Antico Nuovo

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Rooted in the Italian Countryside

Antico Nuovo is an Italian restaurant on Beverly Boulevard that takes its cues from the Italian countryside, preserving ancient techniques and traditions in both food and wine. The name says it all — old and new in the same breath — and the kitchen makes good on that promise through a seasonal menu that moves with the rhythms of what's available rather than what's fashionable.

Wine Spectator recognized the restaurant with its Best of Award of Excellence in 2023, a distinction that reflects the seriousness with which the wine program is curated. The list is built to complement Italian cooking done with genuine craft, and the restaurant offers wine, sake, and beer only — a deliberate choice that keeps the focus squarely on the table.

What's on the Plate

The menu is organized in the Italian fashion — pane, antipasti, primi, secondi, contorni, dolci — and the kitchen doesn't stray far from that framework. Focaccia arrives with olive oil and sea salt, and can be accompanied by burrata with scallion oil, duck liver pâté with saba, or artichokes with pine nut pangrattato.

The pasta section is where the Italian identity runs deepest. Tortelli comes with lemon, ricotta, marjoram, and pine nuts; pappardelle is dressed in a beef cheek and veal tongue ragù bolognese; tagliolini pairs jumbo blue crab with squash blossoms. For those who want something more rustic, fileja is served with fire-roasted goat, tomato, and Calabrian chili.

Secondi lean toward the confident and the fire-roasted. Pollo e crostone — chicken roasted over focaccia with salsa verde — is the kind of dish that earns repeat visits. Animelle di vitello brings veal sweetbreads with maitake and marsala jus, while the bistecca "tomahawk," a one-kilogram dry-aged Black Angus ribeye, anchors the top of the menu for those who want something celebratory.

Dessert stays true to the Italian pantry: cannoli with pistachio and chocolate, a Torta Siciliana with almond, strawberry, and ricotta, and a range of house ice creams from honeycomb to espresso nib.

The Setting

Antico Nuovo accommodates outdoor seating, private parties, and takeaway, and can handle catering and larger gatherings. Vegetarian options run through the menu. The corkage policy — clearly stated and thoughtfully structured — signals that this is a place where the wine conversation is taken seriously, even when guests bring their own.