Cipresso
Italian Hits, Hard Rock Glam, Solid Pours
Hollywood · Hollywood · Italian
Reviewed April 12, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walk into Cipresso and the Guitar Hotel's energy hits before the wine list does — there's a 16-seat bar top overlooking the resort's Oculus and the whole room feels like it's performing. The wine list matches that energy: polished, crowd-pleasing, and leaning hard into Italian classics with California backup. It's a resort list, but one that takes itself seriously enough to earn a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.
Selection Deep Dive
The list sits comfortably in the 150-250 bottle range with Italy and California doing the heavy lifting — exactly what you want from an Italian kitchen. Tuscany is well-represented with heavy hitters like Antinori Tignanello, Sassicaia from Tenuta San Guido, and Super Tuscans anchoring the red side, while Barolo shows up via Marchesi di Barolo and Ceretto, and Brunello gets love from Banfi or Casanova di Neri. On the California front, Caymus and Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon handle the crowd-pleaser duty, and Gaja Barbaresco adds some serious prestige depth. The list doesn't stray far from the comfort zone — no natural wine, no esoteric regions — but what it does, it does with conviction.
By the Glass
The by-the-glass program runs 12-20 options in the $10-$18 range, which is modest for a Hard Rock resort property — we'd like to see more rotation and adventure here. Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio makes a predictable appearance, which tells you something about the room they're playing to. It's functional, not exciting, but the price ceiling keeps things accessible.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $40
Jordan punches above its resort-list weight class — it's a reliably polished Sonoma Cab that typically runs $35-$45 retail, so if Cipresso is pricing it at the low end of their range, you're getting fair value in a room where the temptation to gouge is real.
Brunello di Montalcino (Casanova di Neri)
Most guests at a Hard Rock hotel order Caymus without looking past page one. Casanova di Neri's Brunello is one of Montalcino's benchmark producers and it will absolutely outlast anything else on this list in terms of complexity and staying power — worth the extra spend if you're splitting something special.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
It's fine. It's always fine. It's also a $14 retail bottle that every resort list in America charges $18 a glass for. You're at a table near the Guitar Hotel Oculus — you can do better than the default.
Antinori Tignanello + Caprese Salad
Tignanello's Sangiovese-Cabernet blend has enough acidity to cut through fresh mozzarella and enough fruit to complement ripe tomatoes and basil — it's a classic Italian combination that doesn't try too hard and doesn't need to.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Cipresso isn't reinventing the wine list, but it's doing the Italian-California playbook well enough to earn its Wine Spectator badge in a venue where the bar could easily be lower. Send a friend here if they want a reliable glass of something serious without doing their homework — just steer them away from the Pinot Grigio.
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