THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Cocina Primavera

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Cocina Primavera Restaurant Review:

Local artists’ paintings hang on the walls and Afro-Cuban jazz sets the soundtrack at this charming family-owned Beverly Hills restaurant. The warm, inviting atmosphere complements a menu full of contemporary California dishes that are both comforting and polished --- no surprise as the culinary muscle behind it is chef Jose Prado, formerly of The Ivy. His son and daughter run this stylish space, but sophisticated shades of The Ivy remain --- in the savory crab cakes, tiny bite-size sweet corn tamales, and grilled swordfish, for instance. The Prado restaurateur family --- behind Cha Cha Cha and Hancock Park’s Prado --- brings their tropical accents to exert an haute Caribbean influence in other dishes, like a piquant black pepper chicken offset with fresh pineapple and served with plantains and black beans. Well-crafted salads and pastas round out the menu. Start with a goblet of fruity sangría, and the satiny apple tarte Tatin makes a nice finish.