Five Crowns

Five Crowns feels like a stubbornly English secret planted on the Pacific Coast Highway. Dark wood, tartans, and a fireplace set a cozy stage. The star here is the prime rib: choose the Tokyo cut if you want thin, au jus soaked slices that melt; order the King Hebert if you want to wrestle with 23 ounces of meat. Start with the Pride of the Crowns salad or a Continental Louie cocktail that arrives icy and dangerously drinkable. Sides are unapologetically rich. Creamed spinach, pillowy Yorkshire pudding and mashed potatoes arrive like armor. Service is theatrical but warm; servers steer you with confident recommendations. On holiday evenings the staff strings carolers between tables and the room forgets its California address for a few hours. Ask for extra au jus and dunk that Yorkshire pudding until it surrenders.