The Belvedere restaurant at The Peninsula Beverly Hills maintained its coveted AAA Five Diamond Rating, one of only two eateries in Southern California to earn the distinction, the Automobile Club of Southern California announced Wednesday.
The other restaurant earning the Five Diamond Rating was the Addison at Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego County.
The Belvedere has been an AAA Five Diamond restaurant since 1995. The Addison has been on the list since 2008.
“AAA Five Diamond restaurants have evolved over the years to meet the changing expectations of restaurant enthusiasts who are increasingly sophisticated about cuisine,” said Patty Marenco, manager of the Auto Club of Southern California’s Approved Accommodations Program. “Guests want to learn about cooking techniques, fresh ingredients and trends. They are looking for a wide-ranging dining experience that includes being entertained. No longer does world-class mean formal attire and opulent surroundings. And that’s where AAA’s Diamond Ratings can help guide the discerning diner.”
Ten restaurants in Los Angeles County and four in Orange County earned Four-Diamond ratings. According to the Auto Club, such restaurants are chosen for “distinctive fine-dining, creatively prepared, skillfully served, often by a wine steward, amid upscale ambience.”
Four Beverly Hills restaurants earned the Four Diamond Rating:
- Cut by Wolfgang Puck at the Beverly Wilshire
- The Blvd at the Beverly Wilshire
- Spago Beverly Hills
- Culina Modern Italian at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles in Beverly Hills
Also earning the distinction were Saddle Peak Lodge in Calabasas; Patina; Nobu Malibu; The Raymond Restaurant in Pasadena; Melisse in Santa Monica; and Valentino in Santa Monica.
In Orange County, restaurants earning Four Diamonds were Napa Rose at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa; Raya at The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel; The Cellar in Fullerton; and Studio at Montage Laguna Beach.
—City News Service