The Belvedere at the Peninsula Beverly Hills
9882 S. Santa Monica Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA
Wilshire Boulevard
310-788-2306
Once upon a time in Southern California, there was a thing called a fancy restaurant. The chef had pretensions, the service was haughty, the decor stuffy, the check heart-stopping -- and the experience altogether intimidating.
You probably thought restaurants like this were ancient history, especially in Los Angeles. I certainly did. But that was before I experienced a few meals at the Belvedere, the restaurant in the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel.
— Leslie Brenner
Times Staff Writer
Oct. 26, 2005
Above: The Belvedere's Going Bananas dessert features an 8-inch brass monkey holding a tiny dish of bananas Foster; at its feet is a cup of peanut butter-banana crème brûlée and a banana milk chocolate tart sits on the marble base. |
Hours: Breakfast, 6:30-11:30 a.m.; lunch, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; dinner, 6-10:30 p.m.
Venue Details
| Cuisine |
California
,
French
|
| Rating |
|
| Ambience |
Stuffy hotel dining room with outdated decor. At least it's quiet, so you can talk.
|
| Best dishes |
Heirloom tomato terrine with Dungeness crab; macaroni and cheese; California clam chowder; truffle-roasted chateaubriand of veal.
|
| Best table |
One in the center or a banquette facing the garden.
|
| Hotel Features |
Restaurant/Cafe
|
| Of Note |
Full bar, valet parking, $5.
|
| Payment |
Checks
,
American Express
,
Discover
,
MasterCard
,
Visa
|
| Prices |
Dinner appetizers, $13-$21; small bites, $6-$15; main courses, $28-$45; desserts, $9-$12.50. Four-course fall tasting menu, $54.
|
| Service |
From clueless to haughty to insulting.
|
| Wine list |
California-heavy, with strong emphasis on cult Cabernets. Few surprises, no bargains. A glass of non-vintage Laurent Perrier rosé is $29. Corkage, $25.
|
