Silver Lake & Echo Park
Boho-spirited Stella is a cloud of clinking glasses and red wine under a tented patio that rambles into a nostalgic dining room. Service can be a little…
Must-see restaurants in Los Angeles
Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood & Westwood
With its handsome bar and red leather booths peppered with movie execs talking shop, this dim, buzzing restaurant offers a genuine slice of Beverly Hills…
Los Angeles
There's a lot to love at this sourdough-crusted pizza joint, from the slab marble bar and craft libations, to the fluffy, wood-fired pies themselves…
Santa Monica
The original location for our favorite happy-hour cabana does exquisite carnitas tacos that melt in your mouth only at happy hour, but it mixes excellent…
Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood & Westwood
Perched on the top floor of Barneys department store, mid-century-inspired Fred's is a hit with on-point lunching girlfriends and power suits. Call ahead…
Westlake & Koreatown
The communal bar tables and window counters at this casual joint are rarely short of K-Town locals and USC students, slurping on superlative ramen. The…
Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey
A beloved laid-back Mexican joint packed with Playa Vista business types at lunch and locals at dinner. It does massive burritos filled with chunks of…
Hollywood
In the shadow of the looming Scientology campus is this homely breakfast and lunch spot, complete with quirky egg-carton ceiling. Indeed, eggs feature…
Los Angeles
A comforting, old-school combo of TV sports, vested waiters and mission-brown panels and chairs, Versailles draws everyone from college kids to grizzled…
Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood & Westwood
Owned by a true-bleu French couple, this pretty patisserie serves fabulous croissants (opt for the almond version), pain au chocolat and other too-cute-to…
Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood & Westwood
This super-popular noodle joint is famed for its barbecued pork ramen, the broth of which is simmered for 60 hours to produce a heavier, more robust…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
The guys behind Animal also operate this creative fish and seafood kitchen festooned with beach-shack decor. The menu changes daily, but you might find…
Westlake & Koreatown
Tucked away on the 2nd floor of Madang Mall, pocket-sized Somi Somi serves super-cute, soft-serve ice cream worthy of its Instagram fame. The heavenly…
Santa Monica
Greek cooking gets a 21st-century update, courtesy of a Cypriot chef who trained with Alain Ducasse. Greek salad comes with generous serves of sheep's…
San Fernando Valley
The informal, modern, spotless LA branch of this Tel Aviv restaurant is known for kebabs, steaks, chicken and lamb, but we're satisfied – stuffed, rather …
Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood & Westwood
A sumptuous bistro with classic decor, booths on the street-side patio and a seasonal menu that favors American and Mediterranean flavors. Start with…
Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights
One of several Downtown restaurants run by Josef Centeno, Bar Amá cooks up smashing, sophisticated Tex-Mex grub. Lick lips and fingers over queso (a…
Pasadena & the San Gabriel Valley
Right on the Mission St drag in South Pasadena, Mike & Anne’s is popular for its inviting patio (or minimalist wood and concrete dining room), lemon and…
San Fernando Valley
This ice-cream shop often pops up on lists of America's best. That's due in part to the hundreds of flavors it's created, some quite outlandish: yuzu…
Malibu & Pacific Palisades
All-American comfort food has kept locals coming to this cafe-restaurant with French-country-style decor. Look for a classic grilled cheese and tomato…
Long Beach & San Pedro
This friendly, open spot fronting the Promenade serves up dry-rubbed barbecue brisket, pulled pork, smoked chicken and ribs (try one of the house sauces)…
Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights
Mouthwatering Thai street food is crafted from organic and free-range ingredients and quality oils in the fabulous Grand Central Market. Drool over…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
A buttery and delightfully aromatic cake shop doing a brisk business in mini red-velvet cheesecakes, banana cake smothered with chocolate buttercream, and…
Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights
In the Grand Central Market, Valerie keeps the crowds purring with its salted-caramel bread pudding, jars of chocolate pudding and perfect petit fours…
South Bay Beaches
Aficionados of old-school fish houses will enjoy this divey joint near Manhattan Beach's north end, decked out with rattan furnishings, aquariums and flat…
Los Angeles
It's just not a hipster hood without a decent ramen joint, and this skinny, black-walled bolthole is it for Highland Park. The hero dish is the tonkotsu,…
Pasadena & the San Gabriel Valley
In a handsomely renovated brick building near South Pasadena station (hence the name), there's an open kitchen downstairs and a cozy bar upstairs – a…
Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights
Chef Micah Wexler's original back-to-basics deli doles out old-school Jewish classics such as house-smoked fish, pastrami, corned beef and turkey on an…
Silver Lake & Echo Park
Still a neighborhood darling, with hip locals and the odd celeb claiming tables in the intimate dining room and heated porch to feast on raw and grilled…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
A fantastic, fresh, all-natural counter-service joint with affordable grilled-veggie salads, pastas, semi-authentic tacos, pizzas (the grilled chicken is…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
Simply put, this is some of the best Japanese food available in Los Angeles, served izakaya style with fusion sushi. Order any of its small plates, but…
Los Angeles
Less beastly than adorable, this friendly restaurant offers a string of snug nooks inside an old Craftsman cottage, as well as a larger, less atmospheric…
Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights
A classic breakfast counter has been brought back to life by local foodie punks who, among other things, stuff house-made turkey sausage, eggs and mustard…
Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights
This hectic stall peddles flawless falafel sandwiches. The flatbread is rolled and grilled fresh, then filled with pillowy falafel with just the right…
Hollywood
Cool, casual Stout flips gourmet burgers and pours great craft brews. The beef is ground in-house, the chicken is organic and the veggie patties are made…
Silver Lake & Echo Park
The Silver Lake edition of the Downtown favorite, Blossom serves fragrant pho as well as a handful of curries and stir-fry vermicelli noodles. Seafood…
Silver Lake & Echo Park
What’s not to love about this '60s-throwback cantina? It’s cozy, it’s fun and it makes a mean, off-the-menu camarones a la diabla (shrimp in spicy sauce)…
Pasadena & the San Gabriel Valley
This roadside stand's been a place of pilgrimage for doughnut aficionados since 1972. Its pride and joy are the seasonal doughnuts, overstuffed with…
Silver Lake & Echo Park
A proper panaderia (Mexican bakery) is always a beautiful thing, especially when it stubbornly resists the hipsterfication of a neighborhood. The tamales…
Silver Lake & Echo Park
In a retro strip mall on Sunset is this toasty, super-popular ramen spot. You'll probably have to wait for a table or a seat at the counter, but the wait…
