@michaelrose17's Review of Ristorante Per L'Ora - Los Angeles, CA

Last week, on a cozy rainy night, my friend took me to a beautiful restaurant in downtown LA called Ristorante Perlora. It's in Hotel Perla, which used to be a Bank of Italy building in the 1920s. Right off the bat, I was swept away by the building's beauty and very charmed by the tunnel with mirrors in the lobby. Obviously, this is a modern and Instagrammy feature, but it made me feel like the star of the show. And then my jaw dropped when I saw the restaurant, which is set up in the bank's cavernous lobby. gorgeous blue and gold ceiling. We started out with a drink by the bar and then moved to the dining area for our meal. The vibe was very California cozy, and the menu has coastal Italian influence, but done in a very LA way. We began with the garlic rosemary focaccia and the squid ink Caesar salad, which has a dark garlicky dressing. Then for our main meal, we split this batchcock chicken, which contains my true love burrata, and the main lobster rigatoni, which contains my other true loves, lobster handmade Italian pasta, and crispy pork belly. I'm still thinking about it. It was that good. Then for dessert, we shared the tiramisu and the almond ginger cake. Also, you have to see the bathrooms, or rather the giant bank vault in the basement where the restrooms are nestled, complete with a huge spiked wheel and these vintage safety deposit boxes. Once dinner was over, we took a quick peek at the rooftop bar and pool, which is probably my favorite way to enjoy the city.