The story
On a quiet stretch of West Adams Boulevard, Cento Pasta Bar brings a focused, modern take on Italian cooking to Los Angeles. The restaurant operates as two concepts under one roof—a raw bar and a pasta bar—but it is the pasta side that has earned it a Michelin Recommended distinction for 2026.
The menu reads like a carefully edited collection of seasonal ideas. Starters include Hamachi Crudo with lemongrass, coconut milk, and elderflower, and a Charred Octopus with romesco and potato. The salads are anything but afterthoughts: an Endive Caesar with bottarga and tarragon, or a Farro salad with roasted eggplant and dill crème fraiche.
Pasta is the heart of the meal. The Spicy Pomodoro brings rigatoni with Calabrian chili, truffle, and ricotta. Beet Spaghetti is tossed in brown butter with poppy seeds and chive. Sweet Corn Agnolotti, filled with charred corn and finished with Old Bay and chervil, captures summer on a plate. Larger plates like Mole Braised Osso Buco with pomegranate gremolata and Duck Confit with sweet corn polenta round out the savoury side.
Desserts are playful reimaginings: a Banana Pudding Tiramisu with Kahlua and Nilla wafers, and a Key Lime Pie Pavlova with lime sorbet.
The space is clean and modern, with counter dining that puts the kitchen on display and outdoor seating for warmer evenings. It is a place where the cooking speaks for itself—confident, seasonal, and unmistakably Italian.
Recognition
Ambience
Location