IMA

IMA Is Not Animal's Replacement — And That's the Point

If you're arriving at IMA expecting a continuation of the irreverent, meat-forward energy that made Animal one of Los Angeles's most talked-about restaurants before its closure in June 2023, recalibrate. IMA is a Japanese restaurant occupying a $$$$ price tier in Beverly Hills, and its identity is built on precision and restraint — not provocation. The Michelin Plate recognition it earned in 2025 signals technical credibility, not nostalgia. If you're deciding between IMA and the broader field of serious Japanese dining in Los Angeles, read on before booking.

What IMA Actually Is

IMA sits on South Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills at the $$$$ price tier , the same bracket as Hayato, n/naka, and Sushi Kaneyoshi. That positioning matters. At this price point in Los Angeles, the competition is serious. You are not paying for a casual neighbourhood Japanese meal; you are paying for a dining experience that has earned Michelin recognition and that sits in a neighbourhood where the dining public's expectations run high. With a Google rating of 4.4 across 62 reviews, the guest response is positive, though the review count is low enough to suggest IMA is still building its audience. That means booking is achievable now, but that window may narrow as the 2025 Michelin Plate drives more traffic to the reservation page.

The cuisine type is Japanese, and within Beverly Hills's dining tier, that positions IMA alongside some of the most technically demanding kitchens in the city. Japanese cooking at this price level in Los Angeles tends to operate in one of two modes: omakase-format sushi, where the counter is the experience, or a more composed kaiseki-influenced style where the kitchen drives the sequence. IMA's specific format is not confirmed in available data, so contact the restaurant directly before assuming either structure. For confirmed omakase formats, Hayato and Sushi Kaneyoshi are the clearer reference points in this city.

The Drinks Program: Worth Treating Seriously

At a $$$$ Japanese restaurant with Michelin recognition, the drinks program is not incidental , it is part of the value proposition. Japanese dining at this level tends to pair with either a considered sake list, a curated wine selection, or both. The leading versions of this, across the category, build a drinks menu that extends the discipline of the food: seasonal, precise, and structured to move through a meal rather than sit beside it. If IMA's program follows that model, the drinks order will materially affect whether the meal justifies the spend. Ask specifically about sake pairing options when you book, and ask whether the beverage pairing is priced separately or incorporated. At the $$$$ tier in Los Angeles, a full pairing can add $80–$150 or more per person, which changes the total cost calculation significantly. For a point of comparison on how Japanese beverage programs operate at this level in a different market, Myojaku in Tokyo and Azabu Kadowaki in Tokyo illustrate what a fully integrated drinks and food approach looks like at the leading of the category. IMA is operating in a different context, but the benchmark is useful when deciding how much to lean into the drinks side of your visit.

For a broader read on LA's bar and drinks scene as context for your evening, our full Los Angeles bars guide covers the options worth knowing before and after dinner.

When to Go

IMA's hours are not confirmed in available data, but the practical logic for a Michelin-recognised Beverly Hills Japanese restaurant at the $$$$ tier points clearly toward weekday evenings as the optimal window. Weekend reservations at this price point in Beverly Hills fill quickly, and the dining experience at a precision-focused Japanese kitchen is almost always better when the room is not at maximum capacity. If you can be flexible, Tuesday through Thursday gives you the leading combination of table availability, unhurried pacing, and , where relevant , a more composed atmosphere for a drinks-forward evening. Early seatings also tend to allow more time with the menu before the room turns over. Book the earliest available slot if the format allows for it.

The Beverly Hills Context

Beverly Hills is not typically where LA's most adventurous dining happens, but it does concentrate serious spending power, which means kitchens here can support the ingredient quality and staffing that precision Japanese cooking requires. IMA's location on South Santa Monica Boulevard puts it in a neighbourhood that rewards a broader evening itinerary , a drink beforehand, or a walk after, rather than a destination-only visit. If you're building a full Los Angeles dining trip, our full Los Angeles restaurants guide maps the wider field. For hotels near the venue, our full Los Angeles hotels guide is a practical starting point. If experiences beyond dining are part of your trip, our full Los Angeles experiences guide and our full Los Angeles wineries guide are worth consulting alongside it.

For context on how IMA fits into Japanese dining specifically, Bar Sawa and Hinoki & The Bird occupy adjacent territory in the Japanese-influenced Los Angeles dining spectrum. 715 is another LA reference point worth knowing if you're building a short list. Nationally, if you're calibrating IMA against the broader fine dining field, The French Laundry in Napa, Le Bernardin in New York City, Lazy Bear in San Francisco, Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg, Smyth in Chicago, and Emeril's in New Orleans give a sense of what Michelin-recognised kitchens deliver at comparable price tiers across the country.