Beverly Hills’ Hottest New Steakhouse Is Also Its Most Expensive

• The incredibly simple-looking crostini al prosciutto ($36) is a tempting starter: paper-thin cured ham spread like a bedsheet over an airy loaf. In between, pillowy mozzarella adds richness, while a nutty brown butter covers — and augments — the whole thing.
• Sliced artichokes ($36) are so Italian that it will take a few bites before you realize you might have never tasted raw baby artichokes before. Along with shaved fennel and sliced pecorino, it’s the kind of refreshing appetizer that conjures long lunches on a Roman piazza. The Etruscan salad, a sweet-crunchy melange of arugula, cabbage, farro, apple, and more, feels like it’s only missing a brisk Italian spring breeze.
• Our server strongly recommended the sweet corn tortellini ($45) as a chef’s specialty, and he wasn’t wrong. Covered in a silken butter sauce, small bite-sized pasta filled with sweet corn couldn’t be more delicate and delectable. You will fight over the last one with tablemates.
• American wagyu New York strip ($145) from Snake River Farms carries a proper peppery seared crust with strong wood-grill aromas reminiscent of Texas barbecue. The meat remains so tender that it barely requires a knife. A lemon wedge comes on the plate to help cut through the fatty beef, though you only need a few drops of juice. Other steaks on the menu specify their exact ranch and source, which is a welcome level of transparency for a steakhouse.
• Pancake soufflé ($48) feels big enough for the table to share, a cast-iron pan with two stacked pillowy pancakes boasting an otherworldly texture. A not-too-sweet strawberry Grand Marnier sauce and scoop of vanilla ice cream bring it all together.

Best for

Steak dinner you dress for as if you just won an Oscar; steak dinner with the boys before the wedding; steak dinner with the girls to ogle celebrities worthy of the front of Page Six; steak dinner with a family who likes pasta more than meat (there’s even a gluten-free option).

Insider tip

Some servers here really hit you hard with the upsells; in fact, they will likely ask if you want more drinks multiple times. Don’t be afraid to politely decline; otherwise, service here feels warm and knowledgeable.

The takeaway

While Chi Spacca codified Los Angeles’s appetite for Italian steak, Baldi completes the picture with a stricter, more focused, and more upscale portrait of what an Italian-inflected steakhouse can be. Here, there’s a more substantial pasta menu featuring homemade pastas that would delight purists. Hopefully, whoever’s paying has an American Express Black card.