A decade after opening, Gwen Butcher Shop & Restaurant in Hollywood remains a fixture, offering a European-style butcher shop by day and a Michelin-starred steakhouse by night. Owned by Aussie celeb chef Curtis Stone and his brother, the establishment prides itself on sourcing unique cuts of beef, pork, veal, and lamb when they are at their prime.
Animals arrive in complete form, broken down to their smallest parts in-house. A notable example is the powdered beef tallow served atop a grilled cipollini onion, accompanying a pristine, medium-rare flat iron Wagyu. This particular Wagyu, Blackmore from Australia with an MBS 9+ rating (indicating a significant amount of intramuscular fat), is imported to Los Angeles directly by the Stone brothers' own company.
Beyond the Wagyu, Gwen features an extensive selection of meat aging in a floor-to-ceiling glass dry-aging locker. The restaurant sources from operations like Kansas's Creekstone Farms, Napa's Five Dot Ranch, and Australia's O'Connor, offering everything from 30- to 120-day-aged ribeye, short loin, T-bone, New York, porterhouse, and zabuton (also known as Denver steak). Its commitment to quality earned Gwen a Gold Certification from The Beef Advocate, a first for any restaurant in North America. The charcuterie board, cured in-house, is a standout, as are the smoky lamb ribs with pomegranate molasses and crème fraîche.
While undoubtedly a steakhouse, Gwen doesn't shy away from other intriguing menu items. The Ibérico pressa, for instance, pairs well with a tangy, earthy squid-ink jerk sauce. Other options include Maine scallops with pork fat, corn foam, and lemon gel, or pasta dishes featuring guanciale, 'nduja, or Italian sausage. For sides, the duck fat potatoes with chicken salt and vinegar are a particular highlight. Even the bread service, warm, hand-pulled stecca with Normandy butter, is considered among the city's best.
Gwen once featured a water sommelier, Martin Riese, and his legacy continues with an extensive menu of sparkling and still waters from around the globe, demonstrating that not all water is created equal. For dessert, there's a seasonal sorbet to accompany the caramelized chocolate mousse with vanilla crème fraîche and whiskey caramel.
The dining room's aesthetic combines Art Deco with what some describe as dystopian-Gaudí elements, complete with tiered chandeliers. The experience extends to a chef's counter, where Executive Chef Marcell Hatten, who has been leading the kitchen since 2024, prepares dishes like a fennel-cucumber clarified gazpacho amuse-bouche. A unique touch is the 'choose-your-own steak knife' ceremony, where each blade is introduced with the story of its maker and materials, adding an element of theater to the meal.
