Michelin-starred favorite has been a generational staple in food-fickle LA

In a city where restaurants can disappear almost as quickly as they open, Providence has become something rare: A place people grow up with.For 21 years, chef/owner Michael Cimarusti’s seafood-focused Los Angeles restaurant has remained one of the city’s most celebrated dining destinations.Providence holds three Michelin stars as well as a Michelin Green Star for sustainability, and was ranked No.

32 on North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2026.Cimarusti himself won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: West in 2019.

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By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story Yet when Cimarusti talks about what has kept Providence going for more than two decades, he doesn’t start with the accolades.“We had kids that would come here, like their parents would bring them here in strollers, 20 years ago,” Cimarusti said.

“And now they’re coming in and having tasting menus on their own and then enjoying it with their young families.”That history is deeply personal to him.“I feel really blessed and humbled to be part of so many people’s lives,” he said, noting that guests have celebrated birthdays, anniversaries and other milestones inside the restaurant.“So many people hold this restaurant in a very dear place.”Cimarusti credits much of Providence’s longevity to the people around him.

Some members of the team have been there since the beginning.“The gentleman that greets you when you open the door, he’s been here 21 years,” he said.“Several of our captains have been here for 21 years, and we have runners that have been here for 21 years, and we have chefs that have been here for 21 years.”That same sense of trust extends beyond the walls of the restaurant.Providence has spent years developing relationships with the fish purveyors who supply its...