Dining out in Beverly Hills is always great fun, if for no other reason than the people-watching. Even if you don’t spot any celebrities, you’ll doubtless encounter over-the-top outfits and questionable plastic surgery choices. And sometimes, the food can be as attention-grabbing as the crowd.

I noticed that a number of well-regarded Italian restaurants had opened since my last visit to town, and as an Italophile, I happily paid incognito visits to four of them.

Dante Beverly Hills

On the ninth floor of The Maybourne Beverly Hills, sunny and stylish Dante draws a moneyed crowd of Hollywood types, identifiable by their designer sweatsuits or expensive T-shirts and baseball caps. They come to nibble superbly executed Italian and contemporary American cuisine while ensconced in navy-velvet demilune booths or on a narrow terrace with sweeping views of the city. Perhaps because my collared shirt identified me as a nobody, the host gave my companion and me a little table between the more desirable booths and terrace seats. We split a well-composed salad of delicata squash and endive garnished with goat cheese, apples and almonds, combining sweet and bitter and pungent flavors. A Neapolitan-style pizza had an unimpeachable crust and well-considered toppings of crunchy pistachios, savory mortadella slices and creamy stracciatella. Make reservations in advance, even if you’re a guest of the hotel.