29 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles, California

Along Fairfax Avenue in the Little Ethiopia neighborhood locals and visitors can enjoy Ethiopian signatures like tofu tibs; spicy chicken dorowat; and potato, green bean, onion, and carrot atkilt. Chef-owner Genet Agonafer transports diners to Addis Ababa.

In L.A.'s very crowded field of acclaimed Thai restaurants, Anajak has gotten a lion's share of the attention since former Disney art director Justin Pichetrungsi took over his family's decades-old establishment. The now James Beard Award winner kept the funky interior and menu signatures like fried chicken, various curries, and his mom's mango coconut rice dessert while also increasing ingredient quality, pushing the boundaries of Southeast Asian flavors, and improving the wine list with natural wines. His pandemic fix for closed dining rooms, cooking and plating gourmet fusion tacos in the alley, was such a hit that Thai Taco Tuesdays has stuck around years later and still has a line down the block.

The chicest and buzziest nighttime spot in the neighborhood, Baltaire attracts both well-heeled Brentwood denizens on dressed-up dates and single sippers looking for late-night rendezvous. The meat-heavy menu features giant slabs of porterhouse steaks as well as special A5 Wagyu straight from Japan. Rounding out the treats is a full raw bar, caviar selection, and a one-of-a-kind cocktail program. There's lunch on weekdays only, and live music on Thursday and Friday.

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.

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.

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 (spicy cilantro sauce), 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.

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.

This creative farm-to-table eatery uses all local ingredients to whip up fine cuisine in a chic environment. Savory musts include the shaved brussels sprout salad with toasted pine nuts as an appetizer, followed by the outstanding Mediterranean sea bass. Upon entry you'll notice a wood-beam ceiling, brick-laden bar, and hanging Edison lights that set the stage. Open for dinner with a revolving weekly special, the Arbour's cocktail menu includes a spicy mezcal margarita emblematic of its Pasadena roots. Happy hour doesn't disappoint, with sub-$10 offerings like yellowfin tuna crudo.

One of L.A.'s finest sushi restaurants, Asanebo is a no-frills establishment serving a wealth of innovative dishes made with top-quality raw fish and A5 Wagyu to an A-list clientele and monied business men. For more than three decades the downright giddy sushi sensei Tetsuya Nakao has whipped up succulent scallop yuzu with caviar, halibut truffle sashimi, and lemon basil salmon. There is also a full range of soups, salads, tempura, and charcoal-grilled seafood and meats. If you want to try a little of everything, sign up for the omakase.

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.

Mediterranean-inspired Casaléna, a bi-level maze of large luxe dining rooms, pretty patios and rooftop spaces decked out with dramatic chandeliers, modern art, potted trees, and fireplaces, is another example of the second generation successfully breathing new life into the family business. Befitting the space, the menu is also big, plucking ideas from Italy, Spain, and Greece and putting them through a California filter which results in mostly pasta, pizza, seafood, share-sized salads, and pricey cuts of beef. With a strong bar program, weekend brunch, and special occasion pricing, it's quite popular for date nights and big-group celebrations and, given the scope of the restaurant, it can get pretty busy and then noisy. Never enough however to keep you from the beet salad, the whole branzino in chimichurri, or fried squash blossoms.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Boasting one of the most stunning rooftops in L.A., Margot is a fresh face and hopping hot spot for the Culver City dining and drinking scene. The expansive space gives off a Moroccan casbah vibe, with just as many hints of Southern California for good measure. Open for weekend brunch, lunch, and dinner, the restaurant's menu consists of fresh seafood, a variety of shared plates, and large servings of succulent meats and sizzling pastas. The view is the star, though, so make it a point of coming for sunset and soaking in the rays on the massive outdoor deck.

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 charred octopus with ibérico chorizo. 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.

Step into the Oaxacan oasis that is Mírate for an irresistible menu of tacos, ceviches, and aguachiles. The glamorous restaurant, with multilevel dining rooms, brings a festive vibe to Los Feliz with an all-Mexican wine and spirits list while staying true to its Southern Californian identity. Must-try dishes include the yucca fries and the lamb flautas that arrive with baba ghanoush, feta, and saffron-pickled fennel.

The perfect pairing of simplicity and complexity, Momed serves Mediterranean fare that feels comforting yet upscale. The welcoming atmosphere is just as perfect for a romantic date night as it is for a more convivial brunch with friends.

With a modest, you’ll-hardly-notice-it’s-there exterior, counter seating, a very European-styled dining room, and classic French dishes, a meal at Petit Trois recalls a trip to Paris. The steak tartare or lighter-than-air omelet will make you forgive the restaurant's strip mall location off busy Highland Avenue.

As the first 100% plant-based Italian restaurant and wine bar in the whole country, chef Tara Punzone makes you believe her Caprese has real mozzarella, her meatballs come from cows, and her cacio e pepe is filled with dairy. The food is exceptional, the atmosphere screams New York, and the best part is that no animals were harmed for any of it.

The coolest kid on the Pasadena block, the Raymond 1886 is carved out of an old Craftsman cottage and has an expansive patio with long wooden tables and hanging lights. Chefs dish out everything from mushroom bucatini with shaved black truffles to Chilean sea bass with lemongrass coconut curry sauce and "forbidden" rice. Inside can be a little more claustrophobic, but makes for a perfect spot for intimate daters to get a little closer. Keep an eye out for live jazz nights. Be sure to explore the daring seasonal and evergreen cocktail menus, with intriguing historical references like the Red Line paired with zany offerings like the Alien Pool Party. Don't miss the truly killer chilaquiles on the brunch menu.

This handroll bar is brought to you by the same team behind Sushi Note, known for its high-quality sashimi. Sōgo Roll Bar welcomes guests into a cute and cozy atmosphere, ready to serve hand rolls á la carte or in sets of three to six. There are also a handful of donburi and sashimi options, all of which pair well with the bar’s list of sake and wines. It's perfect for a solo meal or a quick date night.

It’s a bit of a specific recognition, but Tam O’Shanter is the oldest restaurant run by the same family in the same location in Los Angeles, operating for more than 90 years in its Tudor-style spot. Their delicious food, ranging from thinly cut prime rib to belly-warming shepherd's pie, makes it one of the most festive places in town during the holidays. Fun fact: it was Walt Disney’s favorite restaurant.

This rustic trattoria along San Vicente has been a favorite celebrity haunt for decades. Expect elevated sensory offerings, from its cozy atmosphere to its mouthwatering Tuscan and Italian fare (including carpaccio and gnocchi scampi) and excellent wine list.

Yume, which means dream in Japanese, could not be more appropriately named. With its intentionally sourced melts-in-your-mouth fish, precision knife work, eye-catching plating, vegetables that are far from an afterthought (green beans sautéed in sweet garlic sauce will live in your mind rent-free), liberal use of truffle products, and dimly lit sleekly designed space in Old Town Calabasas, you'll fantasize about returning to this second outpost of a stalwart Studio City sushiya nightly. Besides sushi, sashimi, and specialty rolls like cilantro yellowtail roll or albacore with kogashi butter soy (yum!), there are so many other things to eat including salads, oysters with uni and caviar, veggie-forward small plates, skewers, and hot entrées such as escabeche and miso black cod. Open late, a rarity in this sleepy little village, with a bar stocked with rare sakes and lots of Japanese whiskey, it can become quite the "wealthy parents' night out" scene so reservations are encouraged.