Bavel, with its bright, cavernous space outfitted with tons of greenery and stunning Middle Eastern fare from Ori and Genevieve Menashe of Bestia, is an escape in the heart of the Arts District. Dredge blistered housemade pitas through spreads like duck ‘nduja-topped hummus and baba ganoush made with eggplant and beets before moving on to beef cheek tagines, and you won't be disappointed.

Packed since the day it opened in 2012, Ori and Genevieve Menashe’s acclaimed California-Italian restaurant has made a name for itself for excellent cocktails, wood-fired pizzas, and now-iconic dishes like slow-roasted lamb neck. Housed in a former warehouse, the cavernous, industrial-chic restaurant ushered in a new era of Arts District dining—and feels just as vibrant and energetic as it did a decade ago.

Of Ori and Genevieve Menashe’s three restaurants, Saffy’s is the most laid-back—but still has a laser focus on technique. Dig into shareable plates like wood-fired lamb and beef shawarma, hearth-grilled lobster tail skewers, and 18-hour spiced short rib in a gorgeous dining room that pays homage to mid-century Morocco. Playful cocktails and a Mediterranean-focused wine list add to the always-lively vibe.

This MICHELIN-Starred restaurant from legendary, James Beard Award-winning chef and owner Nancy Silverton is the obvious choice for special occasions. The refined lineup of Italian food like grilled octopus, crispy duck confit, and housemade pasta—plus an impressive Old World wine list to match—makes for an outstanding meal, but touches like the mozzarella bar where Silverton herself may plate your food keep things approachable.

The award-winning pastries and French brasserie fare created by chefs Walter and Margarita Manzke are still the talk of the town at this Mid-City restaurant more than a decade after its opening. Plus, the showstopping interiors are an extra incentive: Charlie Chaplin and architect Roy Seldon Price built the space in 1928, and you can still see the original brick, tile, and ironwork along with dramatic archways and green-and-white tiled floors.

Head to this stunning spot for elegant New American cuisine laced with Los Angeles influences. Housed in a former cathedral in downtown LA, the restaurant's modern-meets-classic design, complete with an open-air ceiling, makes it a showstopper. Dishes like grilled hamachi collar with ancho chile and California sea bass with spring gazpacho, from acclaimed chef Neal Fraser, make the restaurant standout from the crowd even more.

Anyone who can’t imagine a celebration dinner without meat—and lots of it—should go straight to this upscale Tuscan steakhouse. Part of chef Nancy Silverton’s Mozza empire, Chi Spacca zeroes in on butcher-inspired mains like a 50-ounce bistecca Fiorentina and tomahawk pork chop. The supporting characters on the menu are just as impressive, and so is the massive Italian wine list. Add a candlelit dining room, and you’ve got all the essentials for a big night out.

Few chefs can work a hearth like Brian Dunsmoor, who cut his teeth at Southern star Hatchet Hall before opening his namesake restaurant in 2022. The long tables adorned with flickering candles make the restaurant an ideal place for a date, as do fiery dishes like wood-roasted oysters and mushroom-crusted pork chops. The cornbread, slathered in cultured butter, is the stuff of dreams.

Part high-end butcher shop, part steakhouse, Gwen is the brainchild of Curtis Stone and his brother Luke Stone. The MICHELIN-Starred experience is a celebration of all things meat: The dramatic dining room is surrounded by glass-enclosed dry-age rooms and a central fire pit. Expect housemade charcuterie, pasta with bacon Bolognese, and impressive steaks like a 30-day aged Creekstone Farm ribeye.

Aguachiles and ceviches are just the beginning of the seaworthy delights at Loreto, a sweeping, modern indoor-outdoor restaurant that transports you straight to the Mexican sea. Explore the menu that dives deep into the flavors of the California Peninsula: Think scallop tostadas with wasabi aioli and whole branzino served with black beans, rice, avocado, habanero onions, and mini quesadillas. Toast it all with an oyster-infused martini.

Providence is the restaurant that seafood dreams and celebratory dinners are made of: James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Cimarusti puts sustainability front and center for his two-MICHELIN-Starred tasting menus featuring the likes of Santa Barbara spot prawns, Golden Kaluga caviar, and Columbia River king salmon. Expect excellent wine pairings, white tablecloths, and exceptional service that doesn’t feel stuffy—just the way LA fine dining should be.

Acclaimed chef Ludo Lefebvre is still turning out some of the best French food in the city at his award-winning postage stamp-sized bistro in Hollywood open since 2014. Sit shoulder-to-shoulder at the cozy marble bar to sample Lefebvre’s simple but masterfully prepared dishes, like steak tartare, escargots drowned in butter, and a perfectly prepared omelet that puts most others to shame.

More than two decades after it opened, Gino and Elizabeth Angelini’s always-full Italian mainstay is the place for classics. You'll know that after one bite of the non-negotiable lasagna verde, layered with spinach pasta and beef and veal ragu. The region of Emilia-Romagna is the focus here, courtesy of Gino's heritage, and it's clear from the dedicated regulars and numerous awards from Italy that the Angelinis know how to pay homage.

Downtown’s Kato has seemingly earned every award on the planet, including the top slot on the Los Angeles Times’s 101 Best Restaurants and a "One to Watch" distinction from the World’s 50 Best.

Chef David Schlosser trained under sushi master Masa Takayama before opening his 40-seat restaurant that celebrates Kappo cuisine, meaning that there’s always something raw, steamed, boiled, fried, and grilled on his extraordinary (and sushi-free) MICHELIN-Starred omakase menus. Dishes like anago eel tempura and grilled bamboo shoots wrapped in roe make it one of the most exciting Japanese restaurants in town.

Restaurateur Janet Zuccarini and formerly Toronto-based chef Rob Gentile joined forces to create Stella, a gorgeous restaurant that takes its design cues from mid-century Italy. The menu is all about Italian opulence, from beautifully presented crudos to silky handmade pastas to fresh truffle-topped Roman pizzas to meats from the wood-fired grill. Expect luxurious touches like sea urchin butter and smoked trout caviar.

AOC isn’t just a classic because of James Beard Award-winning chef Suzanne Goin’s California-French food, it also has one of the most beautiful patios in town. It’s pure romance, outfitted with a wood-fired hearth, trees, and ivy curling up the side of the restaurant. It’s the ideal place to linger over bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with Parmesan and clams sherry with green garlic—as well as a glass from co-owner Caroline Styne’s deep wine list.

Housed in an architecturally stunning structure in Culver City, Vespertine is more than a restaurant—it’s an all-out sensory experience. The choreographed 16-course meal, which takes diners through different levels of the building, weaves in music, sculpture, and scent. Chef Jordan Kahn’s highly conceptual two-MICHELIN-Starred menu pays tribute to the four regions of California through a variety of wild-foraged and regenerative ingredients.

Open since 2008, Venice’s Gjelina still turns out some of the best seasonal, vegetable-forward food in the city—not to mention excellent thin and charred wood-fired pizzas that you’ll spot on every table. Snag a table by the windows to watch the world go by on Abbot Kinney while you sip a glass of Albariño and dig into dishes like grilled oyster mushrooms with tarragon butter or coal-roasted conehead cabbage with bagna cauda.

Chef Evan Funke’s cozy Felix has been a smash hit since it opened in 2017, garnering raves from Eater, Esquire, Bon Appétit, and more. For the best experience, check out the action in the central "pasta lab" as you enjoy handmade noodles like Funke’s signature rigatoni all’amatriciana with big chunks of guanciale. No meal here is complete without an order of the sfincione, a Sicilian focaccia doused in olive oil, or the crispy fried squash blossoms stuffed with ricotta.

Whereas the original Petit Trois is just as its name implies—small—Ludo Lefebvre’s second, much larger iteration of the restaurant in Sherman Oaks is all high ceilings, gold accents, and comfy mint green banquettes. You can still order all of the hits, like steak frites and the famous Le Big Mec burger, but a word of advice: Book a seat at the compact chef’s counter to get a view of all the action in the kitchen.

This MICHELIN-Starred tasting menu gets special status for sourcing ingredients from Heritage's own farm down the street. The seasonal, multi-course menu includes fruits and vegetables that sibling owners Phillip and Lauren Pretty get from the farm twice weekly. Plus, meat and seafood comes locally from California, including fish from Long Beach’s own waters. You’ll see it all in showstopping dishes like dungeness crab toast with avocado crema and sous vide beets.

When it opened in 2019, Pasjoli helped to usher in a new era of fine dining on Santa Monica’s bustling Main Street. James Beard Award-winning chef Dave Beran is a master of French cuisine with an exacting attention to detail, putting modern touches on traditional dishes like dry-aged steak tartare with nasturium pesto and a showstopping pressed duck for two. An elegant dining room outfitted with arches makes every dinner here feel like a special occasion.

Located in the same Santa Monica building as his fine-dining restaurant Mélisse, one-MICHELIN-Starred Citrin is the namesake project from chef Josiah Citrin. Taste some of his now-signature dishes, like lobster Bolognese and “dirty” roast chicken, in a lively, contemporary environment with a bustling bar. Check out the popular Glass-Off happy hour to try a variety of dishes and pours of wine at more approachable prices.

Renowned chef Josiah Citrin’s two-MICHELIN-Starred Melisse has been serving luxurious 18-course tasting menus since 1999. Citrin and chef Ken Takayama work with the best farmers and producers, so expect fancy ingredients like Santa Barbara uni, A5 Wagyu, and Royal Osetra caviar—all served in a 14-seat modern space that makes it feel like you’re eating in an upscale living room.