Give me your top five. Where in Malibu? Where in W. Hollywood? Santa Monica? You get the picture. I need help!

Thanks.

I'm going to take the cop-out route, but for a good reason. Pick up the 2004 Zagat Guide for the greater Los Angeles area; for those particular areas, their top 5 are good lists.

I work in Santa Monica, so my choices in that area would be:

-- Ocean Ave. Seafood
-- I. Cugini
-- Ivy at the Shore
-- Capo (hidden gem)
-- Michael's

Anyone else?

You don't say whether you want 5 expensive restaurants so I will give my favs:

La'Orangerie-Hollywood
Il Pastaio - Beverly Hills
Warsawa-Santa Monica
I.Cugini-Santa Monica
My Father's Office-Santa Monica-Best Cheeseburger!

Hard to pick my favorite five but maybe:

Spago
Ago
Asia de Cuba
Chaya Brasserie
Chinois on Main

I would just add one to the others great picks in LA: Jiraffe, in Santa Monica. Great food!

As an FYI - this month's Los Angeles Magazine lists the top 10 new (and trendy) restaurants.

Some of my favorites -

Le Orangerie
La Paella
Mimosa
Diaghilev

I also love Jiraffe. My first choice every time I am there. The dining room at Shutters and also the one at Casa Del Mar are excellent and on the water, I never am sorry to eat there either. Also like the place they did some filing for Oceans Eleven- Th elobster House at the base of Santa Monica Pier.

Lilly's - Venice
Bastide - West Hollywood
La Paella - W. Hollywood/Carthay Circle
Gyu Kaku -- West L.A.
Melisse -- Santa Monica

Has anyone eaten at Yashimiro? Is the food as good as the views? I've driven past it for years and have never actually eaten there.

Thank you so much for your tips. I think that L'Orangerie looks fantastic. When we were in the South of France we stayed in different Relaix and Chateaus and enjoyed everything--including their meals.

We went to a really pretty place between Christmas and New Years:

the little door
8164 W. 3rd St
(I guess that's West Hollywood)
323-951-1210

The food was wonderful, the service was personal and charming, and there's valet parking for like, $4.

I should have noted, the food was sort of French/Moroccan.

If anyone suggests it while you are there, Valentino's gets good reviews and is always on the Wine Spectator's best of list, but I find the food uninspiring.