Bestia - Arts District

Bestia is still as good as ever after the fire, service was friendly and everything was delicious.

Mussels and Clams - housemade spicy 'nduja sausage, fennel seed, preserved lemon, grilled bread
These clams were jacked, just look at their huge mussels. I could just eat this broth with some bread all night, so good.
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Cavatelli alla Norcina - ricotta dumplings, housemade pork sausage, black truffles, grana padano
Perfectly chewy pasta with a deep, earthy, truffle flavor throughout the whole dish.
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Spaghetti Rustichella - dungeness crab, citrus, calabrian chili, thai basil, onion seed
Another great dish, huge portion of fresh crab complemented by the Thai basil that gave each bite a nice brightness.
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Peaches & Cream - sweet cream ice cream, cinnamon pecan macaron, roasted peach caramel, clotted cream
Perfect dessert. Chewy macaron, creamy ice cream, and sweet ripe peaches.
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updates


Caught the mythical smoked uni-corn out in the wild #gottacatchemall Charred corn. smoked sea urchin bottarga. chives. :unicorn:

And another sighting… #godlessstingingmachines

veal tartare crostino. shallots. parsley. lemon. tonnato sauce.

Roasted Marrow Bone. spinach gnocchetti. crispy breadcrumbs. aged balsamic. Doing my part to reduce my carbon footprint by #goinggreen

Mussels and Clams. housemade spicy 'nduja sausage. fennel seed. preserved orange. grilled bread. Mad qpr.

Spaghetti Rustichella. sea urchin. garlic. calabrian chilies. squid ink bottarga. thai basil. #makingamericasafeagain

Peaches & Cream. sweet cream ice cream. cinnamon pecan macaron. roasted peach caramel. clotted cream.


Lobster Crostino - saffron and squid ink aioli. pickled chilies. opal basil. citrus.
Great starter, light, bright, acidic, refreshing. Fresher than will smith in bel air

Roasted Marrow Bone - spinach gnocchetti. crispy breadcrumbs. aged balsamic.
Had to order some greens.
Is there a better bone marrow dish in LA? If so I haven’t found it.

Spaghetti Rustichella - dungeness crab. citrus. calabrian chili. thai basil. onion seed.
This was great with a generous amount of crab, loved the freshness of the basil. I still prefer the creaminess of their uni version though.

Grilled Whole Branzino - pea tendrils. fried herbs. grilled lemon.
Perfectly cooked fish, solid dish. Next time, I think I’ll just triple down on the pasta.

Creamsicle Torte - buttercake. coconut. sour tangerine. meyer lemon. italian meringue. toasted coconut.
This was awesome, tasted like a creamsicle in ice cream cake form.


As much as i like bestia, I wish they would change up the menu or offer nightly specials more often. I seem to order the same dishes every time I go. Has anybody ever gotten their mythical roasted suckling pig?

roasted marrow bone, spinach gnocchetti, crispy breadcrumbs, aged balsamic
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lobster crostino, squid ink aioli, pickled chilies, opal basil, citrus
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mussels and clams - housemade spicy 'nduja sausage, fennel seed, preserved blood orange, grilled bread
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Cavatelli alla Norcina - ricotta dumplings, housemade pork sausage, black truffles, grana padano
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Spaghetti Rustichella - dungeness crab, citrus, calabrian chili, thai basil, onion seed
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lobster crostino, squid ink aioli, pickled chilies, opal basil, citrus
excellent, so fresh and light.
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calamari alla plancha, cherry tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, marjoram, basil, capers, agretti
fantastic grilled and tender calamari, loved how the shittake mushrooms matched the texture of the calamari perfectly, brilliant.
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cherries & tomatoes, burrata, tarragon, trout roe, black sesame seeds
another brilliant pairing of super sweet cherries with flavorful cherry tomatoes. great balance of sweet, salt, creamy and nutty flavors. perfect for this summer of oppression.
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roasted marrow bone, spinach gnocchetti, crispy breadcrumbs, aged balsamic
fatty, crunchy, chewy, another perfectly balanced dish
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slow roasted lamb neck, smoked anchovy creme fraiche sauce, little gem lettuce, soft herbs
the meat was nicely cooked with a crispy crust, but was the least exciting dish of the night.
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peaches & cream, sweet cream ice cream, cinnamon pecan macaron, roasted peach caramel, clotted cream
love this fruit salad
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chicken liver

cauliflower

burrata pizza

clams and mussels

bone marrow

cavatelli

lobster uni spaghetti

lamb neck

Bestia
2121 E 7th Pl
Los Angeles, CA 90021
(213) 514-5724

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What is on the bottom? Additional cream?

It was sweet cream ice cream on top and peach caramel and clotted cream on the bottom

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Damn that sounds good. Peaches look just perfect too.

That cavatelli may be my favorite pasta dish in the city.

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My favorite dessert there by far.

That crab pasta looks INSANE. Was the crab overwhelmed by the other flavors?

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My god that peach dessert is so pretty.

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Nope, it was very well balanced. And there was enough crab for you to taste with each bite of pasta, I actually ran out of spaghetti before finishing the crab.

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That could be an excellent toast:

“May you always run out of spaghetti before you run out of crab.”

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Hi Y’all -

I’m still alive, still downtown, still taking lots of pictures.

Our big adventure is winding down (hopefully) and Bestia is on the Before We Go list. Apparently it’s as hard to get in as ever. The only rez I could get for 4 peeps this week is 5pm on Wednesday on the patio. We don’t mind the date and time. My only question is - how is the patio? We’re all first-timers… Yes that was on my FTC Confessions list. :blush:

As soon as we’re settled back home and my work is all caught up I will do a little DTLA Travelogue. Yes, that’s a threat.

Miss you guys!

P.S. That looks delicious @PorkyBelly

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patio is fine, it might be a little less loud, so you might like it better.

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Great. It’s on!

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Patio should be fine, it’ll be quieter and more relaxed, but not the best place for pictures.

Just had another great meal there the other night. Don’t forget to try the lobster crostino, bone marrow with spinach gnocchetti, the mussels and clam, the cavatelli and the spaghetti. Enjoy.

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I like the patio, but you may want to bring some mister bottles with you. This heat is brutal, be sure to order many white negronis.

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Okay, sold! I kept looking at the lobster crostini on the menu and Yelp. We’re definitely starting with the mussels & clams too. Will try the smoked chicken liver pâté next time.

That’s okay about pictures. Our good friend - and attorney - and his wife are taking us out for the expense account dinner. Rude to take pictures? :hugs:

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Oh no. Thanks for the tip!

…but of course. Husband looked at your pictures and said “I’ll have what he had.” Which is funny because I always say you order just what I would eat… well, except for you know… head, eyes and slimy stuff.

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This will end up being one of the worst valet parking lot experiences in LA.

Is this taking over the HD Buttercup? That pink sign blaring into my face during dinner has to be one of the weirdest, most unpleasant things about eating on the Bestia patio.

I originally was in the “Cosme is overrated” camp after my first visit, but definitely changed my tune after the second time. Had some spectacular dishes, so I’m excited to have this in LA.

This has got to be the grittiest neighborhood to hold 2 restaurants of that caliber.