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Legendary Italian chef Massimo Bottura opened this spot, his first L.A. eatery, to loads of fanfare and celebrity sightings. The restaurant mirrors the Florence, Italy, location of the same name with a menu filled with favorites like a mouthwatering tortellini with Parmigiano Reggiano crema. The locale sits atop the roof of the Gucci retail outlet on Rodeo Drive with prime positioning for watching the high-end shoppers and glitzy denizens of the neighborhood.
347 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, California, 90210, USA
Known For
- Excellent pastas
- Great people-watching
- Avant-garde design
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$$$ | Beverly Hills |
Wolfgang Puck's flagship restaurant is a modern L.A. classic. Spago centers on a buzzing redbrick outdoor courtyard (with retractable roof) shaded by 100-year-old olive trees, and a daily-changing menu that offers dishes like smoked salmon pizza or off-menu schnitzel. Dessert is magical, with everything from an ethereal mango soufflé to artisanal cheeses. Opt for the tasting menu as it comes with a personal tour of the kitchen, and if you’re lucky, a meet and greet with Wolfgang Puck himself.
176 N. Canon Dr., Los Angeles, California, 90210, USA
Known For
- Great people-watching
- Off-menu schnitzel
- Sizzling smoked salmon pizza
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Reservations essential
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$ | West L.A. | Japanese
The crown prince of ramen in Los Angeles deserves every accolade thrown at it. With lines wrapped around the block, patrons await tonkotsu (a pork broth that simmers for 60 hours) with tender strips of pork, semi-hard noodles, wood ear mushrooms, and bamboo shoots. Other items include spicy tuna or salmon bowls over rice. Don’t mind the lines, the ramen here tops every list for a reason and is worth waiting for.
2057 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 90025, USA
Known For
- Spicy tuna
- Salmon bowls
- Long lines
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$$ | Century City | Café
In fast-paced Century City, this quaint restaurant pays homage to comfort food classics. Look for chicken potpie, macaroni and cheese, roast beef sandwiches, and a slew of hearty salads. A great breakfast or lunch detour as you make your way to the beaches, Clementine has a bakery case that's filled to the brim with slices of banana bread with cream-cheese frosting, oatmeal raisin cookies, and freshly made cinnamon rolls (Saturday only).
1751 Ensley Ave., Los Angeles, California, 90024, USA
Known For
- Family-owned neighborhood bakery
- Lunch to bring to the beach
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$$$$ | Century City | Modern American
Accommodating Century City's growing legions of agents and lawyers, Craft, around since 2007, is a major film industry hangout. At the helm is Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio, who whips up shared plates like roasted octopus and foie gras with apple butter. Boutique produce goes into the plethora of side dishes, and desserts may include triple chocolate sunflower cookies or house-made ice creams and sorbets. In its open, airy dining room, deals are brokered over lunches made with seasonal ingredients.
10100 Constellation Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 90067, USA
Known For
- House-made sorbet and ice cream
- Triple chocolate sunflower cookie
- Seasonal veggies
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$$ | Beverly Hills |
A Euro--Vietnamese fusion gem in the heart of Beverly Hills, Crustacean allows you to walk on water above exotic fish and see the kitchen preparing your perfect garlic noodles through a glass window. Standouts (besides the noodles) include Dungeness crab, A5 Wagyu beef, tuna cigars, and hearts-of-palm crab cakes. The cocktail program also brings the heat with turmeric mules and artichoke old-fashioneds.
468 N. Bedford Dr., Los Angeles, California, 90210, USA
Known For
- Sake-simmered dishes
- No-grease garlic noodles
- Unique cocktails like artichoke old-fashioneds
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Beverly Hills |
In a true collision of artistic titans, celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck presents his take on steak houses in a space designed by Getty Center architect Richard Meier. Playful dishes like bone-marrow flan take center stage, while dry-aged and seared hunks of Nebraskan sirloin prove the Austrian-born chef understands America's love affair with beef. Other favorites include the “Louis” cocktail (Alaskan king crab and Louisiana shrimp) and dark chocolate soufflé for dessert.
9500 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 90212, USA
Known For
- Decadent dark chocolate soufflé
- Fantastic crab and shrimp cocktail
- Perfect cuts of beef
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch, Reservations essential
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$$$ | West L.A. | Japanese
A power lunch spot for Hollywood deal makers, this strip mall sushi joint is decorated with fine art and serves up some of the freshest fish in L.A. No one would fault you for getting a table, but sitting at the bar and ordering directly from Chef Yoya Takahashi is another experience altogether. Twenty kinds of fish dominate the menu, which includes 30 celeb-inspired rolls, and one of the least expensive omakase meals around.
11043 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 90025, USA
Known For
- Celeb-inspired rolls
- Most affordable omakase meal in town
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch weekends
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$$$$ | Beverly Hills |
Matū is a steak restaurant that features 100% grass-fed Wagyu beef from New Zealand. Diners here are treated to a cavalcade of meaty options, but you should opt for the (surprisingly) affordable Matū dinner that comes with five courses and includes everything from steak tartare to eight-hour braised beef cheek. If you come for lunch (Wednesday to Sunday only), you can partake in the best Philly cheesesteak in the city made with the same exceptional beef.
239 S. Beverly Dr., Los Angeles, California, 90212, USA
Known For
- Five-course prix-fixe menu
- Grass-fed New Zealand Wagyu
- Outstanding service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon. and Tues.
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$ | |
A longtime refuge from California's lean cuisine, Nate 'n' Al's serves up steaming pastrami, matzo ball soup, and potato latkes. Big-time media and entertainment insiders are often seen kibbitzing at this old-time East Coast–style establishment.
There can be a bit of a wait, so plan accordingly.
414 N. Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills, California, 90210, USA
Known For
- Matzo ball soup
- Killer pastrami
- Long waits
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$$$$ | Beverly Hills |
Tucked into the back of Sugarfish (a popular sushi chain) in the middle of Beverly Hills, this secret omakase (chef's choice) sushi spot has only 10 seats, where master chef Osamu Fujita slices up the freshest cuts of raw fish from a 20-course tasting menu. If you ever wanted to get a one-on-one with a culinary wizard, this is your chance as you sit a foot away from the chef while he prepares your perfect portions. Reservations aren't easy, but can be made 60 days in advance.
212 N. Canon Dr., Los Angeles, California, 90210, USA
Known For
- Omakase sushi
- Bluefin tuna hand rolls
- Hard-to-get reservations needed
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$$$$ | Beverly Hills |
Nothing says Beverly Hills quite like the Polo Lounge inside the Beverly Hills Hotel. This classic, monied spot is home to Hollywood royalty and entertainment luminaries noshing on lobster Nicoise or the famed Wagyu burger during power lunches. A beautiful flower-lined courtyard provides a modicum of privacy for celebrity A-, B-, and C-listers, while inside features live piano music every night of the week. Afternoon tea is a favorite for locals and the Sunday jazz brunch is the perfect way to end your weekend. Note that there's a loose dress code here, which means no baseball hats, ripped jeans, men's tank tops, or the like.
9641 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 90210, USA
Known For
- Celebrity sightings
- Mouthwatering Wagyu burgers
- Dress code of no ripped jeans or baseball caps
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$ | |
The haute cupcake craze isn't going away, so expect lines that extend out the door and down the block here. If you need an after-hours fix, not to worry: Sprinkles also has the world's first cupcake (and cookie) ATM, open round the clock. The most popular flavor? Red velvet, of course.
9635 S. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, California, 90210, USA
Known For
- Red velvet cupcakes
- Banana peanut butter cupcakes
- Long lines
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$$$$ | Bel Air | American
Co-owned by trumpeter Herb Albert, Vibrato takes a high-road approach to a jazz club: this is a stylish, acoustically perfect venue where every table has a view of the stage. The kitchen is as notable as the music; it turns out contemporary American fare such as pan-roasted sea bass with a fennel-leek ragu, macaroni and cheese with bacon-parmesean crust, and USDA Prime steaks. Art on the walls was painted by the Grammy-winning owner himself.
2930 Beverly Glen Circle, Los Angeles, California, 90077, USA
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch.
