Having built Tsubaki, their tiny Echo Park izakaya, and next-door sake bar Ototo into community havens, Courtney Kaplan and Charles Namba wanted a third project with room for creative growth. They reenvisioned a lofty space in downtown’s Arts District, once occupied by Church & State, into a Midcentury Modern vision of an enveloping bistro: Globe lighting casts a butterscotch glow on the grainy wood paneling and handsome brick floors. The menu splices French and Japanese cuisines, reflecting their inspiration derived from Tokyo’s thriving French restaurant culture. In the kitchen, Namba and his team take the synergy dish by dish. A composition such as scallops over dashi-lime cream with maitake and king trumpet mushrooms, chestnut-date puree and Tokyo negi threads the two cuisines with surgical dexterity. To sharpen the soft flavors of beef cheeks simmered in red wine, wasabi cleverly replaces the more traditionally Gallic horseradish. A tall, hefty dry-aged cheeseburger with fries? No twists necessary, it’s simply a fantastic burger. Kaplan, one of L.A.’s most gifted beverage pros, has the chance to flex her knowledge of wine as well as sake. Open since July, Camélia is one of L.A.’s most exciting new restaurants. — B.A.

1850 INDUSTRIAL ST., LOS ANGELES, (213) 800-9750 l CAMELIADTLA.COM