Picala, a Spanish-inspired newcomer from Santa Barbara group Acme Hospitality, quietly fired up its grills on April 28 in West Adams' Cumulus District and is already leaning hard into the shareable, live-fire experience. The dining room at 3321 S. La Cienega Boulevard seats about 135 guests, with an outdoor patio for roughly 45 more. On the menu: pintxos, paella, and wood-fired roasts run through a California-seasonal lens, plus a drinks lineup built on gin tonicas and house-made sangria.
Acme Hospitality plants a Spanish flag in West Adams
Acme Hospitality, the Santa Barbara outfit behind The Lark and Loquita, brought Picala to Los Angeles as a key piece of the new retail-and-residential Cumulus District. As detailed by Acme Hospitality, the vision is a neighborhood gathering spot where bar pintxos meet communal live-fire feasts and locals can treat it as a regular hangout, not just a special-occasion splurge.
Chef Luis Sierra's live-fire approach
Executive chef Luis Sierra, most recently chef de cuisine at Lulu, built a menu that marries Spanish technique with California produce. Diners will see classics like pan con tomate and tortilla Española, plus a paella built with Mary’s chicken and chorizo, according to Eater LA. Sierra is aiming to pull much of the seafood and produce from within roughly 200 miles, keeping the operation rooted in local farms and waters.
Drinks and an all-Spanish wine list
The bar leans fully into the Spanish brief, with five different gin tonicas, house-made sangria, and seasonal cocktails that weave in saffron, fig, and passionfruit. Backing that up is an all-Spanish wine list that runs from coastal whites to robust reds and sparkling bottles, as reported by WhatNow.
Design, capacity, and where it sits
Design firm Studio UNLTD gave the room a soft, coastal glow with curved banquettes, flowing textiles, and floor-to-ceiling windows that are positioned to catch the sunset over the patio, per Picala and Studio UNLTD. Picala fills a street-level space in the Vox Residences, effectively planting itself at the crossroads of Culver City and West Adams, where new residential and retail builds are concentrating foot traffic.
Practical details
Picala is open Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday it runs until 10 p.m. Reservations are available through the restaurant’s website and via OpenTable. Those wanting a closer look before committing to a night out can turn to Eater LA for an early menu preview and photos from opening night.
