The best chef's tables, counters and private dining in L.A.

At Providence, come to Michael Cimarusti’s chef’s table for the food and stay for the experience. Looking onto the kitchen of this Michelin-starred fine-dining institution, this chef’s table seats up to six people, offering diners the chance to watch the intricate process of their meals being plated. Cimarusti is also known to chat with diners—a story about his latest fishing trip, perhaps, or the meal’s inspiration—and will customize a menu around special requests in advance, whether it’s a specific theme or dishes built around a particular ingredient. Diners also have the added bonus of hooking up their iPod to the table’s private sound system.
When to reserve it: It varies from (lucky) day-of reservations for weeknights to two months ahead for weekend dining.

At Bestia, Downtown’s ode to Italian fare by husband-and-wife culinary team Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis, there's no need to rubberneck for a glimpse at the kitchen's inner workings. Instead, reserve a spot with at least four other people at the coveted chef's table. Taking cues from its industrial-meets-contemporary space, this long, wooden perch can seat up to seven people, allowing diners to observe the kitchen's hustle and bustle as the talented team turns out dishes such as chicken liver crostino and roasted marrow bone with spinach gnochetti.
When to reserve it: Three to four weeks ahead for weeknights and four to six weeks ahead for weekends.

Serious steak fans are in for a treat at The Langham Huntington Pasadena’s The Royce Wood-Fired Steakhouse, where up to eight diners can indulge their meat-loving fantasies at the sleek chef’s table. Recreating a theatre-like experience, the crescent-shaped hardwood table sits behind a glass wall and looks onto the kitchen, allowing diners the opportunity to watch Chef Perry Pollaci and his team whip up a customized seven-course menu using seasonally available ingredients and herbs and vegetables from the property’s garden. Expect dishes such as kobe beef “shabu shabu” with uni and beef consommé and Alaskan halibut with sumac pappardelle and paprika to make their way onto the lineup (starting at $135 per person), which can be amped up with an optional wine pairing from the restaurant’s award-winning cellar.
When to reserve it: At least a week in advance, or you might luck out with someone else's last minute cancellation, but that means you'll be eating their customized menu too.