Olivetta

For excellent Italian-ish cuisine and a seriously fabulous setting, Olivetta delivers in spades. The pastas steal the show (don’t they always?): the signature dish is creste di gallo with roasted garlic and bone marrow, but other options like a simple pesto rigatoni or stuffed caramelle with brown butter and squash stand out just as much. Beyond the pastas, highlights for mains include choices like roasted mushrooms with creamy polenta, roasted chicken and porterhouse steak for two. An unexpected favorite: the roasted delicata squash. Both meat-eaters and vegans/vegetarians will be happy here, with an even mix of options. But like many L.A. restaurants, the food is only part of the story. Service is friendly, the décor is theatrical and Old Hollywood Glam (draped ceilings and gilded walls in the intimate main dining room, for example) and the crowd is scenery—there’s a good chance for celeb spotting here.