Chi Spacca — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Rating: 9.7

Overall solid “steak house” if you want to call it that. It’s more of an intimate Tuscan restaurant which prides itself on their meat offerings.

I got the 50oz bistecca florentina (porterhouse/T Bone), broccolini, focaccia with ham, halibut crudo, squash blossoms, and the biscotti.

The focaccia is renown for good reason. It’s not the normal fluffy focaccia rather this is a thin, lacy, soft bottom, crispy top, dummy rich olive oil dressed focaccia. The olive oil they use is so aromatic and pungent in the best ways. The cheese and ham give it a great texture balance.

The squash blossoms pair well with the focaccia. They come with this simple tart bright tomato sauce. The blossoms themselves were floral and the cheese was not overpowering. Well balanced and a great complement to the focaccia.

The halibut crudo is a great palette refresher and a really intermediary dish. This or the grilled octopus (which I plan to get next time!) would kill as a middle dish solely because I think they bridge the gap between bread and big hunk of meat. The crudo was sparkling yet not too puckering; it had a tad bit of heat and some sweetness from the charred pepper. The halibut was clean tasting and very fresh. I think the dish was well timed and I can’t wait to try the octopus.

The dry aged steak was very well seasoned and cooked perfectly medium rare. It tasted like it was cooked on a wood grill which added to the funk. A great steak, maybe the best I’ve ever had. The lemon olive oil broccolini was the best compliment. The acid cut through the decadence of the steak like a knife through the heart of a teenage crush. Pleasurable and devious at the same time.

Finally, and sadly the worst part, was dessert. Ok I’ll preface this as a goof on my part so I’m not taking off points on their part. I will begrudgingly admit I did not know what a “biscotti” was prior, I thought it would be like the other dessert and be a cake with some dairy element. NOPE! Broski shows up with dry cookies. When looking around many of the desserts looked like simple baked tarts with a small coop of ice cream or crème fraiche. I did see someone order the budino even though it was off the menu which looked good! That seems like a promising dessert! Still, it’s such a drag that they even serve biscotti as a dinner dessert and more so of a sour moment when it doesn’t even come with hot tea or coffee to dip it in. I will admit the defeat on my part regardless.

Lastly there is service which was very good. Think casual Michelin star service. They were very watchful in making sure your water was always filled. Not too chatty but friendly when speaking to you. Noticed when you were talking at your table and tried to come around when the conversation had a lull, and they served the dishes in well timed courses. There was a small hiccup with a server bringing out my focaccia but wasn’t my server so there was confusion on if I ordered or not and what I did if I already did order. It was confusing to me and the waitress. Another small hiccup was the timing between focaccia and halibut was a tad generous. No biggie. It was right when I said “damn I wonder if they forgot the crudo” did it come right out to my table. Service was overall really good and am very grateful for the team!

Overall a great place. Meats are done very well, veggies are interesting and bright, the appetizers are well executed, and the service is prompt and attentive. Dessert could need some improving but it could be just me and my biscotti unknowing dumba$$ :/ (yeah I’m salty). Total was $410 with a $62 tip for 2 people. Definitely not the cheapest. However if you want a nice place to grab a special dinner this is a good contender!

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My recent visit to Chi Spacca left me with a sour taste, and I feel compelled to share my detailed experience to provide an honest account of the evening. From booking to the final bite, the overall experience was marred by a series of disappointments.

I had made reservations for counter seating, hoping to enjoy an immersive dining experience. Upon arrival, I was informed that the current occupants had yet to vacate their seats, and I was assured a prompt relocation. Unfortunately, this promise was never fulfilled, leaving me waiting uncomfortably while witnessing other patrons seamlessly ushered to their seats. The lack of communication and failure to address this situation not only tested my patience but set the tone for a subpar evening.

To compound matters, my order included squash blossoms that never made it to the table. Despite bringing this to the attention of the staff, there was no effort to rectify the oversight or offer any compensation for the missing dish. The lack of accountability for this basic error was disappointing and detracted from the overall dining experience.

Moving on to the main course, the steak failed to make a lasting impression. What should have been a highlight of the meal ended up being a forgettable experience. The Caesar salad, while acceptable, did not elevate the overall dining experience. The mushrooms, unfortunately, suffered from being overcooked, robbing them of the desired texture and flavor.

The culmination of these mishaps left me questioning the quality of both the kitchen and the service at Chi Spacca. In a city filled with exceptional dining establishments, this experience fell short of expectations and left me hesitant to consider a return visit.

While I acknowledge that every restaurant can have off nights, the lack of proactive measures to address these issues and the absence of any gesture to make up for the disappointments underscored a fundamental flaw in the establishment's commitment to customer satisfaction.

In conclusion, Chi Spacca failed to deliver on multiple fronts during my visit. From unmet promises regarding seating to missing dishes and subpar execution of main courses, this experience left much to be desired. It is my hope that this review serves as constructive feedback for improvement, both in terms of customer service and...

We picked this place to celebrate our anniversary yesterday (03/28). The food was outstanding and our server was very attentive. We didn’t finish most of what we ordered (steak tartare, focaccia, mushrooms, beef&bone marrow pie, tomahawk pork) so we had asked them to box them up, including the focaccia, which we had more than half left of.

They handed us our leftovers in a paperbag before we left, so we expected everything to be there. We left a generous tip, too. To our disappointment and surprise—when we got home, our focaccia wasn’t in the bag—the dish that we were most excited about.

I called them the very next day (today, 03/29) shortly after they’d opened to complain and found out that there’s no way to reach the manager directly, that the phone number is to their reservation office. Talk about lack of accountability. I’ve called twice and been given the runaround both times by their reservation representative. She said she texted the manager and is waiting to hear back from her and that I should get a call back once she receives the message. I’m still waiting to hear back from them.

Our good experience was ruined by carelessness and the lack of accountability of the restaurant and staff. In my opinion, mistakes like this should not happen to begin with, especially at an upscale restaurant like this. The restaurant dictates a premium price so we expected the same service in return.

We didn’t come here for a McDonald’s level of care and service and yet that’s...