A LA CARTE : BEVERLY HILLS BOUNCES BACK.

Byline: Larry Lipson

The Beverly Hills address is a magnet for some of the world's finest retail clothiers, cosmetic houses, jewelers and specialty stores.

And through much of the latter half of this century, it has housed some of America's most celebrated restaurants.

With Chasen's, L'Escoffier, the Bistro and Bistro Garden closing, La Scala downscaling, and former popular haunts such as Carroll O'Connor's, the Rangoon Racquet Club and La Famiglia gone already, it seemed that major dining venues were vanishing rapidly in Beverly Hills.

But the epicurean trail is improving. Several of the shuttered facilities have reopened or will soon. Here they are, the new Beverly Hills restaurants worth visiting:

The Bistro?

Address: 246 N. Canon Drive.

Phone: None yet.

Cuisine: Contemporary French.

Comments: It was billed as a glowing return of the once-famous dining landmark. But the name will have to change following a court ruling that disallowed the use of the previous name, which is still owned by former proprietors Kurt and Chris Niklas. The father-son team operates the Bistro Garden at Coldwater in Studio City and are said to be looking for a second Bistro Garden site on the Westside.

Debut date: Early January 1997.

Crustacean 

Address: 464 N. Bedford Drive.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: Vietnamese-French.

Comments: A well-respected restaurant family in San Francisco has decided to clone its highly successful Franco-Asian seafood restaurant, famed for its roasted crab and garlic noodles, in spiffy Beverly Hills.

Debut date: Jan. 18.

Drai's Cafe

Address: 369 N. Bedford Drive.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: Southern French-Californian.

Comments: This is ex-movie producer Victor Drai's second restaurant venture following his successful remake of La Cienega's L'Ermitage into the busy Drai's. Chef Claude Segal oversees the culinary happenings as he has done since the beginning of the first Drai's. Described as an ``elegant'' cafe, its lunch checks are expected to average around $20 to $25 per person, with dinner tabs approximately $40.

Debut date: Open now.

Maito Ristorante

Address: 8925 W. Olympic Blvd.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: Italian.

Comments: Here's an old IHOP building that's already receiving local raves, even from pasta-jaded Beverly Hills residents.

Debut date: Open now.

ObaChine

Address: 242 N. Beverly Drive.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: Multi-Asian.

Comments: Wolfgang Puck's and wife Barbara Lazaroff's latest creation on the ex-Tribeca site explores the many avenues of Asian food and intends to deliver deft designer dishes of signature Puckish persuasion.

Debut date: Opening tonight, for dinner only.

Spago

Address: 176 N. Canon Drive.

Phone: None yet.

Cuisine: California.

Comments: The entire building has been demolished except for one private dining room. Construction has started on the new facility. There will be a garden and a lot more. Barbara Lazaroff, is, of course, the designer. Look for some new Puck fare along with the old favorites when the new Spago opens.

Debut date: Spring 1997.