RESTAURANT REVIEW: Cavatina

1200 Alta Loma Rd. | West Hollywood, CA 90069 | 310-358-3759 | cavatinala.com | Price: $$$

By MICHAEL AUSHENKER | Contributing Writer

Cavatina is one of those restaurants that you do not merely dine at…you experience.

There is much to behold on the walk prefacing the dining establishment. This is, after all, the Sunset Marquis, temporary home to many a rock and rap star over the decades.

So there are statues of oversized guitars as well as plenty of tasteful photo-portraits near the pool area depicting everyone from Jim Morrison to “Dressed to Kill”-era KISS to Run-DMC.

Along the enchanted path to Cavatina, you’ll cross a tiny bridge, witness a waterfall pool brimming with colorful koi and get a good gander at Hollywood types dining on the restaurant’s lush, foliage-framed covered patio.

The environment surrounding this restaurant is just breathtaking. It was overhauled in April 2014 to look fresh, contemporary and (overused, I know) hip.

We were eager to lunch here (as opposed to having dinner) so we could see this place bathed in sunshine. Visually, my mind thought I was at one of those restaurants I encountered at the Napa wineries of Yountville and Rutherford.

In the epicurean realm, Cavatina is like King Midas. Every plate we ordered was pure 100-karat gold.

Take the trio of starters we enjoyed: Creamy Burrata with beets, Marcona almonds and baby kale ($16); Albacore Poké ($16), made of chopped tuna chunks with dragon fruit, red onion, tobiko, crispy rice and coconut-soy dressing; and Charred Octopus ($14), lavender tentacles perched upon a small bed of chickpeas, capers and lemon.

The burrata was light and airy; the black rice paper-topped albacore morsels were savory and scrumptious and nicely counterbalanced by a sweet gelée of fish roe; and the octopus, from Malaga, Spain, was not so much charred as grilled just enough to add flavorful smoke to the moist, perfectly prepared cephalopod meat.

Entrée-wise, we went down three paths—land, sea and Italia—and all three were sensational.

If you’re as big a gourmet hamburger hound as I am, do not miss out on your chance to taste one of the best-made hamburgers in town. The Marquis Cheeseburger ($18), a juicy, moist, medium-cooked mélange-a-trois of ground short ribs, brisket and chuck beef—topped with globs of melty cheddar, crispy onions and a horseradish-black pepper sauce within a Brioche bun—is true perfection.

If this burger doesn’t make the annual Best Of lists online, it’s only because the hoi polloi doesn’t have as much access to this burger as, say, the ones at more everyday eating spots.

However, this is one cheeseburger you must go and conquer, and it’s worth every penny.

Seafood-wise, Mediterranean Sea Bass ($29) is a must. The nice flank was coated in olive oil and sea salt with preserved lemon and baby vegetables.

This is one sea bass in which the crispy, nigh-buttery skin is as big an attraction as the white, soft fluff inside. If you crave a good Branzino, you won’t be disappointed here.

There is much to explore here in terms of pasta, but do try Tagliatelle alla Bolognese ($24), an outstanding bowl made sublime by an incredibly intricate meat sauce created from chunks of beef, pork and veal.

Even if you’re not in the mood for an entire lunch, Cavatina is a must for dessert and coffee. The atmosphere alone makes the trip worthwhile, but then there are the rich, above-average cappuccinos here.

They pair well with the hazelnut streusel-and-dulce de leche-informed Crème Fraiche Cheesecake ($12), splattered with drops of caramel and a nice blob of coffee ice cream; or with the Butterscotch Budino ($12), a glass of pudding with caramel and sea salt and topped with chocolate shavings.

Craft cocktails here delight. If you want a light and refreshing drink, there’s no livelier libation than Tamarind & Smoke ($16), El Silencio Mezcal with lime, tamarind syrup and an interesting chili-salted rim. Be sure to consume those alcohol-imbued muddled cucumber pieces—they’re delicious!

There’s also the Margarita Del Marques ($15). Harder drinks include the smooth-as-a-cinematic-lothario Rudolph Valentino ($16)—a blend of Star anise-infused Jameson Irish Whiskey, cherry juice, lemon, Cio Ciaro Amaro and Domaine de Canton—and the Southside Royale ($16), the Mojito-ish house twist on a Chicago classic made with Absolut Elyx.

Both latter beverages deliver on darker but no less fragrant-to-the-taste buds frequencies.

Owned by Palisadian Mark Rosenthal, son of hotel founder George Rosenthal (the same Rosenthals of Malibu’s Rosenthal Wine Bar & Patio fame), Cavatina, simply put, is a class act.

The word “cavatina” refers to “a short, operatic aria in simple style without repeated sections.” There may be no repetition to the types of entrées served here, but you’ll definitely be inclined to enjoy repeat visits to this sumptuous destination—truly a feast for all the senses.