Reviewing Angelini Ristorante & Bar: Italian restaurant in the Palisades Village in Los Angeles.

The Palisades Village is a popular spot for L.A. natives and tourists alike, and the restaurant scene truly brings everyone there. From burgers to Italian to sushi, there are plentiful options, but Angelini Ristorante & Bar is one where you can barely get a reservation a month in advance. My family lucked out, and we were able to dine and see if it was genuinely worth the exclusive wait!  

Upon walking up, Angelini was packed, every table filled, and, despite having a reservation, we still had to wait a bit before our table was ready. We finally got seated, but again, it was a bit of a wait before our waiter came and introduced himself and took our drink order. At this point, we were all quite hungry, so we were eager to put in our appetizer order. Waiting seemed to be a trend throughout the night from the second we arrived to the moment we left. 

We started with the burrata special, served with arugula and tomatoes. The freshness of this dish was absolutely remarkable. The tomatoes were perfectly crisp and juicy, bursting with flavor in each bite. We also had the prosciutto burrata dish, which came in a large portion and satisfied the four of us. The burrata had the ideal creamy-salty contrast, which made both dishes extremely enjoyable and palate satisfying. Both were generously portioned as well, which made it seem worth the price. 

I think the best way to test a restaurant’s menu is by trying the specials because, more often than not, the dishes are given the “specials” title for a reason. Thus, I ordered the Italian sausage pasta special, and so did my uncle, and we both believed it was the best of the pasta dish options. It was packed with flavor, each bite better than the previous, and it was not your average pasta dish that you could order anywhere. Although, I wish our pasta dish was portioned as big as the appetizers. The penne vodka (aka Penne Rosa) was average. The pasta was cooked too al dente for my liking, and the sauce was not anything special or memorable. It either should have been spicier or creamier because it was a weird in-between of the two.  

My aunt ordered the chicken and said it was very flavorful and cooked perfectly. I never tend to order chicken as my main course, but maybe next time, I’ll add chicken to an average pasta dish like the Penne Rosa. It’s possible that dish was just missing flavor due to the lack of a protein in it. 

Our waiter was nice, but honestly, Angelini was understaffed for the number of people dining in, which definitely contributed to the overall slow service. Angelini’s ambiance from the outside gives off the perfect summer feel as you dine under the twinkle lights and next to the heaters on the patio. I didn’t see inside the restaurant, but I am sure it was quite loud in there, considering every table was filled, so outside is probably the way to go.  

The appetizers and my pasta dish were very tasty; however, I don’t think I am dying to return to Angelini just for those two dishes, especially since they were specials and may not be on the everyday menu. This restaurant is a prime example of how the exclusivity of getting a reservation provides hype that can only be tested once your dine-in experience is completed. For me, Angelini is good but not excellent. One-time dining there is enough for me for now!