FIRST IMPRESSIONS : No Sunnybrook Farm for This Rebecca

You really ought to go see Rebecca’s. It’s at 2025 Pacific Ave. in Veni(213) 306-6266)--and it doesn’t look like any restaurant you’ve ever seen before. Walk through the door and you enter a mad world where crocodiles crawl through the air, an octopus exercises his tentacles as he hangs from the ceiling and a private dining room (with walls made of onyx) hovers over the bar like a UFO coming in for a landing.

Despite a series of aqua booths that hark heavily back to the ‘50s, eating here is an entirely ‘80s experience. Brought to you by architect Frank Gehry and Rebecca and Bruce Marder (the same folks responsible for the West Beach Cafe across the street), the place is filled with heaps of the most chic people. There’s all the noise you can possibly stand, and a grill-filled open kitchen where chefs run frantically about. The Mexican menu features good guacamole and salsa, warm homemade chips and all sorts of wood-smoked birds and fiery fishes.