"Prepare for a bottleneck when you enter Lucia. Not because of a bad layout, but because everyone is stopped in their tracks gawking. This transportive Afro-Caribbean spot looks like a nightclub on Arrakis: Giant tulip structures soar toward the ceiling and pod-shaped booths resemble miniature Hollywood Bowl shells. The food is just as much of a conversation starter. Start with a pickled okra martini and spicy wagyu beef patties while watching gorgeous Sezane-wearing couples at the bar, then add the craggly, coconut-crusted fried chicken or jumbo braised oxtails cooked down with warm spices. Expect a few clubby touches—a DJ booth next to the kitchen, a velvet rope outside, and the option to add a caviar bump to any dish—but Lucia is a restaurant first. One that you should get to soon, before the bottleneck spills onto Fairfax." - Brant Cox