Easily the best Italian restaurant in LA—no question. As someone from the NYC area, my standards for Italian food are high, but this place absolutely delivered a one of a kind experience. From the exceptional food to the warm, inviting ambience and top-notch service, everything was spot on!! Whether you're planning a romantic date night or a fun evening out with friends, this place checks every box.
Cynthia
Second visit & was looking forward to bringing my guy to try this spot. We had a reason to celebrate and so here we are. I want to start by saying this place is great but it definitely has some service flaws... Running a few minutes behind, I called to let them know we would be there before the 15 minute grace period was up. I always call. I was reminded of the 15 minute grace period... Seated, greeted, ordered our wine & then waited for a really long time for our wine. Then waited longer for someone to take our order let alone tell us the specials. At one point a woman (later identified as a manager) came over to see if we had any questions. We asked about a few items. She eventually came back and we ordered. Concerned we were ordering too much, we specifically asked her and were told we might have a some leftovers. We can live with that. We start w the focaccia & duck liver and broccoli chicory Caesar, a favorite. We share 2 pastas as we are reminded they are smaller dishes (special crab & squash blossom - so good; and pappardelle w meat ragu - less so). Cut to we can't even finish our pastas and we still have the grilled chop and roasted maitake mushrooms coming. Now I'm fine w some leftovers. What really bugged me was we mentioned to one of the servers that we had specifically asked if we ordered too much. When we said who we ordered with were told, “Yeah, I think our manager played you...” That just does not feel great to hear. This place is $$$$$. And yes, I went in planning to splurge. But when you feel taken advantage of, it's less than ideal. Final straw, too full but still wanting to try their famous pistachio crunch gelato, we ask about getting it to go and are told no problem, they have pints packed to go but they are $18 instead of the $13 on the menu because a full pint. We get home and find the pint is 3/4 full. It's a beautiful space with delicious food. Just wish we didn't feel taken advantage of in the process.
Willi
The food and server was exceptional. We sat at the bar and it was our best service experience yet after living in LA for 6 years
Daniel John
Pretty flawless experience from start to finish. Perfect hospitality. Great vibe inside. Every dish we had was amazing. If we had to criticize one thing it would be the ice cream, which came out somewhat melted to nearly a smoothy texture.
Bo Nawacharee
Loved the food here!
Didnt expect the food to be this incredible but we were surprised by how tasty everything was.
Their bread and butter to start was top notch and every dishes were was delicious. We especially loved the butter and their honey ice cream. Our waitress suggested we ordered a little bit too much so we were a little too full beyond we can handled.
Atmosphere was great! Really loved their soft lighting, making everything look warm and beautiful. Their restroom was also spacious and clean.
Valet available outside.
Bruce
Refined Italian food served in an intimate warm inviting space by a well trained staff. Top shelf experience
Blake
It's a top 5 restaurant in LA for me. Service is absolute top notch. I've been 3 times and tried a lot of dishes. Every pasta is excellent. DO NOT PASS ON THE ICE CREAM. It's the best in the game.
Chef Tommaso
One of the best Italian restaurants in Los Angeles. Don’t judge it from the outside, once you step in, it feels like being in Puglia. Beautiful interiors, open grill, and authentic, delicious food from start to finish. Everything was spot on. Hats off to the chef!
Marco Di Meo
Nothing to say about food, it’s truly good but it’s totally overpriced also the wine list, if a buy a flight to Italy to get a Montepulciano I’m gonna spend less probably. 😂
Richard Bostwick (theOCkid65)
It's a dining experience you need to experience at least once. It's a 4 course meal that can be eaten by one, but it's better to order a couple extra that makes it family style eating. The food is Italian based with some flare. The wine selection is huge, and the staff are wonderful at helping you select. You need reservations and parking is valet only. I recommend this place for any special celebration you will have.
Rudest hostesses food is over priced but yummy They play the worst music Overall you are paying $$$$$$$ for bad vibes but tasty food
Stephen Osgood
Magical restaurant.
Max Jackowitz
So much to say about Antico Nuovo, it really lives up to its reputation as one of the best Italian restaurants in the country.
Every dish was phenomenal, from the focaccia, to the caesar salad (the best caesar salad ever perhaps?) and from the pastas to the mains. The half chicken was simply out of this world, the juice of which soaks into the focaccia it’s served on. It’s a must order. Each pasta tasted unique and wonderful as well.
The homemade ice cream is also a must order, my crazy family ordered every single flavor… they were all heavenly.
The wait staff were very nice and explained every dish to us. Overall we had a 10/10 experience here and I can’t wait to go back!
Vanesa Delfino
I absolutely enjoyed the service. The staff members are nice and genuine (not fake). I love real people. The food is authentic food. The pasta is next level. Please try all the desserts. They’re worth each bite. I loved my evening with my loved ones. It’s hard to find a real authentic and cozy Italian places in the area. I’ll definitely come back soon. I appreciate how I was treated by all staff members including valet parking.
Mr Z
Considered to be of the best Italian spots in LA — and hands down the best focaccia in town. The menu is refined, creative, and deeply focused. Big energy in the room, lively without being chaotic. Every dish shows skill and intention. That said — they do go heavy on the finishing salt. In a few cases (beef tartare with balsamic, ricotta with pistachio pesto), it crosses the line and overwhelms everything else. A shame, because otherwise this place is absolutely worth the detour.
Easily the best Italian restaurant in LA—no question. As someone from the NYC area, my standards for Italian food are high, but this place absolutely delivered a one of a kind experience. From the exceptional food to the warm, inviting ambience and top-notch service, everything was spot on!! Whether you're planning a romantic date night or a fun evening out with friends, this place checks every box.
Second visit & was looking forward to bringing my guy to try this spot. We had a reason to celebrate and so here we are. I want to start by saying this place is great but it definitely has some service flaws... Running a few minutes behind, I called to let them know we would be there before the 15 minute grace period was up. I always call. I was reminded of the 15 minute grace period... Seated, greeted, ordered our wine & then waited for a really long time for our wine. Then waited longer for someone to take our order let alone tell us the specials. At one point a woman (later identified as a manager) came over to see if we had any questions. We asked about a few items. She eventually came back and we ordered. Concerned we were ordering too much, we specifically asked her and were told we might have a some leftovers. We can live with that. We start w the focaccia & duck liver and broccoli chicory Caesar, a favorite. We share 2 pastas as we are reminded they are smaller dishes (special crab & squash blossom - so good; and pappardelle w meat ragu - less so). Cut to we can't even finish our pastas and we still have the grilled chop and roasted maitake mushrooms coming. Now I'm fine w some leftovers. What really bugged me was we mentioned to one of the servers that we had specifically asked if we ordered too much. When we said who we ordered with were told, “Yeah, I think our manager played you...” That just does not feel great to hear. This place is $$$$$. And yes, I went in planning to splurge. But when you feel taken advantage of, it's less than ideal. Final straw, too full but still wanting to try their famous pistachio crunch gelato, we ask about getting it to go and are told no problem, they have pints packed to go but they are $18 instead of the $13 on the menu because a full pint. We get home and find the pint is 3/4 full. It's a beautiful space with delicious food. Just wish we didn't feel taken advantage of in the process.
The food and server was exceptional. We sat at the bar and it was our best service experience yet after living in LA for 6 years
Pretty flawless experience from start to finish. Perfect hospitality. Great vibe inside. Every dish we had was amazing. If we had to criticize one thing it would be the ice cream, which came out somewhat melted to nearly a smoothy texture.
Loved the food here!
Didnt expect the food to be this incredible but we were surprised by how tasty everything was.
Their bread and butter to start was top notch and every dishes were was delicious. We especially loved the butter and their honey ice cream. Our waitress suggested we ordered a little bit too much so we were a little too full beyond we can handled.
Atmosphere was great! Really loved their soft lighting, making everything look warm and beautiful. Their restroom was also spacious and clean.
Valet available outside.
Refined Italian food served in an intimate warm inviting space by a well trained staff. Top shelf experience
It's a top 5 restaurant in LA for me. Service is absolute top notch. I've been 3 times and tried a lot of dishes. Every pasta is excellent. DO NOT PASS ON THE ICE CREAM. It's the best in the game.
One of the best Italian restaurants in Los Angeles. Don’t judge it from the outside, once you step in, it feels like being in Puglia. Beautiful interiors, open grill, and authentic, delicious food from start to finish. Everything was spot on. Hats off to the chef!
Nothing to say about food, it’s truly good but it’s totally overpriced also the wine list, if a buy a flight to Italy to get a Montepulciano I’m gonna spend less probably. 😂
It's a dining experience you need to experience at least once. It's a 4 course meal that can be eaten by one, but it's better to order a couple extra that makes it family style eating. The food is Italian based with some flare. The wine selection is huge, and the staff are wonderful at helping you select. You need reservations and parking is valet only. I recommend this place for any special celebration you will have.
Restaurantji Recommends
Rudest hostesses
food is over priced but yummy
They play the worst music
Overall you are paying $$$$$$$ for bad vibes but tasty food
Magical restaurant.
So much to say about Antico Nuovo, it really lives up to its reputation as one of the best Italian restaurants in the country.
Every dish was phenomenal, from the focaccia, to the caesar salad (the best caesar salad ever perhaps?) and from the pastas to the mains. The half chicken was simply out of this world, the juice of which soaks into the focaccia it’s served on. It’s a must order. Each pasta tasted unique and wonderful as well.
The homemade ice cream is also a must order, my crazy family ordered every single flavor… they were all heavenly.
The wait staff were very nice and explained every dish to us. Overall we had a 10/10 experience here and I can’t wait to go back!
I absolutely enjoyed the service. The staff members are nice and genuine (not fake). I love real people. The food is authentic food. The pasta is next level. Please try all the desserts. They’re worth each bite. I loved my evening with my loved ones. It’s hard to find a real authentic and cozy Italian places in the area. I’ll definitely come back soon. I appreciate how I was treated by all staff members including valet parking.
Considered to be of the best Italian spots in LA — and hands down the best focaccia in town. The menu is refined, creative, and deeply focused. Big energy in the room, lively without being chaotic. Every dish shows skill and intention.
That said — they do go heavy on the finishing salt. In a few cases (beef tartare with balsamic, ricotta with pistachio pesto), it crosses the line and overwhelms everything else. A shame, because otherwise this place is absolutely worth the detour.
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