CENTO Pasta Bar
Restaurant · West Adams ·
Handmade pasta bar with signature beet spaghetti and spicy pomodoro
Handmade pasta bar with signature beet spaghetti and spicy pomodoro
"If you ever visit Cento Pasta Bar, you’ll notice nearly every table with a bowl of its spicy pomodoro pasta topped with fluffy truffle ricotta and a pool of shimmering basil oil. There’s a reason this is one of the most popular dishes and has remained that good since the restaurant opened in 2021: the fresh rigatoni is cooked al dente so the spicy pomodoro sauce infiltrates every nook, while the aromatic truffle ricotta provides creaminess and subtle umami. I love the gem Caesar salad and I’ve never skipped the banana pudding tiramisu for dessert, but the pasta is what I’m here for — and what will undoubtedly keep bringing me back because it’s always a knockout." - Eater Staff
"This sceney Italian restaurant is one of our favorite dinner date spots in West Adams. There’s a cozy front patio filled with string light-adorned trees and a long marble bar inside where you get a front row seat to the pasta-making show. The spicy pomodoro topped with a dollop of ricotta is a must-order, but you should also try their beet spaghetti and banana pudding tiramisu." - Team Infatuation
"A solo dinner at Cento in West Adams feels like sitting front row at a pasta-making demo. You might feel the urge to clap as you watch beet spaghetti take shape behind the marble bar, or even shed a tear when conch-shaped noodles are topped with ricotta and basil puree. Servers chat like they’ve known you for years, and chances are, you’ll end up sticking around much longer than planned. Cento accepts walk-ins, but you might have to wait for a bar seat if you’re at the host stand around 5pm." - jess basser sanders, sylvio martins
"Cento’s indoor/outdoor space in West Adams is the textbook definition of a neighborhood wine and pasta bar. There’s a front patio filled with string-lit trees and a bright dining room with a communal table where groups drink more natural wine than they do water. Cento’s menu is well-stocked with dishes like tartare in a pool of salty tonnato and a banana pudding tiramisu that will live in your subconscious for weeks. But, at the end of the day, you’re here to eat great pasta: spicy pomodoro with basil, squid ink mafaldine, and the iconic beet spaghetti drenched in brown butter and whipped ricotta." - jess basser sanders, brant cox, sylvio martins, arden shore
"Tucked away in West Adams, this one-time pop-up gone brick-and-mortar from Chef Avner Levi feels timely but has a great laidback vibe. The courtyard, capped off by a large tree set with twinkling lights, is an absolute stunner.The menu leans Italian-contemporary, with selections including antipasti, mole-braised ossobuco made with yogurt-marinated lamb, but as the name suggests, pasta takes center stage. A gorgeous twirl of beet pasta in a beet and brown butter sauce with poppy seeds is finished with a quenelle of whipped ricotta for a dish that is both beautiful and delicious. Desserts are equally tempting. Try the Key lime pavlova, with a round meringue of lime curd and lime sorbet, for a refreshingly sweet-tart finish." - Michelin Inspector
