Kato

Kato sits inside Row DTLA's redeveloped LA Terminal Mart in the Arts District, and for non-drinkers it may be the most thoughtfully considered fine dining destination in the city. Bar director Austin Hennelly — who stopped drinking during the pandemic and built the program from the ground up — has assembled what the World's 50 Best calls an "industry-leading zero-proof selection with nearly 100 options," including dealcoholized wines, NA beers, a house verjus, and a full alcohol-free pairing flight designed to move alongside each course of chef Jon Yao's tasting menu.

The five NA cocktails on the menu are built as originals, not substitutes. The Garden Tonic layers clarified bitter melon and Korean cucumber over white peony tea, then force-carbonates the blend overnight for a sharply effervescent, vegetal drink served over imported Kuramoto ice from Kanazawa, Japan. The Amazake Swizzle uses fermented rice as its base, finished with grated lime. The Shiso Mule rounds out the lineup with herb-forward brightness. Hennelly, who previously worked at Booker and Dax, Amor y Amargo, and Majordōmo, won the 2023 Michelin Guide California Exceptional Cocktail Award — a rare recognition for a program that skews so deliberately toward zero-proof.

Reservations are competitive and strongly recommended; the dining room tasting menu runs $325 and the bar tasting menu $185, with bar seats also open for walk-ins from 5pm. The industrial-minimalist room — polished concrete, steel, light wood, an open kitchen anchored by a wood-burning stove — reads serious without being stiff, and multiple reviewers note the service is warm rather than performative. It works equally well for a special occasion or for sober diners who simply want a full fine-dining experience without any compromise at the drinks side of the table. Chef Jon Yao won Best Chef: California at the 2025 James Beard Awards, and the restaurant ranked 26th on the inaugural North America's 50 Best Restaurants list.