Alba

With its tall trellised walls, retro red awnings, and brooding stone statues, the back patio at Alba exudes the same energy as Caesars Palace—the one in Vegas, not Rome. Espresso martinis fill every table, big bowls of orecchiette get tossed with burrata tableside, and there’ll be at least a few dudes with one too many shirt buttons undone. It’s a scene even by Weho standards, but what makes this Italian spot from NYC stand out is the food largely keeps pace with the crowd. Start with focaccia and whipped ricotta, skip the accanto salad and its bizarre whiff of truffle oil, and prioritize the agnolotti and crisp-skinned chicken alla diavola in spicy-sweet bomba sauce—two hit dishes from the original location. That said, even if you’re just looking to get dressed up, people-watch, and maybe send a text to someone you shouldn’t later, there’s no hotter destination in town right now.