CA · Fancy
The 10 best fancy restaurants in Los Angeles.
The birthday restaurant is the one people cite for years. That is the bar. Not the balloon. Not the complimentary dessert. The meal. Harry's list is ranked by Harry Score, and when you're paying for the scene, the card says so.
LA's fancy restaurant scene has spent decades being overlooked by New York critics and is better for it. The lack of self-consciousness has produced some genuinely excellent cooking at the top end. West Hollywood has the expense-account rooms; Brentwood and Santa Monica have the ones that locals actually take their parents to.
What earns the price
Expensive ≠ good. Harry has opinions.| Top two price tiers | Only restaurants priced in the top two tiers. The price tier Harry falls back to when a source says nothing is the second-lowest, so every place here is priced high by a real source. |
|---|---|
| Harry Score 75+ | A higher floor than Harry's other lists: at these prices the room has to be clearly better than fine. Critic coverage feeds the score, so a Michelin or broadsheet trail counts. |
| No warnings | Anything Harry rates a tourist tax or a false economy is out. A room that's mostly paying for the scene can stay if the food scores, and its card carries that verdict. |
Harry's ten — Los Angeles
Ranked by Harry Score.- 01n/naka
japanese — 3455 Overland Ave, Los Angeles
4.7 across 1.0k Yelp reviews, and Google lands in the same place; named by Michelin Guide and World's 50 Best.
Occasion WorthyHarry
100
Worth It
80
- 02Providence
seafood — 5955 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles
4.4 across 3.1k Yelp reviews, and Google lands in the same place; named by World's 50 Best and James Beard Foundation.
Occasion WorthyHarry
95
Worth It
78
- 03Casablanca Moroccan Kitchens
moroccan · halal — 6919 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles
4.8 across 729 Yelp reviews, and Google lands in the same place; a $$$ moroccan option.
Occasion WorthyHarry
90
Worth It
78
- 04Fishing With Dynamite
seafood — 1148 Manhattan Ave, Manhattan Beach
4.5 across 2.0k Yelp reviews, and Google lands in the same place; listed in the Michelin Guide.
Occasion WorthyHarry
86
Worth It
76
- 05Kinjiro
japanese — 424 E 2nd St, Los Angeles
4.7 across 492 Yelp reviews, and Google lands in the same place; serene setting for Japanese small plates such as octopus ceviche & bone-marrow dengaku.
Occasion WorthyHarry
86
Worth It
76
- 06Vaca DTLA
steakhouse · spanish — 960 W 7th St, Los Angeles
4.6 across 56 Yelp reviews, and Google lands in the same place; ranked #85 of 11,304 locally on Tripadvisor.
Caveat: You're getting an experience. Whether you needed it is up to you.
Paying for the SceneHarry
86
Worth It
74
- 07Joyce
soul-food · brunch — 770 S Grand Ave A, Los Angeles
5.0 across 689 Yelp reviews; praised by Time Out (Time Out Best #23 (2025)).
Occasion WorthyHarry
85
Worth It
76
- 08Meteora
6703 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles
4.1 across 591 Yelp reviews; named by World's 50 Best and Michelin Guide.
Caveat: You're getting an experience. Whether you needed it is up to you.
Paying for the SceneHarry
85
Worth It
74
- 09Locanda Veneta
italian · mediterranean — 8638 W 3rd St, Los Angeles
4.4 across 627 Yelp reviews, and Google lands in the same place; charming white-tablecloth Italian restaurant specializing in Venetian foods like….
Occasion WorthyHarry
84
Worth It
75
- 10Tar & Roses
californian · american — 602 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica
4.5 across 2.8k Yelp reviews, and Google lands in the same place; moodily lit, buzzy spot with seasonal American small & large plates, plus an ample….
Occasion WorthyHarry
84
Worth It
75
How this list is built Restaurants across Los Angeles in the top two price tiers with a Harry Score of 75 or more. Nothing Harry rates a tourist tax or a false economy. Chains with several branches get one entry. Ranked by Harry Score. No restaurant pays to appear. Scores last recomputed .