Decision — For LA's best-value 3-star experience, book
Providence ($375–$495, OpenTable, no dietary restriction issues).
For the most theatrical 3-star, book Somni
($745+ all-in, but no dietary restrictions accommodated).
Among 2-star options: Hayato (7 seats, $450) is the hardest
to book but the most intimate; Vespertine ($395, Culver City)
is the most architecturally distinctive; Mélisse
($399, Santa Monica) is the most classically French.
[3]
★★★ Three Stars — Exceptional
LA received its first-ever three-Michelin-star restaurants on June 26, 2025 — two simultaneously. [2]
Providence ★★★ + Green Star
| Chef | Michael Cimarusti |
| Style | Modern American seafood |
| Area | Hollywood |
| Address | 5955 Melrose Ave, LA 90038 |
| Price | $375 classic · $495 chef's tasting (+$45 for A5 wagyu) [4] |
| Hours | Tue–Fri 5:45pm · Sat 5:30pm · closed Sun–Mon [5] |
| Book | OpenTable or (323) 460-4170 · up to 2 months ahead [5] |
| Cancel | 7-day notice required · $375/person fee otherwise [5] |
| Dress | Casual elegant · no shorts, flip-flops, or tank tops |
Cimarusti's seafood-focused kitchen spotlights West Coast ingredients — Big Island abalone, Santa Barbara spot prawns — with classic French technique. Held two Michelin stars every year since LA joined the guide in 2009, then earned its third in 2025.
[1]
A la carte ordering is also available alongside the tasting menus.
[4]
Somni ★★★
| Chef | Aitor Zabala (ex-El Bulli / José Andrés) |
| Style | Modern Spanish · avant-garde |
| Area | West Hollywood |
| Address | 9045 Nemo St, Los Angeles 90069 [6] |
| Price | $600 tasting + $145 min required pairing = $745+ all-in [7] |
| Hours | Wed–Sun · counter 7:30pm · private cellar 5:30pm [6] |
| Book | Resy · monthly release on 1st weekday at 1pm [7] |
| Seats | 14 (chef's counter) · private cellar also available |
20+ course El Bulli-lineage meal — shiso leaves puffed like balloons stuffed with beef tartare, caviar on dashi meringue. Originally opened 2018, closed after two years, reopened November 2024 in a new location.
[8]
The most expensive restaurant in Los Angeles; wine pairings range from $225 to $1,000.
[7]
⚠ No dietary restrictions or allergies accommodated — hard stop.[6]
★★ Two Stars — Excellent
Three restaurants currently hold two Michelin stars in LA. [3]
Hayato ★★
| Chef | Brandon Hayato Go |
| Style | Traditional kaiseki · Japanese |
| Area | Arts District, Downtown LA |
| Address | 1320 E 7th St #126, inside ROW DTLA [9] |
| Price | $450/person [10] |
| Hours | Wed–Sun 6:30–10:30pm |
| Book | Tock · monthly release · max 1×/month per guest [10] |
| Seats | 7 (one seating nightly) |
LA's most intimate fine-dining experience: 7 seats around an open kitchen where Go prepares multicourse kaiseki using handcrafted ceramics imported from Japan. The only chef-owned authentic kaiseki restaurant in LA; Go explains every course personally.
[10]
⚠ Photo ID required at door · no reservation transfers · once-per-month limit per guest enforced. [10]
Mélisse ★★
| Chef | Josiah Citrin & Ken Takayama |
| Style | French-New American |
| Area | Santa Monica |
| Address | 1104 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica 90401 [11] |
| Price | $399/person (18-course) [3] |
| Book | OpenTable · (310) 395-0881 [11] |
| Seats | 14 (back-of-house tasting room) |
A "restaurant within a restaurant" — Mélisse occupies a 14-seat back room inside the casual Citrin bistro, with kitchen and dining integrated. The 18-course tasting menu sources from California farms from San Diego to Napa Valley.
[11]
Wine corkage: $50/bottle for first two bottles, $75/bottle after.
Vespertine ★★
| Chef | Jordan Kahn |
| Style | Contemporary American · avant-garde |
| Area | Culver City |
| Address | 3599 Hayden Ave, Culver City 90232 [12] |
| Price | $395/person (16-course) [12] |
| Hours | Tue–Sat 6–8:30pm |
| Book | OpenTable |
Kahn's 16-course menu takes diners through multiple floors of "The Waffle" — a futuristic twisted-steel building designed by architect Eric Owen Moss — with music, sculpture, and scent woven into the meal. Primordial ingredients tracing back to the Cambrian Period.
[12]
Kahn's casual daytime spot, Destroyer, is directly across the street.
At a Glance
| Restaurant | Stars | Cuisine | Area | Price/person | Seats | Book via | Dietary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence | ★★★ | Seafood | Hollywood | $375–$495 [4] | — | OpenTable | Limited |
| Somni | ★★★ | Spanish | W Hollywood | $745+ all-in [7] | 14 | Resy | ✗ None [6] |
| Hayato | ★★ | Kaiseki | Arts District | $450 [10] | 7 | Tock | Ask |
| Mélisse | ★★ | French-American | Santa Monica | $399 [3] | 14 | OpenTable | Ask |
| Vespertine | ★★ | Contemporary | Culver City | $395 [12] | — | OpenTable | Ask |
Booking difficulty: Hayato and Somni release reservations monthly (Hayato on Tock, Somni via Resy on the first weekday at 1pm) — plan a month out. Providence and Mélisse book via OpenTable up to ~2 months ahead and are more accessible. Vespertine uses OpenTable with generally available slots.
[10]
[7]
[5]