A Familiar Chef Expands His Westside Empire With Some Coastal Italian Fare

The Italian restaurant market gets even more crowded today with news that chef Luigi Fineo is adding to his Westside holdings with a new seafood-focused concept in Santa Monica. The restaurant is to be called Luigi al Teatro, and (as the name suggests) it lands right inside a former powerhouse-turned-theater on 2nd Street.

Reached by email, chef Fineo says the place is getting totally overhauled, and will soon be ready to serve with a full bar to go with all that casual coastal Italian fare. What’s more, there will be a big back patio and a retractable roof, not unlike what you’ll find nearby at The Rose Cafe in Venice.

No word on a finalized menu or opening date just yet, but a Santa Monica tipster sends along the above images and you can follow along on construction progress over at the restaurant’s Facebook page. And, if you’re hankering for a taste of what Fineo does, his sister restaurant Osteria Venice West is up and running not far away.

Luigi al Teatro
3116 2nd St.
Santa Monica, CA

• Four Reasons Why LA Is Undergoing a Modern Italian Dining Renaissance [ELA]