In a not-so-quite corner of Cahuenga Boulevard, Aventine somehow manages to craft the ultimate Italian countryside atmosphere inside its brick walls. This place plays up the rustic angle as much as possible in an attempt to lure a more subdued happy hour crowd. Successfully attracting more blazers than leather jackets this is good place for a birthday celebration or an intimate chat with friends.

The newer places popping up in Hollywood have seemed to focus their efforts on attempting to bring some foreign culture to the glitzy-grunge neighborhood. Aventine is no exception. Nestled in the always-bustling Cahuenga Corridor, Aventine is trying their hand at importing some Italian flare to the west coast. From the outside it seems like this place might just be a small restaurant, but as soon as you step inside you can tell that this venue is actually quite large, with two bar areas, tons of tables and an outdoor/indoor area in the back. With exposed brick walls, and thick worn in wooden tables with metal accents, it’s hard to tell if you’re dining and drinking in a pleasant little Italian venue, or a Restoration Hardware that serves food. Either way, the vibe is decently charming with smooth music and trees draped in white lights reaching up to the tented ceilings in the back. And, just to make sure they’ve got their traditional Hollywood lounge requirements met, they also have the always-essential screen showing muted black and white movies to gaze up at if your date or friends can’t hold your attention at the bar. The back area is a great lounge spot, dimly lit with plush couches pushed together for a cozy atmosphere to drink and dish up some gossip, making it a great place to host intimate celebrations. If you are going more for their food and want to get a table, make sure you bring your credit card. Their dishes don’t come cheap and you won’t get to avail yourself of their seven days a week happy hour deals. With such a cool area for drinking and talking, it’s really best to eat first or just snack while you’re there and take advantage of their different, more romantic take on happy hour. The back gets crowed on Friday and Saturday so come early to snag a couch or a spot at the bar.

Written By Darianne Doobie

Interesting Facts

Though you might not be able to tell when you walk in, there is actually a fully functioning garage door that can split this venue into two in the middle of the restaurant. They don’t usually close off the different areas for fear of claustrophobia, but

Tips

Since this is also a restaurant, you might be tempted to get a table to do a more relaxed happy hour with your friends. Beware: you will most definitely be paying full price for everything unless you order directly from the bar, no matter what time it is.