Home is where Beethoven Market is – a joyful Italian restaurant in LA’s Mar Vista

In Mar Vista, a historic space is reborn as a modern-day gathering spot, an Italian-infused restaurant where rotisserie chicken, handmade pasta and tableside tiramisu welcome you like family

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beethoven market los angeles review
(Image credit: Photography by Ashley Randall)

Beethoven Market owner Jeremy Adler, a partner at the Michelin-recognised South Asian restaurant Cobi’s in Santa Monica, wanted his first solo venture to be a neighbourhood gathering place for the Mar Vista community (not far from the Santa Monica airport) – an extension of your own living room, where you might gather with family and friends.

Wallpaper* dines at Beethoven Market, Mar Vista, Los Angeles

The mood: familia mingling on the patio

beethoven market los angeles review

(Image credit: Photography by Ashley Randall)

The renovated 1949 historic building was designed by Tara Bean (known for Elephante in Santa Monica and Belles Beach House in Venice) to embrace the indoor-outdoor California lifestyle while adding a touch of Italian cosiness and charm. The outdoor patio features lavender and rosemary bushes, kumquat trees, and a central 30-year-old olive tree, with French doors leading into the open kitchen, central bar, and communal seating. The original wood ceiling and steel beams were restored, while Roman-plastered walls, interior oak herringbone flooring, exterior limestone pavers, and leathered marble countertops were added, complemented by earthy Italian colour tones.

beethoven market los angeles review

(Image credit: Photography by Ashley Randall)

The food: nonna’s house for Sunday supper

beethoven market los angeles review

(Image credit: Photography by Ashley Randall)

With a background that includes two of the top pasta-and-pizza havens in town (Funke and Mother Wolf), chef Michael Leonard brings his dough-making talents to the kitchen, from simple lemon linguine to zucchini and ricotta pizza. A new Ora del Dolce Far Niente hour, now running from 4 to 5pm, is a good option if you didn’t book ahead. Grab a seat at the bar, order a Vesper Dream cocktail (with olive oil–infused vodka), and enjoy all-beef meatballs or crispy artichokes.

beethoven market los angeles review

(Image credit: Photography by Ashley Randall)

A highlight of the main menu is the half chicken, slow-roasted on the rotisserie for four hours, recycling its own juicy drippings, then finished over a live fire. Adler spotted a 16th-century rotisserie in France years ago and finally realised his dream of having one custom-built at Grills by Demant in Atlanta. Be sure to save room for the tableside tiramisù, when the server brings the whole dish to your table and scoops out a generous portion, just like at home.

beethoven market los angeles review

(Image credit: Photography by Ashley Randall)

Beethoven Market is located at 12904 Palms Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066, United States.

Carole Dixon

Carole Dixon is a prolific lifestyle writer-editor currently based in Los Angeles. As a Wallpaper* contributor since 2004, she covers travel, architecture, art, fashion, food, design, beauty, and culture for the magazine and online, and was formerly the LA City editor for the Wallpaper* City Guides to Los Angeles.