Best Authentic Restaurants in Baldwin Hills

It’s my favourite restaurant in Santa Monica. Great Italian food, excellent selection of wine, very friendly and helpful staff. Interior is absolutely stunning and modern. Also everything is from Italy which is make it more special and iconic. Owner Valentina is always there and making everyone feel welcome and loved. I would highly recommend to visit this charming place.

Chef/owner Nicola is one of the top Italian chefs in LA. He is at the center of Osteria Vera, in their open kitchen, preparing and overseeing the preparation of everything. His food is delicious. We had the Hamachi crudo, topped with lemon and shaved bottarga, the Lechuga salad, another pasta dish with spaghetti and more bottarga (our favorite) and the roast duck. I love duck and this was prepared perfectly; meaty and tender pieces with crisp skin. The service was excellent; friendly, attentive, well paced.

Very attentive service in a quiet and relaxing setting for lunch. The paella, served extra crispy, is the best.

Food was excellent. Fried Calamari excellent, Pasta entrees excellent. Caesar salad very good. Atmosphere quiet enough so you could actually hear the people at your table, which is not the case in many restaurants.

I've always like/loved Toscana. Tori the hostess was most cordial and nice. Oliver the waiter is excellent. I was pleased he remembered me. The chef was, how to say obnoxious. Iwanted a particular pizza-he refused to make it. Oliver reported that he was in a bad mood. I said, "thepolicy is the custoemr is always wroong"...absolutely stupid. We had a pizza with pepperoni instead. it was only ok. My beef carpaccioo was delicious. A new beer, called "Pax Rp,am wasde;icious. I had two. Myguest had the chopped salad. He loved it. Over-all a great experience. The restaurant was very noisy. Much noisier than usual. Therestaurant was very busy. Interesting for a Thursday lunch. Parkingattendant Jorge, remembered me. Always nice when that happens. It is close to hoome and consistently good. I"ll go back for a dinner soon.