Chi Spacca

Is Chi Spacca worth booking in Los Angeles?

Yes; book it. Chi Spacca is one of the most focused Italian dining experiences in Los Angeles, built around a meat-forward kitchen with the discipline of an Italian butcher shop and the cooking confidence to back it up. Ranked #11 on Opinionated About Dining's Casual North America list for 2025 (up from #8 in 2024), it holds a Michelin Plate and a Pearl Recommended designation, which puts it in a narrow tier of LA Italian restaurants that consistently deliver at the $$$$ price point. If you've already done Osteria Mozza next door, Chi Spacca is the natural next step; tighter, more carnivorous, more singular in its point of view.

What Chi Spacca actually is

The name translates from Italian as "she (or he) who cleaves," a direct reference to the butcher's cleaver. The kitchen, led by chef Ryan DeNicola, operates on the premise of what an Italian butcher might cook: large-format meat preparations, charcuterie, wood-fired technique. This is not a pasta-first Italian restaurant. If you're looking for a bowl of cacio e pepe as the anchor of your meal, look elsewhere, try Angelini Osteria or Antico Nuovo for that register. Chi Spacca is for the table that wants to work through cured meats, bone-in cuts, anything that benefits from fire and time.

The restaurant sits at 6610 Melrose Ave in Hollywood, sharing a building with the Mozza empire. That address matters for planning: the neighbourhood is easy to get to from most of central LA, parking is manageable by city standards, the proximity to Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza means you are in a dining cluster worth building an evening around. If you're putting together a longer LA dining itinerary, consult our full Los Angeles restaurants guide. For where to stay nearby, our full Los Angeles hotels guide covers the options.

The counter experience

Chi Spacca's counter seating is the seat to request. The kitchen is open and the counter positions you directly in front of the action, the butchering, the fire, the plating rhythm. For a restaurant built on this kind of hands-on, technique-visible cooking, the counter transforms the meal from a transaction into something you're watching and participating in. If you've already dined at Chi Spacca once from a standard table and you're planning a return, ask specifically for counter seats when you book. The difference in experience is material: you get a clearer read on timing, you can ask questions about the cuts, the meal has an energy that a corner table simply doesn't replicate. For context, this kind of chef's counter dynamic is what places like Lazy Bear in San Francisco built an entire format around, Chi Spacca delivers a version of that energy without the prix fixe constraint.

The counter is also the leading position if you're dining solo or as a pair. Groups of four or more will likely be at a table, which is fine, the food travels equally well, but if your party is two and you want the full experience, hold out for counter availability when booking.

How it compares to other LA Italian

Within LA Italian at the $$$$ tier, Chi Spacca occupies a specific lane. Bestia is the comparison most diners reach for first: also meat-forward, also strong on charcuterie, but broader in scope with more pasta coverage and a livelier, louder room. Chi Spacca is more focused and arguably more technically precise on the butchery side. Bianca sits at a lower price point and is easier to book if you need a fallback. For Italian restaurants at this calibre in other cities, the reference points are places like 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Hong Kong and cenci in Kyoto, entirely different expressions of Italian cooking, but useful proof that the format travels and deepens when a kitchen has a clear point of view. Chi Spacca has that.

Ratings & recognition

• Opinionated About Dining, Casual North America: #11 (2025), #8 (2024)
• Michelin Plate: 2024, 2025
• Pearl Recommended Restaurant: 2025