Culina Ristorante and Caffè — Restaurant in Los Angeles

This was such a fantastic meal and service! First of all, hats off to our waitress Sonya and beverage/wine manager Alfredo for their exemplary in-depth and friendly service, knowledge, and passion for their food and wine!

As for the food, this was quite a Italian culinary adventure. The food at Culina was some of the tastiest and unique Italian cuisine I've had in Los Angeles.

For appetizer we had the Focaccia Al Rosmarino, Carciofi Fritti (Fried Artichoke), and Polpette Al Sugo (Wagyu meatballs).

The Focaccia was a delicious way to start with its Tris di Salse ('nduja Calabrese, tomato-basil chutney, and sundried tomato tapenade). There's a lot going on here with each "salsa" that gives variety in a delicious way.

The Polpette Al Sugo (Wagyu meatballs) is very savory can easily be a centerpiece of a delicious pasta by itself.

Unfortunately I had the Carciofi Fritti as my last appetizer and of the three it was the most ordinary. It's not that bad, it's just not as remarkable after having the other two delicious appetizers.

As for the main course, I've had the pasta Crested di Gallo e Salsiccia, and it was one of the best pastas I've had. A lot of flavor that are distinct and works very well together. The sauce is white wine that is light. Each ingredient (fennel sausage, broccolini, mollica di pane, Calabrian chili, and parmesan) works like individual instruments in a symphony. The fennel sausage is the meaty base of the flavor, the broccolini adds the herbal flavor, the mollica di pane or bread crumbs adds crunchy texture, the calabrian chili adds a hint of spiciness and excitement, and the parmesan tops it off with its cheesy salty goodness.

The wine paired was Lato Sud, a red wine with an unforgettable delicious taste that starts a little bit smoky and spicy and ends in a slightly sweet and mellow after taste. Each sip is a delightful surprise.

Finally for dessert, we had Tiramisu and Cannolo al Tavolo (fried cannoli). The Tiramisu had the most consistent texture and consistency I've had with Tiramisu with its thick but light mascarpone mousse that makes you want to close your eyes and savor each bite, while the cannoli was a tasty crunchy dessert that is both playful and a real delight to eat.

Long story short, everything except the fried artichoke was delicious and highly recommended. Compliments to the chefs and the staff, this was a...

UPDATE: I have now reduced my review to only one star. I received a reply and then emailed the provided email address multiple times and have yet to receive a response. This has made my experience with Culina somehow even more frustrating.

One of the WORST fine-dining places I have ever been to. The interior and exterior seating is absolutely gorgeous, and the ambience is amazing, but that's about where the positives end. We ordered the focaccia, which was way too soft and didn't have the characteristic crispy top, and the sides for that were abysmal. We also had the funghi pizza which was definitely better, but very bland...it just tasted like bread and cheese. It was most definitely not worth the price; I have had pizzas upwards of $40 and they were genuinely good enough to justify the price. This, however, was not. Towards the end of the meal, when we asked for the check, each of the items were charged 3-4 dollars more than they were listed in the menu. It's not about the money, since it's only a couple dollars more, it's about customers being secretly charged more than what was listed on the menu. I have no idea how much more money they made off other customers hoping they wouldn't notice. When we asked the waiter, he immediately brought in the manager who had some lame excuse about the physical menus accidentally mismatching their system..... The only part of the service which was nice was an old lady with long hair who was the sweetest to us this whole experience. We came here to celebrate a birthday, and nothing was done; the waiter didn't do anything and the old lady was the only person who wished us a happy birthday at the end of the meal. This restaurant is definitely pricey, which I wouldn't mind if the food and the service was better. But since it wasn't, it's safe to say this is the worst "high end" restaurant I have ever been to in LA and I'll be warning everyone I know against...

Dining at Culina at the Four Season in Beverly Hills has been so far the best dining experience in Los Angeles. A beautifully decorated restaurant with outdoor and indoor seating, surrounded by greens, dimmed lighting, and live music. Excellent and friendly service from our host, waiter, and server assistance. Overall a friendly and genuine staff which is what Four Seasons stands for, they will make you feel at home. The beautiful outdoor pizza oven next to the terrace gave me the hint that I was ready for a night with delicious pizza and amazing food. But it wasn't average at all. From Skinny pizza topped with smoked salmon and caviar, to truffles with burrata cheese. A 7-course experience that featured fresh ingredients from Southern California, including Santa Barbara Prawns, octopus, grilled scallops and delicate oyster shooters. A display of hard work, detail and passion that I have not seen yet in Los Angeles within an upscale casual Italian restaurant that adds the food to a lavish California twist including the classic Italian homemade pasta, cheeses, black winter truffles, and even an inspired ceviche from Latin America. I had the honor to personally meet Chef Giovanni Spataro, he prepared and delivered each dish adding that Sicilian charm and touch that makes any dining experience even better. The passion and love added to this dinner were beyond what I was expecting to see. Thank you, Chef Giovanni and his team for such a lovely...