Giorgio Baldi | |
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Restaurant information | |
Established | 1990 |
Owner | Baldi Family |
Previous owner | Giorgio Baldi |
Food type | Italian |
Location | 114 W Channel Rd., Pacific Palisades, California, 90402 |
Coordinates | 34°01′42″N118°31′07″W / 34.02844°N 118.51874°W |
Website | giorgio-baldi |
Giorgio Baldi is a Tuscan Italian restaurant in Pacific Palisades, California. The restaurant is famous for its celebrity clientele. [1]
The establishment serves Italian cuisine, including pasta, seafood, [2] veal, lamb and steak. [3] It is noted for its expensiveness and celebrity clientele. [4] The restaurant has simple decor, with a small green neon sign bearing the initials "gb" on its exterior. [5] Its location has been described as somewhat hidden, which contributed to its popularity with celebrities. [1] [5]
Giorgio Baldi was born in Forte dei Marmi, a seaside town in Tuscany, Italy. [6] He immigrated to Los Angeles in 1985 and began working as a chef at various Italian restaurants in the city, including serving as the first chef at Il Giardino, a Tuscan spot in Beverly Hills. [7] In 1990, Baldi opened Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi on Channel Rd. in the Pacific Palisades. [5] [8] The restaurant quickly became popular with former patrons of Baldi's previous restaurants, including Rupert Murdoch and Eli Broad. [5]
By the late 1990s and early 2000s, various celebrities were patrons of the restaurant, including Pierce Brosnan, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Jeff Bezos, Justin Bieber, Cardi B, [3] and Rihanna who reportedly bought a house in the Palisades to be closer to the restaurant. [9]
In April 2011, Giorgio Baldi died at age 81 while vacationing in Ensenada, Mexico. [10] [11] After his death, his daughter Elena Baldi took over management of the restaurant. [7]
The restaurant closed for several months in January 2025 due to the Pacific Palisades Fire but was able to reopen in March 2025. [12] In the July 2025 issue of Vogue, the magazine featured a photo history of celebrities at the restaurant, featuring seventy photos going back to 2009, coinciding with the restaurant's 35th anniversary. [1]