The first thing you notice is the ice.
Walk past the host stand at Avra Beverly Hills and there is a long counter on your left, packed with crushed ice and whole fish laid out like a market in Athens. Branzino, red snapper, langoustines, lobster. A server will walk you over, tell you what came in that morning, and let you point at the one you want. It feels like shopping. Then you sit down at a white-linen table under soft lighting, and you remember you are on North Beverly Drive.
That contrast is the whole experience here. A fish market at the front, a Beverly Hills dining room everywhere else.
See it in 60 seconds
A short walk through everything that came to the table that day.
Best for
A long meal with friends, a birthday, out-of-town guests you want to impress, or the night you feel like ordering a whole fish.
The lunch deal that makes this place doable
Avra is not a cheap restaurant. But the three-course prix fixe at lunch is the reason my friends and I keep coming back. It runs 41.95 dollars per person and is served daily from 11:30 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. Please confirm current pricing before you go, since menus change.
For that you choose a first course, a main, and a dessert. The Greek salad, the spanakopita, and the classic spreads are all included with no surcharge. A few items carry a supplement, like the grilled octopus or the filet mignon, and those are worth knowing about before you order so there are no surprises on the check.
We have done this lunch with four people and walked out feeling like we ate far better than the number at the bottom of the bill.
What we ordered
The bread is not a throwaway
The pita comes out warm, brushed with olive oil, cut into long triangles. The spreads change, but tzatziki, fava, and taramasalata are the ones I reach for. Ask for extra pita. They will bring it.
Langoustines, the dish everyone asks about
If you have never had langoustines, think of something that sits between a large shrimp and a small lobster. Sweeter than shrimp, more delicate than lobster, and they come to the table split, charred from the grill, with lemon and olive oil. Avra flies in Scottish langoustines and grills them simply, which is the right call. This is the dish my friends talk about on the drive home.
The whole fish, filleted at your table
Pick your fish at the counter and it comes back whole, grilled over charcoal, then filleted beside you with two spoons. The server does it quickly and quietly, and the fish stays moist. Whole fish is priced by the pound at market price, so ask what the fish weighs before you agree to it. That one question will save you from a surprise.
The rest of the table
The grilled octopus is tender with a proper char and a scatter of onion and peppers. The mussels arrive in a tomato broth with feta crumbled over the top, and the sauce is good enough that you will want more bread for it. The fried red mullet is crisp and salty and disappears fast. The grilled vegetables are not an afterthought, which I appreciate more than I expected to.
Dessert, and a small kindness
If someone at your table is celebrating, tell them when you book. A dessert plate comes out with a candle, the lights feel a little softer, and the whole room turns for a second. The orange filo cake and the cheesecake are both good, and the fruit plate is generous enough for the table.
What stood out, and what to know
The room is bright and calm, with pale marble, blue accents, and tables far enough apart that you can talk. Service is polished without being stiff. Our water glasses were never empty and nobody rushed us out, even on a full afternoon.
A few practical things I would want a friend to know:
- Book ahead. Lunch fills up, especially Friday, and walk-ins wait.
- Ask the weight and the price of the whole fish before you say yes. Market price means market price.
- The prix fixe supplements add up quietly. Three upgrades and you are at dinner prices.
- Valet is the easy option on Beverly Drive. There is street parking and a public structure nearby if you would rather walk a block or two.
- Go at the start of lunch service if you want the quiet version of the room, or later if you want the buzz.
Location and details
- Avra Beverly Hills
- 233 N Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
- Phone: (310) 734-0841
- Hours: Sunday through Thursday 11:30 to 22:00, Friday and Saturday 11:30 to 23:00
- Lunch prix fixe: 41.95 dollars, daily 11:30 to 16:00
- Reservations: Resy and OpenTable
Please confirm hours and prices before you go.
Would I go back
Yes, and I would bring people who think Greek food means gyros. Sitting in a room this pretty, pointing at a fish on ice, and having it come back grilled and filleted beside you is a small event in the middle of an ordinary week. Do the lunch prix fixe, order the langoustines, ask for more pita.
Have you been to Avra, or is there a Greek place in Los Angeles you love more? Tell me in the comments. I am always looking for the next long meal with friends.
