Via Veneto has some of the best authentic Italian food, ambiance in LA- May 2016
Via Veneto on Main Street in Santa Monica serves up some of the best Italian food you will get in the city. The atmosphere is very romantic, intimate and darkly lit with beautiful candles. The service is top notch with Alessandro and Simone (both have an Italian background) leading the way.
We started with some of their antipasti with the eggplant parmigiana, burrata cheese and pasta e fagioli alla toscana soup. All authentic Italian dishes and wow they were incredible. Another sign how good an Italian restaurant will be is by their warm bread and it was hard to stop eating. We had a little plate of raviolis (lobster, asparagus with cheese and butter nut squash).
For main courses, we highly recommend the spaghetti with langoustines (a cross between lobster and prawns) from New Zealand and the Mediterranean Dover Sole. There are so many incredible choices here we will have to come back. From other pastas, risotto, fish, meats and more. Enhance your meal with one of their glasses of wine or order a bottle from their extensive wine list.
This place has moved up to just about the top Italian restaurant I have tried in the city. Do yourself a favor and make a reservation as it only seats approx 40 guests downstairs and they have a private upstairs for parties of approx 8-12. Of course, save room for dessert including their tiramisu and panna cotta.
Owners, Fabrizio Bianconi and Marco Cialini, traveled to America from Rome, Italy over a decade ago. Working their way through the finest Italian restaurants in both California and Italy as waiters, hosts and managers, the determined duo set out to create a unique dining experience that highlighted the beauty and passion of Italian cuisine without the austere service and atmosphere. By chance, Fabrizio and Marco found a charming venue in Santa Monica with high ceilings and beautiful stone floors that remains the home of Via Veneto to this day. With a burning desire to serve the food they grew up on and fell in love with as children – they set out to create a menu that embodies the true flavors of Italy.
Chef Ruben Vasquez, long-time confidant of Fabrizio and Marco, spent his first twenty years practicing the culinary arts under the legendary chef “Bruno” from Madeo in Los Angeles. After his time in the Kitchen at Madeo, Chef Ruben Vasquez spent twelve years at “Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi”. A creative maestro with an unprecedented knowledge of Italian cuisine, Chef Ruben personally sources every Via Veneto ingredient, taking pride in providing quality food for his patrons.
Whether it be a flawless serving of Gnocchi or a melt in your mouth ravioli, our Oscar dishes up a daily dose of fresh pasta so mouthwatering you will find yourself craving his handy work. Spaghetti, penne, fettuccine – no matter what Via Veneto dish you desire his pasta expertise will satisfy even the most sophisticated of palates.
An authentic, European-style Italian restaurant nestled in the heart of Santa Monica.
Via Veneto fuses organic, locally grown & sourced ingredients with delicious, traditional Italian flavors.
Sun-Thurs 6:00-11:00 | Fri & Sat 6:00-11:30
(310) 399-1843 3009 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405