Beverly Bar’s Dream Team
MATTHEW RAANAN AND JUSTINE NOUR-OMID
By Elizabeth Gregerson | Photos courtesy Beverly Bar
Matthew Raanan and Justine Nour-Omid shared a dream of owning a restaurant. Last year they turned that dream into reality by opening Beverly Bar on Camden Drive in Beverly Hills. The concept for Beverly Bar emerged naturally from Matthew’s knack for hosting and Justine’s passion for cooking and baking.
Beverly Bar Co-Founders, Matthew Raanan and Justine Nour-Omid | Photo by Michael Allen
Amidst the pandemic, the couple found themselves in the kitchen creating new recipes leading to conversations about opening their own restaurant. Experimenting and creating new recipes sparked the idea of opening their own place. Matthew’s background in real estate and construction, and Justine’s career as a software engineer helped them utilize their professional strengths in the restaurant’s design and business strategy.
The Beverly Bar menu reflects a mix of family influences, the couple’s innovation, and friends’ suggestions. Together, they crafted signature dishes like the Beverly Burger and the Crispy Chicken Sandwich. Justine’s Brownies come from a family recipe, while their bartender Cat invented the classic sangria, dubbed The Cat’s Meow.
Chocolate Martini
The Shameless Flirt
Favorites include the Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice, Justine’s favorite, and the deliciously Instagrammable Buratta. Committing to high-quality, local ingredients was initially a challenge, but the couple remains dedicated to supporting local community vendors and minimizing their environmental footprint.
Describing Beverly Bar as a boutique establishment, they emphasize its focus on artistic craft cocktails and a select assortment of wines and spirits. Among the highlights are the Shameless Flirt, a spicy margarita, and the Chocolate Martini. The bar’s daily happy hour from 2-6 PM gives patrons plenty of opportunities to try every cocktail on Beverly Bar’s menu.
Crispy chicken sandwich
“With our unique drinks, we have paired a distinct and intimate atmosphere that sets us apart from mainstream bars,” Matthew and Justine said. “Beverly Bar brings back the “good old days” of sitting at the bar and befriending your bartender.” The opening of Beverly Bar coincided with another exciting milestone for Matthew and Justine — parenthood. The ribbon-cutting ceremony for Beverly Bar featured their 8-week-old baby, The couple’s dream of owning a restaurant, born out of their kitchen dates during the pandemic, is now the newest chapter in their family’s journey.
Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice
The Burrata
“We hope to become a staple of Beverly Hills,” Matthew and Justine said. “And plan to eventually give back to the community that has welcomed us with open arms.”