The best fine dining restaurants in Los Angeles in 2026 are Providence for seafood tasting menus, n/naka for modern kaiseki, Kato for Taiwanese-inspired tasting menus, Hayato for kaiseki and Mélisse in Santa Monica for French. Spago, Osteria Mozza, Bestia, Camphor and Funke add à la carte options for a special night out.
LA's best special-occasion restaurants are mostly tasting-menu counters that book up weeks ahead. Budget roughly $200 to $400 or more per person before drinks and service for the tasting-menu places; the à la carte restaurants cost less.
Chef Michael Cimarusti's seafood-focused tasting menu.
Providence is one of LA's most acclaimed restaurants, built around sustainable seafood. The tasting menu is elegant and precise, with an excellent wine program.
It is a reliable choice for a big occasion.
Good to know: Book weeks ahead; valet is available.
5955 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Niki Nakayama's modern kaiseki tasting menu.
n/naka serves a modern kaiseki menu of many small courses that follow the seasons. Chef Niki Nakayama was featured on Netflix's Chef's Table.
Reservations are notoriously hard to get.
Good to know: Set an alert for reservation release days.
3455 Overland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90034
Taiwanese-inspired tasting menus and top-notch cocktails.
Kato, from chef Jon Yao, serves a tasting menu inspired by Taiwanese flavors at Row DTLA, along with an excellent bar program.
It is one of the most exciting tasting menus in LA.
Good to know: Book well ahead; the bar takes some walk-ins.
777 S Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90021
A tiny kaiseki counter with a famous bento lunch.
Hayato is a seven-seat counter at Row DTLA where chef Brandon Hayato Go serves a traditional kaiseki dinner. His takeout bento box is also famous.
Seats are extremely limited.
Good to know: Watch for monthly reservation releases.
1320 E 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90021
Josiah Citrin's intimate French tasting menu.
Mélisse is a small dining room in Santa Monica serving a French tasting menu from chef Josiah Citrin, with classic technique and seasonal produce.
Citrin, next door, offers a less formal menu.
Good to know: Book ahead; the room is small.
1104 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Wolfgang Puck's flagship, a Beverly Hills institution.
Spago is Wolfgang Puck's flagship restaurant, serving seasonal Californian dishes in an elegant room with a patio. Tasting menus and à la carte are both offered.
It is a classic Hollywood celebration spot.
Good to know: Ask for patio seating on warm nights.
176 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Nancy Silverton's Italian restaurant with a mozzarella bar.
Osteria Mozza is Nancy Silverton's refined Italian restaurant, with a mozzarella bar and handmade pastas.
It is next door to Pizzeria Mozza.
Good to know: Sit at the mozzarella bar.
6602 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Rustic Italian with house-cured salumi in a lively warehouse.
Bestia is a busy Arts District restaurant serving rustic Italian food, house-cured salumi, pastas and wood-fired dishes.
It has been one of LA's hardest reservations for years.
Good to know: Book ahead; try the bone marrow and the pastas.
2121 E 7th Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90021
French bistro cooking with South Asian influences.
Camphor is a stylish Arts District restaurant serving French bistro cooking with South Asian influences.
It is polished but relaxed.
Good to know: Order the duck and share sides.
923 E 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Evan Funke's handmade pasta in a three-story restaurant.
Funke is chef Evan Funke's Beverly Hills restaurant, with a glass-walled pasta lab, handmade pastas, wood-fired dishes and a rooftop bar.
It is a stylish night out.
Good to know: Have a drink on the rooftop first.
9388 S Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Providence, n/naka and Mélisse are among the most decorated. Kato and Hayato are newer favorites with small, hard-to-book counters.
Tasting menus generally cost $200 to $400 or more per person before wine, tax and tip.
For n/naka, Hayato and Kato, book as soon as reservations open, often a month or more ahead. Others take bookings a few weeks out.
Most LA fine dining is smart casual; jackets are rarely required.
Spago in Beverly Hills is lively and celebratory; Providence and Mélisse are quieter and more formal.