Nancy Silverton's one-star salumeria and a $200 bistecca fiorentina — book OpenTable a month out for a carnivore's celebration.
A 50-ounce porterhouse over $200. One Michelin star on Melrose. Tables on OpenTable about a month out. CHI SPACCA is Nancy Silverton's steakhouse-and-salumeria, the meat-and-fire corner of her Mozza group, and it is the most bookable of Los Angeles's serious one-star rooms — if you plan the centrepiece in advance. This is how the reservation works, why you call ahead for the bistecca, and what to put on the table once you are in.
How the booking works
CHI SPACCA takes reservations through OpenTable, with tables released on a rolling window roughly a month out. Unlike the two-star tasting rooms, this is a normal restaurant calendar: prime Friday and Saturday slots go early, but weeknights and the bar are reachable within the week. For a group, or to lock the big steak, email [email protected] directly rather than relying on the app. The room is at 6610 Melrose Avenue, and the smart booking move is a 6 p.m. or a late 9 p.m. weeknight, when the prime-time crush eases.
Call ahead for the bistecca
The reason to plan is the meat. The bistecca fiorentina is a 50-ounce dry-aged Black Angus porterhouse that runs north of $200 and feeds two or three; in a busy service the kitchen can sell out of the dry-aged cuts. When you book, note in OpenTable or by email that you want the bistecca, and confirm it on the day. The tomahawk pork chop is the other large-format centrepiece. Order one big cut for the table and build around it — this is a steakhouse that cures its own salumi, not a tasting menu.
What else to order
Start with the house-cured charcuterie — Silverton's salumi program is the reason the word "salumeria" is on the sign — and the focaccia di Recco, the thin cheese-filled focaccia that is a genuine signature. Individual plates start around $55, the bistecca is the $200-plus event, and the bill scales with how much meat you order. Silverton built Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza before this room, and the baking pedigree shows in everything that comes out of the oven. Save room; the portions are built for sharing.
Dress, timing and the bar
Dress is smart casual — this is Los Angeles, and a jacket is welcome but not required. The bar takes walk-ins and is the back door when the dining room is full: arrive early, eat the charcuterie and focaccia, and you have had most of the experience. Service is dinner-led. For the citywide picture, see the Los Angeles dining guide, and for the cancellation-hunting method when a Saturday is full, our guide to how impossible reservations actually get booked covers the refresh tactics that work on OpenTable.
Frequently asked questions
Is CHI SPACCA worth it?
Yes, if you come for meat and fire rather than a tasting menu. Nancy Silverton's one-star Melrose steakhouse and salumeria does house-cured charcuterie, wood-fired large-format cuts and some of the best baking in Los Angeles. The 50-ounce bistecca fiorentina is the centrepiece and the focaccia di Recco is a signature. It is pricey but generous, and it rewards a table that orders one big cut and shares.
How hard is it to get a reservation at CHI SPACCA?
Easier than the city's two-star tasting rooms, but not casual. Tables release on OpenTable on a rolling window about a month out; Friday and Saturday prime time goes early, while weeknights and the bar are reachable within the week. For a group or to secure the dry-aged bistecca, email [email protected] directly. Aim for a 6 p.m. or late 9 p.m. weeknight to beat the crush.
How much does CHI SPACCA cost?
Individual plates start around $55, and the bill scales with how much meat you order. The 50-ounce dry-aged bistecca fiorentina runs north of $200 and feeds two or three, so a shared steak dinner for two lands in serious-occasion territory. The house-cured salumi and focaccia di Recco are cheaper ways into the kitchen at the bar. Reserve the bistecca ahead, because the dry-aged cuts sell out.
What should I order at CHI SPACCA?
Order the house-cured charcuterie and the focaccia di Recco to start, then one large-format centrepiece: the 50-ounce bistecca fiorentina or the tomahawk pork chop. The bistecca is the dish the room is known for and is best pre-ordered when you book. Silverton's baking pedigree from Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza shows in everything from the oven, so save room for bread. Share across the table.
Is CHI SPACCA good for a celebration dinner?
It is an excellent carnivore's celebration, built around a shared 50-ounce steak and a table of charcuterie. The room is lively rather than hushed, dress is smart casual, and the large-format cuts make it feel like an event. Book OpenTable about a month out, pre-order the bistecca, and note the occasion. See the broader options in our Los Angeles dining guide. Skip it for vegetarians — this is a meat house.