Arista Restaurant & Patio

We recently had a wedding reception at the Arista. It was an amazing evening! The room looked beautiful with no effort on our part - they provided lighting, candles, black and white linens for tables/chairs - it was simply elegant. The food was wonderful - we were the last through the line, and everything was fresh and delicious (loved the leftovers). The dj was out of this world!! He kept the dancing going throughout the night - people hardly sat down. We highly recommend Arista - the staff took great care of us and made for a very special evening! more

My husband and I go to the Arista all the time for its cool, funky-chic Hawthorne vibe and its very yummy food. Everything we've tried on the menu has been fabulous and interesting, and we are quickly developing some favorites like the coconut mussels and caramelized onion ravioli. They just started serving cocktails, and their happy hour food is really top-notch (and it's so hard to find a place that has awesome food late-night!). We highly recommend this place to anyone looking for either a classy meal or a late night that features food that will satisfy a more sophisticated palette. Pros: cool vibe, best late-night food in the city more

The Arista has enough atmosphere alone to give reason to check it out - it's bright red crystal chandeliers and modern art give it a funky Hawthorne vibe, not to mention it's patio full of flowers and old lanterns that makes it hard to remember you're on bustling Hawthorne. And then the food is in a whole other league of its own: The Cippino is definitely a must-have dish at Arista, perfectly merging fresh tiger prawns, mussels, clams, crab and swordfish with a smoky tomato clam broth. The Arista has great small plates, too, and they're definitely NOT ""small!"" Things like the Lamb Burger (a gyros turned into a burger!), Monte Cristo (insane is the only word to describe it) and the Grilled Pork and Apple Sandwich are my favorites. And I've never found a price that's so low for such a good meal ($5 for small plates!!!). The staff is very knowledgeable - we loved our waitress! We have started going here regularly and there are usually food and drink specials and the menu changes often - I always look forward to what I will discover the next time I go. Definitely try this place out, I'm positive it will be a new favorite! Pros: Great food, cool atmosphere more