Adding to the air of luxury at the Montage Beverly Hills, chef Scott Conant opened Scarpetta at that hotel property on November 1. The bar area holds 44, while the main dining room seats 80. There's room for additional 45 in the courtyard. In the impeccable finished kitchen, there's room for five at an intimate chef's counter, where guests can watch all the action, or 12 at a glass-enclosed chef's table. Upstairs, the Muse private dining room holds 20, the Muse patio terrace 30, and the largest upstairs space 80. Buyout of the entire restaurant is available on a case-by-case basis.
Designed by Studio Gaia (which worked on Tao Las Vegas), the bar area, main dining room, and courtyard flow into each other. The architecture of the room includes double-height windows framed by sweeping curtains. Unfinished dark wood flooring and millwork round out the rustic and natural details in the spacious venue. Custom wine cabinetry emphasizes the existing arches for an old wine-vault-like look.
The restaurant’s seasonally inspired Italian dishes offer fresh ingredients and pay homage to Conant’s heritage and time in Italy. Signature dishes include creamy polenta with fricassee of truffled mushrooms, spaghetti with tomato and basil, and roasted capretto with rapini, pancetta, and potatoes.
After opening in 2008, New York’s Scarpetta received top critical reviews, including three-star reviews from The New York Times and New York magazine, which included Scarpetta in its list of the top 10 new restaurants that year. Scarpetta was also named one of the “Best New Restaurants in America” by Esquire. “I am very excited to open Scarpetta at Montage Beverly Hills,” said Conant in a release. “The property is beautiful and a great setting for the restaurant. The food scene in Los Angeles has never been better, and I look forward to getting to know the local farmers and markets, which are among the best in the country.”