| Giorgio Baldi | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of Giorgio Baldi | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1990 |
| Owner | Baldi Family |
| Previous owner | Giorgio Baldi |
| Food type | Italian |
| Location | 114 W Channel Rd., Pacific Palisades, California, 90402 |
| Coordinates | 34°01′42″N118°31′07″W / 34.02844°N 118.51874°W |
| Website | giorgio-baldi |
Giorgio Baldi is a Tuscan Italian restaurant in Pacific Palisades, California. The restaurant is famous for its celebrity clientele. [1]
The establishment serves Italian cuisine, including pasta, seafood, [2] veal, lamb and steak. [3] [4] It is noted for its expensiveness and celebrity clientele. [5] The restaurant has simple decor, with a small green neon sign bearing the initials "gb" on its exterior. [6] Its location has been described as somewhat hidden, which contributed to its popularity with celebrities. [1] [6]
The restaurant consists of a simply designed small dining room that fits about a dozen tables and a small terrace with additional tables. [7] [8] The menu offers a collection of Tuscan style homemade pastas and fresh Mediterranean seafood influenced by Giorgio's upbringing in Forte dei Marmi. [7]
Baldi's is especially notable for its availability of shaved white truffles, which it offers in for many of its dishes. [9]
Giorgio Baldi was born in Forte dei Marmi, a seaside town in Tuscany, Italy. [10] 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. [11] In 1990, Baldi opened Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi on Channel Rd. in the Pacific Palisades. [6] [12] [7] The original name for the restaurant was Giorgio but when Bruno Vietina, one of the original partners left, the name was changed. [7]
The restaurant quickly became popular with former patrons of Baldi's previous restaurants, including Rupert Murdoch and Eli Broad. [6]
By the late 1990s and early 2000s, various celebrities were patrons of the restaurant, including Pierce Brosnan, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Jeff Bezos, Justin Bieber, Cardi B, [3] and Rihanna who reportedly bought a house in the Palisades to be closer to the restaurant. [13]
In April 2011, Giorgio Baldi died at age 81 while vacationing in Ensenada, Mexico. [14] [15] After his death, his daughter Elena Baldi took over management of the restaurant. [11]
The restaurant closed for several months in January 2025 due to the Pacific Palisades Fire but was able to reopen in March 2025. [16] 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]
