante. Bestia à Los Angeles vaut le détour.