Providence
Seafood restaurant · Hollywood ·
Seafood tasting menu, sustainable, 3 Michelin stars, elegant
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Seafood tasting menu, sustainable, 3 Michelin stars, elegant
"Helmed by Michael Cimarusti in Los Angeles, this acclaimed restaurant landed at number 47 on the inaugural North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list and received a coveted three Michelin stars in 2025." - Rebecca Roland
"Opened in Hollywood on June 17, 2005, chef Michael Cimarusti and GM and co-owner Donato Poto immediately earned attention — and sparkling reviews — for a fun take on seafood-focused fine dining; over the years the team has earned three Michelin stars, overseen an oceanic renovation that captured local attention, and remained in operation for 20 years. Cimarusti reflects on running the restaurant: "When I first started, I had a feeling like I knew what we were doing. Today, I think I have a much more holistic view of what running a successful restaurant means. When I was younger and less informed, in my mind, people were just coming for the food. And obviously I knew that service was important, but what I’ve learned over time is how incredibly important a team is. My partner of 20 years, Donato, is one of the best in the business, period. And we worked together to figure out what worked, and what didn’t." He recounts the menu evolution in detail: "Back then, the menu we started with was just way too ambitious. We had an a la carte menu, and then we had two tasting menus. One tasting menu was called the California coastline, and it really just focused on all things California. And then the other menu was a bit more all-encompassing of seafood. We realized, we can’t do all of this at once, it’s just way too much. So then we started to methodically pare down the menu, and it just evolved over time. We went from being two tasting menus to an a la carte to just two tasting menus, and we ultimately arrived at where we are now: We just serve one menu and a vegetarian option." On the dining room and design, he notes that they took the space formerly occupied by chef Joachim Splichal of Patina, hired a local architect and design firm to reshape the interior, and in 2023 worked with Bells + Whistles to redesign the space around a sea theme. He situates the operation in Hollywood and the broader LA scene: "We’re in the heart of LA, and we love that. You’ve got to get in the car and drive here. We’ve never spared a dime, knowing where we’re located, and the expectation that folks have come to have of our restaurant. The ability to serve and do all technically perfect cooking, and provide a high level of hospitality, is obviously super important. Great wine service is super important. We had elements of all of that, and that’s why we really thrived." He also sums up the philosophy toward hospitality and expense as a commitment to guests: "always focused first and foremost on the guest experience. In many ways, that means cost be damned. It’s just our way." Finally, he acknowledges external pressures that have affected the Hollywood dining landscape, including COVID-19, the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, and the devastation of the 2025 California wildfires, and notes the historical nearby patronage of Paramount Studios executives in the restaurant’s earlier years." - Michael Cimarusti
"One of LA's longest-standing fine dining restaurants reopened in May 2023 with a sophisticated new look, and a Green Michelin star to add to its accolades. Walking in from busy Melrose Ave, diners are gently transported to an underwater world thanks to hand-finished Venetian plaster walls in an ombre effect of tidal greens and blues, carpeting that evokes wave ripples, and a hand-blown glass installation (Sea Clouds by Jeremy Maxwell Wintrebert) above the dining room that could be reminiscent of air bubbles floating to the surface. An advocate of sustainable seafood, chef Michael Cimarusti's ever-evolving tasting menu proudly showcases the herbs and flowers his team grows in the rooftop garden, which is also home to two beehives. It's hard not to be impressed by the care and attention he puts into every dish, which might start with a include a vermilion rockfish with porcini and sea fennel or a delicate swordfish with lipstick pepper, charred vegetable jus, and mint." - Celeste Moure
"Providence was finally upgraded from two to three stars, coinciding with chef Michael Cimarusti and business partner Donato Poto’s 20-year anniversary. Michael Cimarusti offered an extended reflection on the team's role and the restaurant's staff: "I had no idea. I thought we lost when the list of two-starred restaurants came out. I had no pretensions about it. We just go in and do the work, and if it comes, it comes. Thankful to be supported by an incredible team at Providence. Honestly, I think we’re the best we’ve ever been, in the kitchen and also the front of the house. I’m happy and elated but more than anything happy for Donato [Poto], my wife, Donato’s wife, Tristan Aitchison, our chef de cuisine of 20 years, our cooks, prep cooks, fish cutters, runners, bussers, servers, captains. It’s difficult, it’s not always as rewarding as you might hope it would be. At this time of the U.S., to be surrounded by a group of people who feel apprehension and dread every day for what might happen to them or in their community, family members, or friends, to work with people who are experiencing that right now, it’s very difficult. I hope that this achievement, which they’ve all been a part of, brings a little pride and maybe eases their burden a little bit. I’m proud to have employed probably a team of 80 percent immigrants ever since the restaurant opened, and Providence wouldn’t be Providence without them. None of these people in this room right now would be here were it not for immigrants, and I’m very proud to be an employer of dozens of immigrants who cook, clean, serve, and do all the very hard work day in and day out. I’m proud to be a part of this industry, representing Los Angeles." Colleagues echoed the importance of the moment: Jon Yao called Providence "the north star" for cooks, and Ryan Bailey remarked, "This is big for LA — LA needed this. To see a restaurant like Providence doing it for 20 years, that’s the most inspiring thing. I look at what Donato does with service, the passion, and the energy. It is hard to sustain that in our city for that long." - Matthew Kang
"Three stars. Providence has finally reached the pinnacle of Michelin glory with its third star. Chef Michael Cimarusti opened Providence 20 years ago on Melrose Avenue serving a world-class seafood tasting menu with unparalleled service. The recent redesign makes the suave environs one of the best places to enjoy fine dining in Los Angeles." - Eater Staff