Spago is
Wolfgang Puck
Wolfgang Johannes Puck (born July 8, 1949) is an Austrian chef and restaurateur.
Early life
Puck was born in Sankt Veit an der Glan, Austria. He learned cooking from his mother, who was a pastry chef. He took the surname of his stepfather, Jos ...
's flagship restaurant worldwide, known for serving
California cuisine. Spago is Puck's first restaurant venture.
Name and history
The word "spago" is Italian for "string" or "twine". The plural would be "spaghi," which is the beginning of "spaghetti", and suggests that pasta is on the menu.
The first Spago location opened in 1982, on the
Sunset Strip
The Sunset Strip is the stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through the city of West Hollywood, California, United States. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with the city of Los Angeles near Marmont Lane to its western bord ...
in
West Hollywood
West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757.
History
Most historical writings about West Hollywood be ...
, California, with
Mark Peel as
chef de cuisine under Puck. The second Spago restaurant opened at The Forum Shops at
Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel is situated on the west side of the Las Vegas Strip between Bellagio and The Mirage. It is one of Las Vegas's largest and best known landmarks.
Caesar ...
, on the
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city limits ...
in 1992. It was closed in 2017 and relocated to
Bellagio Las Vegas in spring 2018. In 1997, Wolfgang Puck opened a third location on Canon Drive in
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...
.
In 1998, a Spago location opened in
Palo Alto
Palo Alto ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for ) is a charter city in northwestern Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto.
Th ...
which was closed in 2007.
The original Spago Hollywood remained open until 2001 when Wolfgang Puck and his partners determined renovating the original 1920s-era house would be too costly. They let their lease on the location expire.
In 2001, a location was opened at the
Four Seasons Resort Maui, in Hawaii. In 2007, a location opened at the
Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch, in
Avon, Colorado (which closed in 2016).

Spago opened its first location outside of the United States in
Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
in the mid-1990s, which closed a few years later. It later opened a restaurant in
Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
,
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
, at the
St. Regis Hotel in 2015. Other international locations include one in
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
at the rooftop complex of
Marina Bay Sands
Marina Bay Sands is a integrated resort fronting Marina Bay, Singapore, Marina Bay in Singapore and a landmark of the city. At its opening in 2010, it was deemed the world's most expensive standalone casino property at Singapore dollar, S$8&nbs ...
.
Awards and honorable recognitions
*In 2008 and 2009, Spago was awarded two
Michelin stars
The ''Michelin Guides'' ( ; ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The ''Guide'' awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few restaurants in certain geographic ...
*Since 2010, Spago has received the ''
Wine Spectator
''Wine Spectator'' is an American lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine, wine culture and wine ratings. It is the flagship publication of M. Shanken Communications, which also publishes ''Cigar Aficionado'', ''Whisky Advocate'', ''Market Watch' ...
'' Grand Award
*In 2013,
Zagat named Spago the most iconic restaurant in the city of Los Angeles
References
External links
Spago Beverly Hills website
{{-
Restaurants in Greater Los Angeles
Restaurant chains in the United States
Buildings and structures in Beverly Hills, California
Companies based in Beverly Hills, California
Restaurants established in 1982
1982 establishments in California
Restaurants in California
James Beard Foundation Award winners
Fine dining