LAReview
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Gwen
Included In
When Gwen opened in 2016, it was a big moment in Hollywood dining. The upscale Art Deco steakhouse run by a famous handsome-slash-Australian TV chef marked a return to a more opulent style of dining that the neighborhood hadn’t seen much of since, well, the Rat Pack was getting hammered at Musso’s. These days, however, things have changed—Hollywood is brimming with flashy, big-name restaurants jockeying for diners with deep pockets and corporate cards. But even with all the new options, Gwen is still the most consistent high-end dinner spot in Hollywood and a place where spending $200 on a hunk of meat feels worth it.
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
If it’s unclear what kind of food Gwen serves, you’ll know immediately once you walk inside. Near the door is a long glass case of sausages, sirloins, and short rib (Gwen functions as a butcher shop during the day). As you round the corner into the dining room, floor-to-ceiling lockers with even larger cuts of meat glow like a beefy trophy case. It’s all a little on the nose, but presented in a way that is subdued and classy. There are crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, pendant light fixtures illuminating dramatic white pillars, and multiple hearths roaring with fire in the open kitchen. You’re probably going to spend at least a hundred dollars per person eating at Gwen, but in an epic environment like this, it’s easy to pretend (at least for two hours) that you’re someone who collects vintage champagne for sport.
As for the menu, prepare for meat. If there’s a vegetarian/vegan in your group, we might advise them to either snack heavily beforehand or simply agree to hang out on a different night. That’s the reality of a restaurant where the lighter dishes are a wagyu tartare and seared scallops in carrot butterscotch. If you and your cardiologist are on good terms though, you’re in for a feast with few misses. Though the menu changes seasonally, you can generally expect dishes like hearty charcuterie boards arranged like a meaty painter’s palette, parmesan risotto with a marrow-filled bone towering from the center, and some of the best steaks in Los Angeles. Even the free table bread—also the best in town—is so rich and buttery that it should arrive with its own sign reminding you that your actual order is still coming. Or maybe not. Gwen is a place built to splurge.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Charcuterie
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Table Bread
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Ribeye
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Pork Chop
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Lamb Chops
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Josper Squid
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Risotto Alla Milanese
photo credit: Jessie Clapp