Coming to the Arts District: Vineria Naturale & Aperitivo Bar

Sommelier Claudio Villani is bringing an exciting new restaurant and wine bar to the Arts District. Propaganda, with a key location at 950 E 3rd Street, will be ideal place to wine and dine on Italy’s finest in an area bustling with cafes, art galleries, and apartment buildings.

When the pandemic forced Villani to close his doors in San Francisco last March, Villani left his highly revered restaurant in the chef’s skilled hands and moved to Los Angeles where it feels like “summer in Italy almost every day.”

Villani’s new restaurant and wine bar, Propaganda, will take full advantage of L.A.’s year-round sunny weather with an outdoor seating area furnished with tables, umbrellas, and heaters for those chilly, but tolerable winter evenings. Inside there will be beautiful floor-to-ceiling shelves showcasing the wine selection and dark blue tones throughout. The restaurant and wine bar will resemble an enoteca in Italy while also integrating the raw and vibrant culture of the Arts District. The project will headed by Villani’s wife and interior designer Yan Wong, the mastermind behind Villani’s restaurants InoVino and AltoVino in San Francisco.

Aside from an extraordinary selection of wine and cocktails, the food menu will similarly draw inspiration from Italy with small plates, such as cheeses and baccala, that will beautifully accompany drinks. The restaurant’s main feature will be pinsetta pizza, made from a traditionally Italian dough that is light and healthy. All the produce will be local and fresh as the menu will follow the seasons.

Villani told What Now Los Angeles that he hopes to open Propaganda in early September. The new restaurant and wine bar will certainly be a sought-after spot to wine and dine under L.A.’s blue skies.