Hippo
Italian restaurant · Highland Park ·
Contemporary American & Italian fare with handmade pasta & cocktails
Contemporary American & Italian fare with handmade pasta & cocktails
"Our goal in life isn’t to fly to the moon or become a millionaire. It’s to become a regular at a cool neighborhood restaurant. A good candidate is Hippo, which seems like every other place that serves crudo, pasta, and trout entrees, but all of those things turn out to be way more interesting than renditions at other places. Come eat cappellacci by yourself at the bar every week and you’ll be on a first-name basis with the bartender in no time." - jess basser sanders, sylvio martins
"Warm and inviting, with beautiful bow-truss ceilings and warm wood touches. There may be a wait for a table, but don’t sweat it. The meal—and wine!—are well worth it. California/Mediterranean dishes are the play here, with market produce taking various forms, including crudos, salads, housemate pastas, and gorgeous grilled meats and fish. It’s pretty difficult to place a bad order at Hippo, but whatever you do, don’t miss out on the cappellacci, a pasta from Emilia-Romagna that gets its name from its hat-like shape. Served stuffed like a chubby tortellini with seasonal squash and then topped with brown butter, amaretti, and sage, the dish warrants doing something novel for an LA restaurant: refusing to share. Rossoff is known for his impeccable palate, and the wine list at Hippo has some unique picks, including orange wines and selections from lesser-known regions like Lebanon and the Azores." - Celeste Moure
"The name comes from the building’s former life as the Highland Park Post Office, but everything else here is Cal-Ital in spirit. The dining space is convivial and airy, with beamed ceilings and an open kitchen as its focal point. The vibe is as good for dates as it is for groups. Complimentary bread is rarely as satisfying as their focaccia, with its crispy, salty crust and soft interior. Begin with a sampling of small plates, like hamachi crudo topped with dollops of Meyer lemon relish. Then move on to freshly made pasta, like tortelloni with herbed ricotta in a lemon butter sauce before enjoying the chicken grilled over almond wood and served with a slightly spicy aji panca sauce and griddled potatoes." - Michelin Inspector
"Hippo is a kind-of-Italian spot with qualities you currently find in most nice LA restaurants: high ceilings, graphic floral designs on the walls, and a menu full of crudos, pasta, and big plates of meat. But Hippo mashes all those familiar elements up in a way that feels exciting. The crudos and pasta are all excellent, and it's also a great spot for a few drinks before heading out to all the other bars along Figueroa." - brant cox, sylvio martins, andrew ryce, cathy park
"Chef Matt Molina’s enduring restaurant Hippo in Highland Park continues to draw crowds hungry for a California take on handmade pasta, large-format proteins, and plenty of cocktails. The menu states everything is made by hand daily, and with this level of quality, it’s hard to believe the claim (Molina was a chef at Mozza for many years before opening Hippo). The patio is especially fetching when the weather warms up, and so is the corn-stuffed agnolotti — get it if it’s on the menu. Otherwise, the comforting duck ragu tagliolini is a popular pick and even comes with a gluten-free option." - Matthew Kang
