For close to four decades, the Baldi family has been a force in LA’s local Italian dining scene. From Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica to e.Baldi in Beverly Hills, the family-owned and operated business, could easily rest on its laurels. Instead, owner and chef Edoardo ‘Edo’ Baldi has evolved again, opening a deeply personal, upscale Tuscan steakhouse inside the flagship Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills.
Wallpaper* dines at Baldi at Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills
The mood: Tuscan estate in Beverly Hills
The entrance sets the tone for family and community gatherings, where a mural depicting an Italian dinner party scene, designed by Drawing Room NYC, anchors the space. The transformation of the former cavernous Jean-Georges restaurant was carried out by Ezequiel Farca Studio.
The 180-seat restaurant – including a bar, main dining room, enclosed patio, and private dining room – manages to feel warm and intimate thanks to woven lanterns, leather booths, deep woods, terracotta, and rich natural tones. Taking inspiration from chef Edo’s home in the Chianti countryside, not far from the Tuscan coast where he was born and learned to cook from nonnas, olive trees line the different spaces.
The food: Tuscan spirit with plenty of prime beef
The Tuscan cooking philosophy is simple: less is more. Yet that is not what first comes to mind when perusing the steak section of the menu. An impressive array of USDA Prime beef from some of the top ranches, alongside Wagyu cuts from Japan to Australia, is minimally seasoned with herbs and spices before being cooked over an olive-wood open flame, allowing the meat to shine.
Standout pastas include lobster linguine with spicy tomato and the swoon-worthy sweet corn tortellini with mascarpone and truffle butter. For a lighter option, try Dover sole with lemon sauce, the fan-favourite sliced artichokes with fennel and mild pecorino, or chicken meatballs with Niçoise olives. Plan ahead for dessert if you want to order the pancake soufflé for two with rum and Grand Marnier sauce, as it takes 20-30 minutes to prepare.
For a more casual evening at the bar, some of e.Baldi’s classic dishes come into play, including thin, crispy-crust pizzas and lightly fried shiitake mushrooms with pecorino tartufato – a 36-year Baldi tradition. Wherever you take a seat, set the tone with a citrusy spritz made with Malfy Limone gin, limoncello, and Prosecco, or the Negroni Classico di Baldi with Malfy Gin Originale, St. George Bruto Americano, and Carpano Antica vermouth. Alternatively, opt for a glass from the wine programme, which spans Italy’s most celebrated regions.
Baldi at Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills is located at 9850 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, United States