The Business Travellers’ Guide to Dining in LA
Off to Los Angeles for work? These dining options will delight you.
For a breakfast meeting
Checkers Downtown
Finding a suitable space for a meeting without the echo of clattering dishes, pumping music and loud monologues from fellow diners (this is LA) can be difficult. Checkers Downtown, in the Hilton Checkers hotel, offers a more subdued environment, with lots of low-kilojoule options and an outdoor patio area. A private dining room for up to 15 people can also be booked.
535 South Grand Avenue, LA
For a business dinner
Providence has been open for 10 years and shows no sign of waning as one of LA’s favourite fine-dining destinations. The restaurant – which has two Michelin stars –places its emphasis on exquisite seafood in a stunning yet understated dining setting and offers dégustation options that won’t leave you feeling like you have been force-fed. Two private dining rooms are also available. An elegant private dining room for up to 22 people is available.
5955 Melrose Avenue, LA
If you’re dining alone
LA’s huge Japanese population means the city has the best Japanese food this side of Tokyo. Luckily, few things lend themselves to the contemplative act of solo eating like a sushi bar. Sushi Tsujita is down the street from Tsujita LA Artisan Noodle, the original ramen spot that spawned the new joint. This sushi-focused incarnation serves omakase (chef’s choice) meals highly rated by its regulars.
2006 Sawtelle Boulevard, LA
For drinks with clients
In the same building as the Normandie Hotel, though not part of it, The Normandie Club is comfortable and dark, with deep leather seats and a small outdoor area. The exclusive feel belies an unpretentious atmosphere, with friendly staff mixing cocktails and pouring Japanese whisky and craft beer. In the back is The Walker Inn, a reservation-only private room.
3612 West 6th Street, LA
For a coffee pit stop
LA is a great coffee town and Demitasse is just one of many cafés that approaches its coffee with a level of seriousness usually reserved for open-heart surgery. Its three locations – Downtown, Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevard – offer their home-blend roast, created after endless experiments and plantation field-trips. An emphasis on seasonality, though, means the flavour varies over the year.
135 South San Pedro Street, LA
