Spago

"You’re probably familiar with Spago. It’s been open since the ’80s, has sister restaurants in places like Istanbul and Singapore, and often attracts celebrities who get photographed leaving dinner. Spago made Wolfgang Puck the first (and maybe only) chef you and your grandma know by name—even if that’s only because you’ve bought one of his salads at LAX to take with you on a plane. So it would make sense if Spago kept serving $74 wiener schnitzels to Beverly Hills tourists while Wolfgang hung out on his yacht making sculptures with spare $100 bills. photo credit: Jakob Layman Instead, Spago does its best to stay relevant and keep things interesting—which we admire. The dining room underwent a big renovation a few years back, making the space look less like a Dynasty set and more like a movie star’s Benedict Canyon estate. There’s an enclosed patio you can reserve if you like privacy and a bar that feels like a hunting lodge with excellent cocktails. There are still plenty of tourists having dinner here, but there are also couples doing fancy date night, families celebrating graduations, and many, many business deals going down. The servers are friendly and helpful, too, so you’ll feel just as welcome as the Sony exec across the room. The food doesn’t rest on Spago’s reputation alone, either. The menu straddles the line between fine dining and high-end cruise ship food, and ends up somewhere in the middle. And we mean that as a compliment. You can still order the off-menu smoked salmon pizza and wiener schnitzel that made this place famous, but you can also get a bowl of agnolotti that changes with the seasons, a Singapore-style branzino seasoned with black garlic, and a fancy sashimi bowl. You might get a little whiplash from going around the world and back in one meal, and the original dishes feel more nostalgic than anything else, but almost everything on the menu meets the standards for a special occasion meal in Beverly Hills. It might be a piece of LA restaurant history, but at least it has the sense to give you an experience that feels like the present. Food Rundown photo credit: Jakob Layman Spicy Tuna Tartare Cones An off-menu Spago original, and really the only way to start a meal here. The sesame crisp cone tastes like those subtly sweet sesame crackers you’d find on a charcuterie board, which complements the cold spicy tuna. It’s a pleasant two-biter, even if they cost $12 each. photo credit: Jakob Layman Agnolotti There are always a few different pastas on the menu, and you should always get one to share. The agnolotti changes with the seasons and is reliably delicious. If you’re splitting with the table, you won’t all be stabbing your forks at the same plate, they’ll bring you individual portions. Because they’re classy here. photo credit: Jakob Layman Smoked Salmon Pizza This off-menu pizza tastes like the ’80s, and we’re fine with that. Your server might describe it as a giant bagel with smoked salmon and they’re not wrong. The crust is thin, chilled, and crispy, which means the tangy creme fraiche doesn’t melt, and you can fully appreciate all the fishy flavors happening between the lox and dollops of roe. Wiener Schnitzel Another off-menu signature. The crispy (and pricey) breaded veal comes with a slightly pickled potato salad, beets, green, and a creamy pile of cucumbers, and is worth getting if you have the level of hunger only a juicy breaded cutlet can tame. Mille Feuille $24 is a lot to pay for a single dessert. This rich tower of pastry, cream, and seasonal fruit—sometimes it's peaches, other times it's strawberries—tastes excellent, but is also still $24." - Jess Basser Sanders

"Spago’s covered patio sports a crackling fireplace that’s perfect for digging into chef Wolfgang Puck’s Sichuan-style crispy sea bass and whole-roasted Cantonese duck. In 2023, the restaurant revamped its beverage menu with additions like the Teaches of Peaches, a revamped classic Sex On The Beach cocktail." - Mona Holmes, Eater Staff

"If you’ve ever seen Wolfgang Puck’s shiny grin on a café menu at LAX or a can of tomato bisque at the supermarket, you have Spago to thank. When it opened in 1982, the iconic restaurant (now located in Beverly Hills) changed how the entire country thought about food in LA and made Puck a superstar in the process. And though no longer as groundbreaking as it was during the years when putting goat cheese on angel hair pasta blew people's minds, Spago is still cruising well into middle age. The airy, modern space looks like a rich movie star’s estate in the Hollywood Hills and the food is like the best version of what you might get on an expensive luxury cruise to Antarctica (there will be some nice seasonal specials on the menu, but make sure to order the perennial tuna tartare cones and smoked salmon pizza)." - brant cox, nikko duren, garrett snyder, sylvio martins

"Wolfgang Puck, the original celebrity chef, is often seen roaming the dining room and kitchen of his flagship Beverly Hills restaurant, cozying up with A-listers young and old. The cuisine might not be the groundbreaking stuff from thirty years ago, but it is polished, seasonally driven, and overall pricey." - Rebecca Roland, Eater Staff

"Wolfgang Puck’s legendary Beverly Hills restaurant has one of Southern California’s most extensive spirit-free cocktail menus. Bar director Adam Fournier created drinks that are full of flavor and stunning to look at. Try the falooda made with watermelon, rose, holy basil, lime, seltzer, and mint, a hibiscus margarita, and the cheeky Farewell to Amaretto with amaretti spirit, orange juice, a non-alcoholic aperitif, and fresh lemon." - Mona Holmes