If you're traveling from Beverly Hills, you'll likely avoid the blithe of Pico home to a pseudo-Tuscan strip center across from which the family of Giuseppe Cipriani has opened Mr. C Hotel and Restaurant. A grand porte-cochere alleviates any style fears, as a meticulous valet ushers guests from Rolls and Bentley to the restaurant's private entrance. Inside the single room Mr. C Restaurant, a long bar of deco Italian flair strides one side of the dining room with style that duplicates the Cipriani eateries of London and New York to precision with their low tabletops, banker chairs and demure tableware emblazoned with the new Mr. C logo of a maître d in oversize bow tie. A small terrace is separated from the pool area by teak fence, ideal for smokers and those looking to avoid the scene. Service comes in layers, all buttoned-up in white jackets and mandarin collar with stray LA actor that forgets not to use a nearby staging area for empty wine bottles amongst Italian professionals that look and work at the top of their game.
The Food
A dinner menu plucked from the Cipriani eateries of New York and London offers a trove of Veneto specialties honed over decades of family recipes. Meals start with the signature Cipriani Bellini made from peach nectar flown in to the restaurant but prepared a bit too thick and not quite as sweet as the original. A wire basket of bread includes flaky butter roll that’s an exact replica of the Harry’s Bar original but with half-broken breadsticks quickly removed as appetizers arrive. A small tabletop struggles to hold the plates of excellent tuna carpaccio, too-cold Burrata with not-quite ripe tomatoes and small portion of calamari of equally small flavor. Pasta course includes baked green tagliolini, veal-stuffed ravioli and cannelloni that seemed a better representation of Cirpriani than the Chilean Sea Bass with olives and roasted tomatoes or Chunk Cheeseburger with fires. Despite its miss-dishes, the kitchen seems more than ready for perfection once it works out the kinks and learns the process of duplicating already perfect recipes of the Cipriani - or should we say Mr. C - brand.
Last Word
Cipriani Family does Mr. C Hotel and Restaurant in Beverly Hills with all the style and flavors of its international eateries with nightly pre-fixe 3-course supper that's one of the best fine dining values in town.
