"Yoav Schverd's relaxed Mediterranean room at the Crescent Hotel — go for a long, sunlit Beverly Hills brunch."
About Nua
The shakshuka arrives in its own cast-iron pan, eggs poached into a spiced tomato base with a warm Jerusalem bagel to mop it — at $19 it is the dish that anchors Nua, the modern-Mediterranean restaurant inside the Crescent Hotel at 403 North Crescent Drive in Beverly Hills. Chef Yoav Schverd opened it in 2021 after years cooking privately for Los Angeles' wealthier tables, and the cooking pulls from the Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, European and North African kitchens he grew up around. The charred eggplant with tahini, date syrup and tomato salsa is the other dish to know.
The Kitchen
Yoav Schverd cooks the food of a wide stretch of the Mediterranean rather than one country — Israeli and Levantine roots, with European technique and African and Asian accents picked up along the way. He moved to Beverly Hills in 2016, worked as a private chef and culinary consultant, then opened Nua in 2021. The kitchen leans on quality sourcing, including kosher meats, and on vegetables treated as seriously as the proteins.
The signature shakshuka, at $19, runs through brunch service, eggs set in a long-cooked spiced tomato sauce. The charred eggplant — smoked soft, then dressed with tahini, date syrup and a bright tomato salsa — is the vegetable plate that best shows the kitchen's balance of smoke, sweetness and acid. Beyond them the menu spreads across mezze, flatbreads, grilled fish and meats; plan on roughly $55 to $85 a head at dinner before drinks. It is a hotel restaurant, but a genuinely cooked one, not a buffet.
The Room
Nua is built around an indoor-outdoor courtyard in the small, low-rise Crescent Hotel, a block off the Beverly Hills business core. The mood is warm and calm rather than flashy: greenery, soft daytime light, neutral tones, well-spaced tables. It is at its best by day, when the patio fills for brunch and lunch and conversation carries easily; evenings are quieter and more intimate. Dress is smart-casual with no formal code, service is friendly and unhurried, and the room works as well for a laptop lunch as a date.
Best for a Daytime Date or Catch-up
Go to Nua for a relaxed first date, a weekend brunch or a daytime business catch-up, because the courtyard is the rare Beverly Hills room that is easy to talk in, easy to linger in and not built to intimidate. The Mediterranean menu shares well, the pace is gentle, and the bill stays reasonable for the postcode. For more, see our Beverly Hills dining guide, the global fine-dining guide, and the best tables for a first date.
Not for
Not for a grand, dressed-up anniversary or a power-dinner with a view — Nua is a low-key hotel courtyard built for daytime and easy evenings, not for spectacle.
Frequently Asked
Is Nua worth it?
Yes for a relaxed, well-cooked Mediterranean meal, particularly at brunch and lunch. Chef Yoav Schverd's shakshuka and charred eggplant are the standouts, the courtyard setting is genuinely pleasant, and at roughly $55 to $85 a head at dinner it is reasonable for Beverly Hills. It is not a destination tasting-menu restaurant and does not try to be; come for the daytime ease and the vegetable cooking rather than fine-dining ambition.
How hard is it to book Nua?
Not hard for most services, with one exception: weekend brunch on the patio is the busiest slot and worth booking a few days ahead through OpenTable. Weekday lunches and dinners are usually available the same day or a day out. Because it sits inside the Crescent Hotel, the room rarely runs at the frenzy of a Beverly Hills destination restaurant, so you can often walk in midweek.
What is the dress code at Nua?
Smart-casual, with no formal requirement. By day the patio is genuinely relaxed — neat casual wear is the norm for brunch and lunch — and evenings dress up only slightly. There is no jacket rule and you will be comfortable in the kind of outfit you would wear to a daytime meeting or a casual dinner in Beverly Hills. The room is warm and unfussy rather than a place to be seen.
What should I order at Nua?
Start with the shakshuka, the $19 signature of eggs poached in spiced tomato with a Jerusalem bagel, and the charred eggplant with tahini, date syrup and tomato salsa, which is the best of the vegetable plates. Build the rest of the table from the mezze and flatbreads to share, and add a grilled fish or kosher meat for dinner. The vegetable-forward dishes are where Schverd's kitchen is strongest.
Is Nua good for a first date?
Yes — it is one of the easier first-date rooms in Beverly Hills. The indoor-outdoor courtyard is quiet enough to talk in, the Mediterranean menu shares naturally, and the unpretentious mood takes the pressure off. Daytime and early evening are the sweet spots. For grander or more romantic alternatives nearby, see our best restaurants for a first date and the Beverly Hills guide.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Nua
Via OpenTable · brunch books up at weekends
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address403 N Crescent Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
NeighbourhoodThe Crescent Hotel
CuisineModern Mediterranean
SignatureShakshuka · charred eggplant
Shakshuka$19 · dinner ~$55–85 pp
Dress codeSmart-casual
ReservationOpenTable / direct
Opened2021
