LAVO Los Angeles

As featured in Eater Los Angeles, “LA’s Next Splashy Italian Destination Features a Retractable Roof”

Tao Group Hospitality is excited to announce LAVO Ristorante, an Italian eatery opening in early 2022 on the famed Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. LAVO Ristorante arrives as an all-day dining destination and neighborhood favorite. For its 4th location, LAVO Ristorante is a re-imagination of its sister properties, designed for a lighter and brighter West Coast flagship, and an elevated dining experience to complement the Angeleno lifestyle and its discerning diners.

The menu, created by Chef & Partner Ralph Scamardella, highlights signature dishes from LAVO’s New York location including the 1lb Wagyu Meatball, wood-fired pizzas, and housemade pasta, alongside new items inspired by Southern California’s local produce. Influenced by flavors from coastal southern Italy, Chef Scamardella has crafted a menu of traditional Italian classics seamlessly paired with seasonal, local dishes. Chef Scamardella has nearly three decades of experience working at some of the most esteemed restaurants in the world including The Plaza Hotel and Carmine’s Restaurant. As the son of Italian immigrants, Scamardella developed an affinity for cooking with fresh ingredients early on, enjoying seasonal produce as staples in the family’s Brooklyn kitchen.

The airy, 250 plus seat space, designed by Venice-based Studio Collective, is as intimate as it is cinematic and will transport 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 the Italianate architecture – evokes an effortless elegance through luxurious materials and refined details. Guests are welcomed into LAVO’s expansive patio dining terrace via an arched doorway from the bar. The triple-height ceilings feature a large retractable roof and fully operable windows, creating an unparalleled alfresco dining experience. A mix of seating, including plush banquettes and tables, allows for hosting both large parties and romantic dinners alike. The bespoke furnishings and colorful palette of sensuous fabrics and feminine detailing evoke summer on the Mediterranean and glamour throughout. LAVO Ristorante will be a timeless gem that brings coastal Italian luxury to the heart of modern-day West Hollywood.