Antico Nuovo

Is Antico Nuovo worth booking in Los Angeles?

Yes; and the sooner you lock in a reservation, the better. Antico Nuovo is one of the harder tables to get on the Eastside, for good reason: Chad Colby's Italian cooking at 4653 Beverly Blvd draws from a narrower, more committed culinary tradition than most of LA's Italian options, the wine program is strong enough to have earned the Star Wine List #1 ranking for 2026. At $$$ per person for a two-course dinner (excluding wine), you're paying more than you would at a casual neighborhood trattoria; but considerably less than a full tasting menu format, the price-to-quality ratio here is hard to argue. For a mid-range Italian dinner in LA that punches well above its price point, Antico Nuovo is the call over Bottega Louie and Bianca.

What Antico Nuovo does well

The kitchen's identity rests on two things: pasta with genuine character and crudo that earns its place on the menu. Colby trained through a serious culinary lineage and ran the program at Chi SPACCA before opening Antico Nuovo, so he knows Italian technique from the inside out. The result is cooking that feels grounded rather than trendy, precise where it needs to be, restrained where lesser kitchens would oversell. Michelin has awarded a Plate designation in both 2024 and 2025, which signals consistent execution rather than a one-season flash. The Opinionated About Dining guide ranked it #171 in North America for 2024, placing it in the serious tier of the continent's casual dining options.

The wine program under Wine Director Rachel Grisafi (who also serves as General Manager) is a genuine reason to visit. The list runs to 475 selections and 3,000 bottles in inventory, with particular depth in Piedmont, Sicily, across Italy and France. Wine pricing is rated $$, meaning you'll find accessible bottles alongside higher-end options, this is not a list designed to extract maximum spend per table. A $50 corkage fee applies if you bring your own. Compared to the Italian wine lists at Osteria Mozza or Angelini Osteria, Antico Nuovo's list is more focused on discovery rather than depth of cellar, but the Star Wine List recognition confirms it's operating at a high level.

Seasonal rotation: when to visit and what to watch for

Seasonal angle matters here more than at most LA Italian restaurants. Colby's cooking draws on Italian countryside traditions, which means the menu shifts with what's available rather than running fixed year-round. The crudo and pasta sections are likely to change by season, the signature seasonal ice creams are a direct expression of this philosophy. Summer and early fall typically represent peak produce windows in Southern California, which tends to translate into the most expressive menus at kitchens like this one. If you're planning a visit specifically to catch the leading the menu has to offer, booking for late summer through October is a reasonable strategy. Conversely, if you're visiting in the quieter winter months, expect fewer raw preparations and more emphasis on the kitchen's whole-animal and cured traditions, Colby's charcuterie background comes from running culinary classes in pizza-making, whole hog butchery, cured meats, so those elements tend to be consistent regardless of season.

Booking logistics

Antico Nuovo is open every day of the week, dinner only, from 5:30 to 10:00 pm. That seven-day schedule gives you more flexibility than many comparable LA restaurants, but don't mistake availability for ease of booking. This is a hard reservation. Book at least three to four weeks ahead for a weekend table; midweek slots can sometimes open with two weeks' notice, but don't count on it for Friday or Saturday. The combination of Michelin recognition, a strong wine program with press coverage, a loyal local following keeps the dining room full. If you can't get the date you want, check for cancellations a few days before, cancellation windows at dinner-only restaurants in LA tend to cluster 24 to 48 hours out.

The restaurant is located on Beverly Blvd in the Larchmont and East Hollywood corridor, which is well-served by street parking in the evenings. For visitors staying elsewhere in the city, this is not the most central destination, but it's a direct drive from West Hollywood, Silver Lake, or the broader Mid-City area. Check our full Los Angeles hotels guide for accommodation options in the area.

How it compares

Against the full field of $$$$ Italian in LA, Antico Nuovo sits closer to the serious-but-accessible end of the spectrum than to white-tablecloth formality. Osteria Mozza has more name recognition and a broader menu, but Antico Nuovo's pasta work is more focused and the wine program is arguably more interesting at this price. Bestia in the Arts District draws a louder, more scene-driven crowd and runs a similarly strong charcuterie program, if you want higher energy and a more urban setting, Bestia is the alternative; if you want a quieter room and more precise Italian cooking, Antico Nuovo wins. For Italian at this level internationally, the comparison points shift considerably: 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Hong Kong and cenci in Kyoto occupy a different tier of formality and price, but Antico Nuovo holds its own as a serious Italian kitchen without the formality overhead.

For other serious dinners in LA, see our full Los Angeles restaurants guide. If you're building an evening around the meal, our full Los Angeles bars guide covers the leading pre- and post-dinner options in the city.

The bottom line

Book Antico Nuovo if you want precise, tradition-rooted Italian cooking with a wine list that rewards attention, you're willing to plan three to four weeks ahead. At $$$ per person before wine, this is one of the better-value serious Italian dinners in Los Angeles. If you miss the booking window, Angelini Osteria is the next-leading call for similar kitchen seriousness at a comparable price. For the full picture of what to do before and after dinner, explore our full Los Angeles experiences guide and our full Los Angeles wineries guide.