Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles Opens Modern Italian Restaurant

Located at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, this exceptional restaurant offers the best of Four Seasons service while forging its own fashionable and independent spirit. Guests can linger over small plates and a glass of wine, enjoy the energy of an authentic crudo bar, or settle in for a night of fine dining in the garden. With a stunning indoor-outdoor design that melds simplicity with elegance, Culina is destined to become one of 'the' places to dine in Los Angeles.

Chef Victor Casanova brings a career-long reverence for ingredients to the Culina kitchen. Based on the seasonality vital to authentic Italian cuisine, his bright menu introduces modern techniques and preferences that lend lightness to each dish. Culina's carefully composed wine list features over 200 labels, with the majority representing Italy's finest. Most of the selections may be ordered by the carafe, and each night a rotating menu of 12 wines will be available by the glass. A range of unique aperitifs, dessert wines like Vin Santo paired with cantucci for dipping, digestifs like grappa and an Italian-themed cocktail list featuring Italy's favourite liqueurs will round out the drinks menu.

The restaurant's urbane yet rustic space is the creation of EDG Interior Architecture + Design, with an Old World enoteca (local urban wine shop) theme that manifests in smart details -wine tasting tables made of 200-year-old magnolia, artisanal product displays, herringbone tile floors and charcoal-toned plaster walls with accents of chartreuse and deep green. Olive wood tabletops look artful in their crisp simplicity, minimally clad with white placemats and napkins, functional flatware and amber water glasses specially designed for Culina. The chic and personable staff have been meticulously trained in every detail, from subtle ingredients to unpretentious wine tips.

Upon entering Culina's vibrant world, guests are drawn into the convivial bar area, with its interactive crudo bar and inviting lounge. Friendly staff offer espresso, pastries and paninis as guests relax over daily newspapers, small plates of antipasti or full meals from the menu. Across from the bar are three communal tables made from a salvaged 200-year-old magnolia tree and a wine room that displays its ample stock through windows etched with handwritten Italian recipes. In the main dining area, a 25-foot (7.6-metre) light fixture made of hand-blown Czech glass traverses the ceiling, and vast picture windows welcome in Southern California's eternal sunshine. A unique glass-enclosed room can seat 10 for tasting menus, while a private room accommodates up to 40. Both bar and dining areas cascade out into the garden, with half of the restaurant's 236 seats embracing Los Angeles' patio lifestyle. Here, a 'living wall' of succulents and a modern fire-and-water fountain set the stage for al fresco dining or casual lounging under a semi-private canopy.

With its understated elegance, Culina provides a destination that is both cultured and of-the-moment, where local fashionistas and international visitors can wine and dine, see and be seen over some of Los Angeles' best Italian food.

Hotel Profile: Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles

More information: Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts