Rao's Hollywood

While the original NYC Rao's has been around since 1896, this location has only been here since 2011. Though it's less than twenty years old, stepping into Rao's Hollywood is like stepping into old school Hollywood. The decor and the vibe is comfortably cozy, with a vintage flair. I love sitting at the bar, while enjoying an ice cold gin martini. It's a nice way to relax before dinner. Open seven days a week, any day is a good day to go to Rao's. However, on this particular visit, we came for the 'Sunday Gravy'. The Sunday Gravy is once a week and it's the perfect dinner for two. It is a nice sample of what Rao's has to offer: Beef Braciole, Short Rib, Meatballs, Hot & Sweet Sausage, Rigatoni Pasta with Marinara Gravy and a House Salad. I asked for linguini pasta substitute, and they were happy to oblige. We also ordered the Baked Clams, which are delicious and a regular item on the menu. Marco did a nice job taking care of us, and Danni behind the bar, was just as accommodating. There is valet parking for $15 ($20 to keep your car close), but I would try street parking first. Rao's is more than just good food, it's a vibe, it's an evening. If you haven't had a meal at Rao's, then your LA dinning experience is incomplete.

Rao's has been a near-weekly spot for me during my 2 months in LA. I've brought friends, family, and also enjoyed sitting alone at the bar. From the moment you walk in, you feel like you've stepped into a cozy New York Italian restaurant with a bustling yet intimate energy. The service is always phenomenal, whether you opt for a table or a seat at the fantastic bar. The menu is family style, although if you're dining alone I'd recommend a smaller appetizer and a pasta dish. But Rao's is best experienced with company. Order a couple apps, pastas, and entrees and enjoy! I highly recommend starting off with the shrimp scampi, featuring enormous succulent shrimp in a sauce that's out of this world. Save some bread for dipping! All the pastas I've had are excellent, and the lemon chicken is one of their signature dishes. I can't recommend Rao's enough for a classic Italian American meal.

The food was great. The bread was delicious. The music selection was on point The service was very nice. Everyone was very attentive to us.

I use their pasta sauce at home, it's my absolute jar sauce! I've known there was a Rao's in Hollywood but never got around to checking it out. I really loved my dining experience there.Parking was easy, you can valet or if you're like me and prefer to street park I found something a block away - a 5 min walk.We made reservations on open table, they sat us in the patio which I loved the decor and ambiance. Kevin was an amazing server and Manny was on top of making sure our waters were refilled, our dishes were bussed, one of the best I've seen. The manager was there and came by the POS system often which we were sitting by but never once said hello or checked on us, that would be my only real complaint.Food - delicious! We started with the meatballs - make sure to put pamesean and chili pepper on it, it takes the flavor up a notch. For dinner we had the chicken parm and penne alla vodka and both were delicious. We look forward to coming back and trying more amazing dishes.

Last week's dinner at Rao's Hollywood was so good I forgot to post. The veal chop I had was to die for. It was easily one of the best veal chops I've ever had, and I've had veal all over the country. It had the perfect amount of kick from the Italian peppers and was thick and juicy.I also had a lovely, light, refreshing, cool seafood salad with a massive lobster claw atop the crab and other seafood. The veal parmesan was a huge portion and presented beautifully. It was tasty, but the veal chop outshined it easily.To finish off, an in-house made cheesecake that was the perfect finish to a delightful meal.Service was friendly and prompt, and the inside atmosphere is cozy and intimate. I'm looking forward to going back and trying more veal dishes!

What an amazing place! And yes Rao's like the pasta sauce you can buy at grocery stores. The food was absolutely amazing. Everything was plated so nicely and seasoned so well. We ordered the beef short rib pasta and veal as our main dishes. Let me tell you, it has been two weeks since I have been here and I have been craving the past everyday since. The pappardelle noodles were delicious and perfectly tender. I loved the ambiance. It immediately gave NY Italian restaurant vibes with great music.We stumbled upon this restaurant on accident as we missed a previous reservation. We arrived at 6PM on a Friday and seats with no issues! The service was great. Highly recommend giving this place a try.

The wife and I came to eat Rao's for dinner before a Hamilton show. We tried the meatballs, chicken Parmesan and the penne allá vodka. Everything was delicious and our server and bus boy were all very good! We loved the food and ambiance and would definitely recommend the restaurant for some delicious Italian comfort food.

Wow!!! This establishment knocks it out of the park! It is tucked away in the middle of the. It's and if you blink you will miss it. First time dinning at Rao's with my two besties! They have been before and decided to let me in on this hidden gem. Beautiful ambience and very clean. I loved the dim lit dinning room and the fact that there is Christmas decor in February was awesome. There is a valet because parking is very sparse. I let my besties order dinner and it did not disappoint. We had some very stiff drinks and wonderful wine selections to go with our family style meal. Service was absolutely fabulous. The table lamps are so damn cute! The food was amazingly delicious. I love the fact that the menu changes every couple of months. It is the cutest spot for a date, family or just to hang with friends. Desert did not disappoint! So if you are looking for a great place to eat some really good food this is the spot! Highly recommend!

Exceptional dining experience this evening (5/29/24). Was solo tonight, visited about an hour earlier than set res, seated in garden. Wonderful outdoor venue. Enjoyed the fresh air, subtle background music and attentive, and professional, yet casual service. Ordered two glasses of vino, complimentary bread basket accompanied by bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, also ordered 1/2 order of meatballs and chicken Parmesan and a side of pasta. Everything was delicious, hot and tasted homemade. 5* overall. Highly recommend.

Rao's is everything that you've heard about it. I had the Chef Boris' Sunday gravy. Coming from an Italian background it was almost as good as I remember my grandmother's sauce to be. Sorry I'm from the West Coast. We call it sauce, not gravy. Definitely worth a try if you'd like authentic Italian food. Now I have a 3-way Thai for best Italian restaurants in the west Hollywood, Beverly Hills area.