Heritage — Restaurant in Long Beach

First of all. A reminder that this is a Michelin-star restaurant. Searching for a portion of oily food, then you should give up instead of complaining in the end.

The food for many courses like this in a Michelin starred restaurant is super friendly, and do not worry that you will get bloated after many courses because of the pace of serving, and the food itself.

I was so obsessed with the charming Craftsman-style building, welcoming interiors, and beautifully plated dishes that reflect its refined yet homey dining experience!!

Here is why did Heritage Earn a Michelin Star?

Exceptional, Seasonally Driven Cooking • High-quality, California-accented cuisine delivered through a multicourse tasting menu that changes with the seasons. Dishes are both creative and rooted in local flavor—think preserved kumquats with roasted beet and dry-aged duck, followed by a dessert featuring charred strawberries and yuzu granita. • Reasonable pricing for such multi-course fare further underscores its value in the fine-dining landscape.

Warm, Comfortable Ambiance in Iconic Setting • Located in a converted Craftsman home in the historic Rose Park neighborhood, the atmosphere feels intimate and intentional—like dining in someone’s beautifully curated home. • The execution of hospitality is relaxed yet detail-oriented, offering a uniquely personal fine-dining experience.

A Michelin Green Star for Sustainability • Heritage isn’t just about delicious food—it’s deeply committed to eco-conscious practices: • They grow produce at their own farm and source from local farmers markets. • Their meat and seafood are sustainably sourced from within California. • They support local artisans, including partnering with a nearby bakery and seamstress for staff aprons. • The restaurant follows zero-waste principles and has earned both Green and Blue certifications for its efforts.

A Local Landmark—and Long Beach’s First Michelin Star Restaurant • Heritage made history by becoming the first restaurant in Long Beach to be awarded a Michelin Star, marking a milestone for the city’s growing culinary scene. • Michelin praised how the restaurant offers a relaxed yet refined experience with impeccable details

So appreciated that people who really care and dedicate for maintaining the standard of food quality. Freshly cooked food became rare in such an everywhere precooked food.

Heritage sparkles both on the plate and in spirit. Its Michelin Star reflects top-tier culinary quality, while its Green Star honors its environmental stewardship. Add in the cozy atmosphere and community impact, and you’ve got a truly special spot—not just for Long Beach, but for California dining as a...

I will start off by saying this was my first time dining at a Michelin starred restaurant. My city doesn’t have any listing at all on the Michelin Guide. So, me and my girlfriend decided to take advantage on our trip to Long Beach to visit Heritage.

We made our reservations a few weeks ahead of time. Two days before our reservation I received a text requesting any dietary restrictions and confirmation we were still coming. I appreciated this, as I didn’t have to call and confirm if my reservations made through Open Table had in fact been booked.

Our reservation was for 6:15pm on a Friday in early September. Unfortunately, we chose a weekend where a heatwave was hitting Long Beach. We arrived at 6:00 pm and I missed the valet stand as I almost passed the place as I wasn’t paying attention. I decided to just look for a parking spot myself. But the street I turned on was narrow and absolutely full with no parking. I had to circle the block and we decided to simply valet to make it easy to get into the restaurant on time. We handed the car over and walked up to the hostess. She was professional and cordial and walked us inside. She allowed us to choose which table we wanted. As we sat we quickly realized that the open door was that was for a reason, it was warm inside. Heritage is set in what appears to be a converted home. It’s small and charming. But as a person who prefers cool to warm/hot, the temperature seemed warm and stale. There was no air conditioning or fans. I assume this is normally not an issue in Long Beach but this day it seemed to be.

After a few minutes I seemed to cool down and the warmth didn’t ruin my experience. Our server was incredibly friendly and informative. The tasting menu began and the each serving was layered with flavors and delicious. I appreciated the pacing between each offering. When we had a question or two about a particular ingredient, our server (I wish I remembered her name to give her credit) was completely in the know and explained what it was, where it was sourced and how it played with the other ingredients.

I enjoyed my time at Heritage and I would definitely come back as I appreciated the experience and flavors that was provided. At the end of the night I had no complaints.

As we walked out to the valet I realized I had no cash. We asked if they accepted credit cards and they did not. They did accept Venmo or Zelle. The valet was personable and patient with us as we sent the payment.

Overall time at the restaurant was...

I originally gave this 5 stars. On further thought, it’s a solid 4 (within the context of Michelin restaurants). See the negative comments listed beneath. However…

Overall, the food was impeccable. I’ve been to numerous other Michelin spots and this lives up to the flavor and a justified price with the rather filling pre fixe landing at about $160 per person. A very seafood forward menu with dynamic flavors and a nice progression throughout the menu. Our waitress was kind and gave a fantastic sparkling wine recommendation. I enjoyed that it wasn’t just the most expensive bottle, she gave us a true rec of an item she really enjoyed. After about 2.25 hours I asked if they could speed up service a bit because we had an obligation, they did so in a thoughtful way and I was super happy about that.

For the negatives from my experience: I often was a bit confused by their choice tableware/flatware. Serving a whole mushroom with a spoon and knife was odd to say the least. Yes there was a thick broth involved but it was challenging to manipulate the generous hen of the woods portion with a spoon. Another example was the crudo/shashimi served without chopsticks- I realize this may not be a universal opinion but just bring them with the fork. It feels tacky to stab such a beautiful piece of fish. Table presentation: we ordered sparkling water and they brought 2 small bottles (1 ea.) instead of the usual 500-750ml you would expect for the table. I did not enjoy how they left the bottles on the table. For $500 I shouldn’t be dealing with this. Especially in a small footprint restaurant with limited table space. I don’t care where you keep it. Shouldn’t be my table. And using the two bottles just made this worse. On a very similar note, we ordered a bottle of sparkling wine. They did offer an ice bucket but left it on our small table. I’ve seen low profile bucket stands. And even stuff that clips to the table. They need to figure this out. Or just keep it on the wall or something and label it. I’ve seen a lot of clever solutions to this problem which is not unique to Heritage. -Lastly, presentation: the server brought my final entree which had fallen over from its delicate placement. She joked, oh your steak got a little tired. Not cute. I’m paying for experience and presentation. Fix it. This was honestly the only moment that I was irritated. The rest of the table issues are small potatoes in the scheme of things but do stand out when you are paying for such a high...