The best restaurants in Beverly Hills

From the glass-encased pasta workshop to the priceless works of art on the walls, Evan Funke’s newest eponymous multi-level restaurant has spared no expense for the glitzy-borderline-gaudy 90210 crowd. We’d extend this characterization to the menu itself, which introduces a brand-new section of hand-rolled pastas (“fatta a mano”), each named in part for the women who taught the chef how to roll these intricate, regionally specific pasta shapes. The prices here are sky-high, but Funke manages to deliver a show-stopping Italian meal in a similar vein to Felix and Mother Wolf, albeit in much, much fancier digs. While there isn’t a bad dish on the menu, we’d recommend skipping the $50 agnolotti. If you can’t snag a reservation—which are released seven days in advance—you can always try your luck upstairs at Bar Funke, the glittering pink marble bar that only takes walk-ins (but doesn’t serve pasta).

Name a more iconic L.A. fine-dining institution… because we’ll wait. After 41 years, Wolfgang Puck's Spago is still everyone's old fine dining standby, but its ever-changing menu keeps the restaurant feeling fresh and relevant. (Don’t worry, you can still order the smoked salmon pizza.) Spago purists will be pleased to hear the kitchen is refreshingly old-school when it comes to presentation, but modern flourishes are what keep this icon feeling fresh without ditching its hits. If it’s your first visit you must order Spago’s iconic tasting menu for the classics, but if you’re a repeat guest, the most fun you can have is offroading with the fleeting and hyper-seasonal specials, especially when it comes to dessert. Spago’s been serving stellar cuisine since the Reagan era, proving that age ain’t nothing but a number.

The crown jewel of the Sugarfish empire, Nozawa Bar bears the family name of Kazunori Nozawa, the sushi chef whose Studio City restaurant started it all. Tucked inside the Beverly Hills Sugarfish and overseen by chef Osamu Fujita, Nozawa Bar incorporates many of the same elements as its predecessor in the Valley: impeccably fresh fish served on warm, loosely packed rice, omakase-style. Giant sticks of king crab and slices of fatty tuna are preceded by nigiri graced by prodigious amounts of salmon roe and uni. The decadence continues with hand rolls, rich monkfish liver dressed with miso and a unique, ultra-sweet tamago. The only catch? There are merely 10 seats at this 20-plus course experience, so be sure to make a reservation—and be sure to get there on time.

Beverly Hills is full of high-profile restaurants perfect for an expense account or date-night splurge, but one of the finest and most memorable meals can be found at Curtis Stone’s Michelin-starred tasting menu eatery. Maude once gained buzz for its ingredient-driven concept—swapping menus out every month—but the restaurant's current format runs on a quarterly basis. Now primarily overseen by chef de cuisine Osiel Gastelum, the menu draws upon the chef's Mexican roots, imbuing the menu with a kind of spry freshness you won't find anywhere else in town. 

Lawry’s isn’t totally a steakhouse, but it is a throwback to a steakhouse era: Their legendary prime rib gets carved tableside in massive silver carts, while servers don a ’50s-inspired uniform that harkens back to party dresses and martini lunches. There are more modern additions to the menu, such as the vegan mushroom steak or the shrimp-and-jalapeño fritters, but if you’re going classic, there are only a few decisions to make: what size cut you’d like, what temperature and whether or not to add a vegetable (Tip: Always add the creamed spinach). A few bites in and you’ll know why Lawry’s has been around for over 80 years—and by the time you leave, you’ll wonder why you don't eat from silver carts every night.

Within the underground parking structure of a Rodeo Drive shopping center lies the omakase-only follow-up to Sushi Note, chef Kiminobu Saito’s popular Sherman Oaks sushi bar. As with the original, Sushi Note Omakase offers two wine pairings, though the real prize is the 20-course $190 tasting experience that includes appetizers, impeccably crafted nigiri, a delicate toro and Japanese pickle hand roll and special-order yuzu gelato made by Hollywood’s Gelato Festival. While the price point is naturally higher than the 818 original, Saito and his apprentice Earl Aguilar make sure the more premium offering at Sushi Note Omakase still delivers in terms of deliciousness and overall value, particular for the area.

This isn’t your average omakase. At Tempura Endo, a celebration of Kyoto-style tempura, vegetables and proteins fry in a rotating selection of cotton seed, sesame seed and safflower oils, with batter made from hard water, white wine and Japanese tempura flour. The menu changes frequently, but you might find sea urchin wrapped with laver and prawn or sesame tofu fried to a crisp. While à la carte dishes are available, most diners come for one of the set menus, which range from $150 to $280 per person. The latter includes a special matcha tea ceremony—the perfect way to end your meal in serenity.

Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo's namesake all-day restaurant is now available right in Beverly Hills, where a smaller space along Bedford Drive reliably churns out the mini-chain's excellent  chef-driven takes on Italian American classics. A standing-room-only Helen's Wines countertop pulls espresso by day and pours natural wine by night, and the spicy vodka fusilli and other Jon and Vinny's classics are better than ever. While evenings all but require a reservation, you can usually squeeze in for a relaxed lunch or have the place to yourself during breakfast.

This luxe new over-the-top steakhouse from the family behind Mastro's offers top-quality cuts, enormous martinis and ultra-decadent sides, including a warm skillet of complimentary bread that tastes like Pillsbury crescent rolls in the best way possible. Steak 48—named after Arizona, the 48th state in the Union—doesn't reinvent the wheel otherwise, but the five-star service and attention to details make all the difference. Every diner receives a hot plate (be careful), which keeps the slices of steak warm throughout the meal. There's not one or two, but five different potato sides, including an au gratin preparation with caramelized onions, plus gouda and mozzarella cheese. While we've found quality at Mastro's has flagged in recent years, Steak 48 offers the kind of consistently great upscale chain experience most diners can appreciate, including us.

This New York City cocktail bar has landed on the rooftop of the Maybourne—and while the coastal Italian cuisine is hit-or-miss, the award-winning drinks, ritzy ambience and a ninth-floor vantage point have made Dante a rooftop restaurant destination to beat. We’ll be the first to admit mortadella atop white pizza and bucatini al pomodoro aren’t exactly groundbreaking, but these highlights from the kitchen sure taste delicious when you’re sipping the brand’s signature “fluffy” orange juice Garibaldi and taking in sweeping views of the Hollywood Hills. Open all day and already booked solid on weekends (though the bar is held for walk-ins), your best bet for a regular dinner hour reservation, released 30 days in advance, is to wake up early: Dante releases the next batch of tables on Resy at 8am.

From the same team behind Sugarfish comes this sleek Wagyu specialist along Beverly Drive, whererelatively affordable prix-fixe menus demonstrates the many delicious ways you can enjoy this highly marbled beef. Exclusively serving grass-fed American wagyu from First Light Farms (this isn't A5-grade quality or richness, mind you), you'll find à la carte cuts of picanha, New York strip and ribeye as well, but the tasting menus here deliver the most value—all the better to order a couple more of their stiff cocktails.

Welcome to dairy heaven. Rounds, slabs, wheels, slices and wedges of cheese fill the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, a mecca for those who need to find a last minute dinner party gift or hard-to-find cheese type. But what locals and in-the-know diners love the best about the Cheese Store are its excellent sandwiches, made with the same gourmet cheeses and cured meats that grace the store's shelves and counters. Available only during the day (when the Cheese Store is open), they can be ordered by walking in or calling ahead at 310-278-2855. Our recommendation? The Dom, which combines prosciutto di parma, burrata and sun-dried tomatoes packed in peppery olive oil. 

Located on La Cienega’s restaurant row, the sky-high menu prices at this upscale ramenya luckily match the quality of its food. Befitting its famous area code, Kazan’s most popular soba ramen comes topped with truffle oil—an unnecessary act of gilding the lily in our book, but luxurious nevertheless. Despite its limited street parking and deluxe price point, chef Ryu Isobe’s delicious noodle bowls make this brick-lined, chicly decorated ramenya worth visiting, both for its more traditional broths as well as its vegan and fusion offerings. Pork-based broth puriss can also still get tonkotsu. Note: Kazan also shares a valet-only parking lot with Matsuhisa next door.

This bustling, always scene-y wine store is both a formidable New American restaurant and excellent wine bar—if you can get past the hour-long wait for a table. On any given night, Wally’s is bound to host at least one celebrity sighting, but you might also be dazzled by its 35-plus page wine list heavy on French and California selections. As far as wine bars go, Wally’s food and charcuterie offerings are top-tier. Chef Ryan Kluver’s robust menu includes everything from duck to rack-of-lamb to Wagyu steak in a variety of forms (massive 36-ounce bone-in Tomahawk, anyone?).

Chef Helene An helped revolutionize the way Americans view and taste Vietnamese food, and her L.A. flagship is the best place to see why. Now part of a successful multigenerational culinary empire, An’s Vietnamese seafood eatery has made a name for itself through signature dishes like garlic noodles with tiger prawns and the arresting whole Dungeness crab, though smaller bites like the grilled beef satay and the corn soup are not to be missed. Artful, inventive and walking the perfect line between comfort flavors and fine dining, the cuisine here is now overseen executive chef Tony Nguyen, who has kept the legacy going strong with a new weekend brunch full of tasty dishes like ube soufflé pancakes and Wagyu crispy rice benedict.

Move over, Honor Bar—this snazzy new watering hole is the best place for 90210 locals to grab a stiff drink after work and a great, not-too-expensive bite to eat. Deftly mixed craft cocktails balance out straightforwardly delicious gastropub staples, including a killer fried chicken sandwich and Wagyu pepperoni pizza. (This is the Golden Triangle, after all.)  Owned and operated by neighborhood residents Matthew and Justine Raanan, Beverly Bar is our favorite place in the Golden Triangle for a reasonably priced, everyday meal. Stop by during happy hour (Tues–Fri, 2–6pm) for $7 glasses of wine and a discount on Beverly Bar's mouthwatering salmon crudo.

Ignore the upscale-casual price point and a fancier neighborhood: This cozy Japanese restaurant in Beverly Hills just might fill the Curry House-shaped hole in your heart. Run by the Wagyu-obsessed hospitality group behind Downtown specialist Niku X, Chubby Curry offers a slate of rich, flavorful curries paired with the likes of dry-aged duck (available after 5pm), a vegan-friendly oyster mushroom skillet and, of course, top-quality beef. The $18 Wagyu burger made with curry aioli and caramelized onions is already on the shortlist to making our guide to L.A.’s best burgers, but even simpler offerings like chicken katsu, sizzling steak hamburg and waffle fries shine thanks to flavorful sauces made with a chef’s attention to detail. During lunch hours, hungry diners can ball on a budget with a $28 unlimited Wagyu curry and rice special.

With a sweeping indoor-outdoor space and simple but deftly prepared seafood flown in daily from the Mediterranean, this upscale modern Greek chain is a welcome change of pace from the 90210’s Italian-heavy dining scene. Originally from New York City, the restaurant excels best at giving the people what they want, whether that’s vegetarian-friendly dips with housemade pita, crowd-pleasing seafood starters or a big slice of steak. If you’re looking for more traditional Greek fare like tarama (salted fish dip) and fried saganaki (a honey and balsamic-laced cheese starter), Avra has that too—and while the cuisine can be inconsistent at times, the service and ambience never waver. Of course, Avra’s two outstanding aspects come with high prices to match, but for a big-ticket lunch or dinner in the company of those who prioritize the scene over the food, you can’t go wrong with a reservation here.

With over 20 different varieties on the menu, pasta is king at Il Pastaio, this moody Italian restaurant located a block from the iconic Beverly Hills sign. Whether you're drawn to a classic ragu over spinach pappardelle ribbons, or a more outside-the-box option like spugnette don Lillo (sponge pasta with onion, peas, haricot vert, fava beans, spinach puree and pecorino cheese—phew), rest assured that all pasta is handmade on the premises. Book a reservation or come early—this place fills up fast and is pretty much busy during all hours.

One of the least expensive restaurants on this list, Chaumont is known for its boulangerie-style pastries and other French desserts, but the café’s salads, sandwiches and other breakfast plates make for a perfect, mid-priced Beverly Hills brunch. We wouldn't blame you for staring at the sweets behind Chaumont's glass counters, but be sure to have your order ready: The shop is popular among nearby office workers and locals. For lunch, we recommend the shop’s savory croissants, the chicken schnitzel salad and the simple, delicious salmon grain bowl.

While this old school option sticks out among the usual bourgeois area restaurants, it’s here on this list for a reason: With more than 70 years under its belt, this isn’t just a neighborhood institution—it’s one of L.A.’s most beloved Jewish delis. Look for the giant, orange cursive lettering and you’ll find a wormhole to decades past, complete with leather booths and a massive deli case that’s packed with black-and-white cookies, potato salad and smoked fish. Breakfast is served all day here, but the move is the matzo-ball soup or the hot corned beef.

Even if you’re not a celebrity trying to get seen by the paparazzi, you’ll probably find a meal at the Polo Lounge pretty glamorous anyway (and might see a few reality TV or movie stars yourself). Served by an impeccably trained staff, this Beverly Hills classic’s slightly dated menu comes to life when eaten on spotless white tablecloths amid its patio’s bright pink bougainvillea and cozy table nooks (once reserved for stars from Hollywood’s Golden Age). In the evenings, order the Polo Lounge’s signature chocolate soufflé for one of the city’s most iconic desserts.