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Providence

Los Angeles

Pioneer of sustainable, seafood-centric American fine dining

All aboard: Stepping into Providence is like being enveloped in a luxe abalone shell. Its dining room mimics the interiors of a plush yacht and boasts a front-of-house team that navigates the space flawlessly. The chef-owner duo, Michael Cimarusti and Donato Poto, run a tight ship – for the past two decades they have made Providence the poster child of LA fine dining. The restaurant is as relevant today as it was in 2005.

Cooking in tune with nature: Driven by seasonality, dictated by farmers market finds and what the fishers bring to shore, Providence's dishes lean on peak freshness and deft preparations that blend delicate flavours and kaleidoscopic depth. Its roof garden, a certified wildlife habitat with bat sanctuaries and beehives, yields Hollywood honey, as well as herbs and flowers.

Anchored by seafood: Supper at Providence is a multi-course voyage that sets out with artful bites of caviar and sashimi, cruising through clever interpretations of comfort food classics such as scallop with cauliflower and scallop XO. Invariably, it drifts by a catch of the day, perhaps dressed with chanterelle and pickled burdock, or a seared duck breast paired with golden beet and kumquat. Naturally, it docks at desserts, some of which feature house-processed Hawaiian cacao.

East Coast transplant: Chef Cimarusti named his restaurant after the Rhode Island town where he and his grandfather used to fish. The New Jersey native graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and worked stints at Arpège in Paris and Le Cirque in New York before he was lured to the West Coast by Wolfgang Puck at Spago. He was the executive chef at LA's acclaimed seafood spot Water Grill before opening Providence.

Guéridon trolley hijinks: Rejiggered, elevated versions of classic cocktails featuring hard-to-find spirits are shaken up tableside with a dose of theatrics.

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