Baldi
9850 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills
At the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, chef Edo Baldi gives the steakhouse an Italian accent, cooking beef and wagyu over an olive wood-fired grill. Don’t let the steaks distract from sweet corn tortellini with mascarpone and truffle butter, or the pancake soufflé for two. Terracotta tones and olive trees warm the restaurant. For casual meet-ups, Bar Baldi pairs thin-crust pizza with beverage director Jim Kearns’ limoncello-laced spritz.
Birdie G’s
2025 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles
Moving from Santa Monica into the former Lumière space, chef Jeremy Fox’s Birdie G’s brings its family-inspired cooking directly to Century City. Matzo ball soup, the Pickle Chick cutlet and rose petal pie join koji-aged steaks, handmade pastas and California vegetables. EDG’s design draws on midcentury supper clubs, with banquettes and expanded patio seating. The planned breakfast-through-dinner format covers the working day; martinis and Manhattans take care of happy hour and beyond.
Bad Roman
267 N. Canon Drive, Suite A7, Beverly Hills
The former Palm steakhouse has a new cast of characters: a boar sculpture, greyhound statues and snake door handles. Quality Branded’s Bad Roman fills green velvet banquettes with diners sharing garlic babka and pepperoni cups with ranch. Chefs Craig Koketsu and Clint Ives oversee filet mignon topped with a cacio e pepe raviolo and lemon-shaped cheesecake. Order a pepperoncini martini or flaming Vesuvius Bowl. Shots arrive attached to miniature Italian cars.
Little Luck
9229 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles
Dinner can turn into karaoke at Little Luck, The h.wood Group’s Japanese izakaya on the Sunset Strip. Two private dining rooms come equipped for singing, while roughly 4,000 records supply the soundtrack. Chef Erik Idos, an L.A. native whose Nobu years took him to Hong Kong, returns with sashimi, nigiri, skewers and charcoal-grilled meats and seafood for sharing. Dark woods, amber lighting and lantern-like fixtures make Kevin Lee’s cocktails look as incredible as they taste.
Wally’s Century Plaza
Century Plaza, Los Angeles
For a meeting that starts with “just one glass,” Wally’s Century Plaza offers more than 50 possibilities. The new concept directly in front of the Fairmont pairs wines by the glass with a full cocktail program and a California-French menu that also draws on Wally’s signatures.
KYU
10200 Constellation Blvd., Suite 225, Los Angeles
Follow the fire to KYU, the Miami-born restaurant making its California debut at Century Plaza Promenade on Nov. 9. Roasted cauliflower, Korean fried chicken, tuna crispy rice and wood-fired short rib anchor the menu, with new dishes developed for Los Angeles. An open kitchen sits at the center of the more than 6,000-square-foot space, while a curved facade faces the plaza’s fountain.