Giorgio Baldi

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Giorgio Baldi
Giorgio Baldi
Interactive map of Giorgio Baldi
Restaurant information
Established1990;35 years ago (1990)
OwnerBaldi Family
Previous ownerGiorgio Baldi
Food typeItalian
Location114 W Channel Rd., Pacific Palisades, California, 90402
Coordinates 34°01′42″N118°31′07″W / 34.02844°N 118.51874°W / 34.02844; -118.51874
Website giorgio-baldi.com

Giorgio Baldi is a Tuscan Italian restaurant in Pacific Palisades, California. The restaurant is famous for its celebrity clientele. [1]

Contents

Description

The establishment serves Italian cuisine, including pasta, seafood, [2] veal, lamb and steak. [3] [4] It is noted for its expensiveness and celebrity clientele. [5] The restaurant has simple decor, with a small green neon sign bearing the initials "gb" on its exterior. [6] Its location has been described as somewhat hidden, which contributed to its popularity with celebrities. [1] [6]

The restaurant consists of a simply designed small dining room that fits about a dozen tables and a small terrace with additional tables. [7] [8] The menu offers a collection of Tuscan style homemade pastas and fresh Mediterranean seafood influenced by Giorgio's upbringing in Forte dei Marmi. [7]

Baldi's is especially notable for its availability of shaved white truffles, which it offers in for many of its dishes. [9]

History

Giorgio Baldi was born in Forte dei Marmi, a seaside town in Tuscany, Italy. [10] 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. [11] In 1990, Baldi opened Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi on Channel Rd. in the Pacific Palisades. [6] [12] [7] The original name for the restaurant was Giorgio but when Bruno Vietina, one of the original partners left, the name was changed. [7]

The restaurant quickly became popular with former patrons of Baldi's previous restaurants, including Rupert Murdoch and Eli Broad. [6]

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. [13]

In April 2011, Giorgio Baldi died at age 81 while vacationing in Ensenada, Mexico. [14] [15] After his death, his daughter Elena Baldi took over management of the restaurant. [11]

The restaurant closed for several months in January 2025 due to the Pacific Palisades Fire but was able to reopen in March 2025. [16] 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]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Jackson, Hannah (June 27, 2025). "A Visual History of Giorgio Baldi". Vogue . Retrieved September 18, 2025.
  2. ↑ Singh, Chris (June 22, 2024). "Dining Icons: Is celebrity-favourite L.A restaurant Giorgio Baldi worth the hype?". The AU Review . Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  3. 1 2 Charles, Marissa (July 30, 2023). "Hot Spot! Rihanna's Favorite L.A. Restaurant Giorgio Baldi is the Ultimate Chic — Yet Cozy — Italian". People . Retrieved September 18, 2025.
  4. ↑ Communications, Emmis (October 2005). Los Angeles Magazine. Emmis Communications.
  5. ↑ Brenner, Leslie (October 4, 2006). "Old style with lots of attitude" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Brown, Evan Nicole (May 28, 2021). "How a Cozy Neighborhood Restaurant Became a Celebrity Hide-Out (Published 2021)" . The New York Times . Retrieved September 18, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "THE BEST OF RELATIONS : By the Sea in Santa Monica, Down-Home Italian Cooking That's Quite a Family Affair". Los Angeles Times. May 7, 1995. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  8. ↑ Stadiem, William; Gibbs, Mara (January 1, 2007). Everybody Eats There. Artisan Books. ISBN   978-1-57965-322-4.
  9. ↑ "FoodGod- GIorgio Baldi". www.foodgod.com. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  10. ↑ Barnes, Mike; Ginsberg, Merle (April 11, 2011). "Legendary L.A. Restaurateur Giorgio Baldi Dies". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved September 18, 2025.
  11. 1 2 Gibbs, Mara (April 14, 2011). "Everybody Eats Where? In Los Angeles, Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi, a Final Toast to My Friend". HuffPost . Retrieved September 18, 2025.
  12. ↑ Virbila, S. Irene (August 4, 1995). "Giorgio Malibu Serves Up Familiar Fare" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  13. ↑ Tomicki, Hadley (February 1, 2013). "Exploring Rihanna's Giorgio Baldi Habit; LeAnn Rimes Breaks Down at Hugo's" . Grub Street . Retrieved September 18, 2025.
  14. ↑ "PASSINGS: Giorgio Baldi, Gene Shefrin, Ty Jurras" . Los Angeles Times . April 16, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
  15. ↑ Odell, Kat (April 12, 2011). "Giorgio Baldi of Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi Passes Away". Eater LA . Retrieved September 18, 2025.
  16. ↑ Cafolla, Anna (March 9, 2025). "Rihanna Dresses Cozy and Classic to Solo Dine at Her Favorite Restaurant". Vogue. Retrieved September 18, 2025.

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