The Future of Nate ‘n Al’s Remains Uncertain in Beverly Hills

The future is still murky for Nate ‘n Al Delicatessen in Beverly Hills, after the city council declined to take up a vote on the possibility of landmarking the seminal Jewish restaurant.

On the one hand it’s business as usual over at the property on Beverly Drive, with folks still coming in daily for their share of pastrami, whitefish, and everything else. But ownership and workers have been largely mum about the fate of the place moving forward, or even if any deal to sell of the restaurant has been finalized. It’s easy to understand why: Nate ‘n Al’s is a landmark for the city of Beverly Hills and is beloved by thousands, and conversations about a possible sale (even one prompted by the owners themselves after decades of hard work) to developers stir up plenty of emotions.

On the other hand, it seems the city of Beverly Hills is keen to keep one of its most treasured restaurants around and thriving for the long haul, and could still take up a vote to lock in the landmark status of the property at a later date. While the city council didn’t put the discussion up for debate at last night’s session, another full meeting is just weeks away. It’s unclear at the moment if the debate on possibly landmarking Nate ‘n Al’s will make it onto that agenda at this time.

Even beyond Nate ‘n Al Delicatessen, Beverly Hills has been in the midst of some serious turnover with its restaurant scene. Thomas Keller pulled up the stakes on Bouchon late last year and Crustacean flipped its entire building into two different dinner restaurants, while options like Tocaya and Madeo make their way in as well.

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