LA’s star-studded dining scene means the celebratory meal options are limitless. From classic Californian wine bars to a Taiwanese-inspired tasting menu destination, there are nice restaurants in Los Angeles to match your special-occasion energy, whether you’re toasting to a milestone birthday, Some Personal News, or extra-special holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
These places prove there’s never been a better time to book a festive meal here.
Read on for a guide to 11 LA restaurants perfect for celebrating in style, then secure your spot by booking on OpenTable.
For a gorgeous garden moment in Los Angeles: AOC – 3rd Street (Beverly/Fairfax/La Brea/Third St.)
For a quintessentially Californian celebration, grab a table in one of LA’s prettiest gardens. The lush outdoor courtyard at A.O.C.—James Beard Award-winning chef Suzanne Goin’s French-accented wine bar—is where you want to plan a big birthday dinner or bridal shower. But it’s also just as perfect for a midweek pick-me-up. Go for the cheese and charcuterie boards, wood-fired clams, and 24 by-the-glass wines, picked by acclaimed restaurateur and sommelier Caroline Styne.
For a shareable feast perfect for a celebratory meal: Bavel (Arts District)
Take a whirlwind trip through the Middle East when you celebrate at the second restaurant from the award-winning Bestia team. This is Casablanca in the Arts District, splashed with turquoise, saffron, and brass accents for days. The menu travels to Israel, Morocco, Turkey, and Egypt, featuring spectacular roasted meats with lots of harissa and tahini. No birthday party here is complete without the strawberry and sumac pastry and a scoop of pistachio ice cream.
For a monumental evening at one of the best upscale restaurants in Los Angeles: Kato (Downtown)
Save this modern Taiwanese hotspot for celebrating something extra-big. Kato is all about chef Jon Yao’s inspired multi-course tasting menus (pig ears with tomato and sesame, freshwater eel with stone fruit) on gorgeous plateware. Wine director Ryan Bailey more than understood the assignment when it came to designing an equally unique natural wine list, and the bar stirs up cutting-edge cocktails and N/A drinks featuring Asian ingredients like bitter melon and five spice.
For a show-stopping French Japanese meal at one of the fancy restaurants in Los Angeles: pasjoli (Santa Monica)
Alinea vet Dave Beran opened this elegant French spot in 2019, but really turned heads for a tasting menu he launched in 2023—because nothing says special occasion like a limited-edition meal. Beran brings MICHELIN-Starred swagger and unexpected Japanese touches to his 12 gorgeous courses, which also include a wine pairing option. If you’re going the a la carte route, get the duck for two, pressed in front of your eyes for a little tableside je-ne-sais-quoi.
For an under-the-sea extravaganza at one of the well known restaurants in Los Angeles: Providence (Hollywood)
Gear up for one of the fanciest nights of seafood you’ve ever had. Providence—which added a Green MICHELIN star to its growing list of awards last year—is led by James Beard Award-winning chef and co-owner Michael Cimarusti, who works his technical magic on an eight-course tasting menu starring the ocean’s most elite, like golden Kaluga caviar and luscious uni. Bring anyone you want to impress and raise a glass to a meal of a lifetime.
For a taste of a true California classic at one of the most famous restaurants in Los Angeles that’s spectacular for Christmas Eve: Spago (Beverly Hills)
Even 40-plus years after it opened, Wolfgang Puck’s Beverly Hills icon is still a stunner. A special-occasion meal here means you’re celebrating your big night with elegant Californian dishes that made the award-winning chef/restaurateur one of the most recognizable names in the food world, such as rack of lamb with harissa and za’atar brittle or pizza with smoked scamorza and garlic confit. Whether you’re looking for a romantic meal or a full-on LA blowout party, Spago’s got you covered.
For an impossibly romantic evening at a modern California icon: Mélisse (Santa Monica)
Two-MICHELIN-Starred restaurant Mélisse recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, but chef Josiah Citrin’s 18-course tasting menus still feel fresh. The intimate 14-seat dining room is beautifully appointed for indulging in Citrin’s modern California cooking in dishes like Santa Barbara spot prawns with chanterelles and hay-baked chicken with egg-yolk ravioli. Toast your big night out with a bottle of Champagne from the restaurant’s impressive wine list.
For an experience unlike any other at one of the fancy restaurants in Los Angeles: Vespertine (Culver City)
From the stunning setting to the exacting attention to detail, every element is carefully planned at chef Jordan Kahn’s recently reopened Vespertine. Settle in for a multi-course menu that’s intended to blow your mind with dishes like a raw scallop brushed with concentrated passion fruit juice and aji amarillo chile, and finished with slivers of raw turnip, cyclamen petals, and a crisp of horseradish. Allow three hours for the sensory explosion that’s sure to spark plenty of conversation.
For a beautiful omakase menu perfect for an anniversary in Los Angeles: Umaya (Koreatown)
The chefs at Umaya have more than 50 years of sushi experience combined, so it’s no surprise that every piece of fish that comes out of the kitchen looks like a work of art. Opt for an omakase menu for an unforgettable meal filled with the likes of chawanmushi, seasonal broiled fish, and toro sushi topped with truffles, all served in a modern, serene dining room. Don’t sleep on the bar’s gorgeous cocktails, like the Smashing Leaves, made with bourbon, kumquat, shiso, and lemon.
For a taste of Italy at one of the nice restaurants in Los Angeles: Antico Nuovo (East Larchmont Village)
Make it a special night by booking a seat at Antico Nuovo’s marble chef’s counter, where you’ll be rewarded with a view of the kitchen’s wood-fired hearth and all the action surrounding it. There, chef Chad Colby turns out beautiful handmade pastas like tortelli with lemon, ricotta, marjoram, and pine nuts that transport you to the Italian countryside. Then move on to mains like chicken roasted over focaccia with salsa verde paired with one of the plentiful Italian wines.
For a meat-filled meal at one of the best restaurants for an anniversary in Los Angeles: chi SPACCA (Hollywood)
Anyone who can’t imagine a celebration dinner without meat—and lots of it—should go straight to this upscale Tuscan steakhouse. Chi Spacca is part of chef Nancy Silverton’s Mozza empire and zeros 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.
From many-course MICHELIN-Starred tasting menus to more casual but still exceptional pasta-focused meals, these 11 nice restaurants in Los Angeles make every occasion feel extra-special. Whether you’re marking a milestone by going all-in with a seafood extravaganza or enjoying a family-style Middle Eastern feast, these Los Angeles restaurants deliver a celebratory experience on every visit.
Snag your table at one of Los Angeles’s best special-occasion restaurants by booking with OpenTable now.
Want more recs to Los Angeles’s best restaurants? These city guides can help:
- Here are 2024’s best new LA restaurants—so far
- Los Angeles’s 13 most drop-dead gorgeous restaurants
- 13 restaurants where you can eat like a local in Los Angeles
And for more of the hottest LA restaurant news, be sure to check out our new Instagram account, @opentable_la.
Karen Palmer is a pizza- and pasta-obsessed food writer based in Los Angeles. She is the former editorial director of Tasting Table, and her work has appeared in Eater, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, and many other publications. Follow her on Instagram at @karenlpalmer.
