Firenze Osteria

I loved this place. I came to take Fabio’s cooking demonstration classes and it quickly became my favorite place for authentic Italian food. I am so bummed that it’s closed. I hope it opens again soon, it’s amazing.

Loved the Short Rib Raviolis (I can’t get them out of my mind!!!) Grandmas Chicken was also fantastic and plenty to take home for lunch the next day … The Open kitchen combined with the Florence style dining room made for a really cool atmosphere.

People are reporting this location as «CLOSED.» Firenze as stated in this article is undergoing a major renovation and is slated re-​open in the late fall.
It was a great place before and will likely be even more superior when they have their grand re-​opening.

Wow! One of the best dining experiences the wife and I have had in a long time!
We shared the antipasti plate, very nice, and split the seafood linguini, possible the best I’ve had anywhere. Sauce is excellent and the calamari was done perfectly. We split a desert, had a few drinks and were plenty full!
It’s not cheap but well worth the price, about what you’d expect to pay at a nice Italian restaurant .
Highly recommended!

As with most Los Angeles restaurants, the Firenze Osteria doesn’t look like much from the outside, and everyone in our party actually passed right by it on the way to dinner. Still, once you get inside, it’s an entirely different world.
The authentic Italian menu is far more than pasta. Definitely order the Grilled Pancetta and Burrata Crostino appetizer along with the Fried Calamari and Zucchini… both were amazing! And for our entrees, the chef and our server took such good care of us with the Short Rib Ravioli (delish, though a little heavy on the cream sauce) and the Roasted Chicken. Everything was wonderful and the service was superb!

Came here with a party of six last Saturday night for my birthday. The main room was a bit noisy but I liked our nice big table. I started off with a balsamic martini which was very good – very strawberry, I didn’t even really taste the balsamic. Then I split the spinach and ricotta dumplings which unfortunately were a bit too chewy/​rubbery for me (and I would have liked more ricotta). My main dish was the butternut squash ravioli which was delicious (and too much for me to finish in one sitting, so I can attest were also very good cold the next day. The brought me out a mini bread pudding for my celebration, and it was good, but tasted a little more like a flan type dessert to me.
Prices were very reasonable, and though our main course took a little while, service was very good. I would definitely go back.

Back to Firenze for the first time in four years. Still offers marvels.
On any budget you can enjoy the burata crostini with pancetta. The cheese is enough reason to try it. The gnocchi with rabbit is outstanding. Gnocchi are lusciously, pillowy soft.
For the splurgers the $ 90 dollar 28 day dry-​aged rib-​eye should be considered.
Interior décor should be improved but the menu and food can’t be topped!
Look for photo of Fabio with Michelle Obama and other Top Chef faves.

The cooking class was lots of fun, having chance to meet Fabio, the top Chef, and lots of knowledges.
Getting an email from this restaurant that today is a cooking class, I was very excited to participate this because i am a big fan of him. When my daughter, future son-​in-​law and i arrived here around 130pm, it already was a long line out there. When the door opened 200pm, they already set the tables and we were seated in front of the kitchen counter top where the Top Chef Fabio was gonna give a lecture.
He is born to be celeb Chef. He is a very fun guy having a strong italian accent, a good sense of humor, a good looking and knowledges.
Because todays title was HEALTH COOKING, most ingredients was vegetables and fish. He started with salad dressing. It was a Cesar salad but mayo switched Greek yogurt and anchovies. After the salad demonstration, they served the kale Salad. It was so fresh, light and unique. The next step was the pasta. It was also so easy and healthy, using food processor he made dough easily. After the pasta demo, they served the tomato penne. It was so chewy and flavorful. The last step was the making romesco sauce for the fish. It was also very easy and fun. They also served the white fish with romesco. It was fantastic with the tenderness of fish and well harmonizing sauce.
After the whole class, we had good chance to take pictures and talk with Fabio. We bought the cook book with an autograph.
This class is highly recommended because it is easy and gets the point easily and fun like a standing comedy. The food is literally authentic.
Today i caught the many fish with throwing one stone: meeting Fabio, learning how to cook, buying a cook book, eating a delicious food and celebrating my son-in-law’s BIG promotion and many more.
Tip: if u check-​in on Unilocal,you can get a 50%discout on HH.

Came here one night for dinner with my family & cousins. Decided to try it since it was owned by Top Chef Fabio and I watched that season so I was pretty excited. Too bad he wasn’t there to meet though, he has the most awesome accent!
DRINKS:
They have a really LARGE drink menu, I like that though, there’s so much to choose from and try!
Balsamic Martini (5 stars): Definitely my favorite drink ever, they use balsamic! Yes, you heard it correct. Aged balsamic to be precise so it’s nice & sweet and oh so good, especially with muddled strawberries, two of my favorites! This is a MUST TRY!
We also tried the Margarita and the Bellpepper Martini, which were just OK.
APPETIZERS:
Burrata caprese (4 stars): Came with small cherry roasted tomatoes, it was really good, usually I need more burrata not tomatoes. This one needed a little more tomatoes, but I’d rather have more burrata anyways ;)
Grilled pancetta & burrata crostino (4 stars): Really good pancetta, really good burrata, I liked this alot.
Shrimp scampi (3.5 stars): This was OK, I’ve had it with better flavor before but we requested this to be specially made so they tried.
ENTREES:
Butternut squash ravioli (5 stars): One of the best I’ve tasted, ravioli was freshly made you could tell and it was thin, it was the perfect flavor combination even with a sage cream sauce!
Short Rib Ravioli (4.5 stars): My brother got this and it was really good!
Chicken piccata (4 stars): Good sauce with it, the chicken was tender and the mashed potatoes were even better!
Lobster ravioli (4 stars): My cousin got this and I tried it, the sauce was really good!
Gnocchi special (4 stars): The gnocci was pretty light, I would never order gnocci because it’s overall too heavy but this one tasted good.
DESSERT:
Vanilla crème brûlée (4 stars): Good crème brûlée, could also taste a hint of the vanilla bean!
Flourless chocolate cake (4 stars): Another solid dessert, chocolate lovers at my table really liked it, especially with the ice cream!

I came here once for lunch and once for Happy Hour and had a good time on both occasions. How could I not when this restaurant is partially owned by the wonderful Fabio Viviani?!
When my coworker BG and I came here for HH after work, we sat at the bar and were served by the cute bartender (I think his name was Woodrow). I got their $ 4 Jacopos Specialty Martini of the Week: Arnold Palmer. And BG got a glass of the house white wine. We both liked our drinks. Then we moved on to appetizers and ordered the Potato Skins and the Meatballs. Our potato skins came out pretty quickly and were okay. Our meatballs took forever though… and it turned out to be because the bartender didn’t put the order in. And then after he corrected that mistake they still took forever to come out, so he was nice and gave us complimentary drinks. Good times :)
Since I had a good experience here, I suggested this place to my boss as a potential venue for a seminar we were hosting at work. So the two of us came here with another colleague for lunch to try it out. We shared their Grilled Pancetta and Burrata Crostino (Parmesan Crostini, Imported Burrata Cheese, Grilled Pancetta, Brown Butter, Sage) and it was pretty good. For my entrée, I got their Butternut Squash Ravioli: butternut squash, ricotta ravioli, brown butter, sage cream sauce, ground black pepper, parmigiano. It was delicious. I don’t remember what the other two got but I know we all enjoyed our food here.
If you are a fan of Fabio’s from Top Chef, or just want some quality Italian food in Toluca Lake, this place is definitely worth a visit. Their parking lot in the back is a bit small, however, so street parking would be easier.

We came around 7pm and it wasn’t busy at all on a Monday. I made a reservation, because I didn’t know if it was going to be busy. It was street parking so there would probably be walking involved. We were lucky to find a spot right next to the restaurant. The interior was dark with candles at each table. Our hostess turned out to be our waitress as well. She looked good and was nice; in addition, she helped answer any questions we had about some menu items as well as showed us specials on a tablet. That was a change of pace to actually see pictures of their specials to help us decide if we wanted them or not.
I ordered the Vegetable Minestrone ($ 5) and the Chicken Scallopini ($ 24.95). I was eyeing the Short Rib Ravioli but decided to change it up. My dad ordered the Caesar Salad ($ 9.95) and the Seafood Linguini ($ 19.95). The bread we received tasted good with the marinara sauce and there were two kinds of bread in the basket. I didn’t know which was which, but I liked the softer bread.
The Vegetable Minestrone was missing the tomato paste but that was okay. It was alright and I added some pepper to try to make it taste better; however, that really didn’t do anything. I tried some of my dad’s Caesar Salad and it seemed like it was missing the cheese. I’m not sure what it was but something was missing. The Chicken Scallopini was good to me and I finished it pretty quick. I’ve never tried it before (not sure if there was something like that at all Italian restaurants), but it wasn’t amazing for me to recommend it to anybody. It was just good and filled me up just right though. If you like chicken, then I guess you can order that, but there were probably better things on the menu.
Overall, I thought this place was good for some Italian food around the Universal Studios area.

Let me start by saying my 3 stars only reflect the food and drinks, not the experience. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the restaurant. I wasn’t familiar with the Top Chef connection, but that was cool to learn about later.
We started out with the meal with Gisele and Lavender Lychee martinis. I was so excited by their cocktail menu, but sadly I wasn’t blown away by either cocktail when they arrived. The Gisele was light on flavor (would have loved more jalapeño) and those that were present sort of all muddled together in an un-​impressive way. The Lavender Lychee was a little better, but the combination did mimic laundry detergent. Don’t get me wrong, we finished both drinks, I just wasn’t excited enough by either to order them again.
Next, we split the Burrata Salad, which was hands down the most delicious treat I had that evening. It was soooo good. The salty cheese, tangy arugula, sweet balsamic, accents of sun-​dried tomatoes and magic dressing made for happiness that I didn’t want to end. Love!
Pasta is my favorite food, so I was really looking forward to our main course. I ordered the Butternut Squash Ravioli, and my boyfriend got the Gnocchi Pesto. While both were good, it was the same «could have been better» for both. My ravioli filling was SO sweet. Like we’re talking literal dessert amounts of sugar and almond extract. Switch out the (tasty! wish it would have come through more) cream sauce for caramel sauce and it would fly on the dessert menu. This dish would have been delicious with a more savory filling. The gnocchi was good, but after a bite or two you need a break. The pesto was flavorful and fresh, but the dish would really benefit from some fresh tomatoes or other veggie to break up the richness of the pesto and up the stamina for eating the gnocchi. We actually couldn’t finish it at the table, but I liked the dish better the next morning for breakfast! :)
We had other plans for dessert (though I might have reconsidered had there been something Nutella on the menu as in times past) so didn’t stick around. I must mention the focaccia-​like bread though; we went through a basket and a half during the meal. My sauce-​loving boyfriend enjoyed the marinara on the side and I thought the bread was good enough to enjoy alone. A nice touch for the dining experience!
The service was great, everyone friendly and courteous. The ambiance was cozy and comfortable (though not conducive to flash-​free photography, aw). I would come again for a celebratory meal, but would try new things (buratta salad aside). It was a treat to dine here!

Received an invitation for a free dinner for being an elite member provided I write a review, and I happily obliged! It’s located close to Universal Citywalk. They have valet parking for $ 4.50, or you can find free street parking.
Nomnoms:
Bread with marinara sauce: Loved the sauce! Bread was a little hard.
Lobster Bisque: AMAZING, delicious! Actually craving it right now…
Pear salad: Pretty good. Included skinned pears, lettuce with a light herb/​ranchy dressing, strawberries, and walnuts, everything was soft and tasted fresh.
Gnocchi with rabbit ragu: superrrrr soft, very good! I usually don’t like gnocchi but I enjoyed this dish.
Seafood Cioppino: Also delicious! Clams, calamari, shrimp, and mussels in a yummy sauce and served with toasted herb/​cheese bread.
We then had legit espressos (hit the spot!) and peach cobbler for dessert, which our server recommended and was not on the menu. The rest of the dessert choices sounded amazing, even the dessert cocktails sounded so good, but we were already so full! They have a really extensive wine list and pair your meal for you if you wish. Food presentation was nice. Our server, John, was excellent and would check on us and tell us how certain plates were prepared. There was another man that made sure we always had water, utensils, or anything else we needed. The attention was definitely an A+!
I’d give it 4.3÷5 stars only because it’s pricy, the location is okay, and the décor is okay. It’s definitely a nice place for a filling 7-​course meal, or even separate dishes. I like the fact that they have happy hour everyday from 5−7PM too, and I’ll probably be returning for that and/​or trying their desserts. If you check in on Unilocal you can get 50% off the happy hour food menu!
All in all it was a very pleasant and yummy experience, some of the most attentive staff I’ve come across. Thank you for giving me the opportunity, Tabitha!

A HUGE, MASSIVE THANK YOU to Lisa & John for treating us like royalty! We had an amazing experience!
My brother & I came here for dinner yesterday and were presented with 5 amazing dishes. I cannot remember their specific names but we had:
1) Veal — über tender, full of flavor
2) Gnocchi w/​rabbit meat – tastes like chicken! No but really, it had a pleasant, unique taste
3) Giant shrimp wrapped in prosciutto
4) God help me I cannot remember the cheese dish w/​homemade pesto sauce!
5) Dessert: flourless cake w/​homemade vanilla-​bean gelato + two others
All these dishes over a bottle of wine was magnifico!
The service is superb! They work in a teamwork manner: it’s not just your waiter who picks up dishes and changes your silverware after each dish, it’s anyone who passes by and sees you have completed your dish.
Very high end, classy restaurant!

Went with a large after graduation group for lunch. The restaurant is nicely decorated with a large bar and banquet room. The menu was prefix with a couple of appetizers.
Bread w/​marinara ⁴⁄₅ stars fresh bread with a tomato marinara dip sauce. lot’s
lot’s of flavor
Brochetta ⁴⁄₅ stars tomato, basil and prosciutto ham on toasted bread.
excellent !
Pear Salad ²⁄₅ stars soggy wilted over dressed.
Ceasers Salad ³⁄₅ stars simple not a lot to it very little Parmesan cheese.
Salmon ⁴⁄₅ stars salmon was perfectly done tender and flavorful.
Pasta Bolognase ⁴⁄₅ stars good portions pasta nicely cooked.
Molton Chocolate Cake ³⁄₅ stars tiny tiny piece of hot molton cake. tasted
good portion was just a little bigger than
a 50 cent coin.
The service was a little slow but there was over 60 people in our group.

My friends and I came here for Happy Hour and ended up staying for dinner. The staff was very accommodating and friendly, especially when we kept moving from the bar to the table and then back to the bar. (Sorry about that.) The bartender really knew her wines and one of our friends ended up having a great conversation with her about reds. I love it when the bar staff knows their stuff!
The Happy Hour menu offers a lot of tasty eats at pretty generous portions. A couple of my friends went for the fish & chips and were pleasantly surprised at how large the fish pieces were.
We also ordered an appetizer off the main dinner menu. The Pancetta Grilled Jumbo Shrimp. Amazing. Please order it. It’s served with parmesan polenta. Do I really need to go on?
I had the Braised Short Rib Ravioli and oh my sweet Jesus. No regrets. The taleggio cream reduction was superb and the meat so tender.
As for drinks, well all house lemon drop martinis are $ 5 during Happy Hour. The Basil Lemon Drop is really good. Refreshing on a hot day. My friend swears by the Blueberry Fuss (Citrus vodka, fresh blueberries and fresh lemon.)
You’re guaranteed a wonderful dining experience here whether you come for dinner or Happy Hour!

I ate at this restaurant for dinner during Dine LA last month with a friend. They have valet parking for $ 2.50 or so which we used. The restaurant has a very warm and cozy feel inside.
Most of the food we ordered was from the limited time Dine LA menu so that’s hard to review, but we did order the calamari and balsamic cocktails from the regular menu. When I tried the calamari I realized that every other time I have had this dish it has been overcooked. It tasted great and the portion size was plentiful.
The cocktails were equally as delicious. They were recommended to us by our server who was also very friendly.
I think that I will come back the next time I’m in the area.

This review is for the cooking class with Fabio. He does them every month or so and I can’t believe it was actually a YEAR ago when we went and I further cannot believe I have not been back! I had the best time at this cooking event where we learned to roast chicken (and turkey), make cranberry risotto and pumpkin/​squash gnocchi.
The restaurant is very nice inside, although for the classes, they do pack us in! Get there early for the best seating! You can order cocktails before the class gets started and I had some sangria — whoo, that’s strong sangria! I do like my drinks with booze in them, though! Yea!
Fabio was totally awesome. Okay, I know its true that I have a crush on him to start with, but seriously, he was so funny and genuine and just an overall nice guy — it was more than just the star factor. He kept us laughing through the whole class, but we also actually learned how to make these dishes and we got to taste them — DEElish! He went step by step on what to do and made risotto look super easy! Everything tasted wonderful and I now use his recipe when I roast my turkeys and they come out moist and flavorful.
I am DYING to go back and actually order from the menu, but even more, I can’t wait to get my girlfriends together again and go back for more cooking lessons with Fabio. Seriously? Can you think of a better way to learn how to make new dishes?

Came here on a
. The food was very good and on a weekday it was not very crowded for lunch — even a bit empty.
The service was good and the food even better. Pastas seem to be their specialty. Top Chef Fabio lends his name to the place but not sure if he’s there on a daily basis.

Bought my parents a gift card as a combined Mother’s Day/Father’s Day present. They refused to use it until I visited. Totally not the point but the food was delicious…
I was really excited to try the food at Firenze Osteria, having read some good reviews and obviously the local Top Chef connection.
The food and drinks:
*Comp bread: The foccacia was amazing; I didn’t try the other bread. The tapenade or whatever was really yummy too. Sun dried tomatoes added a lot of flacor and it was a great start to the night
*Drinks: I had the cucumer mint martini. Not enough mint, lots of cucumber; pretty good if you like cucumber (not too sweet). Mom had the balsamic martini. Not as good as I expected but kind of a nice spin. Dad had the thai tini. One of the best drinks we had ever tried. It was delicious.
*Lobster bisque: a HUGE bowl! Seriously they gave a lot more than other places gave. And it was so good! I did find what appeared to be a shell but other than that it was great.
*Entrees: Dad ordered the lamb shank which came with gorgonzola gnocchi. The lamb was super tender and well seasoned. Gnocchi was awesome and added a nice compliment to the meatiness of the lamb. Mom had the prawns special with yuzu risotto. Prawns were pretty good but not mind blowing. I was not a fan of the risotto at all but some may like it.
I had the short rib ravioli. Delicious. The beefy short rib meat inside the pasta was nicely seasoned and well cooked. Didn’t look like a huge dish but I was pretty full. The sauce was super creamy and would have been too much if not for the balsamic vinegar splattered on top. The balsamic cut the richness of the sauce and added the perfect amount of sweetness and tang. Loved the dish.
*Flourless chocolate cake: I was a bit disappointing. I have definitely had better flourless chocolate cakes at other restaurants. It did not have the intense chocolaty goodness that many flourless chocolate cakes have. I was also let down by the home made gelato. I think it would have been elevated by more vanilla flavor, maybe vanilla beans.
Service was pretty good. They constantly came by to clear plates, glasses, etc. and refill glasses but sometimes took glasses or plates we weren’t done with which was slightly annoying. They took our bread plates while the bread was still on the table, for example.
Overall a really delicious meal. Will be back for special occasions probably.