République

With stellar brunch options, an award-winning pastry program and an always satisfying dinner menu, it’s hard to imagine a better Swiss army knife of a restaurant in L.A. than Walter and Margarita Manzke’s République. The married co-owners do justice to the gorgeous building’s culinary legacy—which previously housed Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton’s iconic Campanile—with a seasonal, globally inspired French menu that adeptly nods to L.A.’s immigrant communities. Think kimchi fried rice, shakshuka and pupusas during the day, followed by escargot en croûte, bluefin tuna toasts and Liberty Farms duck à l’orange in the evening. For a more casual experience, order with your eyes from Margarita’s James Beard award-winning pastry counter, which features seasonal, Asian-inspired delights like mango and passion fruit cream pie and ube and some of the best baguettes and croissants in town. For a pricey change of pace, République also offers occasional seasonal tasting menus centered around ingredients—tomatoes and white asparagus, when they’re at their best—and guest chef dinners that more than prove the kitchen doesn’t merely rest on its laurels.