Los Angeles' most iconic Beverly Hills restaurant went under the knife this summer and just recently Wolfgang Puck's Spago emerged with a clean new aesthetic, thanks to designer Waldo Fernandez (Soho House). A new California-Asian fusion menu is in place, too.

Chef Nobu Matsuhisa's relocated Malibu branch of Japanese-Peruvian fusion restaurant chain Nobu is a looker. It's situated on the beach right off the PCH, a beautiful space for its glitzy clientele and pretty, pricey food. Signature dishes like Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno, and Black Cod with Miso grace the menu.

Chef Ori Menashe and restaurateur Bill Chait have teamed up to open Bestia, a seasonal Italian restaurant with excellent house-cured salumi and a fancy wood-fired oven which cooks pizzas and more. The space is hip enough without trying to hard in a sort of industrial unfinished way, and as of late has been one of the hottest tickets in town. Reservations are recommended, but there's room for walk-ins at the bar.

Good luck trying to secure a primetime dinner reservation here. RivaBella, the white hot IDG plus chef Gino Angelini (Angelini Osteria) mashup is the place to see and be seen over elevated plates of Tuscan cuisine. The covered outdoor dining patio is sure to be an even bigger hit this summer.

After a decade on West Third Street, chef Suzanne Goin's relocated wine bar is now as buzzy as ever. With a new full bar and revamped California-style menu, the tastefully designed eatery is perfectly poised for drinks with friends at the communal bar up front or a quiet date in one of the back booths.

Dinner at the French mashup, from all-star team Ludo Lefebvre, Jon Shook, and Vinny Dotolo, is a tough ticket to score (just 26 seats), and meals must be purchased in advance off Trois Mec's website. Including tip but excluding alcohol, the nightly prix fixe amounts to nearly $100 a head.

IDG's newest venture takes form as a high end Chinese restaurant attached to RivaBella in West Hollywood. The smallish space is dark and intimate, decorated with large round booths and suspended illuminated lanterns. Chef Cecile Tang of JOSS consulted on the menu which includes dim sum and Peking Prawns.

In the faraway land of Bell, Corazon y Miel is making a splash, with its daily changing list of inventive Latin American small plates. The bar is equally as strong, and creative drinks call for ingredients like Liquid Tamarind Candy and Chili Lime Candy.

Chef David LeFevre's tiny nook of a seafood joint has been slammed since its debut, which means it's vital to make a reservation in advance. In this bright and convivial (though cramped) space he's plating up a mixed batch of old and new seafood dishes, alongside a thoughtful list of intoxicants. Early standouts are the Thai Shellfish Coconut Soup, Albacore Tartare, and Loup de Mer.

In the former home to Playa (RIP) comes Petty Cash Taqueria, a colorful and fun new eatery conducive to social dining (many communal picnic-style tables). Chef Walter Manzke collaborated with famed Baja chef Guillermo Campos Moreno of Tacos Kokopelli on Petty Cash's Mexican street food menu. There's deep fried cheesy churros, a bevy of tacos, and even raw pork ceviche.

A rustic, hip bungalow serving modern California cuisine amid a sea of Asian cafes, Flores is an ambitious new addition to Sawtelle. Expect small plate farm-to-table fare with global influences and strong technique. After all, chefs Angela Hernandez and Rob Lawson have worked at both L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (New York) and The Bazaar.

Salt Air, the newest restaurant from Reiss Co (Sunny Spot, A-Frame), is a white on white addition to Abbot Kinney, plating chef Greg A. Daniels' seafood-centered small plates. Don't overlook the fried fish skin chips with harissa or the bright green pea toast with ricotta. There's Gueuze on tap, and Brian Butler's cocktail list makes good use of beer and wine in drinks like the passionfruit shandy.

A rustic minimalist Vietnamese eatery serving inexpensive bowls of oxtail pho and pork banh mi, but also rolls, rice, and noodle dishes made with locally sourced product. Drop in for lunch or dinner.

Part of an international chain, this Melrose Place eatery captures the Russian spirit from its tchotchke-filled multi room indoor/outdoor space to its modern Russian menu with a California spirit. There are separate rooms to eat and imbibe, and the restaurant touts 70 flavored of infused vodka.

Jed Sanford and chef Tin Vuong of Abigaile in Hermosa and WildCraft Sourdough Pizza in Culver are behind this dark, cozy, rustic number, which is offering up a Euro-Southeast Asian menu of small plates and craft beer. Think Myanmar okra curry, shaky shaky beef, and Singapore curry noodles.

Chef Evan Funke, formerly of Rustic Canyon, experiments with seasonal Italian fare at Bucato, and his house-made pastas steal the show. A wood-burning oven churns out small meat and veggie-centered plates, but don't try and snag a photo. The use of cell phones inside the restaurant is "politely discouraged."