Why everyone is talking about Bar di Bello and Monte’s
Words by ANDREW BARKER and S. IRENE VIRBILA
Sushi With A Soundtrack
Thursday nights never sounded so good. At NOBU LOS ANGELES, rhythmic beats usher in the weekend as the celebrated restaurant founded by Nobu Matsuhisa and Robert De Niro launches a weekly DJ series, bringing a new soundtrack to the dining room from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The music unfolds alongside Nobu’s signature omakase and à la carte menus, where highlights include truffle miso sashimi and the theatrical wagyu flambé, and there’s no better accompaniment than a spicy citrus Mia Margarita (or two). This high-energy scene offers a filmic way to close out the working week that’s unmistakably L.A. vibes all-around. 903 N. La Cienega Blvd., L.A., 310-657-5711; noburestaurants.com. A.B.
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Swizzle Me This in Highland Park
Set in an old art deco church hall just south of Highland Park, HERMON’S is the latest from Last Word Hospitality founders Adam Weisblatt and Holly Fox, who have hit just the right menu and price point for a low-key cocktail and dinner spot. Center front is a large tiled U-shaped bar; the rest is comfy booths. Chef DK Kolander includes clams and guanciale in his two-sheet lasagna. Hangar steak au poivre flies out of the kitchen. Martini options start with a tiny ’tini — vodka or gin, dirty or not. Espresso martini comes as a single or double shot. Dessert? No question: the lemon custard baked Alaska. Open daily 5–10 p.m. 5800 Monterey Rd., L.A., 213-559-0924; hermonsla.com. S.I.V.
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Montecito’s Farm-to-Table Launch
Many restaurants tout their farm-to-table bona fides, but the new MONTE’S in Montecito, from Endwell Hospitality, has its own regenerative Rincon Hill Farm in Carpinteria that produces veggies, fruit, and mushrooms. All that goodness is reflected in chef Daniel Kim’s eclectic menu. If you don’t go for the signature smash burger, try the coal-roasted cone cabbage in smoked shiitake XO and Wagyu strip loin with black garlic A1 steak sauce or Mt. Lassen trout with charred lemon. The can’t-miss orange grove negroni is dosed with dry curaçao and scented with orange bitters. Open Wed.–Sun., 5–9 p.m. 1198 Coast Village Rd., Montecito, 805-330-4590; montessb.com. S.I.V.
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Ciao Bello, Silver Lake
A sleek Milan-inspired restaurant has just set down in Silver Lake. Designed by Dean Levin of L.A.’s 22RE, BAR DI BELLO is wrapped in dark walnut with a marble floor and a red travertine bar. Start with summery spritzes and classic cocktails, then try Sicilian anchovy toast or suppli all’Amatriciana. Florentine beef tartare is scented with rosemary and lemon. Pastas — like orecchiette in a veal, guanciale, and cream ragù bianca — are handmade. The bar has osso buco alla Milanese paired with the requisite saffron risotto and Milan’s typical breaded chicken cutlet. Open Wed.–Sat., 5–11 p.m. 3300 Sunset Blvd., L.A.; bardibello.la. S.I.V.
Portions of this story originally appeared in the Fashionable Living 2026 issue of C Magazine.
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