La Dolce Vita Beverly Hills: Revival of an Iconic Restaurant
La Dolce Vita Entrance
I have wanted to try La Dolce Vita since its reopening last year. For those of you not familiar with this restaurant, it originally opened in 1966 and was a celebrity hot spot. Frank Sinatra actually was an investor and once La Dolce Vita opened, Sinatra and many stars and dignitaries made it the “go to” spot in Beverly Hills. You could often find Sinatra and the Rat Pack dining, Ronald and Nancy Reagan, Don Rickles and a multitude of other A-listers. Although the restaurant survived for over 50 years, it sadly met its demise in 2020 during the pandemic.
La Dolce Vita Interior
Fortunately the restaurant group, Call Mom, took on the challenge of revitalizing this classic establishment. Although there have been updates made, the interior still has an old school Italian vibe. Yes, the logo is now updated and there are chic touches throughout the space, but it still has the charm of the original. The iconic booths remain, it is windowless, dimly lit and moody, the bar still has the feel of the 60s. It seems obvious that the new owners did not want to drastically change the original La Dolce Vita ambience..
The Classic Bar
Now that we have covered the history, let’s talk about my dining experience, starting with the reservation. Getting a reservation is not easy. La Dolce Vita is on the Resy site; the window for reservations opens 30 days in advance. The restaurant holds about 75 people, 60 in the dining room. If you are interested in booking, my suggestion would be to go to the Resy site as soon as it opens. I did not do this so my choice was 5:15. Since I really wanted to try it, I took this very early time. But within the next 45 minutes, the restaurant was packed.
The Menu
The menu is a mixture of dishes from the original La Dolce Vita with the addition of some new offerings. If you are looking for the classics, try Clams Oreganata or Caesar Salad to begin. The Caesar Salad is prepared tableside; I love that the new owners kept this tradition. For main courses, the Spaghetti and Meatballs are a must, along with the Veal Parmigiana or the New York Strip Steak
If you want to pass on the classics and try something new, there is plenty to choose from. We started with the Market Lettuces salad which was simple and clean. I would highly recommend the Branzino Piccata. It is prepared with lemon, capers and white wine served on a bed of spinach. It was yummy. My friends decided on the Bucatini al Limoni which they definitely gave high marks.
The Vibe
As previously mentioned, La Dolce Vita still has an “old Hollywood” vibe in spite of the updates made by the new owners. It’s very dimly lit, is small and intimate; it has been described as clubby. If you are interested in dining with celebrities, this is probably the place for you. The evening we were there, Paul McCartney and his wife chose to dine here. The service is actually quite friendly which was not what I was expecting. The bartender was incredibly helpful, recommended some of the classic drinks they are known for and did make a fabulous dirty martini. The waitstaff was accommodating although we did feel that after two hours, it was time to get the check. Nonetheless I would say the vibe is welcoming. One drawback is that parking is difficult before 7:00 as that is when the valet starts. It is not in the most beautiful location but once you are inside, you tend to forget about these concerns.
Would I recommend La Dolce Vita? It depends on what you are looking for. If you want a small, intimate environment where Beverly Hills folks hang out, and want the possibility of seeing a celebrity or two, La Dolce Vita is probably worth a try. It is quite expensive (although most restaurants in Beverly Hills are), hard to get a reservation and definitely has an old Hollywood atmosphere. The food is good and the service is very good. I had definitely wanted to go and am glad I did.
La Dolce Vita 9785 Santa Monica Blvd. Beverly Hills 310 278-1845
XO
Wendy