Foodies Tell Tasting Table The LA Fine Dining Restaurant They Want To Eat At

A city full of celebrities, movies, and notorious traffic, Los Angeles is equally ripe with restaurants. The Los Angeles Times questioned what makes a good L.A. restaurant, settling on qualities of comfort and adventure. (These qualities can be found in many eateries across the city — including those of the fine dining variety as well as more casual weeknight settings — but we're here to talk specifically about L.A. fine dining.) Fine dining is about the ambiance as much as it is the food, and with a trendy and diverse rotation of restaurants, L.A. can appeal to just about any diner.

Due to expenses and often long waits for reservations, fine dining is not an everyday activity for most people. However, the size and scope of Los Angeles guarantee you can seek out the best option when you are looking to splurge. Whether you're in the mood for upscale Italian, modern Mexican, or searching for something more old-school, L.A.'s dining scene has you covered.

Still, a few of these restaurants hover at the top of bucket lists, with devoted diners planning trips to the city of angles just to eat. Tasting Table's latest survey asked 615 readers about their dream L.A. fine dining experience and found that people largely gravitated toward one particular Japanese eatery. Chances are, you recognize the name.

More than 200 people have their sights set on a meal at Nobu, according to a recent Tasting Table survey. Roughly 33% of readers — that's 204 people — cited this celebrity-favored haunt as their dream dining locale. Forbes dubbed Nobu a special-occasion-type of experience, and clearly, people agree. Nobu has locations across the U.S. and abroad which all differ slightly. Notable menu items at the Los Angeles Nobu location include Japanese A5 Wagyu, uni pasta with caviar, eight different types of seafood tacos, and a variety of sushi and sashimi options.

Following Nobu, Musso & Frank Grill received 159 votes out of 615. About a quarter of voters — specifically 25.85% — fantasized about dining at this classic locale, which has been a Hollywood go-to for over 100 years (via Musso & Frank).

The remaining choices amassed similar numbers of votes. Craig's, Craft Los Angeles, and Perch received 15.61%, 13.5%, and 11.87% of the vote, respectively. In regards to Craig's — an American restaurant in West Hollywood — 96 people hoped to snag a reservation. Meanwhile, 83 and 73 people respectively pointed to Craft and Perch as their fine dining goals. 

Whether you favor one of these options or another that isn't on the list, a fine dining experience in L.A. guarantees a memorable night out that is, hopefully, worth the price ... and the reservation wait.