One of the Valley’s Better Italian Restaurants Drops a Rooftop Restaurant on West Third

A popular Valley Italian restaurant is spreading its wings, landing a lofty second location on a rooftop in Beverly Grove this week. Mora Italiano, the laid-back strip mall spot in Encino, is opening atop the new West Third Street building that currently houses Comoncy.

Valley pasta fans know Mora as a casual hangout that consistently draws a neighborhood crowd. The menu is filled with staples like roasted artichoke hearts, cacio e pepe, thin pizzas, and mains like porchetta and whole roasted branzino — plus no corkage fee on wine. Check out Mora’s menu here.

This new setup for Mora will be completely al fresco, in keeping with the county’s current ban on indoor dining during the pandemic. That means 30 seats wrapped in leafy green plants and overlooking busy West Third, plus the usual array of candles and string lights that have proven so popular for outdoor dinner right now. There’s even white tablecloths, sun shades, and heaters, though the service and menu will still skew more relaxed.

Mora Italiano formally opens for dinner tomorrow night at 8201 W. Third St., keeping hours from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with an extension to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night. The group behind the restaurant, Alliance Hospitality Group, operates a number of restaurants around the city, from Comoncy itself to Baltaire and Coral Tree Cafe.

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Mora Italiano