Katana LA
Japanese restaurant · Crescent
8439 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Highlights
Japanese grilled meats & sushi with patio seats
Japanese grilled meats & sushi with patio seats
"West Hollywood restaurant Katana has operated along a Sunset Boulevard perch for over two decades, drawing TMZ-types like Ryan Seacrest (one of the restaurant’s co-owners) and Britney Spears since the early aughts. While the recipe for the place was clearly borrowed from the Nobu playbook, Katana retained its own attitude by focusing on grilled meats alongside raw seafood plates. The energy inside is also a lot surlier and more industrial, which could be interpreted as somewhat dated. After all these years, the look feels familiar again, aggressively dark but dressed with enough Japanese inflection to feel like a set from a CBS primetime series. The food is mostly solid, like scallop sashimi topped with caviar, nigiri sushi, lobster garlic noodles, and charcoal-grilled robata. Cocktails sway to the aughts-style sweet side, but at least all the juices are fresh and the spirits are good quality. Alas, it’s not clear how many celebrities frequent the place anymore, but at least people watching is top-tier. 8439 W. Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest" - Mona Holmes
"Katana in West Hollywood offers a dimly-lit dining experience with a Vegas-style industrial look. Known for its grilled A5 wagyu served on a hot stone and wood-grilled king crab, it has become a modern classic since opening in 2002." - Eater Staff
"Jasmine Lee Garcia, the general manager of Sushi Roku in Austin, was previously the manager of Katana, another restaurant under Innovative Dining Group in Los Angeles." - Nadia Chaudhury
"Japanese-inspired spot Katana is in the heart of the Sunset Strip, and has a large patio in the middle of the restaurant. They’ve got robata, steaks, and lots of things involving truffle oil. Reservations recommended. We haven’t been here yet, but want you to know this spot exists." - Team Infatuation
"A favorite among the stylish Sunset Strip set, Katana’s Japanese tapas-inspired menu, cocktails, and upscale, club-like feel have made it a destination restaurant for years. The elevated terrace has one of the best views down the Strip, perfect for people-watching. The Grey Goose lychee martini is a favorite twist on the classic “dirty” version of the drink that can balance the heat in any of the fish marinades (like the yellowtail with serrano chiles)." - Vox Creative
