Divino
Italian restaurant · Brentwood ·
Upscale Italian fare with Tuscan & Adriatic flavors
Upscale Italian fare with Tuscan & Adriatic flavors
"Brentwood is a neighborhood with a lot of Italian restaurants (so many that we felt obliged to rank them), but Divino is hands-down the best one. Unlike the painfully quiet trattorias on San Vicente, where you can hear utensils scraping against plates, this nautical-themed spot on Barrington is buzzing with a chatty dining room full of families sharing some of the best pasta dishes on the Westside. The silky beef carpaccio is the ideal start to a meal here, and we highly recommend the creamy chicken ragú that’s way more flavorful than it sounds. And save room for dessert because getting the tiramisú is non-negotiable." - jess basser sanders, brant cox, sylvio martins, arden shore
"Divino takes the top spot because it delivers on both atmosphere and food—a rare combination for the Westside. And unlike most restaurants in Brentwood, Divino is not uncomfortably quiet. You won't have to whisper across the table, nor will you be subjected to the sloshing sounds of a man chewing risotto next to you. This dark, nautical-themed trattoria is very much buzzing. Servers bump into your chair as they squeeze through the cramped, loud dining room, which might sound annoying in any other setting but feels refreshing in a Brentwood strip mall. Eating at Divino means you’re going “out-out” for dinner, and the food follows suit. We like the rigatoni with creamy chicken ragu, the silky beef carpaccio, and tagliatelle with monkfish that's delicious enough to take your mind off of the competitive (and metered) parking situation at Barrington Court." - sylvio martins, arden shore, brant cox
"Amidst all the Italian restaurants in Brentwood, Divino stands out as the best and liveliest. The pastas are genuinely recommendable, like a tagliatelle tossed in a tomato-monkfish sauce with lots of dill. Plus, it's dark, a little loud, and a waiter might accidentally bump into your chair as they navigate the cramped dining room." - sylvio martins, brant cox
"Owner and chef Goran Milic opened this charming ode to Florence in the Italian-loving neighborhood of Brentwood back in 1996, and it’s been a hit ever since. Milic trained over years of visiting Italy, gaining valuable advice from industry veterans. Now Divino is one of the area’s most reliable Italian restaurants, where gorgeous plates of caprese salad come before textbook pastas and tableside roast branzino. Don’t miss out on the stellar wine list, chock-full of Italian gems." - Matthew Kang
"Tucked away on an unassuming corner of Brentwood Village, this Italian osteria—opened by Goran Milic in 1996—evokes the timeless charm of Florence with simple decor, an open view of the kitchen, wood paneling, stacked wine bottles, and white tablecloths. Milic, originally from Montenegro, bounced around Europe as a 17-year-old on the PVK Jadran professional water polo club, began in restaurants washing dishes at Michelle’s in London in 1985, obtained a work visa to Los Angeles in 1987, moonlighted as a server at Club 22, and later worked under chef Giorgio Baldi at Ristorante Lido, where he met backer Thomas Tatum; about 12 years in he repaid Tatum’s investment in full and Tatum remains a regular. To refine the menu and techniques he made regular trips to Tuscany, learned from mentors including Los Angeles restaurateur Piero Selvaggio (who owned Valentino), attended Vinitaly, and spent much time at neighborhood institutions in Florence—Caffè Italiano and Vivoli—crediting Silvana Vivoli, who "was extremely important for the restaurant and its philosophy," and who, as Milic says, "Whenever I would visit Italy, she would arrange for me to go into various restaurants to observe, learn, and meet with the Italian chefs. This is how I developed my cooking skills." Reflecting on the work required to stay competitive, he asks, “How much do you really want it? How much do you really want to sacrifice? It’s not easy. But with passion, love, enthusiasm, it’s very possible.” The menu is rooted in both Tuscan influences and the flavors of the Adriatic coast. Signature preparations include rigatoni al ragú—traditional pasta mixed with finely sliced chicken coated in a thick tomato sauce and savory pureed vegetables—and risotto all’ortolana that uses fresh vegetables (this season featuring sweet butternut squash). The tagliata di carne arrives as tender sliced prime rib-eye that barely needs seasoning. The branzino is baked in a wood-fired pizza oven with a splash of white wine, then deboned by Milic himself (he jokes, "Usually, everybody butchers the fish, but I do it sometimes with my eyes closed"), finished with sea salt, rosemary tucked inside, and olive oil. For the insalata Caprese he drizzles olive oil over plump tomatoes sourced from the Brentwood or Santa Monica farmers market and a mild mozzarella imported by Sogno Toscano from Italy, finished with basil and flaky sea salt. On the importance of ingredients he says, “There is something about combining burrata or mozzarella from Puglia, Italy — drizzling with olive oil, fresh basil, farmer’s market tomato. That sends the message. Sometimes you don’t need to talk because the product talks.” The beverage program emphasizes Italian wines, with bottles like a 2022 Marjan Simcic Pinot Grigio described as having notes of red apple and wild strawberry, and a 2021 Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico that "features the elegant fragrance of red berries on the nose" and pairs well with the pastas. Early next year Milic will open a second-floor speakeasy and events space called Upstairs—designed by Milic with investment from five regulars—serving small plates and cocktails in a dimly lit lounge with a guest chef, Gianluca Roberti, helping to develop the food and drink menus. As longtime customer and investor Cliff Einstein observes, “You see neighborhood people there, and it has the warmth, the rarity of an owner actually being the chef and being there when you come. It’s like wandering into a little bistro or something in a village.” The restaurant’s hours are weekdays 12:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.–10:00 p.m., and Saturday–Sunday 5:30 p.m.–10:00 p.m." - Olivia Bria