Osteria La Buca
Italian restaurant · Larchmont
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5210 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038, USA
Highlights
Airy modern Italian tavern with old-country favorites
Airy modern Italian tavern with old-country favorites
"The idea of having a full dinner inside a private room where the restaurant stores its pasta-making equipment might seem a bit odd, but as soon as the music gets playing (there’s an iPhone hook-up) and the wine starts flowing (it’s $25 per person for unlimited house wine and beer), all awkwardness quickly vanishes at Osteria La Buca. The casual Italian restaurant in Hollywood has tremendous food (the bucatini carbonara is legendary) and a consistently festive atmosphere that will make every person in your group feel like they’re part of the party." - brant cox
"“Interested in constantly reminding your younger brother to ‘Keep an eye on the sauce’ while you alternately attempt to unload some unlicensed handguns, snort drugs, and dodge a DEA helicopter? Osteria La Buca’s new All Day Menu is for you. They’ve got family-style portions of spaghetti pomodoro, rigatoni Bolognese, and chicken parm that’ll feed up to six, plus house sauces and pastas, all available for takeout or delivery. Even if you don’t have an evening of illegal activities planned, an order from Osteria is still a great idea - and if you blast Harry Nilsson’s ‘Jump Into The Fire’ while you’re picking up your food, you’ll literally be a Goodfella.” - JM" - brant cox, kat hong, brett keating, james montgomery
"Osteria La Buca does not feel like it should be in Hollywood. This brick-walled, high-ceilinged Italian joint on Melrose seems like it belongs in Silver Lake or whichever neighborhood in Brooklyn is the cool one now. But pasta-lovers of Hollywood should thank the carb gods for this place, because it’s the casual weeknight spot the area needed. Getting a table here is way easier than it should be, especially considering that their bucatini carbonara is one of the top five pasta dishes in all of LA." - jess basser sanders, brant cox
"Osteria La Buca opened a second outlet in 2020 with a modern touch that distinguishes it from its Larchmont sister spot with slightly more room, easier parking, and day-to-night hours without interruption. The time-tested menu still has the favorites of cacio e pepe arancini, guanciale pizza, bucatini carbonara, and, if needed, pasta family meals for reheating at home." - Mona Holmes
"There are a few blockbuster Los Angeles Italian restaurants that seem to get all the glory. But LA is also home to some fantastic neighborhood Italian places - and Osteria La Buca is one of them. The lively spot along Melrose by Paramount Studios doesn’t have the absolute best Italian food in town, but it’s pretty damn good and hits the spot every time. This is the kind of restaurant where you can just as easily take a first date or a rowdy group of friends as you can a client for a Wednesday power lunch. Definitely order the carbonara." - jess basser sanders, brant cox
