Where to Eat in Beverly Hills Now
Five new Beverly Hills spots are cutting through tough competition in 90210, offering elevated takes on local favorites, from decadent sandwiches with bresaola and truffle honey to sushi in a hidden underground spot. Plus, catch the last weekend of Caviar Kaspia’s pop-up tea service at the Peninsula (Oct. 28 and Oct. 29).
For more on where to eat in the area, check out THR‘s story on the best patios for a business lunch in Beverly Hills and Century City (featuring Nerano, Nua and Lumière), plus the scoop on a clutch of new restaurants that opened earlier in 2023 in and near the Golden Triangle (including the reopened La Dolce Vita, Funke, Steak 48 and Espelette).
More from The Hollywood Reporter
B.J. Novak Launches Gourmet Chain Restaurant Food Festival ChainFEST
R.I.P. The Palm Beverly Hills, Famed Power Lunch Spot Where Hollywood "Celebrated Life"
Michael Chow Shares the Pain Behind the Glamour in New Documentary 'AKA Mr. Chow'
The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills
The city’s go-to for fine cheeses, cured meats, wines and sundry fancy foods since 1967 moved last summer from Beverly Drive to a bountiful 5,000-square-foot location on South Santa Monica Boulevard near Linden Drive. New proprietor Dominick DiBartolomeo, who after 25 years of working for The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills under previous owner Norbert Wabnig, has filled the new space with everything loyal patrons have come to expect from this epicurean hub — including charcuterie boards, robust salads and crave-worthy sandwiches — as well as his own Domenico’s line of pastas. “What’s great about The Cheese Store is we are a little something to all of our customers — from locals and tourists to agents, hotels and celebrities who appreciate our diverse products,” DiBartolomeo tells THR. He has also assembled a topnotch catering team for everything from private dinner parties to grandiose celebrations. A holiday catering menu featuring prized white truffles is forthcoming, and DiBartolomeo expects to receive his liquor license in December and plans to offer “tastings and dinners built around wines and spirits.” Make sure to try the house-roasted turkey club. 9705 S. Santa Monica Blvd., cheesestorebh.com
Parakeet Café
San Diego’s rapidly growing health food franchise has arrived in the spot formerly occupied by Chin Chin on South Beverly Drive. Parakeet Café’s menu is designed to satisfy every diet — from vegan to paleo to keto. Co-owner Carol Goldwasser tells THR she and her husband and partner, Jonathan, were inspired to open the restaurant after their daughter was diagnosed with a rare disease. “We found the healing powers of food and it gave us hope and a sense of control over the situation. We started Parakeet Cafe to share our findings with the community in the hopes that they can also benefit from our journey,” she says. Among Parakeet Café’s offerings are açai bowls, Belgian waffles, a variety of toasts (avocado, salmon, mushroom), hearty soups and a selection of inventive coffee drinks (blue mint magic latte and salted maple latte). “They are made daily from scratch using high quality, local, and organic ingredients,” says Goldwasser. Next up, a location in Brentwood. “Our main priority is to create a space for the community to connect and nourish their body and soul. We want to shift the paradigm and create a place where healthy is also delicious and taking care of yourself is not a sacrifice but a gift,” says Goldwasser. 206 S. Beverly Drive, parakeetcafe.com
Dante Beverly Hills at The Maybourne Hotel
Perched on the ninth floor of industry hotspot The Maybourne Beverly Hills, Dante is the West Coast outpost of the famed Greenwich Village aperitivo bar. With its sumptuous blue rounded booths and striking skyline views, Dante feels like a hideaway and oozes opulence, down to the plentiful menu of signature drinks including the Garibaldi, a luscious Campari-fueled number with “fluffy” orange juice. Menu standouts, many utilizing local ingredients, include the honey-laden Pizza Bianca (with a creamy heap of honey-laden whipped ricotta), the flavor-infused roasted baby carrots, and Gemelli Corti pasta with basil-pine pesto and lemon. Afterwards, head down to the lobby-level Maybourne Bar where head mixologist and cocktail savant Chris Amirault has crafted a new fall menu of over 20 otherworldly sensorial libations including a nod to the classic Good Humor strawberry shortcake bar. 225 N. Canon Drive., dantebeverlyhills.com
Lorenzo California
In a city with no shortage of exceptional sandwich spots, this petite — as in just a few tables indoors and on the sidewalk — Tuscan-style eatery on South Santa Monica Boulevard manages to stand out for the toothsome creations of Lorenzo California owner Renato Araujo. “Our inspiration is to bring the authentic flavors of Florentine sandwiches to Los Angeles by using the best ingredients and recipes,” Araujo tells THR. “Beverly Hills is a great place with offices, stores and especially neighbors who have been supporting us since we opened.” Layered in between individual pieces of focaccia bread by Bianca Bakery in Culver City, decadent fillings include shaved-to-order fennel salami, olive oil-marinated artichokes, bresaola and truffle cream. The Caponata, with its eggplant and zucchini, parmesan cheese paté, toasted almond, and basil is a vegetarian’s dream. There are 11 other swoon-worthy sandwiches along with a few pasta and salad dishes. Take a bite, blink and be transported to Pienza. 9529 S. Santa Monica Blvd., lorenzocalifornia.com
Sushi Note Omakase
Revel in sushi rapture at this 14-seat lair, where you’ll unearth an impeccable two-hour, 20-course, $190 tasting experience. Tucked away in the inconspicuous parking garage of the Rodeo Collection shopping center, Sushi Note Omakase is the follow-up to Sushi Note, chef Kiminobu Saito’s Michelin Guide-rated sushi bar in Sherman Oaks. Joining Saito now are mentee Earl Aguilar and beverage director Ian Lokey, who has curated a wine program certain to beguile oenophiles. The rotating menu, including appetizers, nigiri, sashimi, and a yuzu infused gelato, shines the spotlight on elegant cuts of imported Japanese fish paired with house-made accoutrements including ponzu, soy and fermented daikon. Special touches include the bonito, which is cured in brandy for a hint of smokiness, and Hokkaido scallop, which is kissed with black truffle salt. The restaurant, open Wednesday through Sunday with plans to expand hours, also offers a one-hour, 12-course, $125 omakase from 4–5 p.m., as well as an optional wine pairing ($100-$150). “More and more our guests were ordering our omakase with our Somm’s Wine Pairings and it became clear that we could take that experience and create a small, beautiful stand-alone concept,” says Andy Paxson, co-owner of Sushi Note Omakase. “We were contacted by the family at the Rodeo Collection to look at their space, we loved it right away. It was intimate, different and we knew we could make it beautiful. Beverly Hills has such a great reputation for offering high quality retail and restaurants. It was an easy choice for us.” 421 N. Rodeo Drive, sushinoteomakase.com
Caviar Kaspia Tea Party at the Peninsula Hotel
While their classic afternoon high tea service is always a delight, the Peninsula Hotel’s latest incarnation with Parisian-headquartered Caviar Kaspia (where Jay Z and Beyonce have frequented) is dripping in swank. Having recently extended the lavish collaboration through the end of October, there’s still time to indulge in the caviar-doused menu. Expect lobster salad with Siberian reserve caviar, potato pancake mille feuille with ossetra caviar and potato with amur gold caviar. In other words, this is an embarrassment of caviar riches. Available Saturday Oct. 28 from 11am-2pm and Sunday Oct. 29 from 11am-3pm. Of course, after the pop-up ends, there’s still caviar aplenty to be found at Caviar Kaspia’s Melrose Place location in West Hollywood, known for its decadent baked potatoes topped with fish roe. Peninsula Hotel, 9882 S. Santa Monica Blvd., peninsula.com; Caviar Kaspia Los Angeles, 8475 Melrose Place, caviarkaspia.com
A version of this story appears in the Oct. 25 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
Best of The Hollywood Reporter
