Background
Per L’Ora is the ground-floor restaurant at Hotel Per La Los Angeles, located in the 12-storey Giannini Building – a striking piece of architecture which dates back to 1922 and formerly housed the headquarters of the Bank of Italy.
Readers might recognise the building for its previous tenant, the NoMad Los Angeles, though this hotel closed its doors during the pandemic. Hotel Per La, which is a member of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, filled its spot in September 2022 and Per L’Ora opened shortly after.
The hotel is located on the corner of 7th and Olive Street in Downtown Los Angeles, close to various skyscrapers housing offices and headquarters of banks and law firms.
The venue
Per L’Ora has a magnificent setting, with the neoclassical design of the 1920s building playing an important part in impressing guests. The ornate interiors give a sense of old-school Italian glamour and felt reminiscent of Baz Lurhmann’s adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.
The main dining room is sandwiched between a glitzy gold-and-blue 20-foot-high Italianate ceiling and marble flooring, while Doric columns are softened by lush foliage and chairs with floral seat covers. Visitors dress in their finest partywear to dine here, with the backdrops proving popular for photo opportunities. A mezzanine is used for events, though I’m told that the hotel is hoping to have live music performed here too.
For a peek at the building’s banking legacy, head to the toilets downstairs which are housed within the former bank vault, with a wall of safety deposit boxes also preserved.
It’s also worth starting your dining experience with a visit to the rooftop Bar Clara, which is a beautiful spot for Downtown views, accompanied by live jazz and crafty cocktails. Note, however, that unlike Per L’Ora this is a walk-in only venue.
Food and drink
Some restaurants rely too heavily on Instagrammable design, which comes at the expense of the food, but thankfully this is not the case at Per L’Ora.
The menu is overwhelmingly Italian, though I was interested to see Latin American and Asian influences too – from Japanese ingredients such as yuzu and Korean gochujang to the Mexican aguachile.
The menu is divided into pasta, primo, secondo and contorno, in keeping with the Italian theme, though there are also some ‘toasts’ topped with chorizo, ricotta or avocado too. It’s all about sharing dishes at Per L’Ora, and you’re encouraged to fill your table with bowls of carbs, salads and bites.
For starter, I enjoyed the perfectly salted rosemary focaccia with garlic confit, served quartered in an iron cast pot. This was delicious on its own, but even better when dipped in the sauces of the neighbouring dishes, which included the ceviche-style Hamachi (yellowtail) with a refreshing oregano oil aguachile, and a baby kale salad mixed with shallots, raisins, pistachios, crunchy thin slices of apple and shavings of parmesan.
Next came the pasta course, which has plenty of enticing dishes so it’s worth ordering two or three if you’re dining as a group. Personally, I can vouch for the gorgeous squid ink tagliatelle with lobster, chunky slivers of garlic, rings of red chilli, and sprinkled with breadcrumbs. The focaccia once again came in handy, drenched in the seafood sauce. Alongside this I enjoyed a generous bowl of fried Brussels sprouts, doused in yuzu brown butter and squeezed with lime.
While I’m an advocate for always ordering fresh pasta at an Italian restaurant, the meat and fish courses are also delicious. I enjoyed a bite-sized version of the scallops, playfully served alongside a potato croquette which was indistinguishable from the mollusc in appearance. Accompaniments to this dish are minced apple, watercress and a light, leek crème fraîche purée.
After overindulging in the savoury courses, I skipped dessert though these looked equally enticing – particularly the ‘tirami-choux’. On the drinks side, there are plenty of cocktails, including concoctions inspired by bygone classics, but I stuck to a glass of recommended white wine which was crisp and ideally suited to my seafood dishes.
Service
Staff are fun and friendly, while also providing excellent recommendations based on your preferences. There’s an entertaining atmosphere at this restaurant, with my waiter joking about “thirsty Thursdays” as he filled my wine glass, while the front-of-house provided me with thrift shop recommendations for my imminent visit to West Hollywood.
Waiters are also happy to help with any group photo opportunities, with neighbouring tables posing as each course arrived at the table. It’s easy to imagine a buy-out for a corporate event or a birthday/anniversary, though I also enjoyed dining here solo.
Verdict
Per L’Ora is a glamorous spot to share bowls of flavour-packed Italian fare, with plenty of photo-worthy backdrops to finish off a memorable meal.
Hours
Dinner nightly from 5-10pm
Bar Clara is open from noon-10pm daily
Price
Starters: $14-34
Pasta dishes: $28-48
Meat and fish dishes: $38-80
Sides and desserts: $14
Contact
649 S Olive Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014, United States; (213) 358 0000; hotelperla.com
