Testa Tries Its Hand With Pasta and Cocktails in South Park

Farley Elliott is the Senior Editor at Eater LA and the author of Los Angeles Street Food: A History From Tamaleros to Taco Trucks. He covers restaurants in every form, from breaking news to the culture, people, and history that surrounds LA's dining landscape.

There’s new life for a familiar space in Downtown’s still-emerging South Park neighborhood, as Testa looks to fire up the stoves tomorrow. The Italian-leaning newcomer takes over for The Briks, a Mexican fusion shop with a North African lean that closed earlier this year.

With Testa, the plan is to play to the casual pre-Staples Center dinner crowds and growing number of South Park residents. While the area below Olympic is still in the throes of construction, a rise in livable lofts and rental units means more potential customers not only for Testa, but surrounding restaurants like Barcito, Prank Bar, and Broken Spanish.

Though previously thought to be called Nadine, Testa is now official, with chef Marty Shield (Quay in Sydney, Woodley Proper) overseeing the day-to-day. The menu looks to be a collection of largely Italian influences, though not entirely — there’s pasta, sure, but also grilled spot prawns and a pork tomahawk. On the bar side, look for cocktails from consulting masters Devon Espinosa and Michelle Champeau.

Ricki Kline’s Design + Build team put the place together, from the farmhouse chairs to the hanging pendant lights and pulled-back cement walls. Wood floors, wide booths, a marble bar, and big patio help complete the look. Testa officially opens for service tomorrow, keeping dinner hours only to start. That means 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday, with a move to 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

Testa
1111 S. Hope St.
Los Angeles, CA