For nearly two decades, Providence has been one of Los Angeles’s defining expressions of seafood—a place where reverence for the ocean yields dishes that balance precision with quiet restraint. Co-owned by Michael Cimarusti, Crisi Echiverri, and front-of-house veteran Donato Poto, the restaurant has flourished: it earned two Michelin stars when the guide covered Los Angeles in 2008, regained two upon Michelin’s return to California, and in 2025 ascended to Michelin’s top rating of three stars.
The dining room—refreshed in 2023 by Bells + Whistles—echoes the sea that defines the menu. Rippling blue and green tones sweep the room; Venetian-plaster walls shimmer like tide pools; and a suspended glass installation hovers like an illuminated current. The design doesn’t overwhelm; it focuses attention on what matters: the food.
Cimarusti’s menus stand apart for their quiet precision, giving you the best the sea has to offer while letting each ingredient speak for itself. “For the fish and the shellfish that we cook, it’s about finding that one perfect spot where the ingredient is just right and delivering it to the guest without overcomplicating it,” he says. “Seconds matter so much. The goal is to find that perfect moment, and then surround the fish with just enough to make it sing, not too much.”
