Enter Marea Beverly Hills, an Italian restaurant with Californian gusto

The latest power-dining New York import is the coastal Marea, an Italian restaurant on flourishing Camden Drive in Beverly Hills, just down the street from Gagosian gallery and Cipriani, by the global Altamarea Group, which includes everyone from Beyoncé to Barack Obama as fans. The hospitality company, which launched in 2019, is led by founder and CEO, Ahmass Fakahany.

Wallpaper* dines at Marea Beverly Hills

The mood: A chic Milan party with martinis

Designed by New York-based boutique design and architecture firm Nusla Design, an outdoor sitting area with a green living wall leads the way to an elegant, yet understated bar-lounge area across from two larger rooms with pale leather banquette and table seating. The group brought a few signature design elements from the East Coast version near Central Park, including the long-stretching glow of the honey onyx bar, and a hand-crafted Murano blue chandelier in the lounge area, but with an airy feel using lighter mahogany woods and earth-toned fabrics.

Amid the curated art collection and sculptures, ‘Sophia’ is an original oil painting from London artist Nasser Azam. This stunning piece pays tribute to Italian actress Sophia Loren, which is fitting for this high-traffic celebrity area. Already in demand, there are two semi-private dining areas with an adjoining terrace, that when combined, can hold 50 people for a soirée.

The food: New York Italian with Californian gusto

Marea’s executive chef PJ Calapa, who has notably worked at Eleven Madison Park, Nobu 57, and Ai Fiori, oversees both the New York and Beverly Hills restaurants. The menu was inspired by the brand’s New York roots and is a mix of signature staples, from crudi to octopus with bone marrow fusilli, to new California ingredient-driven items. Case in point is ‘the avocado’, half-torched and filled with spot prawn tartare, seasoned with Calabrian chillies and fennel.

Raw starters include caviar service, oysters, and langoustine tartare. Lobster burrata with eggplant, duck leg ragu orecchiette, and wild mushroom risotto with taleggio are three dishes destined to be favourite orders. For a larger presentation, the pan-seared wild Dover sole (with Kaluga caviar sauce) for two or the Tomahawk with bone marrow panzanella are impressive table presentations. The bomboloni doughnuts with lemon ricotta cream or the bon bon chocolate box are a fun and memorable ending.

Marea is located at 430 N Camden Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, United States; marearestaurant.com

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