The Belvedere, the fine-dining restaurant at the Forbes Five-Star Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, reopened Jan. 19 after a fall closure, during which the dining room and adjacent patio were renovated. I lunched there again, just two weeks after its debut, and recalled memorable family celebrations and an al fresco lunch once at which I was invited to become the spokesperson for Contadina Pasta Ready.

Upon entering — and it’s an easy, short walk from the valet drop-off — I noticed a lighter, brighter, more contemporary and less formal French country look, complete with white oak floors in a geometric pattern and well-spaced tables dressed in white linen over traditional blue and white Toile de Jouy skirts. The color scheme continues in the floral arrangements and the leather–topped seats, both on the whitewashed wooden Provençal armchairs and the curved banquettes. Seat backs are an oversized check on the armchairs and plush, tufted blue velvet on the banquettes.

Remarkable contemporary art on the white walls adds to the color spectrum and creates the feeling of dining in a collectors’ spacious home. Two commissioned works at the entry are by contemporary French painter Fabienne Verdier; each a spectacular polyptych —Linescape I and Linescape II (2015) has nine panels. Among the 11 works are paintings by Josef Albers, Nancy Graves, Robert Indiana, Yayoi Kusam, Tsuyoshi Maekawa and Sean Scully. At one point during our meal, I recognized a major music industry name, who stopped near our table to admire the Alex Katz painting, Anniversary, which captures a couple in a special moment in time.

During the four-month construction period, David Codney, the executive chef since 2013, revamped the decidedly Mediterranean-inspired menu, which incorporates seasonal and local ingredients he sources from The Peninsula’s rooftop garden and from his favorite fishmonger.

Our shared lunch for two started with a taramasalata, the popular Greek dip made with fish roe, olive oil and lemon juice. An entire branzino filet followed; it tastes as simply perfect as if it were just grilled outdoors on a stony, Mediterranean beach. This was followed by a tagine, in an exquisite pottery vessel filled with grass-fed lamb, raisin-studded couscous, cumin-flavored yogurt and an array of carrot preparations, including a purée. Dessert featured a Fabergé chocolate egg within which, the surprise — though sadly not a pearl- and diamond-crusted miniature — is a smooth chestnut mousse topped with black cherries and dark chocolate.

With 50 wines by the glass and an amazing list of cocktails prepared in the bar within the new kitchen, dining at The Belvedere brings a new and exciting experience to the established signature restaurant.

The Belvedere

The Peninsula Beverly Hills
9882 S. Santa Monica Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90212