Kelly Wearstler’s favourite Los Angeles dining spots
This Los Angeles-based interior designer, with her boldly chromatic style, has transformed high-end restaurants and hotels, as well as the homes of A-list clients such as Cameron Diaz and Ben Stiller. Here’s where she goes for food as fine as the venues.
1.Bavel, Arts District
“The chef-owners of Bestia, Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis, have recently opened this incredible restaurant (baveldtla. com). Its Middle Eastern menu draws on flavours from Israel, Egypt, Morocco and Turkey. The roasted cauliflower in hawaij chilli sauce with crème fraîche serrano pepper dip and dried flowers is a personal favourite.”
2.Bestia, Arts District
“The Arts District in downtown Los Angeles is full of gorgeous old industrial buildings that have been transformed into super-cool artist studios, galleries and boutiques. I’m currently designing a Proper Hotel nearby and regularly stop in at my favourite Italian eatery, Bestia (bestiala.com). The spaghetti rustichella with Dungeness crab, Calabrian chilli, citrus, Thai basil and onion seed is out of this world.”
3.Fountain Coffee Room, Beverly Hills
“Try the diner at the landmark Beverly Hills Hotel (dorchester collection.com) for a classic LA
experience. It’s one of my top choices for breakfast on the weekend with my young sons. The curved Mid-century Modern design counter gives an old-school Hollywood vibe. It’s a must-visit for the iconic banana-leaf wallpaper alone.”
4.Jaffa, Beverly Grove
“After a morning perusing LA’s Original Farmers Market on 3rd Street, stop in at this gem (jaffa.la) – a healthy eatery offering a modern twist on classic Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s like taking a journey to Tel Aviv. Order the roasted branzino [European bass] with orange and olive salad.”
5.Sqirl, Silver Lake
“My go-to all-day breakfast spot (sqirlla.com) is in Silver Lake, a fashionable, artsy part of town. Sqirl offers an ingredientsdriven menu with local foods masterfully brought together to create dishes both beautiful and deliciously innovative. The founder and chef, Jessica Koslow, is a genius with flavour combinations – it’s worth the trip over to the east side of LA.”