Celebrity Spotting Restaurants

Nick & Stef’s has a contemporary, urban take on the traditional steakhouse, with a dramatic view of downtown Los Angeles lining one wall, and an aging room and wine room set inside another. Besides all those prime cuts of beef, the menu offers seafood, pasta, and even some vegetarian options for steak shy diners. The word here is choice, and twelve is the number, with twelve appetizers, twelve vegetable dishes, twelve potato options, and twelve sauces to select. Should it be for a pre-concert dinner, a business meeting with clients, or a romantic night out with that special someone, Nick …

Hush, named for its understated elegance and simplicity, blends extraordinary contemporary American Cuisine, an expansive world-class wine collection and a welcome atmosphere that is sure to satisfy the most discriminating palates.

Ozumo is one of the few true contemporary Japanese restaurants in Santa Monica. Food is prepared on a traditional Japanese Robata Grill and includes the finest sushi and sashimi. The extraordinary interior concepts of Ozumo incorporate the four major materials found in Japanese design and architecture: wood, paper, steel and stone. Featuring a 22-seat sushibar, elegant dining room, an Izakaya lounge, as well as outdoor beer garden, Ozumo can cater any social or business event. The sake list at Ozumo is second to none, and features a large selection of the highest quality "ginjo" and "daiginjo" premium sakes. An extensive …

Offering diners modern Japanese fare with American flare, Geisha House in Hollywood caters to those looking for more than the typical sushi restaurant. An ultra modern décor welcomes guests as they enter the restaurant. Providing an atmosphere dripping with sensuality, Geisha House is a great way to start a night out on the town, or to bring a date. The full bar serves up sake infused signature cocktails like the Geisha Kiss Martini. Creative presentation of dishes such as the Sashimi Igloo and Robata World is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the belly, while …

Chef Andrew Pastore’s Pacific Rim menu is so elegant, exotic, and beautifully presented, it’s a shame dishes aren’t delivered to tables by elephant. Transcend Hollywood’s club scene into a Zen-like wonderland that calms the senses, enlivens the soul, and thrills the palate. Ritual is located on Cahuenga Blvd., just north of chaotic Hollywood Blvd. It is the pricier, hotter, more attractive cousin of its predecessor White Lotus. Ritual’s food and ambience will make you forget you’re in Hollywood, and its transformation into weekend Hollywood hotspot is a feat to make you forget about any other nightclub this side of La …

Located near the famed farmers market in the bustling Fairfax district, Cobras and Matadors is "underground Spain meets urban Los Angeles." Here, one will discover a tapas-centric menu filled with traditional Spanish favorites and eclectic variations on the theme, as well as a fast-paced atmosphere that is simply intoxicating. It’s anything but stuffy, and is still delicious and surprising enough to please even the most cultured Los Angeles diner. Go for the inventive dishes. Go for the fabulous vibe. Go for a fantastic night out. Just go.

Chakra Restaurant and Lounge is a premier destination for contemporary Indian cuisine in Los Angeles. The vibrant setting combines traditional Indian decor with sophisticated accents, with different rooms offering unique atmospheres to suit any mood or preference. A fashionable bar/ lounge offers internet access and flat screen TV’s, while the seductive dining room offers a sleek yet traditional setting, adopting hues of India’s signature dishes and celebratory colors. Patio dining offers a casual setting while the private VIP lounge promises an exotic and swank experience.

One step inside from the bustle of Melrose takes you into Dolce, a trendy Italian restaurant with a cozy dark decor and some fantastic people watching. Known for its ambiance, tasty Italian classics, and hip crowd, Dolce is perfect for a romantic date, or a pre-club meal. From the traditional Pesto Gnocchi and Osso Bucco to the more fusion-based Tuna Tartare and Mango Bruschetta, Dolce's menu caters to all tastes and appetites. Drink options include a full wine list, including selections by the glass, as well as a large selection of cocktails. It is certain that Dolce's decor and ambiance …

Tantra restaurant, located in the Silverlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, is owner Navraj Singh’s most generous gift to the community. Beginning at the ornate, hammered-metal doors and continuing throughout is an opulence that far exceeds any expectation. This gorgeous space was designed by Sat Garg of Akar Studios in Santa Monica, and is profoundly beautiful. It is a setting that perfectly compliments Chef Sanjay Kumar’s masterful preparations. His menu is a sophisticated mélange of traditional Indian cuisine and contemporary ingredients, with a broad range of tandoori dishes from the north and masala based dishes from the south of India.

XIV is the latest (and “fourteenth”) restaurant project from gifted chef Michael Mina. The unique New American menu offers a la carte selections but is more readily recognized for its signature tasting menu where you can mix and match from a medley of 35 small bite-sized portions. This serving style is meant to promote a “social dining” experience and allows for countless sampling variations. Illustrious designer Phillip Starck has decorated the interior of XIV with traditional European château accents contrasted with clean contemporary elements. A popular outdoor patio boasts a marble-clad bar, ivy-cloaked trellis, and fanciful wheelbarrow-shaped chairs.

Dukes West Hollywood dishes up tasty diner fare, sandwiched right between the ultra popular Whisky A Go Go and The Cat Club on the Sunset Strip. Steeped in music history as the former location of the London Fog Night Club and the one-time living quarters for Jim Morrison, Dukes has earned its place on the strip as a legitimate watering hole serving up breakfast all day and other classic diner food. Since 1968, Dukes has been a go-to spot for celebrities and musicians, and locals and tourists looking to satisfy their appetites with decidedly unfussy yet reliable diner food.