Ciao Trattoria

We are Located in the Financial District of Downtown Los Angeles in the 1927 Historic Fine Arts Building. Our barrel-vaulted ceiling, Striking Décor and rich wood seem like a place in Rome's chic via Condotti. We also have a Romanesque-style lobby, available for private parties, and can make any affair one to remember. We have been serving Downtown Los Angeles's finest Italian fare with exciting and traditional dishes and unique ambiance since 1993. At Ciao Trattoria, every dish is created using only the freshest and finest ingredients. You can taste the difference. Our award winning menu and attention to detail create a truly enjoyable dining experience. Join us for lunch and dinner.

The 1927 Romanesque Revival building, originally designed to provide workspace and display areas for artists and craftsmen, is truly one of a kind. The exterior features reclining figures representing “Sculpture” and “Architecture” resting on a ledge above the second-story windows, and a terracotta façade exuberantly decorated with griffins, gargoyles, flowers and birds. Ciao Trattoria, with its signature blue awning, is located on the ground level to the left of the main entrance.

The restaurant has high barrel ceilings and huge double windows that give the interior an airy lightness. Classically elegant touches abound, such as intricately carved window frames, Roman busts and gold sconces. The faux-finish walls and rich brocade upholstery pick up on the gold tones, as does a large mural of the sunbathed Tuscan hills. There’s a long granite bar that runs down the right side of the large dining room, and a series of archways that create a sense of intimacy and privacy whether you use the entire room or just one section for a smaller party.

A set of double doors opens directly onto the spectacular 40-foot-high lobby courtyard, a magnificent masterpiece of Moroccan, Gothic and Deco detail that would leave even an ardent fan of the period, like Cher, totally speechless. The ochre-colored walls resemble cut stones inlaid with mosaic tiles, and the floors are highly polished dark terracotta bricks. At the center of the courtyard is a reflecting pool lined with Batchelder tiles (the work was supervised by Batchelder himself!) and enlivened by bronze statues of children frolicking in the shallow water. Along the walls, cabinets of dark wood and glass, originally designed to display the works of the tenant artisans, are works of art in themselves. And a huge museum-quality, wrought-iron chandelier hangs down from the black-and-red coffered ceiling that’s been painted in an Egyptian theme. (You can get a great up-close view of the ceiling and the gallery of sculpted goddesses perched above the courtyard from the mezzanine-level balcony).

The bride’s room is on the mezzanine level, so in a theatrical twist, the bride takes the elevator down to the main floor and makes her grand entrance through the gleaming brass elevator doors. With family and friends seated on either side of the reflecting pool, she walks down the center aisle to exchange vows against the backdrop of the lobby’s gorgeous glass-and-brass doors. Afterwards, guests can enjoy delicious appetizers and cocktails at Ciao’s bar before returning to the courtyard for their sumptuous dinner and dancing. By combining a gourmet feast with a visual feast, Ciao Trattoria transforms this hidden gem into a crown jewel of a wedding site.