Downtown L.A.'s restaurant renaissance

For thin-crusted Roman-style pizzas, head to Bottega Louie at 7th and Grand, a combination restaurant-bar-gourmet grocery and takeout with breathtakingly high ceilings and gilt-encrusted appointments. No reservations -- the place is huge -- for those pizzas, pasta, of course, and moderately priced entrees.

Bottega Louie, 700 S. Grand Ave., (866) 418-9162, www.bottegalouie.com. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Entrees, $14 to $33.

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Bottega Louie in downtown Los Angeles. Click for the article. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Bottega Louie in downtown Los Angeles. Click for the article. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Sibling to Chaya Brasserie Beverly Hills (and Chaya Venice, as well as a San Francisco outpost), the new Chaya Downtown showcases chef Shigefumi Tachibe’s East-West cooking in a restaurant with a grand outdoor terrace, a full sushi bar and a handsomely appointed dining room. The menu is very appealing, because it’s so different from the other high-end restaurants in this part of town.

Chaya Downtown, 525 S. Flower St., (213) 236-0994, www.thechaya.com. Lunch and dinner. Entrees, $18 to $36.

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Chaya Downtown in Los Angeles. Click for the article. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Chaya Downtown in Los Angeles. Click for the article. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Former Bastide chef Walter Manzke has gotten into French bistro food in a big way at Church & State in the former loading dock of the 1925 National Biscuit Co. Building. The place, backed by Cobras & Matadors’ Stephen Arroyo, can feel like one night-long party, with piazza lights strung across the high ceilings, red leather bistro chairs and a bar serving trendy absinthe.

Church & State, 1850 Industrial St., (213) 405-1434, www.churchandstatebistro. Entrees, $11 to $26. Lunch Tuesday to Friday, dinner Tuesday through Saturday.

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Church & State in downtown Los Angeles. Click for the article. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Church & State in downtown Los Angeles. Click for the article. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Wine bars don’t come any sleeker than Corkbar at 12th and Grand. In a space with soaring ceilings, wine storage that reaches for the heights and a nifty, wraparound bar, tall tables, rock-hard stools and benches and a spacious outdoor terrace, Corkbar focuses on California wines.

Corkbar, 403 W. 12th St. (at Grand), (213) 746-0050, www.corkbar.com. Open daily from 11:30 a.m. until midnight weeknights and later on weekends. Sandwiches and mains, $9 to $18.

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Corkbar in downtown Los Angeles. Click for the article. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Corkbar in downtown Los Angeles. Click for the article. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Celestino Drago’s first restaurant downtown, Drago Centro is quite the glamour queen, with an expansive bar, an outdoor terrace and a dining room with vaulted ceilings and black Venetian glass chandeliers. The view of the library and its garden is thrilling too.

Drago Centro, 525 S. Flower St., (213) 228-8998, www. Lunch weekdays, dinner Monday through Saturday. Entrees, $26 to $39.

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Drago Centro in downtown Los Angeles. Click for the article. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Drago Centro in downtown Los Angeles. Click for the article. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

What downtown doesn’t have its classic diners? We, of course, have the Original Pantry Cafe, L.A.’s favorite greasy spoon, which has kept the faith for 85 years. But now we also have the charming Nickel Diner in a properly funky neighborhood, a sweet update on a classic with period light fixtures, red Naugahyde seating and retro comfort food from chef Monica May.

Nickel Diner, 524 S. Main St., (213) 623-8301, www. Breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Sunday, dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Entrees, $9.25 to $14.25.

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Nickel Diner in downtown Los Angeles. Click for the article. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Nickel Diner in downtown Los Angeles. Click for the article. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Sushi Gen is still the best spot for sushi downtown, but there’s almost always a wait. If you want to eat Japanese in a stylish setting, there’s R23,which is holding its own after 16 years. But sushi is not the best item on the menu. Instead, go with the reliable crab salad, made with lump crab meat, or the delicious salmon skin salad, both in a perky dressing.

R23, 923 E. 2nd St., (213) 784-6600, www.r23.com. Lunch weekdays, dinner daily. Entrees $18 to $20.

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R23 in downtown Los Angeles. Click for the article. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

R23 in downtown Los Angeles. Click for the article. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

A slew of Latin-themed restaurants have opened downtown, but the best of the bunch is John Sedlar’s Rivera, where the chef is making an overdue comeback with his refined and inventive cooking. A long, narrow space with a communal table, banquettes and a smaller dining room with walls lined in custom tequila bottlings, Rivera is a short stroll from L.A. Live.

Rivera, 1050 S. Flower St., (213) 749-1460, www. Lunch weekdays, dinner daily. Entrees, $16 to $29.

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Rivera in downtown Los Angeles. Click for the article. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Rivera in downtown Los Angeles. Click for the article. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Water Grill is still the place downtown for impeccable chilled shellfish -- fresh Dungeness crab, Long Island cherrystone clams, oysters from all over, Mexican white shrimp. But also, be sure to take advantage of chef David LeFevre’s thoughtful seafood cooking with global accents.

Water Grill, 544 S. Grand Ave., (213) 891-0900, www.watergrill.com. Lunch weekdays, dinner daily. Entrees, $30 to $52.

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Water Grill in downtown Los Angeles. Click for the article. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Water Grill in downtown Los Angeles. Click for the article. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

The quirky Wurstkuche is a sausage lover’s dream. The concept is simple: more than 20 different sausages (alligator and pork smoked andouille or duck and bacon with jalape?o, anyone?) on a soft bun with your choice of accompaniments (caramelized onions, sweet peppers and sauerkraut, for example), a bevy of mustards, a side of stubby Belgian fries.

Wurstkuche, 800 E. 3rd St., (213) 667-4444, www.wurstkucherestaurant.com. From lunch and dinner daily (until midnight Thursday through Saturday). Sausages, $6 to $7.75.

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Wurstkuche in downtown Los Angeles. Click for the article. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)