Cinque Terre West
Northern Italian restaurant · Venice ·
Handmade pasta, pizza, brunch, and Italian classics served
Handmade pasta, pizza, brunch, and Italian classics served
"Originally an Italian restaurant deeply rooted in the Pacific Palisades community, this spot saw its world upended when the Palisades Fire tore through the neighborhood, leaving blocks around the owners’ condominium looking like a war zone where only three buildings in several square blocks were still standing and the back of their restaurant building burned so badly that the garage was no longer accessible. With no insurance on their condominium, they had to remediate and move back out of pocket, living in a place where the devastation made it painful to be home after 22 years of connection to the community, surrounded by empty lots and memories. In the months after the fire, day-to-day operations at a temporary space inside the Colony on Lincoln felt slow and ill-suited to their style of food until they found a small former cafe on Rose in Venice that reminded them of their original location; in just 20 days they cleaned, painted, changed appliances and the kitchen, and reopened as Cinque Terre West in June 2025. At the new Rose Avenue location, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Palisades regulars began showing up every day, often describing their visits as therapy: people laughed and cried together, greeted each other as fellow Palisadeans, and said that being able to eat Gianba’s food again and see familiar faces made it feel like home. When a message went out inviting everyone to come for drinks and bites at the new spot, around 250 people from the Palisades turned up, underscoring how the restaurant has become a place where a displaced community can gather and heal, even as the owners weigh whether returning to the Palisades one day would make business sense and allow them to serve the community for the long term." - Rebecca Roland
"After their original location in the Palisades suffered fire damage, Cinque Terre West is officially back—now relocated to Venice with a patio out front. From 8am-3pm they’re serving daily brunch with omelettes, Italian croissants, focaccia, and breakfast sandwiches. At dinner, expect crudo, salads, pastas, and pizzas." - cathy park
"After their original location in the Palisades suffered fire damage, Cinque Terre West is officially back—now relocated to Venice with a patio out front. From 8am-3pm they’re serving daily brunch with omelettes, Italian croissants, focaccia, and breakfast sandwiches. At dinner, expect crudo, salads, pastas, and pizzas. We haven’t been here yet, but want you to know this spot exists." - Cathy Park
"Reopened on June 23 in a 1,200-square-foot former Bluestone Lane space at 523 Rose Avenue in Venice after the owners were displaced by the January 7 Palisades wildfire, this family-run coastal Italian restaurant is led by Marlo and chef Gianbattista “Gianba” Vinzoni and was revived with investment help from Andre Ulloa. Regulars will find the same menu—branzino and tuna shallot crudos, grilled octopus salad, pan-seared Chilean sea bass, pizzas, and Gianba’s homemade lobster pasta—alongside daily brunch and lunch (8 a.m.–3 p.m.) featuring classic American breakfasts, omelettes, Italian croissants and focaccia made in-house, breakfast sandwiches, salads, and gluten-free pizza crust, focaccia and pasta options. The 50-seat space, painted a deep ocean blue and decorated with coastal Italian artwork, has a sunny patio and new front patio floors, and the team is working with the city to add sidewalk al fresco dining. Its reopening has provided a slice of nostalgia and continuity for displaced Palisades residents and a loyal stream of customers who had been eagerly awaiting the return." - Mona Holmes
"The former Pacific Palisades restaurant has resurfaced in Venice as of March 19 at the Colony, a combination cloud kitchen and food hall. The takeout and delivery menu includes its beloved pastas, plates like chicken with lemon and garlic confit or grilled branzino, and focaccia sandwiches (gluten-free options abound, including, notably, for the sandwiches). Chef-owner Gianba Vinzoni was displaced by the 2025 Palisades Fire earlier this year and is now staying locally in Venice with his family. The Colony outpost is open Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Vinzoni says he will make orders starting at 8 a.m. on weekends if they are placed through the website." - Matthew Kang
