Hot New Pick: Riva Bella
So I finally made it to Riva Bella restaurant over on Doheny & Sunset in WeHo. This pricey al fresco palace opened in January and I’ve been reading/hearing great things about it ever since, so I was excited to try it out. The space is totally gorg with its sprawling indoor-outdoor patio, retractable roof and wine cave that doubles as the buffet room during weekend brunch. You’d never guess in a million years that this breezy luxe space used to be the dark & dingy Hamburger Hamlet!
As for the food? Totally yum! We started with the super-thin crust bianca pizza with arugula, prosciutto (on the side I didn’t eat) and lemon. It was so crispy, the airy crust broke into glass-like shards. #Cray. The mezzaluna pasta with asparagus, ricotta and saffron was simply delish and the farro and shrimp salad was so flavorful with the cool grains, tangy-sweet tomatoes and breadcrusty shrimp.
But the real and totally unexpected revelation of the meal? The roasted octopus salad with potatoes, taggiasche olives, celery leaves and salsa verde. It was so fresh and almost marinara-ish, I couldn’t stop eating it! I’m not a fan of eating tentacles, but I’m telling you those little suction cup thingies didn’t even gross me out. It’s a $21 salad and worth every bite. Riva Bella is TENTACLEY DELICIOUS!!!!
More info: www.innovativedining.com/restaurants/rivabella
Lifestyle writer Mar Yvette is on a mission to bring you the best people, places, and products to make your life pop!