As kids, siblings Chloe, Tyler, and Brandon Makhani made frequent trips to Woodland Hills for family events held at a building their parents owned. Fast forward to June this year: the siblings opened Casaléna, a new Mediterranean restaurant and events space, in the same building.
The restaurant gives locals in the mainly residential neighborhood in Los Angeles’s San Fernando Valley a massive reason to stay put. “So many of our guests are just so happy to not be in a car for 45 minutes to go to the city,” says Chloe Makhani.
With five distinct dining spaces, a menu that includes rich pastas, hearty salads, and fresh seafood, and a newly open merchandise shop, the Makahnis hope Casaléna will quickly become a one-stop destination. “Yes, we’ve created a restaurant, but we also wanted to create a lifestyle,” Chloe Makhani says. “We want everyone to feel transported, to give them a way to unwind.”
Read on for all the reasons to dine at this Woodland Hills stunner right now.
The Rose and Cento Pasta Bar alum Lobo Leon leads the kitchen, and the chef welcomed all of the Makhani siblings’ input while creating the menu. Coastal cuisine from Italy, Spain, and Greece is the focus, but it’s all driven by California produce.
That means crispy butterflied whole branzino with a side of herby chimichurri, hamachi crudo seasoned with ponzu sauce and a gentle kick of serrano peppers, and roasted corn agnolotti that screams summer on a plate.
Many of the vegetarian dishes are favorites so far, including the squash blossoms with ricotta, a silky whipped eggplant dip, and the zucchini pizza with roasted garlic and lemon zest.
The seaside embrace stretches to the drinks menu. The Mediterranean margarita with tequila, sherry, and orange marmalade is a highlight, as is the Sicilian spritz with gin, blood orange, and prosecco.
The runaway hit, though, appears to be another summer showstopper: An Aperol, pink peppercorn, dry gin, and seltzer creation called Parisian Fizz. “It really has that bubbly fizz and has become one of our bestsellers,” Chloe Makhani says.
A selection of playful martinis (Caprese!), wines, beers, and non-alcoholic cocktails round out the drinks menu.
Casaléna really hits it out of the park with an enviable 8,000-square-foot space that’s just as geared toward a romantic dinner as it is for a casual family meal. The atrium, with its gas fireplace and skylights, is the main dining room and also a couples’ magnet. The open-air garden area surrounded by lemon trees and bougainvillea is where you’ll want to post up as a group.
The distinct spaces all nod to the fact that the restaurant is named after an imaginary woman—Léna—who’s welcoming you into her home, with different spaces carved out for all kinds of diners. It mirrors the Makhanis’ upbringing. “Growing up, we were always taught to be inclusive,” Chloe Makhani says. “Our parents always loved having our friends over.”
Casaléna is open Sunday through Thursday from 5 pm to 10 pm and Friday and Saturday from 5 pm to 11 pm. The bar is open Sunday through Thursday from 5 pm to midnight and Friday and Saturday from 5 pm to 2 am.
Tanay Warerkar is a content marketing manager at OpenTable.
