Community and Culture in Playa Del Rey: Wine Tasting and Art at Caffe Pinguini
We all know LA has great food. And not just one specific type, we are lucky have a tremendous variety of food across the city.
Despite all this great food, I have noticed it is hard to find a place with what I think are the three most important parts to a successful restaurant: great food, impeccable service, and a unique ambiance.
My favorite Italian restaurant on the Westside of LA has all three – which is probably why it is my favorite. Caffe Pinguini is located in the sleepy beach town of Playa Del Rey, just south of Marina Del Rey, one block from the beach.
The owners, Tony and Enrico, hail from Rome so the food always has an authentic and fresh taste. It really is the best Italian food I have ever had. Tony and Enrico also place a ton of focus on service, so you always feel taken care of.
However, my favorite part of Caffe Pinguini is the ambiance. Since the restaurant is located just a block from the beach, the environment is set up to take advantage of the beautiful Southern California weather. A gracious outdoor seating area is lined with glass walls so you can watch the world go by as grapevines dangle above from an overhead trellis. Now this is the type of environment in which real Italian food was meant to be consumed.
On top of all this, Caffe Pinguini is also active participants in their community. They hold monthly wine tasting and art events during the summer aimed at bringing the local community together. They have fun get-togethers that feature local artists as well as local wine makers and wholesalers. It’s tough to beat sampling wines and appetizers while taking in art and mingling with friends, all just a block from the beach.
Be sure to check out Caffe Pinguini next time you are ready to try a new restaurant and keep an eye out for their events, too. What are some restaurants that you love that have the three must-have features of great food, service, and ambiance? Let me know in the comments below.
Alex Quaid is a Realtor and neighborhood expert,
focusing on the Westside communities of Los Angeles.
Follow Alex on Twitter via @alexquaid5
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This place looks great and I must try it when I’m in the area! Thanks Alex!
Also if you are a Laker fan, keep an eye out, you never know who you might see here regularly. . .
My wife and I used to live in Playa Vista, so we would go to Cafe Pinguini once every other month. It’s definitely one of the better Italian restaurants in LA. It’s not cheap, but well worth the visit.