Set the Scene
This Beverly Hills restaurant reopened in 2023 after a renovation, but in many ways it still looks much like how you’d imagine it was back when it first opened 60 years ago. La Dolce Vita was designed to be a celebrity hideaway. After all, Frank Sinatra was one of the original investors. The small restaurant has no exterior window. Inside, the custom stained glass windows are backlit, providing some of the few light sources in the restaurant.
Current owners Med Abrous and Marc Rose kept all the vintage charms. It’s Old Hollywood glam at its finest with dark red leather banquettes and gold-lined bar. A gold plaque marks Sinatra’s favorite booth. Abrous and Rose also added their own details that are often whimsical yet somehow work seamlessly with the theme, including a cheetah print carpet and a cheetah emblem on the stained glass windows. After all, despite the white tablecloth, La Dolce Vita was never stuffy. It’s dark and glamorous enough for a romantic date, yet lively enough for a fun group dinner.
What’s the Food Like?
The menu is quintessential Italian-American: the kind you would imagine the Old Hollywood crowd would enjoy. The usual suspects make an appearance but with a touch of opulence befitting the Beverly Hills zip code: veal parmigiana prepared with bone-in veal chop, spaghetti and meatballs made with a blend of pork and beef.
Beyond these classic dishes, though, there’s also handmade paccheri pasta served with prosciutto cotto and pecorino cheese. If you want to impress, opt for the caviar add-on to top the paccheri. Antipasti like spicy shrimp fra diavolo round out the menu.
Let’s Talk About Drinks
If the food menu keeps things classic, the cocktail program has really taken a step up from where things stand 60 years ago. Blake Antrobus leads the bar program at La Dolce Vita, bringing in his experience from Bicyclette. The cocktail menu here isn’t just designed to accompany dinner, but to make the bar a destination on its own.
The entire menu focuses heavily on Italian liqueurs and amaro, starting with the half a dozen different spritzes. It moves on to drinks like a sour made with dill-infused vodka and a lesser-known myrtle berry liqueur from Sardinia or a classic 50/50 Martini. The cocktail menu offers close to 30 different options and is updated seasonally, so it would take many visits to taste them all. The last section of the menu is dedicated to vintage cocktails, made using spirits and liqueurs from the 1980s.
Final Thoughts
La Dolce Vita manages to make red sauce Italian food and Old Hollywood glam feel new and relevant again. The refresh keeps things vintage and nostalgic on both the food and atmosphere front, while adding the type of flair that once again made it one of the hottest tables in town.
Fast Facts
Location: Beverly Hills, California
Cuisine: Italian
Pricing: $$$
Takes Reservations: Yes — OpenTable
Our Favorite Dishes on the Menu: shrimp fra diavolo, paccheri with prosciutto and caviar, veal parmigiana
Hours: From 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, Sunday. From 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
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