Silver Lake just picked up a new date-night contender in a familiar little house. Josephine, a French‑Italian spot from childhood friends Marco Gagliardi and Anthony Dragotto, quietly opened in May in a 1950s Craftsman bungalow not far from Sunset Junction. The duo converted the cottage into a candlelit dining room with a compact bar and leafy back patio, building an intimate setup around a market-driven menu. Inside, they split things between a set supper service and a more casual, walk-in bar menu that leans hard on local farmers-market produce.
The restaurant sits at 4156 Santa Monica Blvd, in the same cottage that previously housed Bowery Bungalow, according to Bowery Bungalow. The Infatuation describes Josephine as a European bistro tucked inside the Craftsman and lists the restaurant’s contact details and reservation links. The address puts Josephine an easy stroll from both Sunset Junction and the Silver Lake Reservoir.
The Team Behind Josephine
Co-owners Gagliardi and Dragotto grew up together as friends and hockey teammates, and they named Josephine after their grandmothers when they launched the restaurant in May, according to CurationsLA. CurationsLA notes that Gagliardi logged time at Zahav, Vetri Cucina and Bon Délire, a background that shows up in a kitchen focused on classical sauces and whole-animal cookery.
Menu and Reservations
On its team page, Josephine explains that “the five-course supper changes daily, guided by the farmers market,” and that the set menu is paired with an à la carte chalkboard lineup at the bar. Recent previews and the June menu have featured heirloom chicken tortellini, dry-aged duck breast and steak frites au poivre, and the kitchen recommends a sourdough focaccia, as reported by the Los Angeles Daily News. Josephine books reservations through Resy and lists its hours and phone number on its website.
What It Means for the Neighborhood
Josephine joins a growing wave of small-scale, chef-driven openings in Silver Lake this spring, filling in the quieter end of the local dining spectrum. Nearby newcomers include Milanese bar and restaurant action and an Afro-Latin upstart: see Milanese hotspot Bar Di Bello and Afro-Latin charmer Amiguita for recent coverage of nearby openings. For diners, Josephine offers a more low-key, market-forward alternative to the louder, late-night spots along Sunset.
