Tucked away in a Craftsman bungalow in Chinatown, Baby Bistro is an unassuming wine bar that rewards a go-with-the-flow attitude. The menu is intentionally tiny (typically just six dishes and two specials) and frequently changes to highlight seasonal ingredients, making it feel more like a DIY tasting menu and less like a random collection of bar snacks. The move: Order one of everything if you’re dining with one person, two of everything if you’re a four-top.
The vibe: Imagine stepping into a friend-of-a-friend’s cottage for an intimate dinner party with soft lighting and cozy corners. Wine flows, stress melts away, and service is casual but attentive. The laid-back, hidden-away atmosphere is transportive and unhurried, but, because this is Los Angeles, also draws in the VIP crowd. (Isn’t that…? Yes, it probably is.)
Because the menu is so small, dine somewhere else if your group has many allergies or dining restrictions — although on a recent visit, the staff was very accommodating to my date’s lactose intolerance. Transparency around ingredients and stronger menu descriptors could help.