Pane e Vino
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Phone: (323) 651-4600
- Best of Citysearch:
- Outdoor Dining 2006
- Hours:
- Mon-Sat 11:30am-11:30pm, Sun 5pm-10:00pm
Editorial Review for Pane e Vino – by Suzanne Wright
The Scene
There's a handsome booth-filled dining room, but the big draw is the lovely garden patio. With terra-cotta-hued walls and tiles, climbing bougainvillea and flickering candlelight at night--to say nothing of the Andrea Bocelli soundtrack--the hideaway courtyard sets an authentically Mediterranean scene.
The Food
Judging from the dishes carried to the other tables, pastas, risottos and the wood-fired pizzas are dependably good. The crab cake appetizer, assertively seasoned with red pepper, is completely respectable. Chicken and vegetables--many of them out of season--are cooked in clay pots. The steak alla Fiorentina, a mesquite-grilled rib eye, arrives perfectly cooked to order with a sturdy brown crust; and tortellini with dandelion greens, ricotta and brown butter is satisfying. For vegetarian diners, it's better to order the pizza Margherita and a green salad.
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Insider Tips
Where to SitThe patio fills up even on weeknights, so depending on your point of view, it can get either lively or noisy.
User Reviews for Pane e Vino
06/26/2008 Posted by spambanana7
We have been enjoying Pane e Vino for several years now, and I can't believe I have never written a review of the place! This place is family in the truest sense. The hostess, Natalee, has been there for years, and she always remembers us and the table we like. The owner is there every night, along with bartenders and servers that we have also been seeing for years. You don't find that kind of warmth and loyalty in many places, especially in LA. The food is always dependable (pizza margherita for the kids) and sometimes spectacular (shrimp with honey, curry, and brandy; the Linguine & shellfish cooked w/a pizza crust over the top). Really good place to find something for everyone from picky eaters (they always make a little pasta with just butter and parmesan cheese for my son) to more grown-up fare ( Seabass & ribeye steak). Admittedly, the garden gets packed sometimes; it's a bistro, not a velvet-rope kind of place . Don't look for a quiet table for 2 in the garden at 8:00 on a Saturday night though; it doesn't exist. But what you will get is an energetic, bustling spot that is great for people watching (we've seen Halle Berry, Craig Ferguson, Cheri Oteri, Billy D Williams). If that is not your thing, the dining room inside is quieter. Or, we usually have the patio to ourselves when we go at 5:00 or 6:00 on a weeknight. This is a place you stumble onto and it's full of guests that have been coming here for years. We've actually made a few friends simply from being at Pane e Vino. We've met couples that married here, seen families grow, careers develop; that kind of atmosphere can't be forced, it just happens. Pane e Vino is a warm and welcoming place, not a cold and calculated fine-dining experience. I highly reccommend Pane e Vino to anyone who is looking for a break from the LA "scene."
Pros: atmosphere, staff, garden
06/18/2008 Posted by xenawill1
We did a reservation for 6 people and a stroller(!), and as we like to come there several times before we did it a couple of days before, as the space outside is limited. The lady offered us a table in the gangway, with no space for any stroller and very uncomfortable because of gangways on both sides, even the restaurant was complete empty. The lady, who is seating the people, was not very happy about that we did not like to sit there, and it seem to be too much for her to organize an other table for us. The rest of the evening she was always waiting for us to go, it seems they like just guests who finish within 30 minutes! As the prices are in upper class region we also expect upper class service. But this is not what you can expect here.
