Draft:Giorgio Baldi

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Restaurant information
Established1990 (1990)
OwnerBaldi Family
Previous ownerGiorgio Baldi
Location114 W Channel Rd., Pacific Palisades, California, 90402
Websitegiorgio-baldi.com

Giorgio Baldi is a tuscan Italian restaurant in Pacific Palisades California. The restaurant is famous for its Italian cuisine and entertainment industry clientele.[1]

History

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Giorgio Baldi was born in Forte dei Marmi, a seaside town on the Tuscan coast in Italy.[2] He immigrated to Los Angeles in 1985 and began working as a chef at various Italian restaurants in the city, including serving as the first chef at Il Giardino, a Tuscan spot in Beverly Hills.[3] In 1990, Baldi opened Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi on Channel Rd. in the Pacific Palisades.[4][5] The establishment is popular for its authentic Tuscan-Italian cuisine, emphasizing simplicity, tradition, and high-quality ingredients like handmade pastas, fresh seafood, and veal dishes, while featuring one of Los Angeles' premier Italian wine lists.[3][1][6]

By the late 1990s and early 2000s, Giorgio Baldi was attracting A-listers like Pierce Brosnan, who became a regular with his wife, and later stars such as Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, and Lady Gaga.[7][4][8]

In April 2011, Giorgio Baldi died suddenly at age 81 while on vacation in Ensenada, Mexico.[9][10] Following his passing, his daughter Elena Baldi took over management, maintaining the restaurant's intimate appeal as a low-key celebrity spot. Rihanna, in particular, has made it her frequent go-to since the mid-2010s, often spotted leaving with takeout, even buying a house nearby to be closer to the restaurant.[4][11][7]

The restaurant closed for several months in January 2025 due to the Pacific Palisades fire but was able to reopen in March 2025.[12] In the July 2025 issue of Vogue, the magazine featured a photo history of celebrities at the restaurant, featuring seventy photos going back to 2009,coinciding with the restaurant's 35th anniversary.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Jackson, Hannah (2025-06-27). "A Visual History of Giorgio Baldi". Vogue. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  2. ^ Ginsberg (2011-04-11). "Legendary L.A. Restaurateur Giorgio Baldi Dies". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  3. ^ a b Gibbs, Mara (2011-04-14). "Everybody Eats Where? In Los Angeles, Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi, a Final Toast to My Friend". HuffPost. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  4. ^ a b c "How a Cozy Neighborhood Restaurant Became a Celebrity Hide-Out (Published 2021)". NY Times. 2021-05-28. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  5. ^ critic, S. Irene Virbila S. Irene Virbila is a former restaurant; in 2015, wine columnist for the Los Angeles Times She left (1995-08-04). "Giorgio Malibu Serves Up Familiar Fare". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-09-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Singh, Chris (2024-06-22). "Dining Icons: Is celebrity-favourite L.A restaurant Giorgio Baldi worth the hype?". The AU Review. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
  7. ^ a b "Hot Spot! Rihanna's Favorite L.A. Restaurant Giorgio Baldi is the Ultimate Chic — Yet Cozy — Italian". People.com. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  8. ^ Brenner, Leslie (2006-10-04). "Old style with lots of attitude". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  9. ^ "PASSINGS: Giorgio Baldi, Gene Shefrin, Ty Jurras". Los Angeles Times. 2011-04-16. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  10. ^ Odell, Kat (2011-04-12). "Giorgio Baldi of Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi Passes Away". Eater LA. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  11. ^ "Exploring Rihanna's Giorgio Baldi Habit; LeAnn Rimes Breaks Down at Hugo's". Grub Street. 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  12. ^ Cafolla, Anna (2025-03-09). "Rihanna Dresses Cozy and Classic to Solo Dine at Her Favorite Restaurant". Vogue. Retrieved 2025-09-18.