Chef
Ori Menashe
Chef & Co-Owner, Bestia; Co-Owner, Bavel and Saffy's
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Los Angeles, California, United States
- Venue
- Bestia · Restaurant
Known for
- Co-owner and chef of Bestia, a chef-driven Italian restaurant in downtown Los Angeles serving 300-460+ guests nightly[1]
- Co-owner of Bavel, a highly-rated restaurant serving modern Middle Eastern cuisine inspired by his Israeli heritage[3]
- Co-owner of Saffy's, an upscale casual restaurant in East Hollywood featuring elevated Middle Eastern street foods[3]
- Wood-fired Italian cooking and sophisticated desserts created by wife Genevieve Gergis[5]
i. Biography
Ori Menashe is a Los Angeles-born, Israeli-raised chef and co-owner of three acclaimed restaurants: Bestia (opened 2013), Bavel (opened 2018), and Saffy's (opened later). He is known for his chef-driven Italian cuisine at Bestia and modern Middle Eastern cuisine at Bavel and Saffy's, developed through mentorship under chefs Jason Travi and Gino Angelini, and informed by his family's culinary heritage and childhood experiences in Israel and France.
Profile updated July 2026
