In Los Angeles, dinner and a show is never just dinner and a show. It’s an event. A ritual. A lifestyle flex. And in 2025, Hollywood Bowl Food + Wine hits a milestone that proves just how seriously L.A. takes its food under the stars.
Now celebrating its tenth season, Hollywood Bowl Food + Wine continues to redefine what concert dining can be—guided by James Beard Award–winning chef Suzanne Goin and legendary restaurateur Caroline Styne. Together, they’ve turned picnics, box-seat dinners, and market snacks into a flavor-forward experience worthy of the world’s most iconic outdoor amphitheater. If you’ve ever wondered whether great music deserves great food, this season answers—loudly and deliciously.
A Decade of Culinary Excellence at the Hollywood Bowl
Since 2015, Hollywood Bowl Food + Wine has quietly (and sometimes not-so-quietly) raised expectations for live-event dining. What began as an ambitious idea—bringing restaurant-quality food to a 17,000-seat venue—has matured into one of the most respected culinary programs in American entertainment.
The DNA comes straight from Goin and Styne’s landmark restaurant Lucques, opened in 1998 and credited with shaping modern California cuisine. Their signature style—seasonal, elegant, deeply ingredient-driven—feels tailor-made for warm nights, cool breezes, and that unmistakable Hollywood Bowl magic.
This is food that understands context. Food that knows it’s competing with Mahler, Beyoncé, or a film score under the stars—and still holds its own. That’s not easy. It’s also very L.A.
Hollywood Bowl 2025: California Cuisine Under the Stars
For the 2025 season, Hollywood Bowl Food + Wine doubles down on what it does best: variety without chaos.
Guests can choose from three full-service restaurants, three gourmet marketplaces, street-food kiosks, picnic boxes, and the much-loved Supper in Your Seats program—because walking uphill with a glass of wine is a sport, and not everyone trained (relatable).
At the heart of it all are Suzanne Goin’s pre-order menus for Terrace and Garden Boxes, designed to be vibrant, seasonal, and—most importantly—actually enjoyable in the dark. Think slow-roasted salmon, braised short rib, grilled stone fruit, and sticky toffee pudding that somehow tastes even better with live strings in the background. Flavor-forward, fun-loving, and deeply satisfying.
Overseeing the full operation is Executive Chef Erik Lopez, ensuring thousands of nightly diners experience food that’s as polished as the performances on stage.
Caroline Styne’s Wine World: Thoughtful, Playful, and Deeply L.A.
If Suzanne Goin sets the tone on the plate, Caroline Styne controls the glass—and she does it with authority.
Named Outstanding Restaurateur of the Year by the James Beard Foundation in 2018, Styne curates wine and beer selections that span natural wines, biodynamic bottles, Champagne classics, and canned wines that actually taste good (a small miracle). Producers include Broc Cellars, Wavy Wines, Nat Cool by Niepoort, and Hollywood Bowl sponsor WINC.
Her influence shines across Ann’s Wine Bar by A.O.C., the marketplaces, and the bars scattered throughout the grounds. This is wine curation with personality—serious but never stiff, educational without being smug. Sip, savor, repeat. That’s the rhythm.
Sip, Savor, Repeat: Market Tastings Return
One of the most beloved traditions of Hollywood Bowl Food + Wine is back for 2025: the Wednesday and Sunday Market Tastings.
This 16-week complimentary tasting series at the Plaza Marketplace features rotating winemakers, importers, and sommeliers personally selected by Styne. These pre-show tastings are immersive, approachable, and—dare we say—dangerously fun-loving. You might arrive wine-curious and leave planning a Napa weekend. It happens. Don’t fight it.
For anyone wanting credible context on California wine culture, the California Wine Institute remains a trusted authority: https://wineinstitute.org.
From Picnic Boxes to Box-Seat Luxury
The sheer range of dining options is what makes Hollywood Bowl Food + Wine bulletproof.
Picnic Boxes like The Burton Way deliver slow-roasted salmon with jeweled rice, labneh-rich salads, and ricotta cheesecake tarts that feel indulgent without being heavy. Supper in Your Seats ups the ante with three-course dinners and a new Surf ’n Turf for Two featuring a 32oz tomahawk and butter-poached lobster tail—because subtlety is overrated sometimes.
Add in street-food burritos, artisanal pizzas with Larder Baking Company dough, Magpies Softserve, Rori’s Ice Cream, and vegan-friendly everything, and suddenly the hardest decision of the night isn’t parking—it’s choosing what to eat (relatable, again).
Mini FAQ
Q: What is Hollywood Bowl Food + Wine?
A: A full-scale culinary program offering restaurant-quality dining, wine, and market experiences throughout the Hollywood Bowl season.
Q: Do I need box seats to enjoy the food?
A: No. Options range from grab-and-go marketplaces to sit-down restaurants and picnic boxes.
Q: Are there vegan and organic options?
A: Yes. Many wines are organic or biodynamic, and menus include vegan and plant-forward dishes.
Ten years in, Hollywood Bowl Food + Wine isn’t coasting—it’s refining, expanding, and reminding Los Angeles why this city leads when culture, music, and food collide. Whether you’re there for a symphony, a pop icon, or just an excuse to eat exceptionally well outdoors, this season proves one thing: in L.A., the meal matters as much as the music. And honestly? That feels exactly right.
