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This elegant but casual authentic Italian restaurant is backed by Robert De Niro and the brothers Weinstein (of Miramax fame). The menu is the usual Italian fare, recommended are the appetisers like fritto mare as well as the homemade desserts like the creamy ricotta cake. Regulars recommend the platters of burrata even though it’s not actually listed on the menu.
(over $50)
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Antonio ’s
Decorated with bright murals,Mexican flags and hundreds of celebrity photos,the long dining rooms offer a calm respite from the bustling Melrose shopping street. Antonio Gutierrez specialises in the unusual dishes of Oaxaca and Monterrey, with daily specials to keep regulars taste buds tempted.Unlike many Mexican restaurants,Antonio ’s menu caters for vegetarians.
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Antonio’s
Decorated with bright murals, Mexican flags and hundreds of celebrity photos, the long dining rooms offer a calm respite from the bustling Melrose shopping street. Antonio Gutierrez specialises in the unusual dishes of Oaxaca and Monterrey, with daily specials to keep regulars taste buds tempted. Unlike many Mexican restaurants, Antonio’s menu caters for vegetarians.
($30 - $50)
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C & O Trattoria
No one leaves C&O’s hungry – in fact they usually leave with half their meal in a doggy bag the portions are so enormous. Make sure you try the delicious garlic dough balls before choosing from 25 mixand-match variations on traditional noodles and sauces. Recommended is the cognac-spiked cream sauce fettuccine prosciutto. Other specialities include plump eggplant and Italian sausage lasagne, and provolone and rosemary chicken ravioli slathered in sweet tomato cream sauce.
(under $30)
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Chi
Pop star Justin Timberlake partnered up with nightlife pros Art and Allan Davis for this Sunset Strip restaurant inside the Hyatt. Inside is a Chinese-inspired den of decadence: red-leather banquettes, corset-laced wood chairs and a sunken lounge. The menu features an array of seafood, meat-filled dim sum and tapas- sized entrees. Dumplings from the steam cart – pillowy scallop shu mai with black truffle coulis and tender shrimp in translucent rice wrappers – are delectable. Entrées are small and perfect for sharing.
(over $50)
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Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante
Designer Dodd Mitchell (Falcon, Katana) has created a slick space using black leather accents and marble-cube columns with a few investment dollars from Ashton Kutcher. Chef Mirko Poderno’s Italian cuisine is excellent and recommended is the risotto rich with gorgonzola or the prime rib with roasted potatoes. Make sure you save room for the creamy, decadent ricotta cheese custard for dessert.
(over $50)
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El Compadre
This friendly eatery has been dishing out affordable, American-friendly Mexican food since the 1970s, but the unremarkable cuisine has always played second fiddle to the flaming margaritas. With a squeeze of lime, a generous splash of tequila and a touch of flame, El Compadre’s signature concoction is always a crowd pleaser.
(under $30)
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El Compadre
This friendly eatery has been dishing out affordable,American-friendly Mexican food since the 1970s,but the unremarkable cuisine has always played second fiddle to the flaming margaritas.With a squeeze of lime,a generous splash of tequila and a touch of flame,El Compadre ’s signature concoction is always a crowd pleaser.
(under $30)
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Empress Pavilion
Those seeking classical Chinese cuisine should venture downtown to Chinatown to this cavernous banquet hall. An army of black-tie servers zoom round the tables with trolleys filled with sliced abalone and sea cucumber dim sum, duck feet (for the more adventurous palette) and the Peking duck is said to be the best in town. Don’t pass up the dessert of fresh melon tapioca blossoms with coconut, especially at dinnertime, when it’s on the house.
($30 - $50)
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Ita-Cho
Despite the bland industrial space and cheesy tie-dye wall hangings, this crowded restaurant is a favourite with locals. Which is why there’s often a queue, but as the food is delivered with such speed, the wait is never long. The menu is traditional Japanese from eggplant doused with sweet miso sauce to spicy, soy-glazed, wheel- shaped lotus roots. Recommended is the Japanese fried chicken, which is crisp and tender, and served with tangy lemon mayonnaise.
($30 - $50)
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