Orso Restaurant Closing In Los Angeles

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Nov 6th 2009 at 6:01PM

Celebrity-friendly restaurant Orso Los Angeles becomes the latest restaurant to close. Orso opened in 1989 and its location near Robertson Blvd. and the tree-shrouded smoking-friendly patio have made it a popular film industry haunt. Over the years paparazzi have caught a wide variety of stars including Eric Clapton, Ellen DeGeneres and Sharon Stone dining at the restaurant.

The Italian trattoria serving fare priced at around $25 per entree will close by November 21. Entrees included options like grilled seabass with Sicilian vegetables and garlic-herb butter, veal scaloppine with roasted red peppers, capers and lemon and roasted pork chops stuffed with spinach and fontina with mustard pork sauce. Orso restaurants in New York and London will remain open.

An NY Times article says that Orso Los Angeles began to falter when the Creative Artists Agency and International Creative Management moved into Century City office towers and when the nearby New Line Cinema once a huge client, began deep job cuts. There's no shortage of other restaurants in the area but its always sad to see a restaurant that has survived 20 years in the fickle world of Los Angeles restaurants close down.

There is a spot of good news though. The restaurant may be closing but the space itself may have a new future, LAist reports that restaurant owner Sean MacPherson, who is part of several Los Angeles spots including Bar Lubitsch, Swingers and Good Luck Bar, is listed on a recently submitted alcohol permit for the space.

Gallery: Restaurant Woes

Tags: los angeles, LosAngeles, orso, orso restaurant, OrsoRestaurant, restaurant closings, RestaurantClosings

Filed under: Dining

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Denis Heurtevant Nov 9th 2009 3:37PM

like LA doesn't have enough high end restaurants.

Justin V. Nov 9th 2009 4:47PM

This little submission is merely a tactic to drum up business while the owner changes his restaurant's format. The article says the same owner has filed for a liquor license for a new restaurant in the same location! Hello-o-o! It's the same guy gonna be running a restaurant in the same spot. It's just a makeover. That's what they do in LaLa Land.

T Nov 9th 2009 7:34PM

It didn't indicate that the same owner of the restaurant was on the new liquor license but rather the owner of OTHER LA restaurants was listed---hence the good news that the LOCATION will continue to be used.

scott Nov 9th 2009 7:23PM

justin v. ... the article doesn't say the current restaurant owner submitted for a new liquor license. it says restaurant owner Sean MacPherson - then lists some of the restaurants he is part of ...
i think you were looking into this too much (or rather not enough)