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Any kids menu?
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Anyone know if the cheese cart is back following the brand new dining room renovation? 🥹
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Hello Kyle, Unfortunately the cheese cart is not back, at least for now. Thank you Donato
donato p., Business Owner1 person found this helpful
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Wendy L.San Marino, CA610Nov 17, 2024Providence is a restaurant I have been frequenting recently. Its products are consistently excellent and have hardly ever disappointed me. The atmosphere of the restaurant is immersive, especially in Los Angeles, where it has become the two-star Michelin restaurant I go to the most. The renovated environment is full of retro luxury and old money style, and every detail shows taste. Throughout the dining experience, every dish was delightful, and there was no disappointment at all, especially the classic Uni Egg. The familiar taste seemed to take me back to a beautiful era, which is unforgettable
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Dec 10, 20241 check-inOur dinner at Providence was truly exceptional. The whole experience from start to finish was absolutely perfect, and it was definitely one of the best, if not the best, dinner I've had this year.
The presentation was extraordinarily strong and every course looked as good as it tasted. The service was also definitley top-notch and professional throughout.
I would definitley recommend adding the Uni Egg supplement as that was one of our favorite courses. Also if possible, and if there are 2 of you dining, I would recommend one person getting the monkfish and the other person getting wagyu and just sharing so that you can try both. The portions and the total amount of food overall was just perfect...like every aspect of this restaurant.
Overall our dinner at Providence was worth every pretty penny, and I can see why Providence is so highly acclaimed...it's undoubtedly one of the best fine dining experiences I've had all year.Helpful 11Thanks 4Love this 14Oh no 0
Wendy C.Los Angeles, CA0203Dec 3, 2024What an amazing experience and can't wait to go back!
We had a nice private corner table, service was top notch and the food was just superb! The abalone and uni amuse bouche were delicious and our favorites.Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0
Ann E.Orange County, CANov 3, 2024Updated reviewHusband and I dine here each June. On a rare occasion, I have a chance to visit Providence a second time with a friend(s). This was that visit. Friend had been here once before, but wasn't wowed by her experience bc she dined with too many people which took away from her enjoyment. I always love it here, but would agree that for optimal enjoyment *for me* is best when experienced as a party of two with no loud personalities to detract from this fine dinner. My friend also shared that she had been excitedly looking forward to the dinner in the days leading up to it; me, not so much - I recently lost my mother and so it's hard to get excited for anything.
But once inside, all that slowly changed. Familiar faces welcomed me back. The luxe and serene dining room was warm and relaxing. We started off with delicious mocktails and added the uni egg and truffle course to the tasting menu. Things fell into place and I started to enjoy the evening more. (Again, with the recent death of my mother, I've just been in a slump, unable to enjoy most things that used to delight me.)
As the courses came in, Carlos and Carrie explained our dishes, professionally, but with the right amount of humour and personality. They felt like friends who were happy to have us in their home. As different staff brought different dishes, they all made us feel relaxed, comfortable and welcomed. Even chef Michael Cimarusti came by to shave the truffles on the truffle dish. This was the first time in all the years I've been coming here that I've (1) seen him in person and (2) ordered the truffles. Unfortunately, I had a fan girl moment and spoke too much, not allowing chef to speak. What a treat though, for him to take a moment with us...as was when co-owner Donato Poto stopped by the tables. How a staff acts is often a reflection of an organization's leadership; here, the service is top notch, impeccable and warm. It's everything you'd expect and want from a top tier restaurant and Mr Poto does this by leading by example.
Like their service, the food is phenomenal. Their seafood is elevated by just enough flavour, often Japanese inspired. Every bite was ever so perfect, not too much or not too little in the way of flavour, but just enough to make the main ingredient sing and shine. It's a difficult balance. So many top notch restaurants just overdo, overwhelm or pack a punch. Here, it's Goldilocks.
By the end of the evening, my friend was enthralled by both dinner and service. She was happy and excited; she made me promise that we'd make this an annual dinner. It really was a beautiful service. I felt like Rose in Titanic, returning to her favourite/happy place at the movie's end.
It's been an exceedingly difficult last couple months for me and for a few hours, Providence made everything lovely, enjoyable and perfect.
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 1Oh no 0Jun 21, 2024Previous reviewThis is my annual love letter to Providence; our annual visit to the restaurant that began over a dozen years ago when they offered their four-course tasting menu ($90 back then ?) to celebrate their anniversary month of June. The food was so good and the experience so memorable, we've continued to go every June since then, to commemorate, to celebrate, such a wonderful, special restaurant.
If you're a regular, everyday, working person (like me), and you've previously dined at Providence, the first part of the excitement begins when you've scored a reservation for the time & date of your choosing. And as the day draws near, anticipation builds. Then, they call a couple days prior to confirm your plans, ask about allergies, or whether you're celebrating anything. That call reawakens your excitement. The day of, you think about what to wear and when to leave so you don't run late. And if you hit traffic, that's when anxiety sets in. But if you make it within their 15 minute grace period, you're set for the evening's feast.
If you valet, keep your ticket out until you're at the hostess station; they might ask for the ticket number so that your car is ready & waiting when you leave after dinner.
Once seated in the beautiful, adult grotto, you finally relax, ready for an adult beverage. This night, we asked for one of their signature cocktails prepared tableside. Your drink is made before you, with a beautiful storytelling of each ingredient going into the glass. For me, I felt mesmerised...like a child, eyes-wide, watching a puppet show. It added to the specialness of the evening.
They also started a non-alcoholic beverage pairing some months ago. I don't often drink (alcohol) when I go out these days, so when I heard about the mocktail pairing, I was keen. The drinks were DELICIOUS. About half were house-made cocktails with house-made or house-grown herbs; the other half were commercial beverages. Either way, they were all really good, with my preference leaning to the house-made. I strongly recommend this pairing; it's a must try. If they keep this, it's something I'll order each and every time.
As always, the multiple amuse bouche, the courses, the supplements (salt roasted spot prawns and the cheese course) were scrumptiously phenomenal. I was elated to see salmon back on the menu; our last visit, it was not. The dishes were dialed-in like never before; it was the best meal & experience, more than any previous year. It was perfectly beautiful and delicious.
For me, dinner here is the Gen-X equivalent of an e-ticket ride. It was fun. It felt good. It felt life-affirming to get dressed up and enjoy and celebrate a night with someone you love. On the whole, it an was exquisite, amazing and phenomenal evening of food, service (thank you Mr Peoples!) and atmosphere. You leave satiated, content and walking on Cloud 9. Amidst the daily stressors of balancing work-home-life, Providence is one of life's joys.Jun 30, 2023Previous reviewThis was our annual trek to Providence from OC. A 90 minute drive up that's usually abt a 30 minute drive home (though this visit, the PGA US Open was in town and doubled our time home). We're *still* working on Jonathan Gold's last 101 list; and bc we live in OC and there are SO many LA (and OC) restaurants, we rarely return twice to a fine dining location unless it's really THAT good...and Providence is one of those rare restaurants. Over the years, I've become a fan of Mr Donato Poto and he's part of the reason I return. His FOH table-side manners are just so exquisite, understated and lovely. Last year, I dined at another Michelin starred restaurant and had a chat with the chef; he asked what my favourite restaurant was. How do you answer THAT question? He said he wouldn't be offended and would appreciate a frank answer; so I told him on balance of food and service, it would be Providence for fine dining. And then he added, that, yes, chefs Michael Cimarusti and Tristan Aitchison create delicious menus and the service by Mr Poto is one that's hard to beat. So Mr Poto has fans in other chefs.
Anyway, to my dismay, Mr Poto wasn't there that evening. But, his son Nick was. Mr Nick Poto, like his father, was generous and gracious. He was also friendly, energetic and kind, as was our server Ivar. We were in good hands. Also, the restaurant underwent a gorgeous remodel this spring. It felt like a nice, romantic, adult, elevated grotto, awash in oceanic green. There were fewer tables, adding to a more exclusive ambiance. It was a nice change.
The food was delicious. This summer, the menu tasted more French inspired with the sauces. Before, the flavours were more Japanese-inspired; clean, vibrant, yet subtle. This go-around, it was more luscious, requiring us to use the red fife sourdough to get every bit of the sauce. And there was one dish that had red shiso, that was so yummy it blew my mind. As a fan of seafood, I love returning here each year. My favourites of the evening are depicted below; of those, the playful One Potato Two Potato caviar dish was stunning. I've had caviar at the Petrossian Cafe inside Tiffany's a month prior and Providence's was better than anything they offered. The amuse bouche always delights, as does the salt-roasted spot prawns served table-side, the chocolate husk tea and the takeaway granola.Jun 6, 2022Previous reviewWe've been coming here once/year for about a dozen years. We are your everyday, working class folk who make the 90 minute drive up from OC ( another 60 min drive back down). We are definitely not memorable or pretty, but we love coming here and wish we could afford to come here more often. Last year, our first in-restaurant, post-COVID dining was at Providence. They welcomed us back and surprised us by taking us to the Chef's Table (what a treat!). This weekend, without checking us in or asking our names, Mr Poto (co-owner & GM) seated us in the main dining room, welcoming us back. (My guess is that they keep notes on OpenTable, and/or we were the last of our reservation time to be seated, and/or we are memorable in that we look like Shrek & Fiona but less green).
Watching their YouTube feature helped us appreciate the meal more this visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZYcoWhEZxM
and based on that, we chose salmon as our mains for the evening. We had their 8-course Chef's Menu and cocktails. But midway thru our meal, Mr Poto graciously served us a supplemental that he plated himself (I was so overwhelmed and surprised by the service, I (embarrassingly) cried (blame peri-menopause). The food, as usual, is stellar: flavourful, sometimes subtle, but always delicious. The service is also top-notch: understated, professional, well-informed, polite yet friendly. After about 19 different bites/dishes over 2.75 hours, we left feeling full and euphoric. There is no other restaurant in Southern California where we leave feeling like we're on Cloud 9. We've tried many of them and this is the one to which we consistently return. Easily my favourite restaurant.
There is minimal street parking, but they offer valet. Allow for traffic; there was more than usual this weekend due to construction/closures. Including pics of our favourites of the evening.Jun 6, 2021Previous reviewProvidence is my absolute favourite: food, service and atmosphere are exceptionally top notch. It's *the* restaurant I think about when asked, "where do you want to go" or "where do you recommend." So to celebrate a special occasion, we chose Providence for our first dinner *inside* a restaurant since COVID (okay, first dinner *together*with*the*hubby*, dined once before elsewhere with the sis). There's only one tasting menu they're serving at this time: the eight-course ( multiple amuse bouche and a post dinner sweets), Chef's Tasting. As usual, Providence is hard to get into on weekends, as they're often booked two months out. And with limited dining capacity (current COVID tier mandates a max of 50% capacity indoors), getting your preferred date becomes harder. As we entered, to our surprise, we were lead to the Chef's Table. Pre-COVID, the only way to reserve this table was to have a 4-person tasting menu and even then, it wasn't guaranteed. So as we were shown the table, I cried; I was just overwhelmed. It's so nice to be moving forward to some semblance of pre-COVID. The service was reserved, polite, yet friendly. They anticipated our needs and fulfilled a few small requests.
The dinner started with a trio of amuse bouche and then with an additional off-menu starter. Providence is a seafood-focused restaurant; as Japanese-American, I truly appreciate the Japanese aesthetic to preparation and presentation. Everything was phenomenal, delicious and meticulously prepared. We also added an uni egg which was delightfully umami-filled; at once, delicately earthy and perfectly briny. The dessert was both bright and palate-cleansing; dinner was finished with additional chocolates served four ways. And as usual, they provided a gift bag of next-day breakfast sweets. We've been dining at Providence for a dozen years and it was wonderful to chat w Mr Poto; hopefully, they will remain busy and remain a staple of the LA dining scene for many years to come. Always a memorable evening.
Dec 13, 2024Grateful to be able to return to my favorite restaurant in LA that never fails to impress. My exceptional dining along with the premium wine pairing last time were truly magical and memorable.
Very recommend this place for a special occasion/celebration. The service was impeccable also!Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 1Oh no 0
Dec 3, 2024Providence has been on my bucket list for years. My buddy took me here for my birthday. The service was absolutely on point. They gave a few freebies but the experience was amazing. We also did the wine pairing that went down well with all of the dishes. It's pretty pricey but definitely an experience that's worth it!
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Christopher A.Los Angeles, CADec 9, 2024One of the best restaurants in the city even with the hefty price tag. I mean they have a $100 margarita that's is almost worth the price!
It's that's good. A fantastic spot for a birthday or anniversary dinner. Some of the best sea food dishes I've ever had.Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0
Oct 3, 2024Updated reviewMy first-ever visit to Providence was five years ago in 2019, back when I had never been a Michelin star-level restaurant with a tasting menu. Hell, you can even read my original review below! Yeah...since then, I've been to many Michelin star-level restaurants with a tasting menu. And with this second visit to Providence being a completely different experience than my first one, it seemed right that I needed to proved an updated review.
When I came to Providence back in 2019, I had their chef's tasting menu. It was great, but in retrospect it wasn't technically creative and felt more like them beating my head over with food. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't complaining then and I'm still not complaining now. But having been to so many Michelin three-star restaurants, you start to appreciate the technical level of how these dishes are put together.
Fast forward to the current menu, which had slightly less dishes than the 20 from 2019. Four amuse-bouche courses before the main event, seven entrées, one bread course, two main course desserts, and three extra desserts. Well, we did also have to order their trademark uni egg since I didn't last time, so overall 17 courses plus the uni egg for a total of 18 courses. But this experience was so vastly different! I felt it was very clear that Providence is not resting on its laurels and just happy to coast and maintain and its two stars. I could very much tell there was a lot of thought put into creating each dish. The technical level has certainly increased and there was a lot more thought in the presentation. Plus, the food itself was actually fantastic! Every single course did not miss, which I could not say from 2019 as I was definitely not a fan of one or two courses. I loved every dish, but if I had to pick three, I would go with Amber Kaluga Caviar, Black Cod, and Liberty Farm Duck Breast (which I am VERY glad that I did not substitute for A5 wagyu).
I knew the service was great here based on my first visit, but they are still meticulous about everything. Every course had its own set of utensils. They made sure to explain every dish before it was served. Water refills were never an issue. Of course, I have spoiled myself with all the amazing restaurants I have been to, but you never take great service for granted.
The ambience here has leveled up significantly. During my first visit, it was kind of...bland, as the walls were white. I mean it was fine for me at the time, but in retrospect after having been to so many Michelin three-star restaurants it was pretty blasé. Well, with their remodel last year, I can safely say it isn't that boring anymore. They went all-in on their seafood focus by making you feel like you really are under the sea with the focus on dark blue colors. And I love it! It really made me feel like I was actually in an extremely nice restaurant. Table spacing was great too. We actually ended up towards the back part of the dining room, so we didn't have that many tables around us. We didn't need to talk that loud because it was pleasantly quiet around us.
I passed on the valet parking this time because I was able to find street parking a (long) block away.
Really glad I came back to Providence for a second visit as it was completely different from my first visit. Even though the tasting menu was way more expensive ($326 vs. $240 back then), I can appreciate paying that much if the food and the total experience match the price. Compared to how much the other Michelin two-star restaurants are in L.A., Providence is way more worth it.Helpful 5Thanks 0Love this 7Oh no 0Aug 13, 2019Previous reviewProvidence managed to attain two Michelin star status back in 2009, and retained those two stars when the Michelin Guide came back to L.A. this year. But honestly, I only came to know about this place first because my friend happened to visit it earlier this year before the Michelin Guide came back. Said it was one of the best restaurants he'd ever been to. Which, of course, expedited my need to visit here. This ended up being my first-ever two Michelin star restaurant experience, and easily the best dining experience I've had in my life (so far!).
Coming to a restaurant that achieved two Michelin stars meant I had to try what earned them those two stars, the chef's tasting menu (note, they do ask everyone at the table to get the chef's tasting menu if it is requested; I'm guessing this is because of how long the meal is). In sum, each dish was an amazing display of a variety of different flavors that I never knew existed. I'm not gonna go through a course-by-course rundown, mainly because we actually ended up having 20 COURSES between the seven pre-meal courses, 11 actual meal courses (plus bread with amazing kelp-seasoned salted butter from Normandy), and one post-meal course. But they know exactly what they're doing when they're putting each dish together. Every bite ended up being a party in my mouth. I can't have asked for much more from a meal than what I got here.
As I would imagine of a restaurant of this caliber, I expected service to be of the highest level. And that is definitely the case here. It's the little details here that make a difference. Water constantly refilled. Table always clean after every course. Cloth napkin was always folded after going to the bathroom. Literally a different set of utensils for every course (and yes, I DID notice that three-pronged fork for the salmon belly course). And of course, the constant attention provided by all our servers, with every dish was explained before we ate. I've honestly been spoiled by the service at nice restaurants, but coming here made me feel that excitement from great service that I haven't felt in a long time.
Ambience here is pretty good. The tables are spaced out well enough, although some tables are a bit close to each other due to limited space in the dining area. Conversations can get loud here simply because the dining room fills up, but the high ceiling does negate some of the loudness and it is quiet for most of the night. Overall interior had a nice, modern/contemporary touch to it. Never felt like I was in a stuffy place. Definitely the kind of place that wants you to be comfortable, enjoy being here and, most importantly focus on the food.
You can get valet parking outside for $8.50, and yes you can pay for this by card inside. If you're shilling out $240 tax and tip for the chef's tasting menu, $8.50 really isn't a big deal.
I had high expectations for Providence and somehow they got blown to bits. What an absolute experience, three hours and 20 minutes never went by faster!
Oct 7, 20241 check-inTop tasting menus I've had. Worth all 5 stars! What this place does with seafood was magical. I was able to get a bar seating (they do the full tasting menu there). The service is next level. Every staff member anticipates your next move and is ready to go and so well knowledgeable at the menu. Sitting at the bar made it more interactive. The progression was a good paced and so many delicious bites. Everything was solid but my favorites were the abalone, uni eggs,caviar, and black cod. Also the amuse bouches were all so creative and a great way to start a meal. The dishes were aesthetically beautiful. Everything balanced on the palette.
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Kazuha K.Los Angeles, CAOct 8, 2024It took me a while to write this review because I feel like words don't do justice because this was definitely one of the best meals I've ever had. My boyfriend booked my birthday dinner here as a surprise (I'm so lucky yay me lol)
The vibe - it could be as casual or fancy as you want it to be. There were people in flip flops, and there were people in cocktail dresses. Just be you.
The service - needless to say, amazing. Everyone was friendly and attentive. They even printed my name on the menu to celebrate my birthday!!!!
The food - so good. Lots of familiar flavors and tastes, but you'd experience them in a different light. Look at the photos for detailed description.
The drinks - I did the juice paring and my bf did a wine paring. It's worth it, just do it. I'm often disappointed by juice parings but I could tell Providence takes juices seriously.
The bill - $1300 could buy you an economy flight to Japan, or an amazing dinner date at Providence. Choose wisely. But honestly choose Providence.
Parking - free street parking nearby.
It's a three hour experience. We got a little restless towards the end so just mentally prepare yourself that it's going to be a loooong dinner.Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0
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