Il Pastaio

09/19/2008 Posted by live2eatinla

The staff is very rude and they don't care because the food is so great. This is the first time I encountered real Italian men so disgusting and rude, they made the French seem the warmest and the kindest. I recommend ordering food to take out. Don't eat there, and if you do, tip them so little that they would get the message.

03/31/2008 Posted by rroBevHills

We've been eating here since it opened and I should have written a review a long time ago. Excellent management style. Delicious food. Everything rocks. The seating is prompt. The staff is organized and helpful. They are extremely accommodating no matter what your situation. I have enjoyed everything I've ever ordered here. YUM!!! I would give this place 10 stars!!!

03/22/2008 Posted by FoodEEEEEE

So this month my wife and decided that we were on a mission to find the best Italian food in Los Angeles. We went to Il Pastaio last week and it was very good, but it most definitely was not the best in LA (this weeks foray to Il Grano blew it away, BTW). Still, it was very good. I'll keep it short, since there are already many reviews. THE GOOD: Excellent pasta. The standouts are the freshly made 'flat' pastas like the pappardelle and tagliatelle. The raviolis (also fresh made), were little pockets of joy. The antipasti were also pretty solid. Great bresaola and salads. The prices were surprisingly reasonable for 90210. THE BAD: The Secondi were VERY average. We had both veal dishes and the branzino, and all three entrees were mediocre. The basic vegetable sides and garnishes made the plates look like something from 1985. When I asked the server for a recommendation, he constantly tried to up-sell me on the most expensive thing on the menu. I hate that. I actually gave him the benefit of the doubt and took his recommendation on the Venison Pappardelle, but my wife's Paglia Fieno (at half the price) was far superior. That is when I realized that he was inexcusably full of it. CONCLUSION: Great place to grab a bite in BH (it was packed on a Wednesday night). Stick with the antipasti and pastas and you won't be disappointed.

Pros: Great Fresh Pasta and Antipasti

Cons: Average service, dated menu, and meat dishes less than spectacular

03/05/2008 Posted by simplyjg

I went here on my lunch break and we were seated promptly. The food was good and service was ok. Good place to spot celebs.

Pros: good lunch spot

Cons: tables are too close to eachother

03/03/2008 Posted by rtmilder

I visited the restaurant a couple of weeks ago with my husband and another couple. We were very much looking forward to dining at the restaurant after having read all of the great reviews. However, our experience was not that great. We had reservations for 7:00 and did not get seated until after 8:00. Reservations don't mean anything. They are completely useless. We had to wait because James Caan showed up with 5 friends and even thought we had arrived before his party, they got our table. When we inquired about our table (several times), we were lied to and told that one person from Caan's party had come in before us. If they had just told us the truth, it would not have been so bad but the lying really bothered us. At some point during our wait, we asked to see the manager. Actually, we asked several times. However, the manager never showed. The least they could have done was to send the manager to placate us but I guess they were not smart enough or didn't care enough. Even though the food was good, we will not go back. It really is not worth it.

02/25/2008 Posted by kitten227

I finally tried this restaurant after hearing rave reviews from friends. It is very small and not as well known as other restaurants in the area, but probably one of the BEST italian restaurant in the city. The wait was long (even with a reservation) but the spectacular food and service more than made up for it. Like I said, the restaurant is SMALL therefore the tables are very, very close together which was kind of annoying, but the food is well worth it! I also reccomend Il Trammezino (sp.?) next door. They have excellent paninis, salad, and pasta... great, casual lunch spot or for late night takout on the weekends.

Pros: Excellent food, attantive service, reasonable prices

Cons: Cramped, Takes a long time to be sat (even with a reservation)

02/21/2008 Posted by skytosea4me

When you stay at a hostel or dine on a budget in Europe, you sit very close to the other people, almost like a cafeteria. So when a restaurant wants to fit as many people in their establishment as possible in LA, they decide it's more palatable to call it "European style seating" (picture me saying that all with a big smirk)- I arrived on a moderately busy night, and everyone was sat so close they couldn't move their elbows, and I don't find that romantic at all. Our server seemed very preoccupied with some girls across the street and just did the basic things without any hospitality. I can deal with a cold server if he is deal1ng with everything on time and not out right rude, but towards the end of our meal, he slapped to desert menus down, and after being ignored for 32 whole minutes (oh yeah, we counted!) he came over and asked us if we wanted dessert- we did initially, but after he disappeared for so long we were naturally unhappy so we decided to slip over to Urth cafe instead. It's not all negative :) The pumpkin ravioli was amazing, and the lobster was pretty great too. I really enjoyed my wine. My compliments to the chef! The night would have been great had they just put the tables a foot apart and possibly got a server who was thinking about more than his next commercial audition and the young ladies across the street.

Pros: The food is excellent

Cons: You're sat directly next to strangers, lame service

01/13/2008 Posted by starblossom

I brought my 93 yr old mother-in-law here for dinner. We had to wait, but the staff made every effort to make her comfortable until our table was ready. I was very impressed. The tables are close together, so it was a little hard for her to be seated, but we both thought it was worth it.... the food is like pure perfection on your tongue! I think it would be impossible to have a bad meal here. Outstanding food, outstanding service, nice ambiance. My only complaint is I wish the restaurant were bigger to accomodate all the loyal patrons... that's ok though, it's well worth the wait.

Pros: I cannot say enough good things about Il Pastaio, best marks for everything

Cons: Wish the restaurant was bigger to hold more people

12/18/2007 Posted by malasay

There isn't a dish in this restaurant that isn't good. Everything is only great or better. Pumpkin Ravioli is a must, I also recommend the fettucine bolognese and anything with truffles (or truffle oil). Salads and appetizers are great too. FYI it's Italian but there is no pizza if that's what you're looking for. It gets crowded on Weekends for lunch and dinner so expect a wait. Perfect patio seating restaurant for a nice summer day.

Pros: Food, Patio, Ambience

Cons: Slight Wait

10/27/2007 Posted by archicalgal

gooditalian food in the heart of beverly hills for great prices! ive been going to this place for years and i have yet to be disappointed. the pasta always comes out hot and fresh. and not for the price of the restaurants on same street. great for lunch.

Pros: price, pasta, salad, service

Cons: parking, can get a bit crowded during peak dinner hrs