Paradiso Ristorante

Paradiso Ristorante is located in the Riviera Village...1 block from Redondo Beach and the Pacific Ocean and 1 block from Pacific Coast Highway. As the name implies, Paradiso Ristorante serves Italian cuisine.

Paradiso Ristorante has 2 dining areas. The front has a pub-like atmosphere including a bar and grill. This front room has its own menu with bar food like hot wings, sandwiches, and fries as well as a decent selection of pastas. With plasma TVs scattered throughout the room, you will never miss a game.

The back area is the fine dining area. This back room is lit dimly from the ceiling and by candlelight at each table for an intimate and romantic atmosphere. Local artwork also adorns the walls. My cousin and I wanted to try Paradiso Ristorante's fine dining experience.

To start our meal, my cousin and I share the Bresaola and prosciutto with arugula and fresh mozzarella. The fresh cheese had a very delicate flavor and texture so different from the store-bought stuff. The saltiness of bresaola (air-dried, salted, and aged beef product) and prosciutto were cut by the creaminess of the cheese and the peppery bite of the arugula. YUM!

From the Antipasti Caldi section of the menu my cousin and I shared the Baked wild mushroom soufflé with a light tomato sauce. I liked the soufflé which was light and tasted very earthy. I didn't care for the sauce because it was a bit tart.

Since we were having Italian, we had to share a pasta dish. The Linguini with porcini mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, garlic and olive oil was okay. The pasta was great...al dente. I didn't really taste the porcini mushrooms because I think the garlic over-powered their flavor. But it still was very tasty.

For the Piatti Forti, my cousin ordered the Veal porterhouse with cream, prosciutto and marsala wine while I had the Ossobuco alla Milanese. The veal porterhouse was okay. The ossobuco was delicious. The veal shank meat was so tender...I didn't even need a knife. The marrow inside the shank was so fatty and tasty, too. I loved the saffron risotto...I could really taste the saffron which was strong flavored.

For dessert we had the pandoro budino or warm bread pudding. It was ooey gooey and yummy!

The service was excellent but I guess it had to be since for an hour, we were the only ones in the back room! By the time we left, there were 2 couples. Although we did dine quite early in the evening around 5pm. For a romantic evening out, this place would be perfect BUT just make a reservation on a night when there isn't a game on because cheers and jeers from the front bar area can be heard in the back dining area.

Overall, Paradiso Ristorante is a hidden gem in Redondo Beach. I liked the food. I would definitely eat here again.