This fall, the executive and culinary team at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills introduced Vinoteca, a new Italian wine bar and espresso café adjacent to Culina restaurant. As Beverly Hills’ new go-to destination for stylish locals and visitors alike, Vinoteca is an extension of Los Angeles’ creative pulse as the city’s newest wine bar—the place to be and be seen at.
“We have a very clear vision for Vinoteca,” says General Manager Michael Newcombe. “We see our guests and neighbors utilizing Vinoteca as an extension of their home or office. With a newly built-out space, powerful Wi-Fi, and top-notch culinary offerings to match, creatives and industry executives are welcome to visit Vinoteca around the clock—sip on an cappuccino in the morning while catching up on the daily news, or drop by after work to enjoy a glass of Vermentino and montanara pizza from Naples.”
MENU
The culinary team draws inspiration Naples to curate a menu of hyper-seasonal sharable plates with a focus on traditional Italian “street food.” Utilizing the best produce available in California, Vinoteca showcases the bounty of local farmers, combined with authentic ingredients shipped daily from Italy, such as burrata and olive oil. Open from 6am – 11pm, Vinoteca offers three distinct menus for breakfast, lunch, and “apéritivo.” Signature dishes ($5-15) include:
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Neopolitan Montanara Pizza, Chef Denis Della Stritto – Vinoteca Neapolitan Montanara (Fried) Pizzas (Classica, Burrata, Lobster, Eggplant, and Sweet Ricotta)
- L’Arancino – Sicilian Salmon, Arancino, Squid Ink Bread Crumb, Meyer Lemon Aioli ← the pear shaped dish is a Western Sicilian specialty
- Crudo – Yellowtail, Swordfish Carpaccio, Tuna Tartare, Branzino Carpaccio
- Frutti di Mare
WINE PROGRAM
To complement Dello Stritto’s modern Italian menus at Vinoteca, Wine Director and Assistant General Manager Luca Bruno (formerly of Providence, The French Laundry, Bistro don Giovanni, and The Fat Duck) has conceptualized a unique wine experience which honors the classic, imported masterpieces of Italy, alongside their artisanal Californian descendants. Through detailed research into the vineyards of Napa, Carneros, Paso Robles, Mendocino, and the Santa Clara Valley, Bruno has discovered a variety of indigenous Italian grapes cultivated in California. His wines have been carefully chosen to showcase the finest examples of the classic terroir of Italy, as well as the artistry of locally sourced talent honoring the Italian varietals and style.
“With a large selection spanning various elevations, a multitude of soil types, and native Italian varietals, guests are invited to customize their selection,” says Bruno. “We want the Vinoteca experience to be educational, immersive, and authentic. Our guests will encounter a diverse array of creative wines, which will instill memories that pull them back again and again. We are also happy to curate a tasting flight or have guests design their own to taste and compare the wonders of Italy both at home and abroad.”
In addition to approachable wines by the glass and bottle, Vinoteca offers 3 oz. flights as well as “Icon Wines” from the Coravin. Aperitivo cocktails ($14-18) include:
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Vinoteca Cocktail Il Carosello – gin, Aperol, lemon, absinthe, and prosecco
- Strawberry Basil Limonada – vodka, lemon, simple syrup strawberry, basil leaf, and egg white
- Summer in Amalfi – bourbon, Campari, pineapple, lime, ginger syrup, egg white, and soda
- Aperol Spritz – prosecco, Aperol, soda, with orange wedge
- Negroni Sbagliato – Campari, sweet vermouth, and prosecco
VINOTECA ESPRESSO
Vinoteca is designed to evoke an Italian sensibility with modern utility, which effortlessly transforms each morning into Vinoteca Espresso. The coffee hideaway is equipped with an elegant, multi-tiered, eight hour drip, cold brew coffee maker (Yama), featuring South roast imports from Caffè Umbria, founded by a multi-generational Italian family based in Seattle. Open daily at 6:30am, guests and locals are invited to stop in to Vinoteca for a morning menu consisting of hard-to-find housemade pastries baked daily starting from 3:30am, in addition to freshly squeezed juices and açai bowls. Twists on traditional Italian pastries crafted by Chef Federico Fernandez (who hails from Buenos Aires, where there is a large Italian influence), the decadent lineup includes:
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Vinoteca Espesso Sfogliattele ← scalloped, shell-shaped Italian pastries filled with lemon ricotta, native to Campania in southwestern Italy
- Connoncini ← cannoli shaped pastry from Verona that is traditionally stuffed with cream, Chef Fernandez fashions the Vinoteca version with hazelnut cream
- Croissant ← butter and almond
- Cheddar Bacon Scone
- Muffins
- Pain au Chocolat
DESIGN
The reinvigorated Culina Bar captures the spirit of the Vinoteca tradition and adds greater dimension to the experience of an already successful Italian restaurant in Los Angeles. Drawing on the Vinoteca theme, the design direction combines the cultural legacy of Italy and “the sophistication of the simple” with sensitive design to elevate the overall guest experience and position the bar as an easy, relaxed, and fun destination for authentic Italian flavors and experiences.
Like the menu itself, the material palette relies on the beauty of nature: large slabs of Italian marble for the bar top, natural wood for the shelves, a custom glassed-panel wine display, and accents in brass. Large glass windows offer a view to a warm outdoor patio dining area. The result is a stylish and luxurious environment imbued with a sense of residential comfort.
ABOUT VINOTECA
Vinoteca is located at the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills at 300 S. Doheny Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90048. The espresso bar is open Monday-Saturday from 6:30am-11am; and Sunday from 6:30am-4pm. Vinoteca Wine Bar opens Monday-Wednesday from 11am-10:30pm; Thursday–Saturday from 11am-11pm; and Sunday from 4pm-10:30pm. For more information, please call 310.273.2222 or visit www.culinarestaurant.com/vinoteca/, Twitter, or Instagram.
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