Massimo
9513 Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
USA

+1 (310) 273-7588
www.massimobh.com

Italian Cuisine

Restaurant: 3/5

Massimo is located in the heart of Beverly Hills. The restaurant has a nice cozy classical decor and is comfortable. If parking on the street is the problem (usually it is), try one of the Beverly Hills city public parking.

Service: 2.5/5

Service was good. Our waiters spilled some wine and some soup but I will attribute that to the moon as they were very professional and made genuine efforts to please us.

Food: 3.5/5

I started with the minestrone. The minestrone, prepared with fresh vegetables was excellent. While I had to add salt, the vegetable were perfect cooked and the broth was really flavorful.

As main course, I had the Gnocchi Verdi, one of Massimo’s signature dish. The gnocchi, served with a porcini mushroom sauce, are made with spinach and ricotta. They are surprisingly light. Absolutely delicious and definitely some of the best gnocchi I’ve had.

For desert, I had the special which was a dark chocolate custard. The custard was served with a decoration of raspberries and mint. It was very good.

Value for money:4/5

Around $60, including drinks (sparkling water, wine and coffee) and tip. While $60 is a lot of money, the location, the athmosphere and the food make Massimo a very good value for money. I will certainly come back.

The Belvedere
Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel
9882 Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
USA

+1 (310) 551-2888
beverlyhills.peninsula.com

Modern American Cuisine

Restaurant: 4.5/5

The Belvedere is located at the Peninsula Hotel, in the heart of Beverly Hills. The restaurant, with it’s traditional decor, is really comfortable. The patio at the back of the restaurant is really nice. I highly advise to get a table there is the weather is nice.

Service: 5/5

from the beginning to the end, the service was perfect. They really pay attention to every detail.

Food: 4.5/5

For brunch, you only have to select your main course. You get a selection of starters, served family style, and access to the desert buffet. The selection of started comprised their very famous macaronis and cheese, the organic beet salad, the sauteed prawns, the smoked salmon, the peking duck (carved in front of you in the dining room) and the fruit salad. The macaronis and cheese were absolutely spectacular. Definitely the best I had so far.

The organic beet salad was served with tomato, arugula, nuts and a well balanced sauce.

The sauteed prawns, served with crispy noodles on the top of cabbage, were excellent.

The smoked salmon with it’s mustard sauce was very good.

The peking duck, served ready to eat in pancakes with spring onions and sauce is definitely one of the best.

The fruit salad had nothing remarkable but was pretty good.

As main course, I had the potato crusted chilean sea bass. The sea bass was perfectly cooked with the potato bater being crusty and the fish being juicy and flavorful. it was served with orange quarters on the top of vegetables.

The desert buffet is pretty extensive and should satisfy about everybody. The plum clafouti and the warm bread pudding were truly excellent. Unfortunately, I found the rest of the deserts overly sweet.

Value for money: 4.5/5

Around $100, including drinks (orange juice, water and espresso) and tip. Considering the restaurant, the service, the food and the location, The Belvedere is a excellent value for money. I will definitely come back.

Forte Ristorante
362 North Camden Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
USA

+1 (310) 277-7346

Italian cuisine

Restaurant: 3/5

Forte Ristorante, previously Prego, is located in the heart of Beverly Hills. The mediterranean decor is nice and the restaurant is very comfortable. Parking in the area can be problematic. So, if you don’t find a parking space straight away, head to one of Beverly Hills public parkings.

Service: 3/5

Service was very good. The maître d’hôtel took care of us and provided good advice. While we leaved sometime after the restaurant closing time, we weren’t pushed out of the door.

Food: 3/5

I started with a tricolore salad. This version of the tricolore salad was arugula, endive and radicchio. The salad has nothing exceptional but was good.

As main course, I had swordfish. It was served with diced tomatoes lightly cooked with olive oil and caper, potatoes, beans and carrots. Swordfish is usually dry as most of the restaurant overcook it but not this time. It was tasty and juicy. The vegetables were perfectly cooked, neither too soft or hard.

As desert, I had the fruit tart. The fruit tart that day was raspberry, peach and blackcurrant. It was served with a decor of whipped cream and strawberry on a strawberry coulis. It was very good. The pastry was not too hard or too soft and the glaze wasn’t too sweet.

I had an opportunity to taste the Panacotta cheese cake. It was truly delicious. Light, fluffy and tasty. Perfectly complemented with strawberries.

Value for money: 2.5/5

Around $65, including drinks (red wine, sparkling water and espresso) and tip. Considering the food and the location, Forte Ristorante offers good value for money. I will probably come back.

Il Pastaio
400 North Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
USA

+1 (310) 205-5444
www.giacominodrago.com

Italian Cuisine

Restaurant: 3/5

Il Pastaio is located in the heart of Beverly Hills, not far from Rodeo Drive. The restaurant is very comfortable. Tables outside are a bit cramped but let you enjoy the sun. Toilets are clean but could look better.

Service: 3/5

The service was very good but with an attitude. Repeat customers seems to get a better treatment.

Food: 3/5

As a main course, I had risotto al funghi. While I personally prefer thicker risotto, it was truly excellent. It wasn’t too rich and they were able to strike the right balance of cheese and mushrooms.

Following the main course, I had panna cotta as desert. The panna cotta was served with fresh strawberries, a strawberry couli and some mint for decoration. Taste and texture were excellent. One fault: the mint decorating the panna cotta was not the freshest.

Value for money: 4/5

Around $35, including drinks (orange juice, san pellegrino, cappuccino and espresso) and tip. It’s pricey for pasta but if you consider the location and the quality of the food, it is definitely good value for money. I will come back.