The City of Angels and its surrounding area have become a culinary mecca. With its combination of top-notch local wines, laid-back California attitude and a reputation for nightlife, it’s no wonder why the Greater L.A. dining scene is tough to beat. We’ve selected 10 Wine Spectator Restaurant Award winners from around the Los Angeles metro area with outdoor spaces for open-air dining and wine lists to dazzle any enophile.
To check out more wine-and-food destinations around the world, see Wine Spectator’s nearly 3,000 Restaurant Award–winning picks, including the 100 Grand Award recipients worldwide that hold our highest honor.
Do you have a favorite you’d like to see on this list? Send your recommendations to restaurantawards@mshanken.com. We want to hear from you!
Note: Opening hours and menus are subject to change as the industry continues to adjust to evolving regulations.
Capo
1810 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, Calif.
Telephone (310) 394-5550
Website www.caporestaurant.com
Grand Award
Near the beach in a historic bungalow in Santa Monica, Capo may have earned its first Grand Award in 2015, but its 2,500-selection list has been a labor of love for more than two decades. Wine director Kalani Lau’s list, particularly strong in California, Burgundy, Bordeaux and several Italian regions, teems with mature vintages, and the Italian pages include prizes such as numerous Gaja single-cru bottlings. Also impressive is the selection of half-bottles and large formats from around the world. Marrying Italian cuisine with California sensibilities, chef and owner Bruce Marder’s menu includes homemade pastas, fresh seafood and grilled meats. And with a patio space added during the pandemic, Capo now offers outdoor dining.
Spago Beverly Hills
176 N. Cañon Drive, Beverly Hills, Calif.
Telephone (310) 385-0880
Website www.wolfgangpuck.com
Grand Award
The flagship restaurant of Wolfgang Puck and Barbara Lazaroff, Spago Beverly Hills has won a Grand Award since 2010. Wine director Phillip Dunn captains the 2,600-selection list, which features wines from California, Burgundy, Italy, France and Germany to pair with chef Ari Rosenson’s regional American cuisine. A particular highlight of the wine list is its vast array of Rieslings, which covers hundreds of options hailing from three continents. A new pavilion covering 6,500 square feet was recently constructed in front of the restaurant to accommodate outdoor dining.
Wally’s
447 Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, Calif.
Telephone (310) 475-3540
Website www.wallywine.com
Grand Award
Connected to powerhouse retailer Wally’s Wine & Spirits, Grand Award winner Wally’s Beverly Hills boasts a 3,500-selection list and Provence-inspired cuisine in a dining space with bottle-studded walls. Wine director Matthew Turner guides the wine program and its 35,000-bottle inventory, which is particularly strong in choices from California, Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Rhône, Italy and Champagne. In terms of pricing, value-seekers take note: All of the store's wines are available for dining and priced at retail with a $40 surcharge rather than a standard markup. More than 180 wines are offered by the glass, prime for pairing with chef Ryan Kluver’s menu of sharable appetizers, pizzas and meat and seafood entrées, though guests are also encouraged to shop for provisions with a glass in hand. Outdoor dining is also available at tables by the entrance. A sister location of Wally's, which opened in Santa Monica in fall 2018, holds a Best of Award of Excellence.
The Belvedere
The Peninsula Beverly Hills, 9882 S. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, Calif.
Telephone (310) 975-2736
Website www.peninsula.com
Best of Award of Excellence
The Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel is a beacon of luxury and hospitality in Los Angeles. So it’s fitting that the hotel’s brasserie-style restaurant, the Belvedere, has featured a Best of Award Excellence–winning wine experience since 2006. Wine director Adam Carvalho oversees the program comprising 860 labels, brimming with attention-grabbing bottles from California, Italy, Burgundy and Bordeaux. These are a fine match for chef Kelsi Armijo’s menu of traditional dishes like escargot, beef tartare, bouillabaisse, steak au poivre and boeuf Bourguignon, all of which can be enjoyed either in the restaurant’s dining room or in its enclosed patio.
Craft Los Angeles
10100 Constellation Blvd., Los Angeles , Calif.
Telephone (310) 279-4180
Website www.craftlosangeles.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Like its Restaurant Award–winning sibling in New York, Craft Los Angeles pairs a strong wine program with a distinctive menu from celebrity chef Tom Colicchio. The 490-label wine list has earned the West Coast location a Best of Award of Excellence since 2017, focusing primarily on regions in California, France and Italy. There is also a strong by-the-glass selection with offerings like Sonoma Chardonnays, Côtes du Rhône labels and Mendocino Cabernets. These picks join Colicchio’s farm-to-table menu of dishes like beet salad with tarragon, pork belly with Asian pear and black garlic and duck breast with Tokyo turnip, all of which chef Brian Rigsby prepares using seasonal ingredients. Guests can enjoy these dishes either in Craft’s dining room or at one of its outdoor tables.
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse
10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles , Calif.
Telephone (323) 784-0473
Website www.delfriscos.com
Best of Award of Excellence
With a slew of Restaurant Award winners, including a Grand Award–winning New York location, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse provides fine wine and dining experiences throughout the United States, and the Los Angeles location in Santa Monica is no exception. Offering a 2,130-label list overseen by wine director Mandy Sparacino, the restaurant has held a Best of Award of Excellence since 2019, with a strong selection of bottles from California and Italy, as well as France’s Bordeaux and Burgundy. Guests can also pick from the eye-catching by-the-glass selection, which features Champagne from Veuve Clicquot, Carneros Chardonnay from Rombauer and much more. Chef Javier Fuentes’ menu is, of course, packed with steak options, including Wagyu and dry-aged cuts, but there are also plenty of seafood dishes too. The restaurant is currently offering both indoor and outdoor seating options.
Otium
222 S. Hope St., Los Angeles , Calif.
Telephone (213) 935-8500
Website www.otiumla.com
Best of Award of Excellence
The Latin word “otium” refers to time set aside for relaxation and leisure. That definition is at the heart of chef Timothy Hollingsworth’s casual, open-kitchen restaurant, Otium, which has held a Best of Award of Excellence since 2017. Given the many years Hollingsworth spent in Napa Valley, it’s no surprise that Otium offers such a strong wine program. Among its 550 selections are well-known names from Burgundy, Bordeaux, France, Italy and California, including Kosta Browne, Foxen and Hanzell. One of the list’s crown jewels is its collection of older vintages from Spain’s Vega Sicilia. With such a diverse range of wines, there’s plenty to sip alongside dishes like naan with chicken-liver mousse, grilled branzino, spinach bucatini and sweetbreads with dumplings. Guests can sit indoors or on Otium’s patio, which offers a gas-fired pit and views of the park that the restaurant shares with the Broad contemporary art museum.
Redbird
114 E. Second St., Los Angeles, Calif.
Telephone (213) 788-1191
Website www.redbird.la
Best of Award of Excellence
Nestled between Los Angeles’ Chinatown and downtown neighborhoods, Redbird is housed in a former cathedral-turned–event space. Chef Neal Fraser manages a menu that ranges from small snacks to family-style entrées. The Best of Award of Excellence–winning, 360-label wine list includes a wide-ranging by-the-glass program with a taste of everything, including fortified wine, orange wine and pours via Coravin. Wine director Josh Wibbenmeyer oversees the eclectic cellar of 1,920 bottles with a focus on France, California and Italy, featuring many Champagnes, Rhône reds, Burgundies and Napa Cabernets. There are picks from farther abroad too, including bottles from Germany, Spain and New York, as well as many older-vintage options. For outdoor dining, Redbird has several tables available in its garden.
République
624 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, Calif.
Telephone (310) 362-6115
Website www.republiquela.com
Best of Award of Excellence
République is a juxtaposition on several levels: The building dates back to the 1920s, but the French cuisine served inside is modern and fresh, continually changing with the seasons. The atmosphere is relaxed, yet it’s the backdrop for a world-class wine program brimming with premier bottlings, run by wine director Sam Rethmeier. The 1,900 selections primarily emphasize France, with particularly excellent collections of Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne and the Loire, plus additional strengths in California and Germany. While the inside space is certainly an attraction, outdoor dining is available.
Fellow
1071 Glendon Ave., Westwood , Calif.
Telephone (310) 208-1071
Website www.fellow.la
Award of Excellence
Fine dining meets sleek design at Westwood Award of Excellence winner Fellow. Chef Christopher Flint, a veteran of Grand Award winner Eleven Madison Park, explores Californian cuisine through his menu of dishes like fennel salad, seared duck breast, poached Ora King salmon, grilled short rib and Basque cheesecake. For bottles, guests can pick from a selection of 400 labels on wine director Scott Lester’s list, which is heavy on selections from California and France. This includes strong showings of Champagnes, Burgundies, California Chardonnays and Napa Cabernets, as well as selections from Germany, Austria, Italy, Argentina, Chile and beyond. There’s also a beefy collection of large-format bottles. Dine indoors or on the restaurant’s patio facing Glendon Avenue.
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