Overview | The realm of restaurants in Los Angeles continues to have success as droves of new concepts boasting new cuisines are frequently sprouting up all over the city. But a recent explosion of the Westside foodie scene has the area west of the 405 completely “going off” with a sundry of buzzed about restaurant endeavors. For a minute there it felt like Santa Monica, Venice, Marina Del Rey and the rest of the LA beach cites were just sitting stagnant; for some time it got to the point that I’d either just frequent my usual favorites like Rustic Canyon or I’d just skip that side of town all together. But these days, between spots like Santa Monica Yacht Club, Cassia, Dudley Market, and now little miss LEONA, the Westside is lookin’ like a whole lot more fun (and tasty).
Leona only opened about a month or two ago and has already made quite the name for herself by landing on Eater LA’s most recent Heat Map and remains a topic of much local discussion and collective curiosity. Naturally after perusing the Leona geotag on Instagram and oogling over photos of their dishes posted by friends (and of course being a fellow Westsider myself) it was decided Leona would be placed at the top of my “restaurants I must go to” list. It would appear I was not the only Westsider, not to mention, Angeleno itching to get a piece of what Leona has going on. When I finally made it to the chic casa de Leona I didn’t have to look further than even just the pillows on the patio to understand why – Leona has beyond exquisite taste when it comes to the space’s decor. From cognac leather, black and white photos, to a light/white/grey color palate with perfect pops of color (those PILLOWS!) let’s just say there wasn’t a single aspect of this space I wouldn’t “pin” to my ‘dream home decor’ board.
What I think in all actuality has Angelenos coming back to Leona and alerting the masses of her importance is, thankfully, the food. Chef Nyesha J. Arrington has done an incredible job of crafting and executing an inventive “progressive California cuisine” inspired menu; one that is relatable, approachable, yet distinctive. Their motto (so we’ll call it) states that their menu is “seasonally driven, ethically harvested, and globally inspired” and this is evident in every dish.
I am so in love if you couldn’t already tell, and trust me, I have a preeetttyyy good feeling you will be too.
Favorite Drink | Leona has a great wine list with fair prices. Go for a glass!
Must Order | I loved everything I ordered and would without a doubt order all of it again. The fish and chips to start are incredible, as is the flatbread pizza, but the star of the evening was hands down the bulgogi short rib with roasted bone marrow and potatoes. oh.my.god. It’s now quite possibly one of my favorite dishes ever?
Perfect Spot For | date night // place to take the ‘rents // dinner // brunch // an awesome Instagram opp // an awesome spot to dine on the Westside // patio seating
Pro Tip | Make a reservation or get there early! Everyone already loves Leona and has caught on to her popularity so definitely try to plan ahead.
Fun Fact | Chef Nyesha is an LA native and grew up cooking alongside her Korean grandmother, which has influenced much of her style and flavors in her kitchen today. Nyesha was also a cheftestant on Bravo’s ‘Top Chef Texas’, Esquire’s ‘Knife Fight’ and Food Network’s ‘Chef Hunter’!
LEONA | 123 Washington Blvd. Venice, CA, 90291 | 310.822.5379 | Dinner: Tuesdays – Sundays, 5:30pm – 11pm | Brunch: Saturdays and Sundays, 10am – 2pm
Leave a Reply