June 27, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Kate Mantilini Says Goodbye

Kate Mantilini
The final lunch served to guests at Kate Mantilini restaurant on June 14. (Parimal M. Rohit)

If there were ever a modern-day Brown Derby in the shadows of Hollywood, it would be Kate Mantilini in Beverly Hills. Just like its “predecessor” during the Golden Era of Hollywood, Kate Mantilini on Wilshire Boulevard was an eatery intertwined with Tinsel town.

A hot spot from the 1920s to at least the 1960s, the Brown Derby was a place where actors dined to be seen, productions turned in scenes for their respective shows or films, and executives met to discuss deals. It was also home to a wall full of caricatures of the stars that frequented the popular restaurant.

Similarly, it seemed Kate Mantilini held the title of icon Hollywood destination restaurant since its opening in 1987.

A pivotal scene in the 1995 film Heat featuring Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino was filmed on location at the Beverly Hills restaurant. Actors such as Billy Wilder frequented Kate Mantilini with so much regularity that his order was probably already put in before he even sat down. The walls of the restaurant were adorned with some of the most memorable moments or personalities of Hollywood history. With major Hollywood companies across the street from Kate Mantilini, such as Brillstein Entertainment Partners, the restaurant’s lunch hour was undoubtedly populated with key film or television executives.

Certainly, with its close proximity to Century City, Kate Mantilini was not too far away for the business enclave’s entertainment executives to wine and dine during lunch or happy hours.

On June 14, Kate Mantilini in Beverly Hills hosted its “Last Supper.” After the final few customers filed out of the dining room last Saturday evening, the restaurant’s servers, cooks, and management team bid Kate Mantilini one last farewell.

Citing irreconcilable differences with the landlord, the restaurant’s owners announced in May that Kate Mantilini would be turning off its lights for good at the corner of Wilshire and Doheny. It might as well been a bitter divorce but without the drawn out legal battle.

One patron, who had one last meal during lunchtime on the restaurant’s final day of operation, said she consistently came to Kate Mantilini because of its friendly community and environment.

“I’ve made friends with the bartender and all of the people who work here,” Judy Strawn, who worked across the street from Kate Mantilini and patronized the restaurant for seven years, told Century City News. “The food is really good and the ambience is great, but I think I will miss the people.”

Strawn added the restaurant was “sophisticated” and “appropriate for its area” but still a “friendly” place to visit.

There is a little bit of silver lining: the Kate Mantilini restaurant in Woodland Hills, which came online in 2003, will remain open.

All hope is not entirely lost for the Beverly Hills location, as there is always a chance the current owners could seek to have Kate Mantilini deemed a historic location. Should such a designation occur, it could breathe new life into the restaurant found by Hamburger Hamlet owners Harry and Marilyn Lewis in 1987.

However, for now, iconic eatery that served Southern California cuisine is officially dark.

Related Posts

Captain America Hits the Skirball Big Screen for Heroic Outdoor Movie Night

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Museum-Goers Can Also Catch a Superhero-Themed Drawing Session The Skirball Cultural Center will host an outdoor screening of Captain America:...

Demolition Underway at Beverly Grove Squatter Site After Mystery Fire Renews Safety Fears

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Crews Begin Tearing Down Long-Vacant Apartments on First and Flores  Demolition has begun at a group of long-abandoned apartment buildings...

(Video) Welcome to the Urban Jungle — where nature meets the city and style meets soul

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Whether you’re chasing that gritty city energy or carving out a green oasis in your space, we’re here to help...

Man Arrested in Shooting That Disrupted Vigil for Slain Teen at Culver City High, Police Say

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Gunfire Erupted During Memorial Attended by Hundreds at Culver City High School The Culver City police department announced that a...

Santa Monica Police Arrest Shooting Suspect After Officer Ambushed Near Downtown Mall

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Man Linked to Waymo Vehicle Gunfire Taken Into Custody Following Tense Manhunt The suspect wanted in connection with a shooting...

Michelin Stars Shine Bright on LA: Somni West Hollywood and Providence Earn Top Honors

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Two Restaurants in Los Angeles Receive Three Stars as Michelin Guide Celebrates Bold Flavors The MICHELIN Guide California 2025 celebrated...

Cherished Culver City Ice Cream Vendor Abducted in Broad Daylight

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Ambrocio “Enrique” Lozano’s Disappearance Led To Grassroots Action Ambrocio Lozano, also known in the neighborhood as Enrique, was abducted around...

Culver City Leaders Address Youth Safety Crisis After Teen’s Death, Gunfire at Vigil

June 25, 2025

June 25, 2025

Leaders Respond Following Tragedy and Shooting at School Vigil Culver City officials convened a press conference Wednesday morning to confront...

Brentwood Home by Landry Design Group Wins Top National Architecture Award

June 25, 2025

June 25, 2025

Landry Design Group Wins Gold Nugget Awards for Brentwood, Crestwood Projects Landry Design Group (LDG) earned two top honors at...

(Video) WISE & Healthy Aging Helps Loved Ones Boost Their Quality of Life

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

See How the Nonprofit’s Innovative Programs Advance the Dignity of Life for Older Adults See How the Nonprofit’s Innovative Programs...

Masked Federal Agents Detain Iranian Asylum Seeker and Wife in Westwood

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

31-Year-Old Woman was Hospitalized After Possible Medical Emergency On Tuesday, June 24, between 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., near the...

Culver City Pride Rolls In with Sunset Ride and Rally June 28

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Celebrate With a 6-Mile Pride Ride and Free Block Party Culver City will mark its fifth annual Pride celebration on...

Los Angeles Leaders Push to Ban Masks for Federal Agents Amid Immigration Raids

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Concerns Grow Over Anonymous ICE and CBP Officers in Los Angeles   A growing coalition of California lawmakers and local leaders...

Squatter-Plagued Beverly Grove Buildings Could Be Razed After Hazard Cleanup

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Demolition of Three Abandoned Apartments May Begin in Two Weeks Three abandoned apartment buildings in Beverly Grove may soon be...

From Westwood to DTLA, Angelenos March Against Military Escalation in Iran

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Protestors Rally at the Westwood Federal Building This Weekend Following President Donald Trump’s authorization of airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear-related...