Hollywood institution among more than a dozen California restaurants to make America’s top 100

California is home to more of America’s best restaurants than any other state, according to a new nationwide ranking that gave 19 Golden State eateries a spot among the country’s top 100.

The list includes a century-old Hollywood institution beloved by movie stars, a three-Michelin-starred seafood restaurant on Melrose Avenue and a celebrated Eagle Rock eatery serving up a modern take on American heritage cooking.

Three Los Angeles favorites — Musso & Frank Grill, Providence and Dunsmoor — made OpenTable’s 2026 Top 100 Restaurants list, alongside 16 other California establishments.

Dunsmoor restaurant is located on Eagle Rock Blvd in Los Angeles, California. Instagram/@dunsmoor.la

“Each year, OpenTable looks at insights from diner reviews and demand to determine the top restaurants across the country,” a message from the platform read.

Leading the Hollywood contingent is Musso & Frank Grill, the legendary restaurant that has been serving diners since 1919.

The oldest restaurant in Hollywood, the establishment at 6667 Hollywood Blvd. offers an “authentic Old Hollywood dining experience one would have received in the early decades of last century,” according to OpenTable.

Known as the oldest restaurant in Hollywood, Musso & Frank Grill opened its doors in 1919 and offers “authentic Old Hollywood dining experience one would have received in the early decades of last century,” per the platform. Penske Media via Getty Images

Its historic dining room features leather booths and classic menu offerings, including “Charlie Chaplin’s favorite lamb kidneys with bacon and the pan-seared grenadine of beef.”

“As Hollywood’s oldest restaurant, Musso’s has been serving up the finest cuisine for 106 years,” according to the restaurant’s website.

Cesarina restaurant operates in San Diego, California. Facebook/Cesarina

The century-old business has remained in the same family for four generations.

Another Los Angeles standout is Providence, the three-Michelin-starred seafood destination on Melrose Avenue that has been serving modern American cuisine since opening in 2005.

“For over a decade, Providence has elevated the standard of modern American seafood restaurants,” offering guests award-winning cuisine in the heart of Los Angeles, according to OpenTable.

Providence is a three Michelin-starred fine-dining seafood restaurant that has been offering diners a modern American seafood experience since it opened its doors in 2005. Pedro Colo for CA Post

Chef Michael Cimarusti’s restaurant, located at 5955 Melrose Avenue, prides itself on sourcing top-quality seafood from around the world.

Cimarusti is “completely dedicated to procuring the finest sustainable seafood—from regional coasts and international waters—and treats those ingredients with uncompromising respect and sophisticated technique,” according to the restaurant’s website.

Dunsmoor, meanwhile, earned a spot for its take on American culinary traditions.

Located at 3501 Eagle Rock Boulevard, chef Brian Dunsmoor’s namesake restaurant opened in 2022 and “is the latest iteration of his ongoing exploration of American heritage cooking,” OpenTable said.

Chef Michael Cimarusti prepares a King Salmon plate at Providence in Los Angeles on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. Pedro Colo for CA Post

“It is, first and foremost, a restaurant for the community that surrounds it, and a loving expression of the relentless research that has informed his cooking for the last ten years.”

The recognition extended well beyond Los Angeles.

Southern California restaurants making the cut included San Diego favorites Callie, Cowboy Star and Cesarina, along with Naisho Omakase in Costa Mesa, Strong Water in Anaheim, Bar Cecil in Palm Springs and Lilo in Carlsbad.

Callie operates as a restaurant in San Diego. Instagram/@cdmx.foodies

Northern California also scored big, with eight San Francisco restaurants earning spots on the list. Among them were Boulevard, Kokkari Estiatorio and Chicano Nuevo.

In total, California’s 19 selections outpaced every other state, giving the Golden State bragging rights in the nationwide dining showdown.

A bone-in ribeye steak with french fries sits on a plate at Musso and Frank Grill in Los Angeles on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015. The Washington Post via Getty Images
Seafood restaurant Providence operates in Los Angeles. Facebook/Providence

The rankings were compiled using “over 11 million reviews from verified OpenTable diners and dining metrics from September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2026,” according to the platform.

“OpenTable restaurants that are in good standing with a minimum threshold of diner reviews were considered and evaluated by a compilation of unique data points, including diner ratings, the percentage of five star reviews, the number of alerts set, the percentage of reservations made in advance, percentage of capacity and direct searches.”

Those factors were then weighted to calculate an overall score used to determine the final rankings.

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