Bar di Bello Brings Giant Negronis and Mid-Century Italian Glamour to Silver Lake

1. We’ll say it again: This space is a total stunner.

The striking space was designed by Dean Levin of design group 22RE. The floor-to-ceiling windows are covered in thick red velvet drapes to maintain the vibe, but once you’re inside you’ll immediately be struck by the sleek, minimalist lines, red travertine bar, and wood paneling throughout. “Bar di Bello is very much inspired by Italian restaurants in L.A. that I grew up going to,” says Levin, noting legends like Musso & Franks, Dan Tana’s, and Giorgio Baldi.

It also pulls subtly from New York institutions like The Grill, with the use of American walnut throughout and the circular light fixtures on the ceiling, inspired by similar ones at the now-closed Met Breuer. Wilmot and Kassar grew up together in New York, and Levin spent 12 years there as well — accordingly, Bar di Bello wouldn’t be out of place in Manhattan with its dimly lit, hush-hush  vibe.

“We were trying to make it feel very word of mouth. Behind the curtain, it reveals itself,” says Levin. “You can spend five hours there and have no sense of time.” Millwork/fabrication firm Set Acronym is responsible for the gorgeous wood paneling throughout.

Curves are essential to the design of the space: they’re apparent in everything from the wooden booths to the circular Disderot light fixtures on the ceiling, to oblong portholes on the kitchen door. “I love using curves with wood because it’s a nod to the material’s original shape,” says Levin. Hans-Agne Jakobsson table lamps adorn the bar while the furnishings draw from the school of Italian modernists with Afra & Tobia Scarpa sconces, Vico Magistretti chairs, and marble and stone mosaic flooring. Comfy velvet banquettes are the main seating option, along with five upholstered bar seats, reserved for walk-ins.

2. The menu references regional Italian dishes from all over the country.

Michael Kassar, co-founder of Wexler’s and a former manager at Spago, worked and lived at Ristorante Righi in San Marino, Italy, in addition to traveling around the country. As a result, many of his dishes refer to regional favorites (the team also traveled back and forth for research). 

Take the pasta menu: the homemade trofie alla Genovese with pesto is served with potatoes and green beans. “If you have dined along the Italian Riviera, whether in Genoa or Portofino, you’ll find that dish served with potatoes and green beans,” says Kassar. Some of the other pasta options include a take on the classic spaghetti alla Nerano with zucchini, basil, Parm, and squash blossoms, as well as an orecchiette with ragu bianco, inspired by a regional Pugliese favorite. “It’s like a Bolognese, but it’s totally different,” says Kassar.

So far, the strikingly plated yellowtail carpaccio seems to be the Instagram hit, featuring paper-thin sheets of the pink fish marinated with tomatoes, fresh basil, and fresno pepper. Branded plates by Non Sans Raison make the dish pop even more.

3. Mains also skew classic with a few house specialties.

Mains pull from Italian classics, including some Sicilian and Pugliese standards. Leading things off is the striped bass acqua pazza, Bar di Bello’s take on the Amalfi signature that includes clams, mussels, white wine, tomato broth, and a potato puree. The namesake Pollo di Bello is a riff on chicken piccata of sorts, paired instead with a shallot soubise, guanciale and capers. A slow-braised osso buco served with saffron risotto and salsa verde plays on the classic, and a lamb scottadito is the showstopper entree, arriving with a radicchio panzanella. “The food is meant for a diner who wants to come here once a week or more,” says Kassar. “It’s not too heavy. It’s restrained in all the right areas.”

4. Look out for giant Negronis served in oversized glasses, among other cocktails.

Former Gigi’s manager Spencer Recor is behind the cocktail menu, which includes multiple Negroni options, naturally. Inspired by Milan’s Bar Basso, the team sourced oversized glasses for a $34 Negroni di Basso that you’ll likely see on every table. Other options include takes on the martini, the Vesper, the Air Mail, and originals like the Prima Donna (gin, amaro dell’etna, lemon, and raspberry balsamic). 

Wines primarily from Italy and California have been selected by partner Kristin Olszewski, plus a wide selection of bubbly as well. “We have such great wine culture here in California, and [we wanted] a really robust Champagne program,” Olszewski says. “So we have about 20 different bottles of Champagne at all price points. On the one hand we have the crazy collector type bottles, but if you’re coming in on a Tuesday night and you want to spend less than $100, I have so many options,” she adds.

5. Outdoor seating will drop in the coming months.

While dim, sexy vibes permeate the interior, we are in L.A., after all — and the generous outdoor space at Sunset Row will make for some primo al fresco dining coming soon. Bar di Bello’s design firm 22RE will be working with Sarita Jaccard Studios, a landscape architect who also worked on Gigi’s, to design a 40-seat outdoor area opening this summer.