This is where you would go for date night. The best pasta, impeccable service, and designed dining atmosphere at Osteria Mozza make for a memorable evening out. Let's start the story with - we were late, very late for our reservation.

We had grossly underestimated the amount of time it would take for us to make our way from Santa Monica to Beverly Hills at peak rush hour, and we paid the price. We were so worried we would lose our chance to dine at this renowned restaurant, led by Chef Nancy Silverton, who was featured on the popular Netflix Original show Chef's Table. 

Luckily for us, even though we were an hour late, the hostesses were kind enough to put us in the lineup for bar seating, and we were seated within a half hour wait.

While we waited we ordered drinks from the bar lining the backside of the restaurant. My basil lime soda was refreshing and quenched my thirst as we peered over at the Mozzarella bar, where the chefs prepared the various cheese plates. 

We were seated at the corner of the Mozzarella Bar, the white Carrara marble bar is the centrepiece of the restaurant, where the chefs compose a long list of small dishes featuring fresh imported mozzarella as well as ricotta and cream-filled burrata. 

Our waiter Tom was extremely helpful with his recommendations and we ended up ambitiously over-ordering because we wanted to try as many dishes as we could. We ended up with two selections from the Mozzarella Bar and three pastas. 

Mozzarella di Bufala & Condimenti
Basil pesto, salsa romesco, tapenade & caperberry relish

Lots of flavour and we loved the freshness of the basil pesto mixed in with the tapenade and creamy Mozzarella di Bufala.

Burricotta & Artichoke
braised artichokes, pine nuts, currants & mint pesto

According to Tom, this dish consists of layers upon layers of delightful flavours and he was very on point with the description, as you pile the layers on your fork you taste the savoury of the cheese, the sweetness of the artichokes and finally a hint of bitterness with the chicory leaves.

Tagliatelle with oxtail ragu

You can taste the freshness of the pasta through its texture, which was firm yet not undercooked or doughy. The sweet and tangy flavours mixed in with the meat essence of the oxtail ragu made us crave a larger portion of the dish.

Orecchiette with sausage & Swiss chard

This was a surprise personal favourite of mine, for its spicy kick and rich flavours. The pasta also went very well with the ingredients - a heavier flavour requires a more substantial pasta to carry and bring out the taste in each bite. The bread crumbs sprinkled on top provided extra crunch, adding delight to every bite.

Ricotta & Egg Raviolo with browned butter

A signature dish at the restaurant where one would order it just to see the egg yolk emerge from the single large piece of Raviolo in browned butter sauce. The dish is rich and decadent and the pasta melts in your mouth mixed in with the cheese and egg yolk stuffing.

We were so satisfied and full from all that we ordered we regretfully didn't leave any room for dessert. We eyed the passing dessert dishes with envy, especially the Spiced Wine & Saffron Poached Pear with Sicilian pistachios, fried katafi & yogurt. Just the sound of the ingredients makes us salivate. We will be back again as we still need to experience the Secondi dishes and dessert options. We hope our travels will bring us back soon!