Camélia

This long-awaited French-Japanese bistro in the Arts District comes from Charles Namba and Courtney Kaplan, the pair behind Echo Park’s Tsubaki and OTOTO. Wood panels and handsome leather booths have given the former Church & State (and short-lived Caboco) space a distinctly polished, brasserie feel, and the eight-seat bar is already drawing in local residents pairing their wine or sake with Camélia’s outstanding dry-aged burger. In the dining room, hearty, comforting dishes like Japanese-style spaghetti bolognese and croque madame made with ham katsu and milk bread deftly skirt the lines between culinary genres. Who knew shiso and ponzu jelly could pair so well with burrata? Save room for dessert; there’s an excellent caramel pudding topped with fruit, whipped cream and crunchy buckwheat, but you’d be equally pleased with the chocolate black sesame gâteau or Harry’s Berries pistachio tart.