{"id":20728,"date":"2013-06-14T08:30:55","date_gmt":"2013-06-13T22:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/?p=20728"},"modified":"2018-05-15T03:16:48","modified_gmt":"2018-05-14T17:16:48","slug":"top-5-restaurants-in-la","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/top-5-restaurants-in-la\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 5 Restaurants in LA"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Choosing a favourite restaurant in the City of Angels is a little like picking a favourite child! Guest blogger Sandie Ward narrows down her must-visit dining list for your next LA visit. <\/strong><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
1. Melisse <\/strong>
\nThe proud winner of two Michelin stars, Melisse<\/a> has become a California favourite for world travellers searching for an exemplary dining experience.
\nChef Josiah Citrin is a master of French fusion who marries ingredients procured at Santa Monica’s Farmers’ Market with superb meat and seafood. His sublime creations include lobster bolognaise with black truffles, liberty duck breast and confit, and beef tartare made with true Japanese wagyu beef.
\n\"\"<\/a>Melisse shines with attentive service, fine wine and elegant French-country home d\u00e9cor \u2013 pure heaven! Take yourself out to dinner and ask for the waiter, Ryan, whose name means \u201cLittle King\u201d. I guarantee he will leave you feeling like a princess.<\/p>\n

2. Spago <\/strong>
\nTan, toned Beverly Hills residents call Spago<\/a> home. Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck\u2019s newly-renovated restaurant has taken an already humming dining scene into overdrive.
\nSpago ensures every bite of California cuisine is a revelation by using the finest ingredients: Heirloom tomato salads taste richer and the white corn in his mascarpone agnolotti is the sweetest on the planet.
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The restaurant\u2019s composition of plates is often genius: white corn pur\u00e9e and mascarpone-mushroom emulsion make Alaskan halibut with caramelised corn, wild chanterelles, and bacon confit crazy good. Soup textures are perfection and the tasting menus are where they really shine, while pastry chef Sherry Yard will leave you breathless with her delectable desserts.<\/p>\n

Look for A-List celebs and big time movers and shakers, although I personally would rather be chatting it up with Wolfgang himself!
\n3. Cecconi\u2019s<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you love Mediterranean food, make sure to visit Cecconi\u2019s<\/a>: a classic Italian restaurant located on the corner of Melrose Avenue and Robertson Boulevard in West Hollywood.
\nOffering a menu of simply prepared, Venetian-influenced food and drink, the menu includes beef tartare with quail egg, and swordfish carpaccio, while their sea salt branzino with cherry tomato and Taggiasca dish still resonates with me.
\nCreative toppings on the pizzas are a winner as well \u2013 the topping combination of black truffles, burrata cheese and zucchini blossom made me long for the Amalfi coast.
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Be sure to sit at the bar with its wood-burning oven or outside on the terrace to enjoy great, flavoursome Italian food paired with service that\u2019s pampering without being obsequious.<\/p>\n

4. Scarpetta <\/strong>
\nNestled in Beverley Hills\u2019 Montage Hotel, Scarpetta<\/a> is relaxed and perfect for low-lit romance, yet bright enough to keep an eye out for celebrity diners. When I go to dinner I want to be able to have a good conversation without having to yell \u2013 this is just the place.
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Scott Conant\u2019s spaghetti with tomato and basil is smooth and velvety, just like grandma used to make. The noodles are homemade, coarse-cut and bitey. And the sauce! The sweet, acidic intensity of the tomato is mellowed by super creamy butter… It’s transcendent. The eatery\u2019s black maccheroni with sea urchin and roasted capretto has also become a delicious trademark.<\/p>\n

5. Bottega Louie<\/strong>
\nYou don\u2019t have to be Michelin-starred restaurant to impress me; sometimes the world\u2019s best foods are the simplest. You\u2019ll be lured from the outside of Bottega Louie<\/a> into the bakery full of gleaming dessert cases packed with sweets.
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Inside, the restaurant space is gorgeous, simple, classy and urban chic. The kitchen is visible and you can find yourself getting lost in the moment as you watch the chefs in action. Chef Jason Hotchkiss hails from Maine, with his talented hand in the kitchen reflected in every dish.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Indulge in the portobello fries, brussel sprouts, asparagus with fried egg, homemade pizza and, of course, dessert. I love this place for their casual food but most importantly, the macarons \u2013 I\u2019d be willing to catch trains, planes and automobiles to experience it again.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Where’s your favourite place to grab a bite in LA? Tell us in the comments below.<\/h2>\n
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