While influencers may have you convinced that Los Angeles is all about açai bowls and mushroom coffee, the city’s fine dining scene tells a far more indulgent tale. Los Angeles’ best and finest restaurants are redefining what it means to dine in style, proving the City of Angels is just as serious about haute cuisine as it is about green juice.
With year-round sunshine fueling an endless bounty of fresh ingredients and a food scene as diverse as its population, Los Angeles has become a culinary playground where anything goes – and we’re totally here for it. Whether you’re craving a Michelin-starred masterpiece or an unpretentious taco that might just change your life, we’ve rounded up the best of the best for you to savor.
Read on for Elite Traveler’s guide to the best restaurants in Los Angeles, where fine dining gets a West Coast twist.
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Providence
In a city brimming with culinary hotspots, Providence has long stood as a beacon for seafood lovers and fine dining enthusiasts alike. With two Michelin stars and even a green star, this Los Angeles institution combines chef Michael Cimarusti’s passion for sustainable seafood with dishes that transform the bounty of the ocean into works of art.
Highlights include delicacies like live Santa Barbara spot prawns and wild Pacific halibut, each meticulously prepared to showcase the pristine quality of the ingredients. Set in an elegant yet understated space on Melrose Avenue, Providence lets its cuisine shine while offering a dining experience that feels as polished as its accolades.
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Vespertine
Vespertine has firmly secured its place as one of the best restaurants in Los Angeles, holding two Michelin stars and even a green star to show it – a distinction that ranks it among the city’s very finest. Set in a glass box framed by an undulating grid of red steel, Vespertine offers a progressive dining experience that engages all the senses, escaping every culinary frame of reference.
Each meal is a meticulously crafted journey, showcasing chef Jordan Kahn’s commitment to redefining fine dining. Past menus have drawn on diverse inspirations, from a Cuban feast honoring Kahn’s grandmother to a Southern supper created in collaboration with chef Sean Brock.
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For a daytime taste of Kahn’s creativity, visit his nearby breakfast and lunch spot Destroyer, which features its own inventive menu and serves as a complementary prelude to Vespertine.
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Hayato
In a city where culinary diversity reigns supreme, Hayato waves the flag for the art of precision and tradition. Tucked away in the Arts District, this Michelin two-star restaurant is chef Brandon Hayato Go’s love letter to kaiseki, the meticulously crafted multi-course Japanese dining experience.
Scoring one of the restaurant’s coveted seven seats is no small feat – there’s only one seating a night, making reservations as elusive as LA parking during rush hour. But trust us, the effort is worth it.
The intimate seven-seat counter ensures a highly personal experience, with Chef Go narrating the story of each course. The menu here changes daily but often features highlights like perfectly grilled black cod glazed with sweet soy, delicate sashimi from the freshly caught, seasonal fish, and Hayato’s famed donabe, a clay pot rice dish brimming with treasures like spiny lobster or snow crab.
Gwen
In a city dominated by green juices and avocado toast, Gwen stands as a sanctuary for serious carnivores. Curtis Stone’s Hollywood establishment is a fusion of an old-world European-style butcher shop and a sophisticated fine-dining restaurant, earning it a Michelin star. The menu is rooted in fire-based cooking techniques, offering both à la carte options and a five-course tasting menu that highlights the finest cuts of meat.
Guests are invited to indulge in dishes like a perfectly charred ribeye or a melt-in-your-mouth lamb shoulder, complemented by an impressive wine list. Located near Hollywood’s iconic venues, it’s the ideal spot for a luxurious pre-theater dinner or an unforgettable evening out.
n/naka
At the Michelin-starred restaurant n/naka, everything is done with the utmost care: from the attentive service to the meticulous plating, chef Niki Nakayama and partner Carole Iida-Nakayama have put thought into every detail. The restaurant’s 13-course menu stays true to the spirit of traditional kaiseki, which embraces the celebration of hyper-local, seasonal ingredients in their truest state.
Bringing a balanced application of modern and traditional techniques, everything on the plate, whether it’s decadent sea urchin or humble produce from the restaurant’s organic garden, truly shines. Complementing this journey through taste and texture is an expansive wine and sake menu, carefully curated to reflect the flavors of Japan and elevate the dining experience.
Osteria Mozza
With its vibrant atmosphere, friendly staff and exceptional Italian fare, Michelin-starred Osteria Mozza presents all the ingredients for a perfect evening. At the heart of the restaurant stands a white Carrara marble Mozzarella Bar where guests can watch chefs plate a selection of fresh imported cheeses curated by culinary heavyweights Nancy Silverton and Joe Bastianich.
Excellent handmade pasta is sure to impress, such as orecchiette with sausage and Swiss chard or goat cheese ravioli, alongside impressive secondi like the grilled beef tagliata or whole branzino. To top it off, pastry chef Dahlia Narvaez’s desserts, including the rosemary olive oil cake, remain a must-try. And if you’re (somehow) still hungry for more the next day, head to Silverton’s neighboring Pizzeria Mozza for a casual lunch.
Camphor
In the heart of Los Angeles’s Arts District, Camphor reimagines the classic French bistro with bold Asian flavors, resulting in an experience that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly modern. Helmed by chefs Max Boonthanakit and Lijo George, this Michelin-starred gem blends the duo’s French culinary training with their Asian heritage, resulting in a menu that’s as exciting as it is refined.
Dishes like the chicken liver mousse, delicately spiced with garam masala and served with a flaky brioche, or the caramelized scallops paired with a citrusy yuzu beurre blanc are the perfect embodiment of this cultural interplay. Larger plates, such as the black cod with coconut broth, continue the theme, combining French techniques with Southeast Asian ingredients for maximum flavor.
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Holbox
Now it wouldn’t be a proper roundup of the best restaurants in Los Angeles without spotlighting Mexican cuisine, and Holbox brings it with an undeniable Angelino flair. Holbox’s unassuming setup inside the Mercado La Paloma proves world-class dining doesn’t require white tablecloths. In fact this casual seafood counter earned its first Michelin star in 2024, thanks to chef Gilberto Cetina Jr.’s exceptional use of sustainable seafood and flavors inspired by Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.
Holbox offers a variety of hot and cold dishes, from fresh ceviches and aguachiles to tacos like the smoky kanpachi and pulpo en su tinta. For a true indulgence, reserve a spot for their eight-course tasting menu, available Thursdays and Fridays, where you can savor highlights such as the kanpachi and uni tostada.
Meteora
In a city defined by creativity, it’s only fitting that one of Los Angeles’ Michelin-starred gems, Meteora, takes everything you think you know about fine dining and flips it on its head. Blending live-fire cooking with a zero-waste ethos, the restaurant transforms wild, organic ingredients into imaginative, sustainable masterpieces.
The menu is a treasure trove of innovation, with standouts like ember-roasted butternut squash paired with smoky mole, charred celtuce with fermented cashew cream, and a smoky scallop tostada. Carnivores won’t want to miss the smoked short ribs, perfectly paired with foraged accompaniments. Even the drinks play their part, offering cocktails free from refined sugars, wild-harvested herb teas and single-origin coffees to suit the hottest LA wellness trend.
Mélisse
Fine, we admit it! We’ve bent the rules by venturing into Santa Monica, but Mélisse makes the journey entirely worthwhile – and rightly earns it a place among the best restaurants in Los Angeles. This intimate, two-Michelin-starred gem by chef Josiah Citrin is a masterclass in modern French cuisine, offering an ever-evolving tasting menu that combines artistry with seasonal California ingredients.
Diners are treated to whimsical creations like black truffle agnolotti and dry-aged duck, each dish served in the elegant, candlelit dining room. Mélisse’s refined yet approachable vibe makes it a must-visit for special occasions – or any evening you’re craving an unforgettable culinary experience.
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