I want to be clear about something before I get into this list: my kids are genuine foodies. Charlotte and Madeline eat well, they eat adventurously, and we take them to a lot of nice restaurants across the Westside and beyond. They are not the problem. The problem is that certain restaurants have a culinary magic that requires a specific kind of attention, quiet, and appreciation that young kids simply can’t provide yet — and spending that kind of money on an experience they can’t fully receive is a waste of the experience. These are the restaurants Brad and I go to when we have a babysitter. These are not compromises. These are the meals we look forward to for weeks.
Muse — The Palisades’ Best-Kept Secret
Muse in the Palisades is one of the most unique dining experiences in Los Angeles, and I genuinely believe it will receive a Michelin star one day. It started as a pop-up at USC and has grown into a beautiful, special restaurant — tiny, intimate, the kind of place where you are essentially sitting on top of the other tables in the best possible way. The closeness of the room is part of what makes it feel so singular.
The chef is a young gentleman who personally brings many of the dishes to your table and explains the story behind each one. His brother makes the pastries, and they are extraordinary. We have been a couple of times already and are going back again with friends — that is how much we believe in this restaurant. Here’s what you must order: start with the Brioche Feuilletée with softened Bordier butter. Do not skip this. It is one of the best things I have eaten in Los Angeles. For dessert, the Vanilla St. Honoré is non-negotiable — order it. We have also had the veal bonbons, tuna tartlets, hamachi with yuzu, fish, and rack of lamb across our visits, all of it genuinely divine.
This is a secret spot that is worth a drive. Kids have no business being here — not because they wouldn’t behave, but because they would not yet be able to receive what this restaurant is offering. And that would be a shame for everyone at the table.
La Monique at the Oceana Hotel — Romantic and Genuinely Adult
La Monique at the Oceana Hotel is a romantic, beautiful, intimate restaurant that operates at a frequency kids would disrupt simply by being present. This is not a criticism of kids — it’s an honest description of what La Monique is and what it is for. We are going back this Friday for Brad’s birthday, and I cannot wait.
If you go, ask for a waiter named Christian. He is wonderful — warm, attentive, genuinely great at his job — and he has been there since the restaurant opened. That kind of longevity on the floor of a good restaurant tells you something about the operation. He knows the menu deeply and makes the whole experience feel personal rather than transactional. Request him by name when you make your reservation if you can.
Providence — Melrose Avenue, One Michelin Star
Providence on Melrose Avenue holds a Michelin star, and that tells you most of what you need to know about why the kids stay home. This is serious, technically accomplished cooking — seafood-focused, precise, the kind of meal that rewards your full attention from the first course to the last. It is not inexpensive, but it is not absurdly priced the way some starred restaurants have become. You will pay a genuine fine dining price for a genuinely fine dining experience. That is a fair trade.
Providence is a special occasion restaurant — the kind of place you go for a milestone, an anniversary, or an evening when you want to remember why you love eating in this city. Charlotte and Madeline will get there someday. Today is not that day.
Citrin — Santa Monica, One Michelin Star
Citrin in Santa Monica is the other Michelin-starred entry on this list, and it rounds out the pair beautifully. Where Providence leans into seafood and precision, Citrin is California-driven fine dining with a warmth that makes it feel slightly more accessible even at the same level of culinary ambition. The pricing is in the same range as Providence — expensive but not obscene — and the quality of the meal justifies every dollar.
Both Providence and Citrin are restaurants where you are paying for craft, sourcing, and execution at a level that children simply cannot appreciate yet. When they’re old enough to engage with that kind of cooking with genuine curiosity, I will take them. Until then, these are Brad’s and my restaurants.
Pasjoli — And the Tableside Pressed Duck
Pasjoli is a superb French restaurant, and it deserves its own paragraph for a dish that I believe every serious food person in Los Angeles should experience at least once: the tableside pressed duck. It is $350, available by reservation only, and it is among the most unique dining experiences you will find anywhere in Los Angeles. You will not see this dish executed this way at any other restaurant in the city.
The pressed duck is a historic French technique — roasted, then pressed tableside to extract the juices, which are incorporated into a sauce finished in front of you. It is theater and technique and history on one plate. I have thought about it many times since we had it. You can split it between two people, and you absolutely should try it at least once in your life.
Beyond the duck, Pasjoli is very French in the best sense — the kind of food that a child will not appreciate and might actively resist. The menu is not built around accessibility. It is built around a point of view, and that point of view requires a diner who is ready to meet it. You cannot waste a $350 tableside pressed duck on someone who would rather have pasta. You just can’t.
How We Actually Make Date Night Happen
We aim for a real dinner out at least once a month. Honestly, lately that hasn’t happened — life has a way of filling the gaps, and we haven’t had a night alone in a couple of months. But this Friday we will, and we’re going to La Monique for Brad’s birthday, and I am genuinely excited about it.
The logistics of protecting date night when you have two kids, two full schedules, and a Goldendoodle who also has needs are real. What works for us is treating it like a commitment rather than a hope. We put it on the calendar. We make the reservation before the evening arrives. We do not wait for a spontaneous opening because a spontaneous opening does not come. You make it happen or it doesn’t happen. These restaurants are worth making it happen for.
Adults-Only Restaurants Guide — Need to Know
| Muse | Pacific Palisades | Tiny, intimate, exceptional | Must order: Brioche Feuilletée + Vanilla St. Honoré | Potential future Michelin star |
| La Monique | Oceana Hotel | Romantic and adult | Ask for waiter Christian | Perfect for birthdays and anniversaries |
| Providence | Melrose Ave, LA | 1 Michelin star | Seafood-focused fine dining | Special occasion pricing, worth every dollar |
| Citrin | Santa Monica | 1 Michelin star | California fine dining | Warm and accomplished |
| Pasjoli | Santa Monica | French | Must try: tableside pressed duck ($350, reservation required) | A once-in-a-lifetime dish in LA |
