Giorgio Baldi — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Based on the three dishes my family had—pumpkin butter sage ravioli (x2), agnolotti (x3), and the special appetizer, fried squash blossoms (x2)—along with a bottle of Cabernet that leaned more toward underwhelming Merlot than a deep, full-bodied Cab, I found this place overrated and lacking any real substance or passion, especially for the price they charge.

The dishes themselves were fine. But for the price point, reputation, and prestige, the experience didn’t live up to expectations. The plating felt careless and disconnected—tiny, bite-sized ravioli dropped onto the plate in a way that read either as an unfunny satire of how much money wealthy people mindlessly blow, or a misguided attempt at "Tuscan simplicity" that didn't land—visually or emotionally.

As for the service, the lack of knowledge and constant rush to refill our wine glasses faster than we could drink made it feel like we were dollar signs and a nuisance—not guests there to enjoy a meal.

For example, when ordering, I asked our waiter what agnolotti means—a fair question, especially since it's one of their signature dishes. His response? “It’s like asking what penne means.” He then quickly flagged down another server, who shrugged and said, “I don’t know.” Later, our waiter returned mid-meal and read the definition off his phone, saying, “Here’s what AI says.”

It wasn’t just the lack of knowledge that bothered me—it was the dismissiveness. For neither server to be able to explain their most iconic dish was genuinely disappointing. And to brush it off so casually gave the impression that care and curiosity are both absent—and maybe even unwelcome—at this 35 year establishment to the stars.

Meanwhile, my daughter and her nana adore this place—so much so that my ex-mother-in-law insisted we order extra ravioli and agnolotti, either because she knew the portions would be too small to share, or because she thought the food was just that good, or both. For me, it was all just okay—nothing to rave about or come back for. And considering the price and the ridiculously insulting portions, I'd say save the trip and your pocketbook.

Even the fried squash blossoms—the evening's appetizer special—were bland and uninspiring. We ordered a double portion, and they came out like a pile of fried beignets on a white plate. Nothing more, nothing less. I asked our server if he could bring out a sauce for us, and all three of us agreed, it still didn't do it. I could’ve made better at home.

I changed my rating from a three to a two because a restaurant at this level should strive to do better, not coast on fame and prestige. When the reputation is this big, the experience should meet it.

Still, my mother-in-law generously left our server a 25% tip on what I imagined was a $300+ bill for three people. A system—like so many things in this country right now—that just doesn't make sense.

Edited: In hindsight, maybe the wine was intentionally light—perhaps the sommelier chose that Cabernet to mirror the restaurant’s approach to subtle flavors. Even so, it remained unimpressive and unexciting for a...

GIORGIO's has lost it's good Italian vibe. I have to be honest here, back in the day the quality of the food was better. I took my wife here, and the experience for the price they charge just doesn't add up. It first started with the way we were treated when we arrived. The hostess felt like she worked in a club. She took us around the corner to the "outdoor area". Felt like a mini golf field. As if we weren't famous enough to sit inside. When we told her we prefer inside, she sat us in the front patio area. When we sat , we waited for almost 15 minutes before anyone even came over. There was no plates or cutlery on the table so we leaned over to the empty table next to us and stole some from there. When finally one of the bus boys arrived with the bread, the presentation was a joke. Like someone sliced it and stacked one piece on top of the other. Sloppy and crumbly. Then a "skateboarder" like dude came over to take our order. We started with artichoke salad and the corn ravioli. Both were the tiniest plates to share with no love to them. The artichoke salad had so much lemon, the lemon flavor overpowered every bite. The ravioli is seriously a dish for a toddler. 10 tiny tiny bitesize ravioli. I thought to myself, "this is a joke right". The langoustine came cold and by the end of it we just wanted out. The vibe just isn't worth it. For a 450 dollar bill and mediocre at best food, I felt robbed and cheated. No one who works there really cares about the customer and the food has gone way down. $85 dollars for dover sole???? are they nuts? Don't even attempt the desert--worst tiramisu on the planet--how can you screw that up?

I wouldn't say this spot is authentic coming from NY. Far from it. Was very disappointed and so was my...

It has taken me a long time to get around to writing this, so I will try to be brief. Our dinner at Giorgio Baldi was without question the absolute worst dining experience we have ever had. Since we dine out frequently locally and around the globe, this is quite a distinction. To explain: Our daughter selected this restaurant as the place she wished to celebrate her 30th birthday with immediate family members. Trouble started when our party of 6 waited 20 minutes after being seated (admittedly on time) to receive menus. It continued when it took an additional hour for someone to come take our order, and an astonishing two hours to be served. During all this time, we received no explanation or apology for the inordinate delay other than the single off-hand comment that “there is a large party in our party room.” Beyond that, we were simply ignored. While the food when it finally came was good, my daughter’s “landmark birthday” had of course been spoiled. The final blow, however, was when “complementary desserts” were delivered to the table right before we received the bill. “Well” we thought, “They have at least tried to redeem themselves” and our tip reflected our renewed amity. On our way out the door, the hostess – not our waiter – casually remarked: “Oh, by the way, those desserts were from the owner of the bar next door.” The mark of the truly great is not only excellent cuisine, but recognition of the importance of treating everyone as an honored guest in order to enhance the dining experience. There quite simply is no reason to pay for anything less. We will not be returning – ever – but that clearly is of no concern to...