Over the 30-plus years Giorgio Baldi has been operating out of an unassuming, shrub-shaded building tucked off of PCH, it’s become far more than just a restaurant. A hole-in-the-wall spot known for its sweet corn agnolotti and beef carpaccio, it’s transcended into a see-and-be-seen locale, a runway, and a cultural site—the backdrop of power brokerage, blooming romances, and Hollywood rumors.
Giorgio Baldi’s pop culture prominence can largely be credited to one woman: Rihanna. A loyal patron since her Rated R era, rocking a Kool-Aid-red pixie cut, the restaurant has remained a constant in the singer’s life: she’s dined solo, brought the man who became the father of her children, A$AP Rocky, and has shown off her growing baby bump throughout all three pregnancies.
The restaurant has mass appeal in the celebrity-sphere. Kris Jenner and Corey Gamble linked up with Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos for a double date; Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, and Harvey Keitel eat there, as do Justin and Hailey Bieber. On any given night nowadays, the restaurant is crowded with celebrity guests from all walks. Take earlier this month, when Elle Fanning and Rolling Stone CEO Gus Wenner headed to the Westside hotspot for a date night—and so did Mohamed Hadid and his girlfriend, Russian model Keni Silva.
Nowadays, nobody goes to Giorgio Baldi if they don’t want to be seen. In fact, some use it as a marketing opportunity. For the first drop of her fashion brand, Khy, Kylie Jenner dressed her sisters and friends up in various iterations of pleather for a pap walk. Amidst dating rumors, Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper dined out wearing matching striped sweaters from her brand, Guest in Residence.
Below, we’ve compiled a visual history of Giorgio Baldi—or, at least, as far back as the paparazzi photos go.