LAGuide

The Toughest Reservations In LA Right Now (And How To Get Them)

Our thoughts on the most exclusive restaurants in Los Angeles and advice on how to book a table.
The Toughest Reservations In LA Right Now (And How To Get Them) image

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

At any given time, there are a handful of LA restaurants where trying to get a table is like trying to get on the 101 at Highland and exiting at Barham—you just can’t. Right now, these are those restaurants. The spots on this list aren’t necessarily the best restaurants in the city, but they are the hardest places to book a reservation. We think you should know if they’re worth the effort, and if so, the best way to go about getting in. Below, you’ll find our verdicts, along with info that’ll help you snag that table (or bar seat). Check back for regular updates.

THE SPOTS

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Italian

Beverly Hills

$$$$Perfect For:Wasting Your Time and Money
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Verdict: We truly have no idea why primetime dinner reservations at this upscale Italian spot from NYC (with sibling locations in places like Dubai and Vegas) are hard to come by. The oversized dining room has the energy of an accounting luncheon, cocktails come pre-batched, and the entire menu is geared towards the most child-like eater you know. Even signature dishes like the beef carpaccio and tuna tartare are so bland, you’ll wonder if the kitchen misplaced the salt and pepper during the move to LA.

How To Get In: If you’re still dying to go, Cipriani is open daily from 11:30am-10:30pm, and for large chunks of time, the place is a ghost town. For dinner, come around 6pm and sit at the bar. You’ll get right in. That’s not a recommendation, but at least you can see for yourself why there’s no reason to wait for a reservation.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Verdict: Even if you only popped into this moody Italian spot in Melrose Hill for a glass of nebbiolo and burrata cornbread at the bar, it might be the highlight of your week (assuming that scratcher you bought at 7-Eleven wasn’t a winner). If you’re sitting down for a full meal—which we strongly endorse—get the rigatoni that tastes like French onion soup, the juicy pork ribeye dusted in fennel pollen, or the well-seared NY strip that could hold its own at the best steakhouses.

How To Get In: Ètra opens bookings a month in advance, but you’ll still have to act fairly quickly. Primetime dinner slots disappear several days ahead, and even with its heated garden patio, the restaurant isn’t very big. The good news is Ètra always saves a portion of seats for walk-ins—drop in before 6pm and you might get lucky.

Verdict: This minimalist sushi counter in Gardena—from the chef behind Katsu Sando and the now-closed Kura Sushi—serves a $200 tasting menu that's up there with the best omakase spots in LA, and a fairly decent value for what you get. The nigiri here mixes traditional Japanese techniques with Korean touches, and though dishes change with the seasons, you can expect things like monkfish liver tarts with caviar, cut rolls with silky soy-marinated crab, and delicate sea trout sashimi during the 19-course meal.

How To Get In: Sonagi has just 10 seats and is only open Friday through Sunday, which means a mere 30 slots per week (someone check our math). Reservations on Tock require a deposit and are released on a rolling basis 30 days in advance at midnight, so you might have to stay up late to get one. Otherwise, ask to be put on the waitlist for any cancellations.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Verdict: Going to Donna’s is a pure serotonin play. This red sauce Italian joint from the people behind Bar Flores and Lowboy will make you—and the other diners having friend hangs and tiramisu dates—fall into a deep nostalgic trance. Bask in the room’s dinner-party energy, slosh back icy martinis in a booth, and down chicken parm and lasagna bolognese like a person with a medical degree told you they’d cure a bad day.

How To Get In: Walk in right when they open at 5:30pm. Reservations are released daily, 14 days in advance at 10am, and are generally snatched up within minutes. We love Donna’s, but putting that much energy towards a neighborhood red sauce spot feels counterintuitive—especially since they reserve a portion of the dining room for walk-ins every night. Just get there early or expect to wait an hour.

Verdict: Considering it's the third restaurant from the chef behind Felix and Mother Wolf, Funke’s perfectly al dente pasta should come as no surprise. While we ultimately prefer those other restaurants, this three-story Beverly Hills spot is still a good place to have a baller Italian meal, especially when someone else is paying. Stick to pasta, some salt-studded focaccia, and zucchini blossoms, and watch your agnolotti being formed in a 20-foot lab in the middle of the restaurant.

How To Get In: Reservations for the dining room are released online seven days in advance at 9am. Fortunately, Funke’s rooftop bar is reserved for walk-ins, and has about 20 tables in addition to some bar seats. They don’t serve the full restaurant menu up there, but you can get cocktails and snacks without much waiting. 

Verdict: This reopened—and completely revitalized—Italian restaurant in Beverly Hills is a maximalist Old Hollywood fantasy set in a tiny, windowless room that feels like a winners-only Oscars’ afterparty. There’s a lot to take in, but between the exemplary service, a delicious menu filled with dishes like a tableside caesar and bone-in veal parm, and the best-made martini we’ve ever had, La Dolce Vita delivers glamorous, over-the-top escapism. 

How To Get In: Own an Oscar. Just kidding, but not really. Given how small it is, La Dolce Vita will likely be one of the most exclusive restaurants in LA for a while. Reservations are released a month in advance on Resy, but we’ve never had much luck with that. Instead, just sign up for every “Notify” alert and pray. If you don’t mind eating late though, try walking in after 9pm. There are usually a few tables in the lounge available.

Verdict: If you’ve been on the internet recently, you likely already know about this one-of-a-kind Indian-Italian sports bar in Silver Lake. Everyone and their cousins have a hot take on it, and we’re no exception (we love it). With a slick mid-century modern aesthetic, an early 2000s R&B playlist blasting through the TV-filled dining room, and delicious bar food like dosa onion rings, malai rigatoni, and pizzas slathered in green chutney, we can say with confidence there isn’t another restaurant in LA like Pijja.

How To Get In: Reservations are released seven days in advance at midnight and they’re infamously gone within seconds. If you’re not the type to chase a reservation, just borrow our move and show up at 5pm when they open. You’ll almost certainly walk right in. Unless there’s a Dodger or Lakers or Rams game, in which case, circle back a different night.

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Verdict: Saffy’s is the newest spot from the Bestia/Bavel team, and the Middle Eastern-leaning menu is stacked with standout dishes like creamy hummus ful, red snapper tagine, and assorted meat skewers—plus lots of excellent natural wine. Big thumbs up from us.

How To Get In: Saffy’s does take reservations, but they also hold a good portion of seats for walk-ins. We recommend taking them up on the latter. You might wait 20 minutes for a table when you get there, but time will likely fly by as you sit on the sidewalk with a glass of wine. Note: they also have a giant front patio that nearly doubles the restaurant’s seating capacity.

Verdict: Anajak isn’t the highest-rated restaurant on our website by accident. This boundary-pushing Thai restaurant in Sherman Oaks serves some of the best food in LA and is a place everyone should experience in person.

How To Get In: Anajak's regular dinner service is booked out months in advance and getting a seat at the 14-course omakase is even more competitive. Cancellations are not uncommon though, so sign up for notifications and say a few prayers—or try calling. We've had lots of last-minute success that way. You can also show up on Tuesdays for their guest chef taco nights (which are walk-up only), but we recommend getting there before service starts at 6pm, since lines often stretch down the block.

Verdict: Despite international accolades and attention from culinary filmmakers, fame hasn’t really gotten to this quiet Japanese tasting menu spot in Palms. It’s still one of the premiere fine dining experiences in LA, and its 13-course modern kaiseki is unique and deeply personal. At $300+ though, we'd be hard-pressed to recommend it for anything other than a Very Special Occasion.

How To Get In: N/Naka releases a week's worth of reservations, a month ahead of time, every Sunday at 10am on Tock. You have about .5 seconds to snap up a table before they sell out, so come prepared, warm up your fingers, and give your favorite good luck charm an extra rub.

Verdict: Anyone who says the food at Dan Tana’s is bad is wrong. Anyone who says the food at Dan Tana’s is incredible is also wrong. At this quintessential Old Hollywood spot, the red sauce Italian dishes are only part of the experience—you’re here to schmooze with friends, drink too many martinis, and pay tribute to one of LA’s iconic dining institutions. 

How To Get In: Dan Tana’s is the kind of place where regulars and familiar faces always get preferential treatment, which isn't exactly surprising at a place where the reservation book dates back to the Johnson administration. Calling last minute rarely works. Calling six to ten days in advance—and building a rapport with the hosting staff—will usually result in a table.

Verdict: This high-end omakase spot hidden in the basement of a Little Tokyo office building is desgined for sushi geeks with deep pockets. You'll pay $300+ for about 20 courses of appetizers, sashimi, and nigiri, prepared behind an elegant wood counter. Other omakase spots in LA offer better value (and frankly, are a little more fun), but if eating the absolute best nigiri in the city is your main priority, Kaneyoshi is worth the bucket-list investment.

How To Get In: Crystals? Magic? A flesh sacrifice? Reservations for the following month typically are made available on the first of every month at 3pm, but they tend to disappear in a matter of minutes. You can also try scoring a seat at their adjacent cocktail and omakase bar, Sawa, but since it only sits ten people per night, you'll still have to hustle.

Verdict: Bestia is one of the most recognizable restaurants in LA, and although a lot of other great Italian spots have opened in the decade since Bestia did, it remains in the very top tier. The salumi plate is still one of the best charcuterie boards in town. 

How To Get In: Reservations can be made up to two months in advance—if you look ahead you’ll generally find plenty of tables on the calendar. If you’re more of the impromptu type, just do what we do and walk into the bar after 9pm on the weekends for some late-night pizza and pasta. You can also copy and paste this strategy for Bavel, Bestia’s pita and hummus-filled sibling restaurant a few blocks away.

Verdict: You’re here for the stunning ocean views, you’re here for celebrities in sunglasses, you’re here to eat expensive sushi that tastes great. Nobu is one of the best—and most consistent—splurge meals in LA.

How To Get In: Reservations are available up to 30 days in advance, though we rarely have luck making them online. If you call and speak with a host, however, your chances go up exponentially. Walk-ins during weekday lunch are also usually accepted.

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Verdict: In most ways, Melisse is pretty much what you’d expect from a tasting menu-only spot that’s been open in Santa Monica for over 20 years. There are foams, intricate presentations, and servers who have spent a lot of time learning dish placement choreography. And yet, it doesn’t feel stale. If you're down to spend, it's a good option.

How To Get In: Patience. Melisse releases reservations about a month in advance, and while those slots don’t immediately sell out, it’s best to keep a watchful eye—and plan to book about two or three weeks before your dinner. Warning: There’s a strict no-cancellation or rescheduling policy, and if either occurs, you’ll be charged the full price of dinner. 

Verdict: One of the OG tasting menu restaurants in town and a place that put LA fine dining on the map. Almost two decades since it open, this fancy seafood spot remains the epitome of high-class, high-quality dining.

How To Get In: Reservations can be made up to two months in advance, so if you don't mind planning that far ahead, we recommend snagging a table online, then following up over the phone if you'd like to move it sooner. You can also roll the dice and call the day of—sometimes a chair or two will be available at the bar.

Verdict: While we’ve never had a bad meal at Hayato, the overall experience at this high-end kaiseki counter is serious and a little stiff. There’s no music and only scattered conversation from the chefs, making the whole meal feel like a three-hour whisper session. If your focus is solely on elegantly prepared Japanese food, consider it a destination, but there are also other options for exciting omakase meals in town.

How To Get In: Reservations for the kaiseki menu are released on the first of the month at 10am on Tock and disappear instantly, since the restaurant only offers one seating of seven people each night. Hayato also tends to prioritize bookings for regulars, which makes finding a seat even tougher for first-time visitors. In other words: don't hold your breath.

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