The Bougie Beverly Hills Restaurant That Owes Its Success To Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra's admiration of food was bicoastal — from grabbing a slice at New York City's infamous Patsy's pizzeria to influencing the success of Beverly Hills' classic Italian joint La Dolce Vita. The Santa Monica Boulevard landmark and the "Fly Me to the Moon" crooner actually have a long history together, with the latter helping to make it into the A-list hotspot it is today. La Dolce Vita was established in 1966, founded by second- and third-generation Italian immigrants Jimmy Ullo and George Smith. Sinatra and noted gangster actor George Raft were investors in the chic restaurant at the time. 

The singer cemented a spot at the place and made it his stomping ground, frequently hanging out with other members of his Rat Pack; Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin. Sinatra's imprint on the Los Angeles establishment was so iconic that a booth is dedicated to his honor and memory. A gold plaque sits in the velvet-lined cubicle where he often sat while eating hearty Italian fare with friends. His favorite dishes included veal Milanese, rigatoni pomodoro, and a glass of Jack Daniel's on the rocks.

Sinatra turned La Dolce Vita into a celebrity domain by dining out regularly with Tinseltown heavyweights such as Anthony Quinn, Gregory Peck, Don Rickles and Jimmy Stewart. Over the decades, many, many other A-listers have visited the restaurant including Tom Hanks, Charlize Theron, George Clooney, the Kennedys, former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, and the Reagans. The "New York, New York" singer brought a nostalgic but timeless factor to the restaurant.  

Sinatra wanted to see the restaurant flourish and so was happy to help Ullo and Smith when they came to him looking for investment to create the spot. Former owner of La Dolce Vita, Alessandro Uzielli explained in 2019 to Spectrum News that the two former waiters linked up with Sinatra and raised the money to open up the restaurant. He talks about the appeal of the restaurant, saying, "To me, la Dolce Vita symbolizes an era in history ... the 1960s was this happy-go-lucky [time] when people took eating and enjoying life very seriously," alluding to the idea that Sinatra was the embodiment of this lively, food-filled notion. The restaurant still embodies an old-world glamor, set in a white-tableclothed dining room with no windows.