Enoteca 5, an intimate new wine bar in LA’a Pacific Palisades neighborhood, is perfectly aligned with a comfortable return to gathering. The wine bar itself seats 8, with additional indoor tables for a dozen more and an outdoor patio that can accommodate 10 at a long narrow table, making for a very festive party for 30. If you’re planning a larger gathering, you can take over the adjoining Cinque Terra WEST restaurant and patio, a longtime beloved community spot, for a total capacity of 90.
Both spaces are owned by Chef Gianbattista “Gianba” Vinzoni and his wife, Marlo, who manages the front of house. For Enoteca 5, they’ve curated a selection of over 100 varieties of Italian and Californian wine, served with light bites. The wine selection overseen by Sommelier Antonino Scaglione includes popular favorites alongside rare varietals such as Sciacchetra, a dessert wine made only in the Cinque Terre region with an extremely limited run each year and Cinque Terre, a mineral white blend from Liguria.
Wine will be offered by the bottle and glass and in two-ounce servings for flights. The menu features traditional fare like pizzette, olive ascolane (deep fried stuffed olives) and fritto misto reminiscent of that served in Bonassola along the Italian Riviera where Chef Gianba grew up. The bar’s Affettatrice a volano (a classic Italian meat slicer) offers paper thin slices of prosciutto, Lardo di Colonnata, Finocchiona, Salame Rustico and Jamón Ibérico, which are displayed on gorgeous charcuterie boards alongside Italian, French and Spanish cheeses.
Set back from the street and surrounded by lush foliage, Enoteca 5 feels like a hideaway. Inside the space is cozying and inviting with exposed brick walls, concrete floors, white subway tiles and hand painted murals of the Ligurian coast by Italian artist Rosie Tos.
“We are so happy to extend our footprint in the Pacific Palisades with the opening of Enoteca 5, having been a part of the neighborhood for the past 17 years,” says Chef Gianba. “We look forward to showcasing our love for good wine and delicious, high-quality food with this new venture, and providing a gathering spot for the community.” enotecacinque.com.
