Honeymoon in DTLA Nothing But Love at Hotel PER LA

Skip the dating and shoot for the Honeymoon at Hotel PER LA on the corner of 7th and Olive.

Like any timeless tale of love, Downtown’s newly resurrected, historic Bank of Italy built in 1922, now hosts an extravagant hotel, complete with the rooftop view of Bar Clara and the ground floor dining and lounge experience, of Per L’Ora.

Designed by architectural firm Morgan, Walls & Clements (Mayan Theater), when it comes to beauty, there simply isn’t a more aesthetically pleasing restaurant anywhere in DTLA.

To be honest, your date can be ugly as a bug and still look stunningly beautiful while dining inside Per L’Ora’s vast seating rooms which pay homage to banker and all-around good fellow, Amadeo Peter Giannini.

Giannini was an American banker who founded the Bank of Italy, which later became Bank of America, and is still credited as the inventor of modern banking after presenting the world with the ability to cash checks, make deposits, and withdraw money all from the same teller window.

Back then guests would stand in line to deposit currency, today they withdraw signature cocktails like the Owl’s Castle one very potent mix of Tenjaku Gin, Vodka, Mancino Sakura, Nigori Sake, and Rose Orange Bitters.

The main dining room sits beneath a stunning Italianate 20-foot Beaux-Arts ceiling and fills the air with delightful conversation which resonates well beyond its brilliant Mediterranean arches. Visitors also have access to the basement where they may experience what it was like to step inside the bank’s enormous brass vault over one hundred years ago.

Worth her weight in gold, Le Cordon Bleu Executive Chef Courtney VanDyke (previously of the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills) presents diners with a lovely selection of hearty plates as visually stunning as she is.

Recommended dishes include the Chef’s Hamachi slices wading in a delicate pool of Olive Oil, and Agua Chile; Tagliatelle with Lobster, Fresno Chili, Garlic-parsley breadcrumbs, Squid Ink, and Orecchiette; Birria Oxtail Ragu with scallion, and Manchego.

If you’re not familiar with the Italian language, no worries, each dish is pronounced: “de-lish-us”.

Memories of the cuisine coupled with the unmatched beauty and romance of the historic hotel is a marriage that will last a lifetime. This is a serious dating experience where the answer to “Don’t you just love having dinner at Per L’Ora?" - will always be “I do”.