Spago

Walk into Spago and you’re stepping into a piece of Los Angeles culinary history. This Beverly Hills landmark has been serving celebrities, power players, and discerning diners since the 1980s, making Wolfgang Puck a household name in the process. But unlike many legacy restaurants that coast on their reputation, Spago has reinvented itself over the years—the dining room feels more like a sophisticated movie star’s estate than a dated relic, with an intimate enclosed patio and a cocktail bar with serious hunting lodge energy.

The kitchen delivers food that bridges upscale comfort and global inspiration. The legendary off-menu items are essential ordering: those spicy tuna tartare cones with their delicate sesame crisp shells, the smoked salmon pizza that tastes like the best bagel you’ve ever had reimagined as flatbread, and the substantial wiener schnitzel with its accompanying pickled salad. The seasonal agnolotti showcases the kitchen’s technical chops, while dishes like Singapore-style branzino demonstrate the menu’s willingness to explore beyond its roots.

This is a restaurant that knows exactly what it is—a place where tourists celebrating anniversaries sit alongside entertainment executives closing deals, where the servers treat everyone with genuine warmth regardless of their table’s profile. The atmosphere manages to feel both special occasion-worthy and surprisingly comfortable, never stuffy despite the white tablecloths and serious price tags.

For anyone seeking a true LA dining experience that delivers on both history and quality, Spago remains a destination worth the splurge. Come for the celebrity sightings and iconic dishes, stay for food that still manages to surprise after four decades.