5 Michelin-Starred Los Angeles Restaurants You Should Try Now

October 7th, 2021 by

When you’re in the Los Angeles, California, area and craving a sophisticated, innovative meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant, you’re in luck. To earn a star from Michelin inspectors, a restaurant must present food that uses quality ingredients, combines flavors for a pleasing taste, uses creativity, and exceeds culinary standards. So enjoy exploring these five restaurants that have been awarded a Michelin rating.

Mori Sushi

Experience authentic and inventive Japanese sushi when you dine at Mori Sushi. This restaurant was awarded one Michelin star in 2019, and you can see why you eat here. All of the food is fresh and of the highest quality prepared artfully. Most of the fish is sustainably caught, and the produce comes from local, organic farms in the Los Angeles area.

Savor mouth-watering sashimi such as yellowtail, mackerel, and tender tuna, all presented in beautiful containers and boxes. For the ultimate Mori Sushi meal, order the Omakase recommended menu with a chef-choice appetizer or appetizers and the finest sushi pieces and rolls. 

You can find Mori Sushi at 11500 W. Pico Boulevard.

Rustic Canyon

Visit Rustic Canyon nestled in a neighborhood in Santa Monica to savor farmer’s market-inspired meals that you can share with friends and family. The chefs at this one-star Michelin restaurant use locally sourced ingredients from farmers and ranchers.

They buy freshly caught seafood caught from the Pacific Ocean by local fishermen. Rustic Canyon serves small plates designed to share at the table so everyone can sample their innovative dishes. The menu is constantly changing to reflect seasonal foods.

Samples of Rustic Canyon’s salads include one with beets, berries, avocado, quinoa, and pistachio nuts. For a heartier plate, order the grass-fed flatiron steak with Romano beans, bone-in pork chop with smoked trout roe sauce, or coal-grilled maitake mushrooms served with aged cheddar and fresh tomato. 

Rustic Canyon is located at 1119 Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica.

Osteria Mozza

After a day exploring some of Los Angeles’ eclectic public art displays, stop by Osteria Mozza to savor mouth-watering upscale Italian food. Earning one Michelin star, Osteria Mozza has served elite Los Angeles residents and visitors creative cocktails and groundbreaking food for over a decade. As you sit at the white marble bar, sip on award-winning wines from around the world while sampling fresh mozzarella cheese boards from the specialized mozzarella menu. Appetizers include delectable treats such as grilled octopus, roasted beets, or shaved Brussels sprouts with almonds and pecorino cheese.

From the Primi menu, order gnocchi with duck ragu, ravioli filled with delicate calf’s brain, or the orecchiette with housemade sausage and locally sourced Swiss chard. Move on to the Secondi menu with offerings like grilled yellowtail or the 24-ounce porcini-rubbed bone-in ribeye steak. Be sure to save room for an after coffee drink or glass of port to enjoy with the vanilla panna cotta dessert.

If you’re celebrating a special event with a group of people, consider reserving the private wine room where you can have passed tray appetizers, pasta dishes, and all that Osteria Mozza offers in a unique and private setting.

Osteria Mozza is located at 6602 Melrose Ave.

n/naka

Stop by the two-star Michelin n/naka Japanese restaurant to experience the unique dining experience of Kaiseki. This traditional culinary art form uses foods prepared from natural sources presented beautifully that makes one feel connected to the earth. You’ll want to spend a relaxing amount of time dining at n/naka to enjoy every bite and taste thoroughly.

The menus are presented with several courses so you can experience the true Kaiseki experience. A sample menu may include an appetizer with caviar, smoked avocado, saki; abalone with pickled cod roe, truffles; and Miyazaki Wagyu beef served with baby corn.

A sample vegetarian Kaiseki menu may have crispy potato with cauliflower puree served with sake, fresh tofu with asparagus, Japanese cucumber, watermelon, and truffle pasta. If you’re a sake lover, you’ll enjoy the extensive sake menu with sakes like Akabu, Harada, Muryozan 30, and Yuzu Omoi.

Stop by 3455 S. Overland Ave. to experience upscale Japanese cuisine at n/naka.

Dama

Head to LA’s Fashion District to enjoy eating Caribbean and Latin-inspired cuisine at Dama. You’ll feel like you’re eating in the tropics with its open-air vibe filled with tropical plants, slowly rotating ceiling fans, and colorful murals painted on the walls. When you come for dinner at the one-star Michelin Dama, enjoy spending a relaxing time in conversation with your dinner mates while you sip on your favorite cocktails or wine. There’s no need to rush at Dama, simply sit down and feel like you’re on an endless tropical vacation.

Start with the bread appetizer that’s a bit like a crostini but more expansive with Portugal olive oil and sweet heirloom tomatoes. Next, order the spicy clams & chorizo to share with friends, or the colorful and eye-popping linguisa sausage pinwheel served with an aromatic frisee salad. The seafood tostada is a must-try dish served with octopus, calamari, shrimp, charred corn, and avocado.

If you’re craving a larger meal, try the crispy pork shank with hot pickled vegetables, creama, and cilantro; a whole red snapper with a chili rub served with pineapple and green onion; or the 24-ounce bone-in rib-eye steak with salsa verde and charred green onions. Even the desserts are fun with sweets like the soft-serve ice cream you can get with buttered bananas, caramel, and peanuts. Other desserts include traditional churros with cinnamon, sugar, arequipe sauce, or bunnelos with whipped cream and espresso caramel sauce.

You can find Dama at 612 E. 11th St. in the Fashion District.

There you have our team at Capistrano Volkswagen’s list of Michelin-starred restaurants in the Los Angeles area. Which one was your favorite? What dish did you think was out-of-this-world and you can’t wait to try again? Is there a hidden gem that we missed? If you have a recommendation for a Michelin-starred restaurant in Los Angeles, feel free to let us know and we’ll add it to our list.

 

 

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