San Diego
It’s hard to beat the romance of supping at the Hotel del Coronado, especially at a table overlooking the sea from the verandah of its first-class dining…
Must-see restaurants in California
West Hollywood & Mid-City
A delightful Turkish cafe where tables spill from a whitewashed interior (with colorful handprints on the walls) onto the sidewalk. Gyros are wrapped in…
Hollywood
For a break from strolling the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame or before a show at the Pantages, this unpretentious brew pub is a good choice over the…
The Peninsula
The crowds are always overflowing out the door at this kitsch, old-fashioned seafood shack by Pillar Point Harbor. Broiled rock cod, San Francisco-style…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Enjoy a flashback to the 1960s, with waiters in white dinner jackets, pine-paneled walls decorated with signed photographs of forgotten celebrities, and…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Would you like a side of humanitarianism with that lamb shank? Brave the Tenderloin and check out San Francisco's only Sudanese restaurant, owned and…
Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights
This tiny taco shack in the heart of DTLA has heaps of hipster cred: retro neon sign, Astroturf, picnic tables and Airstream trailer in the parking lot…
The Peninsula
You’ll rub shoulders with fancy-pants foodies, spandex-swathed cyclists and dusty cowboys at this casual, surprisingly unpretentious fourth-generation…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
Based at the Palihotel, this spare, Southern-inspired kitchen offers a rotating menu mixing share plates (avocado toast with smoked olive tapenade) and…
Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights
Hip-hop meets Taiwan in this counter-service shop in Chinatown. Chef Eddie Huang, who became famous for his memoir Fresh off the Boat (basis of the TV…
Long Beach & San Pedro
First-timers and old Cambodia hands love this friendly, neat-as-a-pin breakfast and lunch place on the corner. Choose your noodle type (rice, egg, etc)…
Pasadena & the San Gabriel Valley
An anchor of Old Town, with plenty of windows to watch street life on busy Colorado Blvd, this artsy trattoria gets packed with a business crowd on…
South Bay Beaches
King's Hawaiian Bakery is beloved in these parts for its sweet bread rolls and day-glo cakes, and its sister, counter-service restaurant sells sandwiches…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
To do in San Francisco: see Golden Gate Bridge; ride cablecar; develop opinion on Red Hawk, the distinctively stinky, washed-rind cheese that put Cowgirl…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Most Thai eateries stick to familiar favorites, but Lers Ros imports regional Thai cooking with bold spicing and wild ingredients – house specialties…
San Diego
A big heaping dose of chic amid PB’s congenital laid-back feel. There’s both an ocean view and a futuristic interior (and most excellent bar scene)…
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Foodies scouring the Mission for the ultimate taco shouldn't overlook this outpost of Middle Eastern authenticity, complete with a Dome of the Rock mural…
Coastal Orange County
Locals adore this tiny roadhouse where they grill juicy, messy, hand-packed, quality burgers (served with ka-runchy potato chips and tangy pickled beets),…
Yosemite National Park
Occupying the space of the former Degnan's Deli, off Village Dr, this thoroughly updated version mixes contemporary decor with deli-style sandwiches, a…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
This sunny counter-service vegan chain serves dishes that herbivores will love and carnivores will more than merely endure. That's thanks to proteins that…
Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens
San Diego
Local brewer Stone has transformed the former mess hall of the naval training center at Liberty Station into a temple to local craft beer. Tuck into spin…
Silver Lake & Echo Park
Located in a renovated auto-repair garage, this hip spot in Frogtown (where Silver Lake meets Atwater Village) feels like a trip to the desert. Look for…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
Terrific nuevo Mexican food served in whitewashed brick environs, with dangling bird-cage chandeliers and a terrific marble tequila bar. The slow-cooked…
Silver Lake & Echo Park
In 1966, two years before New York's Stonewall Riots, LGBT protesters bravely stood up to police harassment at this very site. These days, the Black Cat…
Coastal Orange County
Right on the pier, Fisherman's chowders, fish and chips and mesquite-grilled fresh catches come with a side of incomparable ocean views. Generous four…
Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights
San Gabriel Valley–born-and-bred chef Tin Vuong has broken the mold with this modern Singaporean-style, pan-Asian bistro. The ever-changing share-plate…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
What began as a catering business out of a VW Westfalia graduated into this beloved cafe and Belgian-Californian bakery, now set in a bright, industrial…
Big Sur
Nepenthe comes from a Greek word meaning ‘isle of no sorrow,’ and indeed, it’s hard to feel blue while sitting by the firepit on this aerial terrace. Just…
Yosemite & the Sierra Nevada
You can't miss the giant vintage-style, red-headed woman in park ranger gear on the side of this recently opened cafe – the first vegan cafe in the county…
Coastal Orange County
It may be in the back corner of a nondescript strip mall, but Sidecar's a landmark nonetheless. Crowds line up out the door (especially on weekends) for…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Located within the Presidio Officers' Club, this lively Mexican restaurant by James Beard Award–winner Traci Des Jardins features cooking techniques and…
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Friends, Romans, San Franciscans – join the crowd for Roman fried artichokes, pizza bianca, prosciutto, blood orange and beet salads, and scrumptious…
Kings Canyon National Park
After undergoing a top-to-bottom renovation in 2017, this is the best place for a meal (albeit competition is limited) in Grant Grove Village. The new…
Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood & Westwood
Okonomiyaki (thick, savory Japanese pancakes filled with veggies, meat and noodles) may sound odd to the uninitiated, but not to fans of the Sawtelle…
Napa
It's easy to tire of California cuisine, and this fresh-take izakaya joint (Japanese pub serving small-plate dishes) gives a welcome relief with a hip…
Santa Monica
The best Italian deli in LA, period. The signature sandwich is the sloppy, spicy Godmother (piled with salami, mortadella, coppacola, ham, prosciutto,…
Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights
Divided into a patisserie, bar and dining room, this sprawling, loft-like space recalls the grand cafes of northern Italy: dapper barkeeps pour Aperol…
Pasadena & the San Gabriel Valley
Pasadena's original train station (c 1911) has been handsomely renovated into this cheery, popular dining room beneath lovingly aged wooden beams. The…
Anaheim
The Anaheim outpost of this LA-based minichain sets the right tone for the Packing District. Burgers span classic to truffled. Try the Hatch burger with…
Los Angeles
In Japan omusubi (rice balls, aka onigiri) are an everyday staple, and this counter-service shop aims to make them popular Stateside. Before your eyes,…
