Eating out can get redundant, which is why we’re always pleased when a meal comes with a side of performance. We’re not just talking about bars with live music but places where you can eat a full meal and be fully entertained, from tried and true L.A. institutions like The Dresden and Vibrato Jazz Club to newcomers such as speakeasy-style The Georgian Room or Jazz Club at Cipriani Beverly Hills. To note, we’re not including spots with just a piano player like Polo Lounge or those with live DJs where the entertainment serves as background music rather than a full-blown performance. Here, are 15 favorite places to catch dinner and a show in L.A.
Vibrato Jazz Grill
Beverly Glen
Music legend Herb Albert (trumpeter and owner of A&M Records) is at the helm of this jazz club nestled in The Glen Centre. Nightly performers include big name acts from Seth MacFarlane and his Big Band to an Amy Winehouse tribute line-up. Options for entry include paying a cover fee, bar seating or snagging a reservation for dinner, which includes American classics like Wagyu sliders, jumbo shrimp cocktail, a chopped wedge salad, pastas, steaks and more.
Tatel
Beverly Hills
This lively Spanish restaurant is backed by sports stars Rafael Nadal, Cristiano Ronaldo and Pau Gasol. With flagships in Madrid and Ibiza, the Beverly Hills location brings much-needed Latin flair to the 90210. Expect tapas, palleas, seafood dishes and classic Mediterranean recipes from Michelin-starred chef Luigi Fineo. Snag a leather booth and enjoy live jazz on Thursday nights and DJs on Fridays and Saturdays. Sip on Sangria and dance the night away on Sundays with live salsa at 8:30 p.m.
Members
Hollywood
Transport yourself to Casablanca at this Sunset Boulevard hotspot. The venue is decked out in Moroccan decor, where plates of Mediterranean-inspired global cuisine by Executive Chef Azdin Fathi (previously the private chef for the royal family of Morocco) are served at sunken tables. Popular dishes include salmon crispy rice cakes, muhammara, hanger steak and apricot cheesecake. The entertainment lineup features everything from belly dancers and magicians to tarot card readers and fire shows. The restaurant and club is open Thursday to Sunday from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.
The Dresden
Los Feliz
This Hollywood landmark has been open since 1954, serving dinner with a side of nightly music in its lounge, long known for husband and wife performers Marty and Elayne who kept it lively for almost 40 years. The performers now include a rotating roster of jazz artists on Wednesdays, Thursdays, most Fridays and Saturdays. On Sundays, expect piano tunes by Lisa Crawley Trio or guitar by The Wes Hutchinson Duo. The dining room serves Italian-American fare (filet mignon, pastas, chicken piccata), whereas the lounge with live music has a separate condensed menu (soups, salads, sandwiches).
Lobby Lounge at Terrazza
Santa Monica
Hotel Casa Del Mar’s lobby lounge offers guests live music and dinner alongside ocean views. The hotel’s restaurant Terrazza is also in on the action, where you can snag a table and enjoy the live music, or you can opt for the lobby lounge with a separate, truncated menu. Expect live music with a rotating roster of artists every night except Monday.
Catalina Jazz Club
Hollywood
Jazz legends are known to take the stage at this Hollywood club that’s been serving dinner and a show for more than 35 years. Dinner includes starters like quesadillas, nachos, meatballs and salads, with entrees such as pastas, steaks, salmon and burgers to follow. Everyone from young artists from the Colburn School of Performing Arts to Andy Garcia with The CineSon All-Stars have taken the stage at this hot spot.
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Beverly Hills
Located in the heart of Beverly Hills, this luxury hotel provides two outlets for live music. Over at rooftop restaurant Dante, enjoy Italian eats with a daily Martini hour (3 p.m. to 5 p.m.) along with music from a piano vocalist. During weekend brunch, head to The Terrace, perfect for people-watching and enjoying live music.
Lucky Mizu
Downtown
Head to the new Level 8 restaurant and nightlife development for an evening of shabu shabu and sushi at Lucky Mizu. Located on the eighth floor of the Moxy and AC hotels, Level 8 is helmed by brothers Mark and Jonnie Houston, who’ve opened many of LA’s notable nightlife hangouts. The restaurant is accessible through a secret hallway, with chef Hisae Stuck serving delectable eats around a u-shaped bar and comfy booths. The Instagram-worthy restaurant even has a wall adorned with 777 traditional lucky cat figurines. But the real draw here is the “show,” a 40-foot earth harp stretched diagonally from one corner of the room to the other (created by Grammy-winner William Close) that’s played above diners nightly.
The Bar at Hotel Bel-Air
Bel Air
For a fancier take on dinner and a show, head to the Bar at Hotel Bel-Air. With nightly performances (piano on most nights), plan to check out the bar on Friday and Saturday when The Bel-Air Players jazz trio serenades well into the night. The always-packed intimate bar doesn’t take reservations, so come early to snag a good seat. The hotel’s new culinary director, Michelin-starred chef Joe Garcia, serves signature dishes including burgers, a crispy Japanese Jidori chicken sandwich, the hotel’s iconic tortilla soup and more. Check out the Cucumber’s Vengeance cocktail, which is like a light, refreshing Margarita.
Rudolph’s Bar and Tea
Downtown
Located within the Freehand Los Angeles, this bar pays homage to the building’s history with a Wednesday jazz night. Enjoy tunes by the Supa Lowery Brothers, led by trumpeter Christopher Lowery and drummer Wesley Lowery. From traditional jazz to contemporary R&B and hip hop hits, the duo sets the soundtrack to dinner, which includes an excellent mezze platter, papas and prawns, cauliflower tacos, and steak and eggs. Drinks here are a must — the bar is known for their tea-infused cocktails.
Verse
Toluca Lake
From new artists to musical icons, you never know who will be performing at Verse. Founded by 17-time Grammy-winning sound mixer Manny Marroquin, this is where the music industry comes to hang out after recording at a nearby studio or on a romantic date night. Performances include a mix of jazz, soul, Latin funk and R&B, and artists including Stevie Wonder, Charlie Puth, Bruno Mars, Lil Wayne, Anderson .Paak, Robin Thicke, Paco Versailles, Sabrina Claudio, Joey Fatone and Wayne Brady have graced the stage. The supper club-esque atmosphere highlights dishes like crudo and sashimi, Hokkaido milk buns, Mediterranean octopus, Peruvian scallops, lobster tagliatelle and braised lamb pasta.
Casa Madera
West Hollywood
Noble 33’s Riviera Maya-inspired restaurant on the Sunset Strip (located inside the Mondrian hotel) has both a live DJ and live instrumentalist nightly. While enjoying coastal Mexican fare (ask for the taco menu) throughout the indoor-outdoor space, expect to see traditional strings like cello, violin and Spanish guitar and eclectic instruments like the Turkish saz, Cretan lyra and Persian setar, among others.
The Georgian Room
Santa Monica
Enter the swanky new Wes Anderson-like Georgian hotel in Santa Monica, and head to the subterranean speakeasy, which housed a celebrity-studded restaurant from the 1930s to the 1950s; today, you’ll find an Italian steakhouse with red leather booths and a 14-seat wraparound bar. The intimate space is reservation-only and seats just 65 guests who are encouraged to put their phones away upon entry (no photography allowed). Open just three nights a week, expect lively music from the piano bar, jazz performers, craft cocktails, Italian wines and dishes from chef David Almany, including rigatoni alla vodka and a 48-ounce dry-aged ribeye. There’s also a separate late-night menu for those entering after 10 p.m. Ask for booths 104 or 105 to be close to the live music.
Delilah
West Hollywood
A Gen Z hotspot, this restaurant by The h.wood Group is a modern supper club serving classic American fare with performances Wednesday through Sunday. Expect female entertainers, a live jazz band or even your favorite pop star taking the stage for an impromptu performance. You can also relish in lounge-style bottle service and a restaurant with more of a club atmosphere.
RDEN
Hollywood
Located in the historic Taft Building, this restaurant and bar offers classic steakhouse eats with global influences by Chef de Cuisine Noe Olivera — think spicy hummus with lavash chips, Peruvian ceviche, uni pasta and a sushi and omakase menu under the direction of chef Tommy Ko. Adjacent to the Pantages Theatre, the Hollywood restaurant features entertainment Thursday through Sunday with their Velvet Moon Jazz series. In partnership with GillesSignature, performances include artists Chris Norton, Rhythm and Soul LA, CJ Emmons, and Lyndsay and the All-Nighters.
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