The Dolce Group returns with a simple, scaled-back Italian eatery in the ever-moving heart of happenin' Hollywood.

Although Bella's neighbors include Tommy Lee's tequila-pounding RokBar and DJ AM's celeb circus LAX, this corner restaurant is the demure, unassuming sister to the trendy beauty queen Dolce and the tattooed-in-unmentionable-places Geisha House. At capacity, the snug spot tucks about 75 people into several booths and a small bar area. (The tall tables for two here are tiny—try for a booth if having a full meal.) During our visit on a Saturday night, sports blared from flat-screen TVs above the bar, waitresses gladly snapped photos of customers in groups, and black-and-white balloons announced an imminent birthday party about to shut the restaurant down. Starters like eggplant parmesan and the restaurant's namesake salad—chopped and mixed with shaved salami and cubed mozzarella—are a fitting beginning to a meal at Bella: unpretentious, satisfying and reasonably portioned. The linguini with shrimp and zucchini is a standout entree on a menu including several predictable favorites involving meatballs and marinara.—Lonny Pugh