LAGuide
8 Great LA Tasting Menus For Around $100 Or Less
A guide to Los Angeles tasting menus for everyone who isn’t Jeff Bezos.
A tasting menu can be one of the most exciting experiences you'll have at a restaurant—but it can also be one of the most expensive, with $200+ meals quickly becoming standard at fine dining spots around LA. That’s where this guide comes in. Just because a menu has the words “tasting menu” or “prix fixe'' printed at the top doesn’t always mean you have to light your wallet on fire to enjoy it. Here are 10 excellent restaurants with tasting menu options that fall around $100 or under.
THE SPOTS
$115 for 8 courses
Though the individual dishes might vary, you can always expect seafood to be the star of Holbox’s tasting menu. The counter-service stall inside Mercado La Paloma not only serves some of our favorite mariscos in LA, it’s also the perfect place for an impressive multi-course meal with none of the pretense of fine dining. Holbox only offers their tasting menu on Thursdays and Fridays, with one seating at 7pm, but if you can grab a reservation expect dishes like blood clams topped with smoky morita salsa, spot prawn aguachile, and a butter-poached lobster huarache.
photo credit: Virtually Here Studios
$68-$85 for 3-5 courses
A clubbish, dimly lit Beverly Hills spot specializing in grass-fed wagyu beef might sound like a supreme indulgence, but Matū is more accessible than you might expect. The restaurant offers four levels of tasting menus, which range in price depending on the cut and size of the steak you pick, and come with additional courses like steak tartare, bone broth, or a Japanese-style caesar salad. Whether you go with a 6-ounce center cut filet or a full ribeye to share, you’ll still end up spending under $100 per person.
$110 for 6 courses
The hanging plants and welcoming neighborhood crowd at Heritage make this restaurant located inside an old converted Craftsman house on East 7th feel like a comfortable Long Beach living room, but none of that casualness is reflected in the food. Dishes here look more glamorous than a Fergie music video and accentuate whatever is in season. With their tasting menu, you’ll choose between dishes like caesar-style grilled cabbage over creamy polenta or a tender dry-aged duck breast that tastes like it’s been roasting its own fat for days. Bonus: you can also add wine pairings to your dinner for an additional $30.
Taco Maria is permanently closed
photo credit: Andrea D'Agosto
$100 for 4 courses
If you’re coming from LA, Costa Mesa isn’t exactly a quick drive, but even with rising gas prices, we think it’s a small price to pay for a special meal at Taco Maria. This progressive Mexican fine dining spot is a place everyone needs to hit at least once—and for the price, the tasting menu is a great way to do it. There are two options for every course, so bring a date and try the entire menu. You’ll eat things like smoked albacore tacos on heirloom blue corn tortillas and dry-aged ribeye tartare with charred avocado.
$45 for 5 courses (8-10 people required)
If you’re able to round up a big group of friends, the best use for this Filipino rotisserie and wine bar in Chinatown is a fun, casual, family-style meal. Book a table at Lasita for 8 to 10 people and you’ll be able to order their "Pamilya Style" set menu. You’ll get a full-on feast involving table snacks like adobo-marinated olives, a whole grilled chicken inasal, crispy pork belly lechon, pancit, chicken fat rice, ice cream, and tons of different sides and sauce for dipping. Chase it all down with a few bottles of natural wine and hang out here until closing time.
$95 for 7 courses
One of the only Korean fine dining spots in Koreatown, Kinn serves unexpected riffs on traditional dishes along with some completely new inventions. The tasting menu is the only dining option menu here, and thankfully it’s quite reasonably priced (though you can splurge on optional supplements if you want). Kinn is the perfect spot for an intimate date that also doesn’t feel stuffy. Expect dishes that are full of surprises—like a crispy, pan-seared rock cod in a fish bone broth or shaved corn bingsoo topped with matcha powder for dessert.
$72-$89 for 3 courses (minimum 4 people required)
Tar & Roses, a Santa Monica gem that's been one of our favorite spots in the neighborhood for years, offers three different family-style “suppers” that include three courses and cost between $68 and $82 per person. The catch is that you’ll need at least four people, and you’ll have to book with the restaurant at least a week in advance. The good news is you’ll get to choose between main courses like a full dry-aged standing rib roast, Singaporean chili crab, or wood-fired goat with Moroccan side dishes.
$95 for 3 courses
More than just a sky-high ballroom with 360-degree views, 71 Above serves a solid prix-fixe dinner that’s worth your time and attention. This DTLA destination lets you choose your own adventure with the appetizer, main, and dessert courses, meaning you might never have the same meal twice. Expect a bunch of traditional American fine dining dishes like fingerling potatoes with trout roe and grilled ribeye with date purée while staring out the windows of one of the city’s tallest buildings.
