There is a new hot spot in Beverly Hills and Hollywood stars are frequenting the snazzy place almost daily, making it one of the hardest places to get into – the wait list for a choice dinner time is one month.
Italian restaurant Cipriani Beverly Hills is now all the rage, taking customers from surrounding eateries like Craig’s and Spago.
So far A-list stars like Sofia Vergara, Eva Longoria, Jessica Alba, Meghan Markle, Joan Collins and Diana Ross have been there to taste the rigatoni pasta and meringue cake.
Pretty Little Liars star Ashley Benson and her husband Brandon Davis, an oil heir, are often seen lunching there too.
So what makes it so special?
DailyMail.com got the inside scoop on the small but elegant venue that dazzles while talking to some of the staff and regulars in an exclusive.
There is a new hot spot in Beverly Hills and Hollywood stars are frequenting the snazzy place at lightening speed making it one of the hardest places to get into. Italian restaurant Cipriani Beverly Hills is now all the rage, taking customers from surrounding eateries like Craig’s and Spago
Sofia Vergara radiates elegance in her chic all-black ensemble as she departs Cipriani in Beverly Hills on March 2, left. Model Jasmine Tookes made a stylish entrance at the Cipriani restaurant in January, right
DailyMail.com got the inside scoop on what makes the small venue so dazzling while talking to some of the staff and regulars in an exclusive; the restaurant is seen here at 5:30 pm, before it got crowded
‘There are celebrities here all the time and often we don’t know when they are coming in because their assistants make the reservation under another name,’ said a member of the staff who did not want to be named.
‘When they come in they usually want to sit in the back so they can look out at the crowd but not be noticed as much by fans,’ added the staffer.
‘And they never order the pasta, it is always the fish and salads. Everyone is on the Zone diet I guess! No bread baskets either,’ laughed another waiter. ‘And usually wine, they love the wine!’
And one of the workers has a favorite: ‘Joan Collins was so polite and kind, she was a dream! What an elegant lady.’
DailyMail.com also spoke to diner Lisa Delena, an interior designer whose company is Design And Art Interiors: ‘I love to come here because the food is so fresh and the atmosphere is lively. I often talk to the person sitting next to me because the tables are so close together. And the people watching is always fun.’
The restaurant is packed from opening to closing time.
The clientele is mixed: there is old school Beverly Hills types in expensive clothing who look bored and young influencers who wears jeans and hoodies but appear excited as they photograph everything.
Cipriani is located on Camden Drive in the Beverly Hills village and is right next door to stalwart Chinese restaurant Mr Chow.
The restaurant is packed from opening to closing time. The clientele is mixed: there is old school Beverly Hills types in expensive clothing who look bored and young influencers who wears jeans and hoodies but appear excited as they photograph everything
Save up if you want to visit because the prices will make your wallet melt. Most appetizers hover around $30 with pastas around $40 and fish dishes like salmon or shrimp about $50 a pop. The Dover sole – which was a special – is $78. The Maine Lobster salad appetizer is $46. There is one item for $230: Branzino al Forno but it does serve four people
There is a suited host at the door of Cipriani that says hello after diners pay a whopping $20 for the valet service.
The host looks customers up and down before offering a slight smile; it’s an austere Italian demeanor, not arms-open-wide Italian.
Next two female hosts are much friendlier as they ask if you have a reservation. One is needed and often only the 5 pm or 10 pm seats are available as tables are requested weeks – if not months – in advance. The bar is first come, first serve.
There were whispers near the host stand that Vergara might show up with her new boyfriend Justin Saliman.
Inside, the room is old school Italian with speckled cement floors, dark wood framed windows, small round tables with white table cloths and bookshelves stacked with coffee table books, though no one who visits reads anything except the menu.
Pretty Little Liars star Ashley Benson and her husband Brandon Davis, an oil heir, are often seen lunching there too. Seen in January
Model and actress Karrueche Tran in January, left and Rosalia, right
Meghan Markle, The Duchess of Sussex, was seen there as well earlier this year; seen March 8 in Austin, Texas
Inside, the room is old school Italian with speckled cement floors, dark wood framed windows, small round tables with white table cloths and bookshelves stacked with coffee table books, though no one who visits reads anything except the menu
The green menu has the Cipriani logo: the restaurant also has locations in Venice, Italy (it’s called Harry’s Bar), Dubai and Ibiza as well as Miami, New York City, Mexico City and Las Vegas, among others
The risotto, left, which takes 20 minutes, and the bread basket, right
The waiters are Italian and speak with heavy accents as they wear crisp white shirts and vests with white aprons.
Some have a sense of humor. When one waiter was asked where he was from he sniped, ‘Houston, Texas’ before admitting he is from a small town outside Rome.
Save up if you want to visit because the prices will make your wallet melt.
Most appetizers hover around $30 with pastas around $40 and fish dishes like salmon or shrimp about $50 a pop. The Dover sole – which was a special – is $78.
The Maine Lobster salad appetizer is $46.
There is one item for $230: Branzino al Forno; with potatoes and white wine sauce. But it does serve four people.
Watch out for the Petrossian Caviar with garnish which is $685 for 4.4 ounces.
Joan Collins arrives with her husband Percy Gibson for a late dinner at the new Cipriani restaurant on opening day in Beverly Hills in January
A ginger ale, which comes in a small glass with tons of ice, costs $7.50. It allows for maybe five sips before it is done.
The dessert tray is unforgettable. There is a vanilla meringue that will knock your Louboutins off.
Cipriani used to be housed in the Mr C hotel on Pico Boulevard, which is on the edge of Beverly Hills. It had a decent crowd then.
Now that it has been reborn as a 90210 hot spot, it is super packed. Even the small bar had at least 10 people around it.
While the food and design are superb, the noise level is deafening and gets on one’s nerves. It caused this writer to leave earlier than planned.
But maybe that is why celebrities love it so: no one can eavesdrop on their neighbor as it is just too loud. So Meghan can dish on Harry and Sofia can complain about her divorce but no one will hear it.
On their website they make a promise: ‘Cipriani restaurants offer a simple, elegant environment with two essential features: the customer must not feel oppressed by the décor and there has to be light. We only use the finest, purest ingredients and we do the simple things perfectly.’
The restaurant also has locations in Venice, Italy (it’s called Harry’s Bar), Dubai and Ibiza as well as Miami, New York City, Mexico City and Las Vegas, among others.
