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The 20 Most Expensive Restaurants in Los Angeles

wolfgang puck

If you have a hearty appetite and a few hundred dollars to spend, why not treat yourself to a visit to one of the most expensive restaurants in Los Angeles?

You may end up leaving with a much lighter wallet and a much heavier frame, but feasting on menus of lobster, caviar and Kobe beef does come with its drawbacks. For some of the finest dining experiences money can buy, check out these top twenty LA eateries.

wolfgang puck

20. Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air - $80 per person

Where: 701 Stone Canyon Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90077

The first restaurant from legendary chef propriétaire Wolfgang Puck to make our list (expect several more entries from him before we’re done) is Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air. If you’re a fan of healthy, all -American fare, this is the place for you, with a menu that embraces fresh, seasonal ingredients and treatments that are both simple and classic. Don’t expect to come away with much change from $80.

Scarpetta

19. Scarpetta - $100 per person

Where: 225 N Canon Dr. Beverly Hills, CA 90210

If you want classic Italian fare in an elegant, sophistical setting, head down to Scarpetta. You may have to pay $24 for a bowl of spaghetti, but just a few mouthfuls of chef Alex Stratta’s insanely good creations will be more than you need to justify the price.

WP24 by Wolfgang Puck

18. WP24 by Wolfgang Puck - $100 per person

Where: 900 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015

If you want to dine at a restaurant offering some of the best views of the Hollywood Hills in town, book yourself a table at WP24, one of Wolfgang Puck’s many fine dining LA establishments. The menu is a hymn to Puck’s passion for Asian cuisine, offering such treats as Crispy Skin Suckling Pig, Steamed Bao Buns, Hawaiian Hamachi Sashimi, Indian Spiced Assam Curry Prawns, Seared Day Boat Scallops and Broiled Japanese Black Cod.

The Tasting Kitchen

17. The Tasting Kitchen - $110 per person

Where: 1633 Abbott Kinney Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90291

With suburb cocktails, a fine wine list, and some equally fabulous food, there’s a very good reason The Tasting Kitchen manages to get away with charging the average customer around $110 for their dinner.

Spago

16. Spago - $120 per person

Where: 9500 Wilshire Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Yet another entry from Wofgang Puck comes with his Beverly Hills flagship, Spago. Under executive chef Lee Hefter’s expert direction, diners are treated to a menu containing USDA Prime Beef Tomahawk Chop, Wild Mediterranean Turbot, Bone Marrow Flan, Big Eye Tuna Tartare, Maine Diver Scallops, a truly divine American Wagyu Filet Carpaccio and Hefter’s famous Cote de Boef and Ultra Cheesy Mashed Potatoes.

Expect to see almost as many celebrities as you do regular guests… if you’re lucky, you may even get to chat with Puck himself, who frequently visits his restaurants for some one-on-one time with his guests.

mastros

15. Mastro’s Ocean Club - $130 per person

Where: 18412 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA 90265

Offering some of the best views in Malibu, Mastro’s Ocean Club is for diners who appreciate old school charm and a menu that manages to combine extreme sophistication with some of the freshest and liveliest seafood you’ll likely taste in your life. If you’re not a fan of the fruits of the sea, you may want to find somewhere where else to go. if you are, roll up your sleeves and tuck into Mastro’s signature Seafood Tower, a giant pile of fresh, chilled seafood that you can customize to your heart’s content.

Melisse

14. Melisse - $135 per person

Where: 1104 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 9040

Once you stop being impressed by the upper chic surrounds of Josiah Citrin’s French eatery, you’ll be presented a menu that demonstrates exactly why Chef de Cuisine Ken Takayama is considered to be at the very top of his game, and why Citrin has a very happy bank manager.

Splash out on the pre-fixe tasting menu (prices start at around $135 per person, depending on whether you want wine with your meal or not) and you’ll be treated to such creations as Rosemary Scented Sunchoke Veloute with sunchoke chips and whipped black truffle, and Warm Dulcey Ganache Tart with praline Chantilly and dark chocolate ice cream.

Maude

13. Maude - $140 per person

Where: 212 South Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Chef Curtis Stone hit the LA restaurant scene with a bang in 2014, and the buzz around his flagship restaurant Maude shows no signs of dying down yet.

Seasonal menus that showcase what happens when the best and freshest local ingredients fall into the hands of one of the most innovative chefs in town (along with the opportunity to take your dining experience to the next level with a seat at the chef’s table) are just some of the reasons Maude can justify charging its patrons an average of $140 per person.

CUT by Wolfgang Puck

12. CUT by Wolfgang Puck - $140 per person

Where: 9500 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Tucked away inside one of the most iconic landmarks in LA, the Beverly Wilshire, is CUT, a steakhouse so good that if it were to ever fall out of a top 3 position on any of the “Best Steakhouse in the World” lists, there’d probably be some kind of uprising.

The menu is choc-a-bloc with fresh seafood and, as you’d expect, some of the tenderest, juiciest cuts of red meat you can imagine. If you really want to go to town, try the “Tasting of New York Sirloin”, a carnivorous feast of American Wagyu, U.S.D.A. PRIME Dry Aged 35 Days, and Japanese 100% Wagyu Beef.

Totoraku

11. Totoraku - $140 per person

Where: 10610 W Pico, Los Angeles, CA

If you love meat, you’re gonna love Totoraku. The outside may look less than auspicious but hidden beneath the slightly grubby exterior is one of the best places in LA to sample Japanese style table-top grill barbecue made from American produced Wagyu beef.

Don’t expect to get in easily, though. As the Huff Post notes, Totoraku is one of the most exclusive venues in town, with some diners having to try all kinds of tricks to secure a reservation. If you do manage to swing it, it’ll be well worth the effort- even if it does cost you $140 for the privilege.

Yamakase Sushi

10. Yamakase Sushi - $150 per person

Where: 10422 National Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90034

Pristine fish and by-invitation-only booking… if you’re looking for somewhere that takes exclusivity (and fine dining) to the next level, Yamakase Sushi is the one for you. If you want to get a seat, you’ll need to book via the website and then nervously await news of whether they’re willing to accept you.

If they do, you’ll find a daily changing menu that may include such delicacies as Japanese Wild Raised Fresh Water Eel, Hiroshima Oyster, Aori Squid, Japanese Ice Fish with Heirloom Tomato and Perigot Truffle, Dried Persimmon with Sweet Butter and Spanish Almond, and Steamed Japanese Abalone.

Matsuhisa

9. Matsuhisa- $150 per person

Where: 129 N La Cienega Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Any restaurant that has celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s name attached to it is guaranteed to be good, and Matsuhisa on La Cienega Blvd is no exception. If you have around $150 to spare, dishes like Kobe Beef Tataki and Lobster in Wasabi Pepper sauce await you in a setting that is almost as delightful as its menu.

Osteria Mozza

8. Osteria Mozza - $150 per person

Where: 6602 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038

At Melrose Avenue’s Osteria Mozza, Chef Nancy Silverton is reigniting our love for traditional Italian cuisine. Step through the doors and you’ll find a bright, bustling place with a fun, energetic vibe. The food itself is clean, simple and exquisite, while the wine list is worth a visit in itself. Expect to pay around $120 per person.

Patina

7. Patina - $160 per person

Where: 141 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012

You know a restaurant isn’t going to be cheap when you learn it has a caviar service. And cheap Patina certainly isn’t, but with some of the finest French cuisine in town, it’s more than worth the expense.

Capo Restaurant

6. Capo Restaurant - $180 per person

Where: 1810 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401

If classic cuisine is your thing, Capo Restaurant is your new best friend. There may not be anything particularly innovative about its menu, but for elegant, sophisticated Italian fare, this tiny piece of Tuscan paradise can’t be beaten.

If you want to save your money, avoid the wine list: with temptations like a 1981 Krug for $1300 or a 1996 $4500 Screaming Eagle to entice, you may end up bankrupting yourself in the process. Keep it alcohol-free and you should be able to get away only $180 the poorer.

Sushi Zo

5. Sushi Zo - $240 per person

Where: 9824 National Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90034

At first glance, you may dismiss Sushi Zo as just another sushi venue in a town teeming with the things. One mouthful of its pristine sushi will be all you need to understand why this understated little venue is so deserving of its Michelin star. The Omakase multi-course tasting menu is an artistically designed, beautifully crafted hymn to fish… although at $240 per person, it’s one you may have to do some praying for.

Saam at SLS Hotel

4. Saam at SLS Hotel - $250 per person

Where: 465 South La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048

If you’re not impressed by the stunning, slightly surreal surrounds of the four-star Saam at SLS Hotel, you sure will be by its fine menu. The multi-course spectacular is a perfect showcase of Chef Jose Andres’ innovative approach to cuisine, featuring such treats as 28-oz grass-fed tomahawk, jamón croquetas, seared wagyu beef cheeks, coffee-rubbed Australian wagyu, sea urchin steamed buns, and octopus toast.

It doesn’t come cheap, but given that its list of accolades includes the 2019 Diner’s Choice Award and a place on lists such as The Daily Meal 101 Best Restaurants in America, it’s easy enough to see why.

NNaka

3. N/Naka - $275 per person

Where: 3455 S. Overland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90034

The only thing more beautiful than N/Naka’s stunning dining room (fun fact: it used to be a spa. Despite the change in set up, it still has that same relaxing air of tranquility as it presumedly did then) is its menu.

Under the direction of Chef Niki Nakayama, N/Naka has corned the market in exquisite, beautifully balanced Japanese dishes such as Lobster Tartare in Uni Butter, and John Dory with Manilla Clam. As of June 2019, the restaurant now has two Michelin stars under its belt... which may explain why it can charge a hefty $275 for its thirteen-course tasting menu.

Providence

2. Providence - $285 per person

Where: Providence 5955 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90038

Plump for the signature and seasonal tasting menu at chef Michael Cimarusti’s LA eatery. You’ll be leaving $285 poorer. You’ll have been treated to such delicacies as black cod, Santa Barbara Spot Prawn and Coleman Farms Celtus (a combo of geo duck clam, box crab, and lemon verbena).  Not to mention A5 Wagyu with charred Kamo eggplant and nori. You’ll probably be too stuffed to care.

Urasawa

1. Urasawa - $395 per person

Where: 218 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

If you want to visit the hottest place in town, book yourself a table at Urasawa. As Destination Luxury notes, it’s one of the most expensive eateries in the world, with a quick glance at the menu telling you all you need to know about why.

It's bursting at the seams with delicacies such as wagyu and torso. The restaurant has a gut-busting 30-course omakase menu that will set you back $395 (and that’s before drinks).

Despite being able to command such high prices, the restaurant doesn’t have the greatest of track records when it comes to passing on its profits; as reported by KCET in 2013, it was stamped with a hefty fine for underpayment of staff wages. Things seemed to have improved, though, so you can now tuck in sans guilt.

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Tiffany

Written by Tiffany

Floridian. Wife. Mom. Writer.

Read more posts by Tiffany

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