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$$$ | Beverly–La Brea |
With a buzzy indoor dining room and ample outdoor seating, this is one of L.A.'s most celebrated Italian restaurants. The keys are chef-owner Gino Angelini's consistently impressive dishes, like whole branzino, tagliolini al limone, veal chop alla Milanese, as well as lasagna oozing with besciamella (Italian béchamel sauce). An intelligent selection of mostly Italian wines complements the menu.
7313 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 90036, USA
Known For
- Large Italian wine selection
- Bold flavors
- Savory pastas
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$ | Koreatown |
Nestled into a dingy strip mall, this Korean powerhouse is given away by the lines of locals waiting outside. Once inside, scents of grilled meats and kimchi immediately fill your nostrils, and soon enough, your table will be littered with sides, kalbi beef, dolsot bibimbap, wang bosam (cabbage wraps with boiled pork), and tall bottles of Hite beer. A buzzer at the table allows you to alert the waiter for when you’re done, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the bill.
698 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, California, 90005, USA
Known For
- Perfect kalbi beef
- Long lines
- Cheap eats
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$$ | Beverly–La Brea |
A trio of restaurants by star chef Nancy Silverton, MozzaPlex consists of Pizzeria Mozza, a casual pizza and wine spot; Osteria Mozza, an upscale Italian restaurant with incredible pastas; and chi SPACCA, an Italian steak house with succulent cuts of steak. The restaurant complex is one of the most beloved in the whole city and if you're craving any kind of Italian food, you'll want to get yourself inside.
641 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles, California, 90036, USA
Known For
- Great pizzas
- Intimate atmosphere
- The chi SPACCA burger
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$$$ | Hollywood | Italian
How close do you think you can get to divinity? At chef Nancy Silverton’s passion project–slash–culinary masterpiece, you’ll come pretty damn close after sampling a few of its celestial dishes. It’s hard to find fault in Osteria Mozza's posh plates when they’re made with such true dedication to the culinary craft that the team will find impossible ways to ship an important ingredient from across the Atlantic even if a decent alternative is on hand. The best part—you know, besides the blissful mozzarella bar, the restaurant's commitment to sustainability, and its support of California growers—is that while everything about it looks incredibly upscale and expensive, the restaurant doesn’t turn its nose up at the masses. You can easily find your happy spot here thanks to the relaxed dress code, warm and attentive servers, and three-course Sunday tasting menu that’s easy on the pocket.
6602 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, California, 90038, USA
Known For
- Ricotta-and-egg ravioli
- All-Italian wine
- Artisanal spirits
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$$$ | Beverly–La Brea |
This stunning expansive space, originally built for Charlie Chaplin back in the 1920s, serves French delicacies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day of the week. The scent of homemade croissants wafts through the building in the morning; steak frites can be enjoyed at night. A full bar keeps things buzzing throughout the evening.
624 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, California, 90036, USA
Known For
- French classics
- Unbeatable pastries
- Nice bar menu
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun. or Mon.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$$ | Beverly Hills |
Wolfgang Puck's flagship restaurant is a modern L.A. classic. Spago centers on a buzzing redbrick outdoor courtyard (with retractable roof) shaded by 100-year-old olive trees, and a daily-changing menu that offers dishes like smoked salmon pizza or off-menu schnitzel. Dessert is magical, with everything from an ethereal mango soufflé to artisanal cheeses. Opt for the tasting menu as it comes with a personal tour of the kitchen, and if you’re lucky, a meet and greet with Wolfgang Puck himself.
176 N. Canon Dr., Los Angeles, California, 90210, USA
Known For
- Great people-watching
- Off-menu schnitzel
- Sizzling smoked salmon pizza
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Reservations essential
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$$$ | Santa Monica |
This small and dimly lit, romantic spot in Santa Monica is full of adventurously global options, like Singaporean chili crab cake or black cod with a fermented black bean marinade. The new American cuisine, which is centered on the restaurant's wood-fired oven, also features standouts like braised lamb shank with sweet potato, pomegranate, labneh, zhough, and flatbread. Another option for groups of four or more: the restaurant will craft a custom T&R Supper family-style menu with off-menu dishes like wood-fired goat with Moroccan accompaniments or a dry-aged standing rib rack. Book T&R Suppers at least seven days in advance.
602 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 90401, USA
Known For
- Phenomenal oxtail dumplings
- Global inspirations
- Ever-changing menu
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$$$ | |
This local secret is as close to the beach—Zuma Beach, in this case—as you can get for a meal without getting sand in your drink. Stop in at this friendly spot for a cocktail, selections from the raw bar, a meal from the extensive menu, or one of the unique salads. From here you'll get a view of the water, dolphins, surfers, and celebrity locals taking a break on the wind-protected patio. The extensive happy hour on Monday through Thursday offers good deals on appetizers, beers, and cocktails.
6800 Westward Beach Rd., Malibu, California, 90265, USA
Known For
- Close to the beach, off-the-beaten path location
- Beautiful views
- Good happy hour
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$$$ | Pasadena |
There’s a Michelin-quality Italian restaurant hiding in plain sight in Pasadena. The small and homey space where Northern Italy meets California is typically filled to the brim as diners await heaven-sent local wild mushrooms with polenta or the squid-ink lumache (shell pasta) with Maine lobster. Make sure you come with a healthy appetite and a desire to drink—the wine list will not disappoint.
37 E. Union St., Los Angeles, California, 91103, USA
Known For
- Superb wine list
- Excellent Italian food with a California twist
- Buzzy yet intimate atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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$$$ | Hollywood |
With vintage decor, grand chandeliers, gilded walls, and luxe jewel tones, the Hollywood outpost of popular New York "clubstaraunt" Beauty & Essex more than lives up to its Tinseltown address. Hidden speakeasy-style behind a collector's storefront (beware impulse pricey jewelry purchases on the way out), this gigantic celebrity-frequented restaurant with a double-height main dining room with skylight, a ground-floor courtyard, and a patio on the second level, isn't all just glam smoke and mirrors. Start with delicious cocktails at a small elegant bar before being ushered to your table in one of the several dining spaces where the eclectic menu includes signature dishes like grilled cheese and tomato soup dumplings, tuna poke Wonton Tacos, Thai barbeque mushroom, and oven-braised chicken meatballs. There's also a pre-theater prix fixe menu.
1615 Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 90028, USA
Known For
- Glamorous setting perfect for special occasions
- Party vibe (it can be loud)
- Creative cocktails
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$$ | Downtown |
One of the most exciting and popular Italian restaurants in L.A. is housed inside a converted warehouse in the Arts District Downtown. Exposed air ducts and brick dominate the enormous space as in-the-know eaters chow down on spicy lamb sausage pizza and spaghetti Rustichella with Dungeness crab. Thirtysomethings flock to this hot spot with an ever-bustling bar and patio. If you want to impress a date, bring them here—you may want to valet, as the area can feel a bit seedy, although it's not.
2121 E. 7th Pl., Los Angeles, California, 90021, USA
Known For
- Eclectic pizzas
- Excellent date spot
- Upscale modern decor
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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$$$ | West Hollywood |
Behind the unremarkable facade is an übertrendy—yet decidedly old-school—den of American cuisine that doubles as a safe haven for the movie industry’s most important names and well-known faces. Be aware that this joint is always busy so you might not even get a table and reservations are hard to come by. But you might as well try, and the food is worth the effort.
8826 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, California, 90069, USA
Known For
- Lots of celebrities
- Delicious chicken Parm
- Strong drinks
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.--Sat. No dinner Sun.
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$$$ | Beverly Hills |
A Euro--Vietnamese fusion gem in the heart of Beverly Hills, Crustacean allows you to walk on water above exotic fish and see the kitchen preparing your perfect garlic noodles through a glass window. Standouts (besides the noodles) include Dungeness crab, A5 Wagyu beef, tuna cigars, and hearts-of-palm crab cakes. The cocktail program also brings the heat with turmeric mules and artichoke old-fashioneds.
468 N. Bedford Dr., Los Angeles, California, 90210, USA
Known For
- Sake-simmered dishes
- No-grease garlic noodles
- Unique cocktails like artichoke old-fashioneds
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Reservations essential
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$$$ | Downtown |
The Arts District in DTLA continues to trot out some of the most exciting restaurants in all of Los Angeles, and Damian is simply the latest and greatest example to enter the space. Across from Bestia, the Enrique Olvera--helmed joint serves contemporary Mexican fare combined with California's bounty of excellent produce. Dishes like the mole verde and fish tartare tostadas wow your taste buds as they slide from spicy to creamy and back. The cocktails shouldn't be overlooked either with mezcal-heavy options that also incorporate Italian vermouths and Japanese sake. Buzzing inside and out, this restaurant has vibes for days, food to match it, and service that's second to none. Eat here to question everything you know or want to about what Mexican cuisine can and should be.
2132 E. 7th Pl., Los Angeles, California, 90021, USA
Known For
- Modern Mexican cuisine
- Great cocktails
- Buzzy spot
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues., Open for brunch weekends
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$$$ | West Hollywood |
If you're looking for an Italian vibe straight out of Goodfellas, your search ends here. Checkered tablecloths cover the tightly packed tables as Hollywood players dine on the city’s best chicken and veal Parm, and down Scotches by the finger. The elbow-room-only bar is loud and the wait times can be long—there’s a decent chance you’ll get bumped by an A-lister—but slipping the maître d' $20 might move things along more quickly.
9071 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 90069, USA
Known For
- Elbow-room-only bar
- Lively atmosphere
- Celeb spotting
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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$$$ | Studio City |
One minute you’re in an old library quickly converted into a lounge, the next you’re in the cabana of a modest country club. Yet Firefly's eclectic design is part of its appeal, and its excellent, if a bit pricey, French-American fare will make you forget all about it.
11720 Ventura Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 91604, USA
Known For
- Prix-fixe and à la carte dining
- Reputation as a date spot
- Seasonal fare
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$$$ | West L.A. | Japanese
A power lunch spot for Hollywood deal makers, this strip mall sushi joint is decorated with fine art and serves up some of the freshest fish in L.A. No one would fault you for getting a table, but sitting at the bar and ordering directly from Chef Yoya Takahashi is another experience altogether. Twenty kinds of fish dominate the menu, which includes 30 celeb-inspired rolls, and one of the least expensive omakase meals around.
11043 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 90025, USA
Known For
- Celeb-inspired rolls
- Most affordable omakase meal in town
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch weekends
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$$$ | |
Koi first opened its doors in 2002 and immediately became one of the buzziest restaurants in Los Angeles, attracting a who's who clientele salivating over their unique Asian-fusion cuisine. Today, it continues to deliver on every level: fun atmosphere, incredible food, and solid celebrity sightings. Favorites here are the Koi Crispy Rice and Miso Bronzed Cod, but the menu is littered with raw and cooked fish that dazzles. Though you can find Koi sisters in New York and Las Vegas, the original matters, as does the super professional waitstaff who have been here from the beginning.
734 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood, California, 90069, USA
Known For
- Koi Crispy Rice and signature rolls
- Cult following
- Beautiful setting
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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$$$ | Hollywood |
If you like dining out to feel like an event, then tropical, Tulum-inspired La Mesa is for you, especially if you are visiting with a group or celebrating a special event. With lush greenery and palm trees, ambient mood lighting from candles and hanging lanterns and lamps, live music and outlandish live shows, and specialty cocktails, you might be forgiven for forgetting to eat. But you'd be missing out on the excellent modern Mexican fare of chef Brent Sick's kitchen.
1430 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 90028, USA
Known For
- 21-plus party vibes
- DJ and live music and entertainment
- Reservations recommended
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.--Wed., Proper attire required, 21-plus only
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$$$ | Santa Monica |
Michael’s, a Santa Monica institution, was one of the first to introduce "California cuisine" to a then-skeptical public more than four decades ago. Its rotating menu runs the gamut from 30-day dry-aged Wagyu bolognese with pappardelle to Japanese amberjack crudo with sweety drop peppers. The expansive space features a stunning plant-lined patio with a retractable roof, which attracts a well-heeled crowd without being stuffy. The happy hour menu is a steal.
1147 3rd St., Los Angeles, California, 90403, USA
Known For
- Stunning patio
- Storied history
- Happy hour marvels
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Mon. No lunch.
