New York’s Luxe Coastal Italian Restaurant Marea Splashes Into Beverly Hills

One of the best Italian seafood restaurants in New York City, Marea , opened January 16, 2025, in a sleek Beverly Hills space along Camden Drive, where stalwarts Mr. Chow, Cipriani, and Gravitas already serve a well-heeled dining crowd. Marea first opened on Columbus Circle in May 2009, a jolt to the wallet amid the impacts of the 2008 financial crisis , serving upscale crudo, extruded pasta, and its signature sauteed Dover sole.

Marea’s arrival in Beverly Hills — one of Los Angeles’s most anticipated restaurants of 2025 — marks the first expansion for the prolific Altamarea restaurant group , which owns Ai Fiori, Morini, and Fifty Three in Manhattan, in addition to restaurants in U.A.E.



, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and India. On one of its preview nights last week, suits, cocktail dresses, and fur coats were dominant motifs in the Italian restaurant’s wood-paneled dining room. A glowing honey onyx-backed cocktail bar and lounge reside to the left of the entrance; its front patio will become a regular paparazzi haunt once the weather warms up.

Marea has always been a celebrated restaurant, earning the James Beard Best New Restaurant Award in 2010, two Michelin stars (which it has since lost), a positive review from former Eater New York critic Ryan Sutton , and the distinction of being one of the late Anthony Bourdain’s favorite places to eat in New York. Marea’s founding chef Michael White parted from the company in 2021 , with PJ Calapa taking over as executive chef for both New York and here in Beverly Hills. One could argue that Marea helped birth an entire generation of ritzy coastal Italian seafood restaurants across the country , including now-closed Cal Mare , Viale dei Romani , Sirena , and Sparrow.

Coastal Italian hideaways Capri at Eataly in Century City and Hearts & Flame in Arts District remain open. To best get a sense of Marea’s magic, read through former New York Times critic Sam Sifton’s review from 2009 , where he lauds the lardo-topped uni toast, lobster over burrata, and red wine-braised octopus fusilli laced with bone marrow. Those dishes, and many more, remain on the menu at its Los Angeles location.

A crudo sampler could include dainty slices of mackerel, yellowfin tuna, and Baja kanpachi dressed with colatura. Classic grilled octopus legs are assembled over tiny smoked potatoes and tonnato sauce. The pasta portions are ample, large enough for two or even three to easily share, like rolled gnochetti with plump ruby shrimp pieces.

Most tables are keen to order pan-seared Dover sole, served with a lemon sauce, plus the option for four toppings for an additional price (think French-style meunière or Kaluga caviar and butter). Other entrees include grilled Wagyu strip loin or whole seared langoustines. Marea has a full-time pastry chef who delivers Michelin-worthy desserts (which makes sense given its prior two-star rating).

Noce di cocco comes as a light meringue wedge topped with paper-thin pineapple slices, tangy passion fruit sauce, borage flowers, edible gold, and a quenelle of coconut ice cream. A chocolate-capped tiramisu molded into the shape of a coffee bean comes with mascarpone gelato. A few petit fours — mini macarons, pate de fruit, and a dark, glossy chocolate truffle — come with the check.

From start to finish, the restaurant’s seamless, almost effortless luxury abounds. Marea is open daily from 5 p.m.

to 11 p.m. at 430 North Camden Drive, Beverly Hills, CA, 90210.

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Marea Beverly Hills.