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I was taken here by a close friend of the owner. That meal was exquisite. The antipastas were a refreshing start, but the highlight of that meal was the special that I ordered. Monkfish on a bed of pea risotto. The monkfish was cooked to perfection and the texture of the risotto was nice and creamy. I left feeling satisfied and not weighed down.
I've been back since, and the food was just as good. The gnocchi is just as good as everyone says. Our waiter was very friendly and the owner personally attends to all the tables when he is there.
I really like the food at Divino. The pasta is great and fresh (freshly rolled out maybe?) and everything was seasoned and presented beautifully. If I was reviewing the food alone the restaurant would get four stars, no doubt about it. But I can't get past the sllllllllllllllloooooooooooowwwwwww service and the volume level in the restaurant.
The first thing I noticed about this place is that it's way to loud. It's extremely crowded and annoyingly slow. The service took forever and the waiters weren't attentive in the least.
I really wanted to like Divino. But the noise level and snobby service made it pretty darn hard.
The service staff are mostly freaks who were traumatized as children in eastern Europe. Don't ask them about anything, request any favors or complain about anything, because they react like 6 yearolds with low IQ.
The food was mediocre at best and nothing special for the price. i don't think i will return.
Every item we ordered was good. The main problem is that these people are not northern Italian, in… Read more »
Like a lot of middle-aged baby boomers, i enjoy a fine dinner with my girlfriend.
Last nite it seemed like all of the westside shared my feelings.
Every table in this place was filled with women who dine with their g/fs
but i digress
The food is to die for. Starting with the crispy bread (like a nan) which was delicious. Our servers could not be more attentive. They gave us a sample of the soup de jour (tomato) very yummy
I ordered the calamari special appetizer and i swear i ate every single tentacle
i don't know how they cooked it, but it was most unusual and fabuloso.
Main course was chillean sea bass . . cooked to perfection
and a side of 3 things, the best being the potato.
I really loved this place
The only warning i will give is the price. $34 for a piece of fish is kind of expensive
Price for 2 (no drinks) was $100
sherri went home happy and broke :)
Good Lunch Place
Its hard to park if you don't know the neighborhood, you have a tendency of trying to find space in front.
The food was very descent, I had the gnocchi with the steak ragu, I was not very inspired by the look, but I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised!
Excellent, my 2 guests had salads that looked good.
If you hare looking for quick place to have lunch, I recommended.
I will not give it 5 stars, its missing some red sauce (I am a fan of tomato sauce) the Italian restaurants are forgetting their source, the tomato sauce.
I will try it again.
Italian food, great Brentwood secret. Great food, nice service, cozy seating.
Only problem, portions are a bit too small for the price and the people here are a little stuck up if you ask me.
It would be a lie to say this is the best Italian restaurant I've ever eaten at. But it's certainly one of my favorites. Due to its low visibilty location, it could only be described as a neighborhood secret. Every time I've eaten here (5 or 6 times i think?) its been packed, regardless of what day of the week it is. And seeing the manager/owner's familiarity with many of the customers, I'd have to conclude that most of them are local regulars. And they are regulars for a reason.
My opinion on this restaurant reflects that of pretty much everybody else. Especially the comment on the menu being less impressive than the food itself: despite the simplicity of the dishes, they are executed quite perfectly. Two dishes that I have absolutely no problems recommending are the gnocchi and the veal chop.
The gnocchi comes in large chunks that are soooo soft they don't even need any chewing. I've only had it with the gorgonzola and porcini mushroom sauces (I believe the third is a meat sauce) and both are quite impressive. Quite possibly the best gnocchi I've ever had.
And then there's the veal chop. Wow, too bad for you animal rights folks who don't eat this stuff. They make it sooo well at Divino. It's been a perpetual member of the specials list, and it rightfully deserves a spot on the regular menu. Although, maybe it should stay as a special, just because it's so freaking delicious. It's lightly seasoned and grilled to a juicy perfection. They serve it with a little side of spinach, roasted potatoes, and a dryish tomato sauce.
been a loyal customer for years...
always get the salmon, which is very good, consistent.....
the staff is very competent....courteous....friendly.....
might I suggest the montefalco wine ......it is worth it!
I think the worst thing a chef can do when you send overcooked meat back to the kitchen is be spiteful about it, but that's what happened last Friday. I've been a fan of Divino...recommended it to friends, had lunch dates of my own there, but no more.
Steak Salad Special. "Medium rare on a bed of arugula." Sounds great. I cut into the filet. Medium well. "Did you say it was to be medium rare or medium well?" I ask the server, sincerely believing that maybe I'd misheard, as it is so obviously overdone.
"Medium rare."
"Could you please ask the kitchen for a new cut, then? My lunch date and I totally agree that this is medium well."
She peers at the meat, turning it over with the fork. "I see a little pink here," she replies.
Nu uh. Never argue with the patron about the doneness of the meat. What good does that do?
She brings the meat back to the kitchen and comes back 10 minutes later with a new steak salad. The meat is raw. I can barely chew it. I'm sawing away at it with a steak knife, masticating until my jaw hurts, and fuming. I hate to be a serial complainer ("Overcooked!" "Undercooked!"), so I keep my mouth shut this time, but this VERY rare cut is obviously a statement, and it's insulting.
Good bye, Divino. You're no longer Divino.
One of my favorite restaurants in LA.
The food isn't overly complicated, just delicious. Favorites are the divino salad, rigatoni al ragu, the veal, a special that is comprised of delicate pasta stuffed with lobster & vegetables in a light broth, the pizza, and really pretty much everything I've tried.
Goran (the handsome, charming, always impeccably dressed owner) is often there to greet you at the door and makes you feel like a 'special' customer. The service is great, and you'll find that the waiters and waitresses are authentically Italian (always a good sign!)
Try the rigatoni al ragu - it is THE perfect pasta dish in my opinion. I've gone there with 4 or 5 girlfriends and we literally ALL ordered rigatoni al ragu (it's that good). Also, have the flourless chocolate cake for dessert - it's decadent and the thought of it makes my mouth water. The pizza bread they serve you is scrumptious - so don't fill up on the regular bread they bring you at the start!
Its true that there's no place to wait if you arrive before your reservation, so you'll have to squeeze in by the doorway with other waiting diners, but in my experience, everyone is so excited to eat here that they're friendly and not too bothered about it!
In short, Divino = amazing food, great service, pleasant atmosphere that's not too fussy, and quite cozy.
4.5 stars.
Ever get excited about a menu, only to find the dishes sound a lot better in print than they taste?
Divino does just the opposite. The menu or server describes simply a "veal chop with porcini mushrooms". But what you get is a thick chop, grilled to a crispy perfection on the outside, while the center remains juicy and full of natural (not spicy or garlicky) flavor. This dish comes with perfectly roasted potatoes (crunchy outer texture) and chopped, steamed Swiss chard or escarole. Honestly it is the best chop I've had in any Italian restaurant in the USA.
Another deceptively simple dish was the "poached seafood". We wondered if it might taste quite bland, but it was like a subtle version of bouillabaisse-- light but delicious. The quality of meat and fish here must be the key factor in the success of these recipes. We also enjoyed a thin-crust, margarita pizza and hearty (albeit slightly pricey) wines.
Crispy rosemary "pizza bread" went perfectly with the meal. And for dessert we had a "vanilla creme" topped with soft caramel. Everyone was satisfied with their dishes and service.
Overall, I'd say Divino is a good choice for authentic Northern Italian fare and a casual but sophisticated ambiance. It is perfectly suitable for a well-behaved children. Expect the average cost per person to be around $45-60 with wine. Metered parking is available directly out front.
Don't have a ton of time, so the gist of the experience is:
1. Quiet location, and it was not too crowded on a Sunday night (7 pm).
2. We had the Chicken Fantastico, which was...not so fantistico, but more like Chicken Mediocre (dry and slightly overcooked); and the Linguine Ai Fruitti Di Mare (linguine with mixed seafood) had really al dente pasta.
3. Service was fairly attentive.
The baked pizza bread (i.e., what someone referred to as the "rosemary crispy thingy") was excellent. Leads me to believe that their pizza would be excellent.
We didn't have wine, and weren't hungry enough to order antipasto nor a seconde, but the food was a tad expensive for the price (did I just the term "a tad"?), so I'd actually give this place three-and-a-half cannelloni.
I just love this place, even though it's little cramped inside ( hopefully you don't have any large friends and if you do, don't invite them to go with you :)
Great food, my favorite dish is gnocchi/white sauce
Goran and the staff always make you feel like very important guests, I would recomend to call before you go and make a reservation on any night of the week, waiting area - oops there is no waiting area, again it's very cozy, tiny space, there is seating area upstairs as well and a little cute patio with no smoking, but once again it gets little cramped :(
If you park on the street make sure you put money in the meter, they have valet parking as well :))
I love, love, love this place !!!
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The food here is always delicious, and they bring you some kind of free amuse bouche (super-tasty) and different kinds of bread. I've never had a bad meal, be it pasta, meat, pizza, salad, etc. And the tiramisu is amazing!
Cozy neighborhood restaurant with a pleasant warm wood interior. The food is quite good, but in my opinion, it is far too expensive for the size of the portions. The host and waitstaff were pleasant, but not overbearing or that effusive. The orecchiette was superb, but for the same money, I'd rather go elsewhere, especially given the wealth of Italian eateries in Brentwood.
The gnocchi that I remembered being so good was soggy and the porcini sauce was too mild. I had been to this restaurant years ago and it has changed. It is more expensive and not nearly as good. This and the tacky parking meters out front that will not accept change just made it a lousy night.
A disappointment.
I ordered a dish w/ pasta and mushrooms. Pasta texture was excellent. Maybe could've been a tad warmer. The appetizers, some eggplant w/ tomato sauce thing were ok. Margherita pizza was EXCELLENT, I and I consider myself a pizza conossieur, even if I can't confidently spell the word.
Interesting thing is, I give this place 5 stars, b/c despite the location, nice decor, and great service, the prices were reasonable! Good value. My boss paid, so maybe I didn't notice the prices as much. Hahah.
I went here for my birthday dinner and had a great time. The ambiance is really mellow and the service was great. I felt like they really were taking care of us and wanted to make sure we had a great dining experience. I had the gnocchi which melted in my mouth :)
I've had better. Someone recommended this place, but not surprising. Another expensive Americanized Italian restaurant. For two, we spent more than 200 bucks, but it was like,,, nah, so so. I liked the potato, though. But I should have been moved by the main dish which was the most expensive one on the menu.
Phenomenal restaurant. EXCELLENT service.. one of the best.. the owner of the restaurant Goren greeted us for dinner and kept coming to our table to make sure everything was fine.. before we sat down, helped each of us w/ our coats and placed them on the backs of our chairs. Started us w/ this rosemary crispy thingy.. not sure what it's called, but kinda reminds me of nanh. i think you have to request for this though.. it's complimentary nonetheless..
we started our meal with Carpaccio which was absolutely delicious--thinly sliced raw beef topped with fresh arugula and shaved parmesan, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
For our main courses, we had Proscuitto pizza which was good.. but i wouldn't say the best.. cuz i've been spoiled to have better homemade pizza, and pizza much more fanciful..
we also had Gnocchi A Piacere (which is fluffy potato dumplings with porcini mushrooms sauce)--this was very good.. w/ just the right amount of tenderness.. i'm not a big gnocchi fan, but this was pretty good.
and lastly, Orechiette Branzino (pasta Orecchiette served with fresh tomatoes, arugula, branzino and calamari seasoned with basil olive oil). This was not my dish, but i had a taste of it. and i'd have to say this one was the winner.. EXCELLENT flavoring.. the next time i go there. i will order this dish.. Anyone know what kind of pasta Orecchiette is? haha. its' funny.. they look kinda like a saucer shape, yet w/ a lil mound above.. (we were joking .. but they kinda looked like condoms). haha.
anyways.. now dessert..
we had a chocolate mousse.. fairly good
Tiramisu--also fairly good
and i had the Crema de vanilla (this is what they call .. similar to creme brulee with a caramel topping).. VERY good..
we were there late.. but they didn't rush us at all.. they said they'd stay open for however long we wanted.. i know it was past their closing. but wouldn't you call that excellent service? not only that.. the wine and the appetizers were on the house, because we were celebrating a birthday...
and then to end the evening.. they helped us w/ our coats as we got up to leave.. I will definitely come back here again... this is what i call a place that really caters to their customers and makes them feel special.... 5 stars to them!
I cannot believe there is no review for Divino. This place has been a staple for my food-loving family for years. It is tucked away in a tiny mall in Brentwood but you forget about the outside as the inside has nice decor and service. It has never let us down - food, wine, ambiance, and service. If you are looking for a place that is loud, trendy, and mainstream, don't come here. But if you want good food, quiet/pleasant atmosphere and consistency of good food, drink then this is a great place. Its definitely a popular place with the Brentwood locals. When I have gone either for lunch or dinner, it has always been fairly busy. Not only that, several recognizable faces eat here probably to get away from the trendy and obvious eateries....
After reading multiple reviews regarding this restaurant and seeing that it had Zagat ratings, I actually tried it out for their well perceived Gnocchi. Party of 12, the service was already bad to begin with. The waiter was apathetic, and seemed really annoyed. With the price point of this restaurant, I was expecting small portions of great tasting food. The portions were indeed small, and the price for any dish was $20 or more. The food quality was way below par, for what we were paying. The gnocchi was under flavored, though very soft. The special spinach Rigatoni was also VERY unevenly flavored and bland. The one good food, was the rosemary pizza bread (as many have stated already) and there was one decent Lobster spaghetti special. Everything else was very unimpressive. The waiter only softened up his attitude, after he spilled a plate of spinach and potatoes on my friend's jacket, in which we did not receive discount nor free food. Rather, they offered to pay for the cleaning fee, and left it at that. It was a highly disappointing experience, and i hope others don't feel the same way. However, it will be my first and last time to go to Divino.
I went here once for a business meeting and was pleased with the service and meal. Their mushroom risotto is quite good! If you have a small party and want some privacy, they have an upstairs area that only fits one table and is quieter.
In my top five of favorite Italian restaurants in LA, and that is saying a lot, by far my favorite cuisine. Just worth every calorie - the pasta, the bread, all of it. Very small, very intimate, not cheap, very worth it. Authentic.
We Deliver!
Neighborhood: Westwood
Wine Down Weekends
Neighborhood: Studio City
Neighborhood: Brentwood
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Brentwood
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Brentwood
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Brentwood
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Brentwood
Category: Italian
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