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On Thursday, December 5, 2024, Beverly Grove welcomes a new Tuscan restaurant called Florence Osteria & Piano Bar . It’s the first independent project from Francesco Zimone, the U.S.
operator of the world-famous L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele which has four locations throughout Southern California. There isn’t a single pizza on the menu at Florence Osteria, instead, the focus is on traditional Tuscan dishes with wood-fired meats, pasta, and seafood. If Florence Osteria’s patio looks familiar, it’s because the Beverly Boulevard space was previously occupied by Pane e Vino which opened in 1991, the short-lived Sirena , chef Chris Morningstar’s Terrine , and the plant-based Nic’s On Beverly which closed in 2023.
Behind the stoves is former Pizzeria il Fico chef Giuseppe Gentile, who Zimone recruited to run L’Antica’s kitchens in 2022. After securing the space in April, the two got to work on the menu and design. Puglia-born Gentile’s dishes lean traditional with some modern spins.
Appetizers include grilled Spanish octopus, crispy saffron risotto with stracchino cheese, and pecorino Romano fondue. Fettuccine prepared tableside in a Parmesan cheese wheel, bone marrow risotto, and tagliolini with preserved Meyer lemons, scampi crudo tartare, and caviar round out the pasta selections. Gentile employs a wood-burning oven to prepare an open-faced branzino, as well as a porchetta-style Duroc pork belly.
The wine and beer list is strictly Italian. L’Antica bar managers Liz Davar and Adrian Pacheco developed cocktails to reflect central Italy, like the Bella Donna spritz made with Madame Milu Milù digestive, herby salvia, lemon, and prosecco. The Tutto Bene blends Don Julio Reposado and Blanco, Giffard Pamplemousse liqueur, Amaro Montenegro, and orange bitters.
They kept the Florence Martini simple and dirty by using Stoli and Castelvetrano olive juice. Just like at the four L’Antica pizzeria locations, Zimone took on the role of interior designer. Florence Osteria boasts modern touches with new wooden floors, soft lighting beaming from custom wood ceilings, a piano for live music, and earth tones throughout.
Zimone removed the diseased tree from the patio and replaced it with three 85-year-old olive trees. During the winter months, the canopy will remain on the 60-person patio; a handful of tables are available nightly for walk-in and overflow next to the 10-seat bar. Longtime Beverly Grove restaurants, including chef Suzanne Tracht’s Jar and Kings Road Coffee, have seen Florence Osteria’s space change hands multiple times since 2011.
In 2025, the neighborhood will welcome another newcomer from seasoned operators and chefs Daniel Patterson and Keith Corbin with the forthcoming Jaca to open in the shuttered Son of a Gun space. Florence Osteria & Piano Bar is located at 8265 Beverly Boulevard, Beverly Grove, CA, 90048, and is open daily from 5 p.m.
to midnight. Check Instagram or the restaurant’s website for the live piano performance schedule. Related Sign up for our newsletter.
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