The restaurants in downtown Long Beach are proving to be bright, stand-alone beacons of hope for upper Pine Ave. While most recently, BO-beau kitchen + roof tap was named one of OpenTable’s Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in America, L’Opera has announced it was awarded with top honors at the Southern California Restaurant Writers Awards in late March.

L’Opera was one of only three Italian restaurants in all of Southern California to be honored with both the 5 Star Award, for maintaining a trifecta of unparalleled food, service and ambiance, and the Golden Bacchus Award, for the restaurant’s exceptional wine program. And while L’Opera is no stranger to being recognized for its fine dining experience, we couldn’t help but dote on one of Pine Ave.’s most revered establishments.

“On behalf of the entire staff at L’Opera, we are proud to accept this recognition from the Southern California Restaurant Writers,” said veteran restaurateur Terry Antonelli, owner of L’Opera, in a statement. “We work hard to ensure that every guest experience is unforgettable in terms of cuisine, wine selection and ambiance and will continue to do so.”

Restaurants were judged on “food, service, ambiance and appropriate beverages” of which they could receive a score ranging from one to 100 points. Five Star-awarded restaurants are given to the “chosen few” and have received a score of 95 points or more.

According to the announcement, Antonelli recently parted ways with long-time co-owner Enzo DeMuro and is currently renovating the restaurant to get ready for its 25th anniversary. Details for that celebratory event will be released in the near future. L’Opera features northern Italian cuisine delegated by Executive Chef Walter Cotta.

For more information visit L’Opera’s website here or call (562) 491-0066.

Photo by Brian Addison.

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