Massimo Restaurant

I went to massimo the other day with a friend and our server was really great, busser was really great, very comfortable seating... the food however was not that great. didnt taste fresh, and the pasta was bland and salty.. i would leave it at that but... they charged my card twice once for mine and again for my friends meal. i figured it was an honest mistake and a quick fix, so i called and spoke to a manager who finally told me he "didnt have the time to take care of it" and that i should try to call the owner the next day. he was very rude and not helpful at all. if your in the area and looking for a place to eat, pass up massimo.. its just not worth it. Pros: great service Cons: bad food. rude management. more

I just want to say , MASSIMO RESTAURANT It is the best Italian Restaurant in Lo Angeles ! OH , MY GOD ...the food is so GOOD !!! I had a pasta, unhhh I want to go back , maybe next month JUST EXCELLENT Rui Valverde more

Slip into Tuscany in this quaint restaurant in the heart of Beverly Hills. I have had dinner here several times now and have never been disappointed. From the upbeat and very knowledgeable staff to the wide range of authentic Italian food, prepare to be blown away by the flavor and presentation. The owner and chef, Massimo, along with his wife, Daniella, are coming up with some of the best tasting food this reviewer has ever tasted. From the mouth watering eggplant parmigiana (baked, not fried) to the tagliatelle with homemade chicken sausage and pesto sauce to the mahi mahi mediteranneo your taste buds will be shouting for more. By the way, it was just rated 49 of the top 100 restaurants in L.A. by Los Angeles Magazine. Great wine list as well - a sampling from every region in Italy. And don't forget to visit Bar Massimo to the left of the main entrance when you go. They have a great martini list! more

I can't remember the last time I got so excited about a dish - the John Dory is the absolute best!! I've been coming to the restaurant for years and thought I had my staple of favorites - from the ribollita to the burratta to the risotto... but wow, the John Dory takes the cake. The wait staff is knowledgable and pleasant. The overall atmosphere is very cozy. The desserts are virtually required - I always get one that comes with a scoop of home made gelato! more

The best restaurants in the world rarely garnish 5-star reviews from patrons over and over again. So the reviews on this website lead me to believe that they may not all be written by patrons of this restaurant. But whether they are or are not, here is a truly honest review from someone who did indeed have a meal at this restaurant a few days ago. As I had a number of clients coming in from Hong Kong and Italy, I was left with the need to source a restaurant that would impress and live up to international standards of top-notch cuisine. Upon entering Massimo's, the first things I noticed was the massive mural of Mr. Massimo's headshot, pasted on the cealing. While amusing, it led me to question whether I had made the right choice in restaurants despite the glowing reviews I had read. I Here are the general aspects of our experience (5 people): Host - Snobby, sarcastic, pretencious. When he asked about the meal and we complained about the terrible quality of the squid and seafood in general, no apology was offered, just a raising of the eyebrow and and some sarcastic comment. Food quality: As mentioned above, the seafood was not fresh. Fishy smell all the way. Clams/Linguini tasted like they were out of a can. Pasta was soaking in water, more than sauce or olive oil. Prosciutto was mediocre, as were the olives, bread, etc. - all staples of Italian cuisine. While I did not taste the meals of my neighbors, none were pleased nor impressed. Service - Aside from the host who's manners were consistently atrocious, the waiters at Massimo don't seem to understand that placing your arm in front of someone eating is not exactly polite nor appetizing. This was again consistent throughtout the meal. The words "excuse me", "thank you", etc. did not exactly flow out of the staff's mouths. It was more like they were doing us a favor by letting us eat there, and as bad as it got, I luckily had the rediculous Massimo face staring down at me from above. Pros: I didn't get beat up, but that was about it. Cons: Sorry, but just about everything. And the price was obscene for what we received. more

I wanted a place to take my clients for dinner when I was in LA. The concierge at the hotel recommended Massimo and it couldn't have been a better choice. In a word, the food is sensational. The best Italian food in LA. We were greeted immediately at the door and sat promptly. The atmosphere was subdued, unpretentious and professional, the server was knowledgeable and friendly. I felt in good hands. Great service, great food. Pros: the boulangnese more

My girlfriend took me to Massimo's for my birthday. As soon as we walked into Massimo's I knew we were in for a great experience! The staff was courteous and knowledgeable. We shared a a salad that was a special for the evening. We then sampled a pasta dish with chicken sausage with a great pesto sauce. The pesto was perfect. Not overpowering. We each ordered seafood dish. I had the rock sole sole covered in lentils. Nice tender white fish cooked to perfection. My girlfriend enjoyed mahi-mahi. For my birthday they brought me a piece of chocolate cheesecake. All in all Massimo's was the end to a perfect day! I can't wait to go back to sample more of the menu. more

Just walking in to Massimo reminds me of being in a restaurant in the heart of Florence. Massimo has brought his Tuscan style to all that he prepares at this romantic spot in the heart of Beverly Hills. Whether it is the pasta or an entree, the food is always tasty and well prepared. His desserts are wonderful especially the homemade gelato. The menu changes frequently but his tried and true customer favorites are always there. In addition to the great food, the service is always good too. The waiters are knowledgable and are always eager to make suggestions if we get stuck. Pros: Excellent Tuscan Food Cons: None that I can think of more

Going to a place like Massimo one has high expectations. Those expectations were met on my visit. We were promply seated (made reservation 1 hour prior), and the service was superb throughout the evening. The entree portions were large, but it was disappointing that appetizers were more individually sized. For our group we were happy with the food and its quality. It's an experience and would recommend going in group or as a couple. Pros: Friendly service, good food Cons: soda refills are Not free more

If you put anything with pasta or a crust in front of me I'll devour it. I love Italian food and can eat it seven days a week...However, after trying Massimo's menu, it's hard for me not to wish all Italian restaurants knew Massimo's recipes. I love the classics, but Massimo's twists are unbelievable. No chicken cacciatore, but the chicken balsamico is so worth it. The wine list is select, and pretty easy to decifer. Our server warmly greeted us and quickly got our drinks. Bonus points for that. We had prawns as an appetizer, a special Lasagne with meat sauce, the chicken, and a delicious Chocolate cake for dessert. I was just impressed with how fantastic the food was, and how there wasn't and pretension. I felt like I was a regular on my first visit. Pros: best Italian food in Beverly Hills Cons: no pizza on the menu more

Few restaurants do cheese like Massimo does. I keep coming back for the Buratta L.A. dish with anchovies and tomato. Yum. Also the bolangese pasta has me hooked, when you order any pasta the server offers you fresh grated parmesan cheese!! If you still have room for dessert, have the panna cotta! My server was very friendly, and was helpful with choosing wine. Just found this gem in June and love bringing friends in and watching their eyes light up when they taste the food! Pros: Great ambiance Cons: There'll never be another first time more

Four of us went to Massimo on a friend's recommendation after a full day at the beach, showered and cleaned up of course. We were greeted by the owner, hostess and other staff members. As soon as we sat down we were offered a drink, given time to settle in and after ordering our dinner, proceeded to enjoy an unbelievable range of flavors. The server had excellent wine knowledge, and sensitive timing. The ambiance is warm, classy and jovial. The food comforting. And the service was seamless...a great place to go on a date, or with friends if you need some lessons in amore! 10/10 more

Perfectly blended traditional pasta's with little twists...like the house-made Tuscan sausage with a hint of cinnamon (in the pesto delight Papardelle Ligure and on it's own). This food is made with Amore! The kitchen staff are cool, the service is top notch and I fell in love with my server. Vergetarian options are tasty . Desserts are american and italian classics, paired with averna or late-summer harvest dessert wine. Excellent wine menu from Italian and Californian vineyards. Go Italia! more

staff looks like they stepped off of a movie set, including the kitchen staff. warm and welcoming owners are always there to take care of you. very top level service and even higher quality of food. i'm getting hungry just writing this!! more

I usually don't like going to Italian restaurants...not because I don't like it, but because I found out a few years ago that I was allergic to wheat flour and thus couldn't have much Italian food anymore. I'm usually stuck having salad when I go. But this retaurant that I went to actually had a spagetti dish made from CORN flour and I finally got to enjoy a bowl of PASTA for the first time in years! To top it off, the sauce was the best I've had just about anywhere! I'll be back! Thank you Massimo!! Pros: So flexible! Loved it! Cons: Nothing!! more

Now granted it was Valentines and restaurants are known for lacking in service, but that is no exuse for treating a couple in there mid twenties like we were children. The hostess and the waitress were rude to my husband and I and were blantly ignored on numerous occasions and in all honestly treated like we did not belong in this restaurant. Little did they know my husband is a Cordon Bleu Chef (I take that back, the server knew beacuse she asked him how he could pronounce the menu items better than she, which makes our experience even more astounding). Here are just some of the things we jotted down during our "VIP's Valentines Dinner". Heres hoping your experience (should you choose to dine) is a million times better than ours. Salad was wilted; too much dressing & tomatoes. needed salt or parmesan and maybe lemon. Server did not once ask if we wanted Pepper, Parmesan or Water . Server or busser didn't refill Wine (when the bottle was empty the server came to "try" to re-fill our Wine glass?) or Water. Bread was too crusty & hard (I cut the roof of my mouth). No Salt or Pepper on table. Asparagus soup was a ugly color (try pureeing it with Blanched Spinach) & the soup was stringy (due to bad strain job). Ravioli looked pureed & store bought . The saffron sauce didn't have enough saffron in it flavorless. Tagliatelle was actually fettuccini & over cooked. Why were there lentils in the pasta? Ground Chicken with no season is not considered sausage. Filet mignon was ordered med rare was served med -med well at best & slightly warm. Spinach was cold and the steak was charred & dry (due to high heat with no lava rocks for even heat distribution or pre marked and slapped in the oven for too long.) "Roasted Potatoes" were actually a wedge of 1 potato and barely warm. Chocolate cream was scrambled & gritty due to over whipping egg whites. Pros: The wine list is good. Cons: Read my review more

This place is AMAZING! The sirloin was to die for! The spinach was undescribeable! My date ordered lamb, I enjoyed a small taste, it was so good he wouldn't share. The asparagus was amazing! The pinot noir (not quite sure what the name is something with a "d") was delectable! Pros: Nice owners and great staff Cons: Can't think of one... more

Having been in Italy the last few weeks I never imagined finding a restaurant in Los Angeles that would compare to the cuisine of northern Italy. Massimo does an amazing job in bringing Italy's taste to Los Angeles. I had one of their specials - the pumpkin ravioli and it's the best dish I've ever had. The ambiance and the staff are superb and make your dining experience unforgettable. Pros: romantic, great food, extensive wine list, good for dates or for groups more

A friend invited me for dinner and it was a real dining experience! The staff was incrediably friendly, helpful and more than willing to answer every question I had. Aside from the beautiful decor, prompt seating and excellent service, the food was out of this world! Not only was the manager extremely handsome, but extremely attentive as well. Massimo has quickly become one of my favorite places to dine.. I have been several times and have never been disappointed or even inconvienced! I highly recommend experiencing the Massimo! Pros: Service, quality food, friendly staff, ambience more

A friends birthday lunch where the food stole the show! There were 6 of us and Chef Massimo prepared a special family style menu that was fabulous! The salad's were fresh and the pasta's melted in your mouth. Not to mention the homemade chocolate cake- to die for! Pros: The food was great and the service was detailed and attentative. more