LAVO Ristorante
LAVO Ristorante is a coastal Italian restaurant designed for a lighter and brighter West Coast flagship with an unparalleled year-round alfresco dining experience. The restaurant offers an elevated indoor and outdoor dining experience while boasting a spacious sun-drenched dining room, triple-height ceilings with a retractable roof, operable accordion windows, and luxurious Italian furnishings throughout.
The kitchen is helmed by Tao Hospitality Group Chief Culinary Officer Ralph Scamardella, whose menu balances dishes inspired by coastal southern Italy and influenced by Southern California produce while paying homage to LAVO’s signature Italian classics. The result of Chef Scamardella’s ethos and vision is a menu of fresh pasta made in-house; pizzas made with whole grain, single-source flour; and, an extensive offering of wood-fired steaks, chops, chicken al mattone, fresh salads, and locally-sourced vegetables.
The beverage program features dramatic iterations of the classics alongside bold signature drinks. Highlights on the cocktail menu include an Italian-style Gin and Tonic served in a large Burgundy glass, a passion fruit-infused Sidecar, and a signature ‘Lavo-lini’ cocktail made with vodka, lychee, peach and white cranberry topped with house-made berry caviar. With over 230 bottles, LAVO’s robust wine program complements the restaurant’s Italian inspiration and West Coast locale, featuring a vast selection of Old-World wines, as well as wines from California’s iconic regions and producers.
A collaboration between Tao Group Hospitality’s in-house design team, led by vice president of design and development Susan Nugraha, and Venice-based Studio Collective, LAVO Ristorante features an airy, 250-seat space that transports guests from the Sunset Strip to a charming seaside town in southern Italy. A bar-height velvet banquette at the entry is dotted with marble-topped cocktail tables and sits beneath a dramatic double-height skylight, complete with Italian, mouth-blown glass chandeliers. LAVO’s horseshoe-shaped bar – a nod to Italianate architecture – evokes an effortless elegance through luxurious materials and refined details. A mix of seating, including plush banquettes and tables anchored by a dramatic, flowering tree, allows for hosting both large parties and romantic dinners alike. The bespoke furnishings and colorful palette of fabrics and feminine detailing channel summer on the Mediterranean and glamour throughout.
