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The Best Places to Eat and Stay in Los Angeles

Eat + Stay, change section
  1. Rank 590. Chef Tony

    Dim Sum Chinese

    A large window into the kitchen lets you watch steam rise off the bamboo stackers all day long, which sets the mood nicely for this casual dim sum shop in an Arcadia strip mall. Everything is ordered from a menu rather than plucked from carts, so bring a plan. The team behind Sea Harbour in Rosemead runs this one, and regulars who know that pedigree tend to fill the tables early on weekends.

    The awards


  2. Rank 590. Chiang Rai

    Northern Thai

    The facade is aggressively nondescript, which means most people walk right past a Northern Thai restaurant that the Michelin Guide has quietly noted. Inside, the room goes full color and quirk. The menu is long, but the Chiang Rai Local Food section is where to spend your attention. The kitchen defaults to gentle heat, so speak up if you want the real thing. The khao soi here swaps the usual chicken for thin-sliced raw ribeye, finished tableside by the hot broth.

    The awards


  3. Servers in traditional garments, each one quietly wired with an earpiece, set the tone at this upscale Korean barbecue institution on Olympic. The menu leans into the classics, short ribs and galbi done with evident kitchen seriousness, and the banchan spread alone warrants the trip across town. Tables fill with large groups feeding the grill, and the waits run long, so treat the room as the whole evening rather than a stop along the way.

    The awards


    Address
    3330 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11 AM

    Thursday 11 AM–10 PM

    Online
    Website
  4. Rank 590. Coni'Seafood

    Nayarit-style Mexican

    Shrimp arrive head-on, sautéed in a red sauce of roasted chilies and beer, and that one dish tells you everything about this Nayarit-style seafood spot in Inglewood. The enclosed back patio is where locals settle in for whole fried fish, heaping ceviches, and tacos that landed on the Los Angeles Times' best taco list. The Michelin Guide has noticed too. Order broadly and let the kitchen, a family operation through and through, do the talking.


    Address
    3544 W. Imperial Hwy., Inglewood, CA · Inglewood
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 10 AM

    Thursday 10 AM–8 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  5. Rank 590. Danbi

    Korean

    Concrete floors, hanging plants, and a long bar anchoring the room set the tone at this sleek Korean restaurant in Koreatown. The menu is built around shareable plates, with wagyu cooked over charcoal and a crispy scallion pancake with mentaiko sauce doing most of the heavy lifting. Save room for the pastry course, which lands closer to art project than afterthought.

    The awards


    Address
    3465 W. 6th St., Ste. 90-100, Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 5 PM

    Thursday 5 PM–10 PM

    Reserve
    Resy
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
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  7. A glass wall full of marina boats sets the scene at this upscale Marina del Rey seafood restaurant, where the spirit is old-school Continental with a heavy hand on the flourishes. Caviar shows up regularly, the tableside shrimp Louie is sized for the table, and nobody seems to mind. The room leans into the celebration, and the cocktail menu asks you to pick your Jane, Jetson, Goodall, or Austen.

    The awards


  8. Rank 590. Electric Bleu

    California Bistro

    A California-meets-French bistro in Mar Vista where the open kitchen puts every plate in plain sight and the room fills fast enough that weekend reservations are less a suggestion than a survival strategy. The menu moves between sautéed foraged chanterelles and duck with dates and saffron, with a prix fixe if you'd rather hand over the decisions. The wine list leans French and the lime tart has its own following.

    The awards


  9. Rank 590. Élephante

    Southern Mediterranean

    A rooftop restaurant on Second Street where a cactus garden gives way to a sunset room lined with wood and stone, and the Pacific sits just beyond the windows. The kitchen works the Southern Mediterranean register in shareable small plates, the kind where flavors land a little sideways in the best sense. Santa Monica's see-and-be-seen crowd fills the room, but the cooking holds its own without leaning on the view for cover.

    The awards


    Address
    1332 2nd St., Santa Monica, CA · Santa Monica
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 10 AM

    Thursday 10 AM–Midnight

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
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  11. Rank 590. Fia

    Italian

    Massive pine trees ring the courtyard and string lights do the rest, which goes a long way toward explaining why this Italian-leaning restaurant on Wilshire has been an Angeleno date-night staple forever. The menu reads familiar until it doesn't, local organic produce turning up in directions that surprise. The Amalfi lemon mousse cake with limoncello granita is the kind of dessert you order before you've finished your entree.

    The awards


  12. Rank 590. Fia Steak

    Steakhouse

    The courtyard is the reason to come: massive pines overhead, string lights threaded through the branches, and enough Santa Monica evening air to make you forget the drive on Wilshire. Fia is an Italian steakhouse that leans into the setting with a menu built around local organic produce and the kind of clever touches that sneak up on you. The crowd tends toward people who've been doing this longer than the valet has been alive.

    The awards


    Address
    2458 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA · Santa Monica
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 5:30 PM

    Thursday 5:30 PM–10 PM

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  13. A raw bar seafood spot a short walk from the actual ocean, which feels right. Inside it's sunny, a little loud, and decorated like someone who actually likes the beach rather than someone staging it. Half the menu is oysters, clams, and lobster, and the staff will talk you through it without making you feel slow. The cooking keeps things clean and confident, letting good fish be good fish.

    The awards


    Address
    1148 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA · Manhattan Beach
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11:30 AM

    Thursday 11:30 AM–9 PM

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  14. Stephanie Izard's Arts District restaurant sits among podcast studios and gallery spaces, which somehow suits its freewheeling, globe-hopping menu perfectly. The room runs airy and linen-toned with enough potted greenery to feel almost illicit. Drinks arrive decorated with marigold blossoms, the menu roams from roasted oysters to goat curry with no particular apology, and Sunday brunch draws a crowd that clearly planned their weekend around it.

    The awards


    Address
    555-3 Mateo St., Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 5 PM

    Thursday 5 PM–10 PM

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  15. Rank 590. Good Alley

    Noodle Shop

    Ordering here happens on a tablet, which suits the no-frills dining room just fine because the Chinese noodle shop menu is the whole point. The rou jia mo, a flatbread sandwich stuffed with slow-cooked Kurobuta pork, is the kind of street food that makes you forget every other errand you had planned. Braised beef noodles and soup dumplings round out the things you'll feel obligated to order. Rosemead strip mall, easy parking, zero pretension.

    The awards


    Address
    8450 E. Valley Blvd., #108, Rosemead, CA · Rosemead
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11 AM

    Thursday 11 AM–9 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
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  17. Rank 590. Guisados

    Mexican

    The chalkboard changes daily, which is your first clue that this family-run taco and braises shop on a busy Boyle Heights corner takes its cooking seriously. The room is spare and airy, and the tacos are not, built around long-braised meats like cochinita pibil and steak picado that drip sauce the moment you pick one up. Bring napkins, or several.

    The awards


  18. Rank 590. Hatchet Hall

    Southern

    The pergola-shaded patio alone explains why this Culver West neighborhood restaurant fills up fast. Inside, tufted leather banquettes and an L-shaped bar give it the feel of a Southern roadhouse that got a little lucky with real estate. The menu leans into biscuits, pork, and seasonal vegetables with genuine conviction, and the vegetable section is substantial enough to build a whole meal around without anyone feeling cheated.

    The awards


    Address
    12517 Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 5 PM

    Thursday 5 PM–10 PM

    Reserve
    Resy
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  19. Rank 590. Hippo

    Cal-Ital Italian

    The building was once a post office, and the beamed ceilings still carry that civic grandeur, now filled with the noise of a Cal-Ital neighborhood restaurant doing brisk, happy business. The open kitchen anchors a room that works equally well for a date or a loud group. Focaccia arrives complimentary and is the kind you actually remember. Freshly made pasta leads into mains grilled over almond wood, the whole menu moving at an easy, convivial pace.

    The awards


    Address
    5916 1/2 Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 5 PM

    Thursday 5 PM–9 PM

    Reserve
    Resy
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  20. Rank 590. IMA

    Japanese

    Sukiyaki and shabu-shabu get equal billing here, with A5 Wagyu as the through-line and a table grill waiting at every seat. The room pulls off cool and intimate at once, blonde wood and bamboo blinds keeping things calm while the beef stays the main event. It's the kind of Japanese hot-pot spot that makes Beverly Hills feel less Beverly Hills, if only for the hour or so it takes to cook through three cuts of premium beef.

    The awards


  21. The name translates to "butcher shop," which tells you exactly where the kitchen's priorities lie. This sprawling Korean BBQ spot on Western Avenue runs on premium beef, grilled tableside over your own flame, with banchan that keeps arriving and service that actually keeps up. The tomahawk feeds a table of four with ease. Everything else, from dry-aged prime rib to marinated short rib, gets finished with little more than soy and salt.

    The awards


    Address
    621 S. Western Ave., Ste. 100, Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11:30 AM

    Thursday 11:30 AM–10 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  22. Lanterns of every shape crowd the ceiling of this intimate sushi shop tucked into an open-air strip mall in Fullerton, which is either the last thing you'd expect or exactly the kind of setup that delivers. The menu is short, with daily specials filling the gaps, and the nigiri and sashimi are where the kitchen is clearly most at ease. The rolls get their own dedicated section too, if that's your move.

    The awards


    Address
    133 W. Chapman Ave., Unit 103, Fullerton, CA · Fullerton
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11:30 AM

    Thursday 11:30 AM–2 PM, 5 PM–9:30 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  23. Rank 590. Killer Noodle

    Japanese Noodle Shop

    The screaming-red dining room telegraphs the mission before you've ordered: this is a ramen shop built around tan tan noodles, a cross between Japanese tantanmen and Sichuan dan dan. A sister to Tsujita down the street, it runs a spice scale up to six, and the pitchers of water at every table are not decorative. Bowls come soupy or dry, and both hit hard on peanut, garlic, and chili oil.

    The awards


    Address
    2030 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11 AM

    Thursday 11 AM–10 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  24. Rank 590. kodō

    California Sushi

    A former firehouse in the Arts District, now a steakhouse and Japanese restaurant where a boulder serves as a desk and natural materials do the decorating. The menu leans Kyoto, with robata, sushi, and nigiri shaped by a California hand. Patio or indoors both work, though the crowd inside will be photographing their food with a dedication that borders on professional. Off-menu specials are worth asking about.

    The awards


    Address
    710 S. Santa Fe Ave., Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 9 AM

    Thursday 9 AM–10 PM

    Reserve
    Resy
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  25. A neighborhood Japanese restaurant in Seal Beach where the chefs know the regulars by name and the regulars never need a menu. The sashimi lineup alone draws them back, moving from kampachi and clam through several varieties of oyster before landing on nigiri finished with quiet precision. Nothing here is trying to be trendy, and the room seems glad about that. The Michelin Guide has it listed among its selected restaurants.

    The awards


  26. Rank 590. Kusano

    Sushi

    The chef at this tiny omakase counter in Culver City handles everything, drinks included, which is either a red flag or a flex depending on your prior omakase experience. It's the latter. A handful of seats, two seatings a night, and a nigiri-forward menu where most pieces arrive simply dressed with nikiri and wasabi. Snag a reservation before someone else does, because they go fast.

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  29. Rank 590. Leona’s Sushi House

    Fusion Japanese

    Udon carbonara with smoked pork belly and parmigiano tells you everything you need to know about where Leona's is coming from. This high-end Japanese fusion restaurant in Studio City pulls creative types into a room that earns the effort, then feeds them a menu that treats tradition as a suggestion rather than a rulebook. Seafood gets serious attention, and the chef's specials shift with the season. Selected by the Michelin Guide.

    The awards


    Address
    11814 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA · Studio City
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11:30 AM

    Thursday 11:30 AM–2:30 PM, 5:30 PM–10 PM

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  30. Tucked into the courtyard of the Hammer Museum, Lulu is a seasonal New American restaurant where the menu changes daily and fresh produce stacked around the room is less decor than advance warning. Alice Waters shaped the philosophy here, and it shows: lunch reads like a snapshot of whatever the farms had that morning. The crowd tends toward the between-galleries, notebook-in-bag crowd, which keeps the pace civilized.

    The awards


    Address
    10899 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11:30 AM

    Thursday 11:30 AM–8:30 PM

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  31. Rank 590. Lumière

    French

    The chicken liver mousse comes with olive jam, which tells you exactly what kind of brasserie this is. Lumière sits inside the Fairmont Century Plaza and runs a classic French playbook: fruits de mer, steak frites, a charcuterie spread with aged Iberico hams, crème brûlée done properly. The staff actually know the menu and will talk you through it, which in Los Angeles passes for a minor miracle.

    The awards


    Address
    2025 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Open now, until 3 PM

    Thursday 6:30 AM–11 AM, 11 AM–3 PM, 5 PM–10 PM

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  32. The refrigerators hum louder than the dining room at this bare-bones dumpling shop tucked into the back of a City of Industry strip mall. Water is available if you ask, and the menu makes more sense once you find the poster on the wall. None of that matters much when handmade dumplings arrive with fillings like lamb with fennel or pork with lotus root, and noodles come glossed in scallion oil.

    The awards


    Address
    17980 Castleton St., City of Industry, CA · Rowland Heights
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11 AM

    Thursday 11 AM–9 PM

    Online
    Website
  33. A block from the pier, this big, loud California-global restaurant runs on the logic that dinner is a group sport. David LeFevre's menu wanders from Spanish to Korean without losing its West Coast footing, and the portions are small enough that a table of four can cover serious ground. It fills up fast, especially with families who've figured out the system, so come with a plan and order wide.

    The awards


  34. Samosas fried to a proper crisp, with that classic potato-and-pea filling, are a good early sign at this Punjabi restaurant in La Puente. The kitchen leans into north Indian cooking, which means the heat stays measured and the flavors do the work instead. The room is warm in the way that matters, with staff who pay attention. The tandoori dinner is a reasonable way to commit to the whole thing.

    The awards


    Address
    581 Azusa Way, La Puente, CA · La Puente
    Hours

    Closed now, opens noon

    Thursday Noon–2:30 PM, 5 PM–9 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  35. Rank 590. Manuela

    Southern

    Inside the Hauser & Wirth arts complex in the Arts District, Manuela is a restaurant and bar where conceptual art hangs on the walls and the cooking tilts Southern with a serious commitment to local ingredients, some grown in their own garden. Cocktails use house-made bitters and tonics, and the food is the kind that makes a gallery crowd linger well past closing time.


    Address
    907 E. 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11:30 AM

    Thursday 11:30 AM–2:30 PM, 5:30 PM–10 PM

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  36. Rank 590. Marugame Monzo

    Japanese Noodle Shop

    The udon gets made in plain sight, dough rolled and cut into thick, chewy strands behind glass, which sets the tone for an udon shop that takes its noodles as seriously as the Japanese city it's named for. The space is simple and welcoming, with families and groups filling tables most nights. Cold Asahi on tap helps the wait. Weekends draw a crowd, so put your name down early and settle in.

    The awards


  37. Rank 590. Nardo

    Southern Italian

    Neapolitan-style pizza on the Pacific Coast Highway, where the crust stays soft and just barely charred at the rim, the way it should. This southern Italian restaurant keeps things unfussy: good product, warm service, a room that feels festive without trying too hard. It landed at number 25 on 50 Top Pizza USA, which tracks for a place where the pizza tastes like the owner is proving a point about where they're from.


  38. Rank 590. Newport Seafood

    Chinese Seafood

    The chewy, seafood-studded rice noodles are a reason to organize a group dinner in San Gabriel, which is exactly how this Southeast Asian seafood restaurant operates best. Chinese, Thai, Cambodian, and Vietnamese cooking styles all converge on one very long menu, and the servers genuinely steer you away from decision paralysis. Salt and pepper crab is the move, but the beef loc lac quietly earns its table space too. Selected by the Michelin Guide.

    The awards


  39. Sleek banquettes and artwork-lined walls give this upscale osteria more warmth than you'd expect from a canyon-road address near the PCH. The menu reads like a tour of Italian classics, from stuffed zucchini blossoms to a proper bucatini all'amatriciana, with house-made desserts closing things out. The bar works nicely for solo diners who'd rather eat well than wait for a table.

    The awards


    Address
    853 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach, CA · Laguna Beach
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 5 PM

    Thursday 5 PM–9:30 PM

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  40. Rank 590. Q Sushi

    Sushi

    The tamago arrives last, soft and barely sweet, and somehow the whole meal makes sense. This is an omakase sushi counter downtown where chef Hiroyuki Naruke works through Edomae-style courses with an almost monastic calm, preparing and placing every piece himself. The room is quiet in a way that feels deliberate, and the pacing is unhurried enough that you notice each cut. A focused, intimate way to spend an evening.

    The awards


  41. Meats arrive in quarter-pound portions here, the menu structure doing double duty as the restaurant's name. This is an upscale Korean BBQ spot in Koreatown where the lines wrapping the block suggest the neighborhood has already made up its mind. Reservations help, or an early lunch will. Solo diners are required to order at least two cuts, which, given the marbled short rib coming off the grill, is less a hardship than it sounds.

    The awards


  42. Rank 590. Ronan

    Neapolitan Pizzeria

    A two-story floral mural marks the entrance to this Neapolitan pizza spot on Melrose, where the room manages dive-bar ease and actual style at the same time. Black marble bar, varnished wood communal table, a covered patio, and a wood-fired oven you can watch from almost anywhere. The hand-stretched pies are the move, though the seasonal small plates keep the table busy between rounds.

    The awards


    Address
    7315 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 5:30 PM

    Thursday 5:30 PM–9 PM

    Reserve
    Tock
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  43. Rank 590. Rossoblu

    Italian

    Rossoblu is an Italian restaurant in the Fashion District that plants its flag firmly in Emilia-Romagna, the region where the chef spent formative summers eating very well. The pastas are made in-house, the ragu is slow and serious, and the tiramisu arrives as a proper brick rather than a cloud of pretension. Downtown shoppers and office lunchers fill the room, but the food is patient enough not to care.

    The awards


    Address
    1124 San Julian St., Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 5 PM

    Thursday 5 PM–9 PM

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  44. Rank 590. RYLA

    Contemporary Japanese

    A splashy, date-night-ready restaurant in Hermosa Beach where a husband-and-wife team runs a contemporary Japanese kitchen with broad Asian influences. Small plates arrive meant for sharing, though the menu makes a convincing case for possessiveness. The room reads sophisticated without stiffness, and the cooking leans into contrasts, sweet corn and pickled green strawberries cut against rich ox tongue curry rice, while dessert ends things with a spicy ginger-sugared churro.

    The awards


    Address
    1220 Hermosa Ave., Hermosa Beach, CA · Hermosa Beach
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 5 PM

    Thursday 5 PM–10:30 PM

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  45. Rank 590. Shunji

    Sushi

    Two counters share the space, divided by a sliding wood partition, but regulars know which side to book. This is an omakase counter in Santa Monica where the chef's experience goes deep, the blonde wood counter runs minimalist and calm, and the nigiri speaks for itself. Prices match the ambition without apology. Reservations at the smaller counter fill fast, which tells you something without requiring anyone to say it.

    The awards


  46. Fish flies in from Japan twice a week, and regulars have quietly done the math: Friday is the move. This casual sushi shop in an Arcadia strip mall runs more like a busy Tokyo lunch counter than a hushed omakase temple, with a line at the door, servers moving fast, and chefs who don't waste motion. The nigiri rice is notably generous and soft. Counter or table, omakase or a la carte, the energy is the same.

    The awards


    Address
    1108 S. Baldwin Ave., #B6, Arcadia, CA · Arcadia
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11:45 AM

    Thursday 11:45 AM–2 PM, 5 PM–9 PM

    Reserve
    Tock
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  47. Soft fabrics and moody walls hang alongside framed letters and art that feels more gallery than sushi counter, which sets the tone nicely for what follows. This Sherman Oaks omakase spot runs half or full tasting menus, plus à la carte, with every piece of nigiri and sashimi cut to order. The wine list gets the same care as the fish, which is either charming or slightly unhinged depending on your orthodoxy about sake.

    The awards


    Address
    13447 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA · Sherman Oaks
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 5:30 PM

    Thursday 5:30 PM–10 PM

    Reserve
    Tock
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  48. Omakase in a Rowland Heights strip mall, and the price point will make you do a double-take. Sushi Yuen runs a tight, focused counter where most nigiri comes imported from Japan and the kitchen opens with seasonal courses that punch well above the room's modest surroundings. Lunch is walk-ins only and draws a devoted crowd. The Michelin Guide has had its eye on the place, which should settle any doubts the parking lot raises.

    The awards


  49. A Thai breakfast and dessert shop tucked into the back corner of a strip mall in Gardena, where congee bubbles away in the kitchen while the rest of Los Angeles is still eating eggs. The jok, thick with pork meatballs and fresh ginger, is the right place to start. Mango sticky rice appears when it appears, and regulars know to order it before it's gone. Counter service, paper lanterns, turquoise accents, and no pretension whatsoever.

    The awards


    Address
    1630 W. Redondo Beach Blvd., Gardena, CA · Gardena
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11 AM

    Thursday 11 AM–9 PM

    Online
    Website
  50. The handwritten menu changes nightly, which tells you almost everything about how seriously this strip-mall sushi counter takes itself. Tucked into an unremarkable Garden Grove plaza, Taira runs as both omakase and izakaya à la carte, so you can commit fully or just graze. The Michelin Guide picked it up, and the warm, personal hospitality from the team makes the modest room feel like considerably more than its address suggests.

    The awards


  51. Rank 590. Tempura Endo

    Tempura Japanese

    Tempura Endo is a counter-focused omakase in Beverly Hills devoted entirely to the art of frying things in hot cottonseed oil, which sounds reductive until you're watching each piece emerge with a coating so lacy it barely registers as batter. Sit at the copper cauldron, not the tables. The tasting menu runs expensive, and the chef places each item in front of you one at a time, the way a ritual should go. A Michelin Selected Restaurant.

    The awards


  52. Rank 590. The Attic

    Refined Southern

    A Craftsman bungalow with a front porch, herringbone floors, and a brick fireplace that makes a convincing case for staying all evening. This is a refined Southern restaurant where fried chicken, biscuits, gumbo, and fried green tomatoes anchor the menu, with the kitchen adding enough unexpected turns to keep things interesting. The crowd tends toward date-night and linger-over-a-second-glass, which fits the room's cozy, parlor-like logic perfectly.

    The awards


  53. A dark wood counter, a few floral arrangements, and very little else: the room at this Woodland Hills sushi shop keeps the focus where it belongs. The chef runs both omakase and an à la carte menu that pulls from solid Japanese sourcing, so regulars debate the chirashi bowl against the nigiri the same way people debate anything they plan to order again. The Michelin Guide has it listed, and the price point keeps the seats full.

    The awards


    Address
    21418 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA · Woodland Hills
    Hours

    Closed now, opens noon

    Thursday Noon–2 PM, 5:30 PM–9 PM

    Reserve
    Tock
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  54. Rank 590. The Lobster

    American Seafood

    The dining room hangs right over the Santa Monica Pier, close enough to the water that the views do most of the decorating. This is a proper sit-down seafood restaurant, Maine lobster at the center of the menu, crab cakes and the rest fanning out from there. Tables are close together and the pace moves, but the steamed lobster arrives in good enough shape to make the butter beside it feel optional.

    The awards


    Address
    1602 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, CA · Santa Monica
    Hours

    Closed now, opens noon

    Thursday Noon–9 PM

    Reserve
    Resy
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  55. Dark wood, a full bar, and a reservation that fills faster than you'd expect for a Korean American restaurant on Sawtelle. The menu reads approachable but lands with precision, moving from kimchi pancake and steamed dumplings through charcoal-grilled short ribs to a caramelized cinnamon hotteok served warm with vanilla ice cream. The wine list gets taken seriously, which is either a pleasant surprise or exactly what you came for.

    The awards


  56. Rank 590. Yerord Mas

    Armenian

    The pita comes straight from a pizza oven on the sidewalk, still puffed with steam when it hits the table. Yerord Mas is a tiny, no-frills Armenian restaurant in a former doughnut shop on San Fernando Road, and no, they don't do takeout. The chef pulls from diaspora kitchens across Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and beyond, treating the differences as a single, coherent argument for why Los Angeles exists. The New York Times put it on their 2026 Restaurant List.


  57. Rank 590. Yong Su San

    Traditional Korean

    Servers in hanbok and a warren of curtained private rooms signal that this isn't your average Koreatown Korean restaurant. Yong Su San specializes in royal court cuisine, the elaborate dishes once prepared for Korea's aristocracy, and the setting leans into that history with carved wooden seats and cushioned booths. Large groups tend to arrive for set menus, but the à la carte banchan spread alone makes an argument for a quieter table for two.

    The awards


  58. The counter runs the show at this handroll shop on East 3rd Street, a stretch that's become one of the better reasons to venture east of downtown. The room is dark and pared-down, the kind of place that hums without trying. The menu skips the usual handroll playbook, leaning into combinations that read strange on paper and make sense in your hands. Regulars fill that counter fast, so arriving early is its own form of planning.

    The awards


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  60. Rank 590. Zira Uzbek Kitchen

    Uzbek Middle Eastern

    Cumin is in the name and in the air at this Fairfax District restaurant, where ikat fabrics drape the wood furnishings and the menu reads like a Silk Road itinerary. Zira Uzbek Kitchen serves the food of Uzbekistan, a cuisine that lands somewhere between Central Asian and Middle Eastern, with hand-pulled noodle soup, shashlik off the grill, and fat dumplings that regulars argue over. The Michelin Guide includes it among its selected restaurants in Los Angeles.

    The awards


    Address
    7422 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11 AM

    Thursday 11 AM–10 PM

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
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  65. Rank 661. Lorenzo California

    Italian Sandwich Shop

    Focaccia sandwiches stacked with Italian cold cuts are the entire point here, and Lorenzo California commits to that premise with no apologies. The tiny cafe on Santa Monica Boulevard does Florentine-style sandwiches from a small counter, with a few seats inside and a handful of tables outside for watching Beverly Hills do its thing. The Los Angeles Times put it on their 101 best restaurants list, which is a lot of recognition for a sandwich shop, and yet.


    Address
    9529 S Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA · Beverly Hills
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11 AM

    Thursday 11 AM–5 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  66. The awards


  67. Rank 661. Sonoratown

    Sonoran Taqueria

    Flour tortillas, not corn, are the whole argument here. This Sonoran taqueria brings the traditions of San Luis Río Colorado to Los Angeles, where the lard-rich, hand-made tortillas get charred on a griddle and wrapped around mesquite-grilled asada or slow-cooked cabeza. The caramelo and the oversized burritos draw regulars who already know their order before they reach the counter. A casual, counter-service spot where eating light is genuinely hard.


    Address
    5610 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11 AM

    Thursday 11 AM–10 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  68. Directly across Pacific Coast Highway from the break that gave it its name, the Surfrider Malibu is a boutique hotel that took a Fifties building and quietly made it the thing Malibu somehow never had. The team behind it, a Californian architect and a couple of improbable partners, kept the bones and let the ocean do the decorating. Rooms fill fast with people who'd rather wake up to surf reports than room service carts.

    The awards


  69. Rank 669. Courage Bagels

    Montreal-Inspired Bakery


    Address
    777 N Virgil Ave, Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Open now, until 2 PM

    Thursday 7 AM–2 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram

  70. A twelve-course tasting menu on Melrose where each course somehow feels like a different restaurant made it, in the best possible, wait, a genuinely different key. Daniel Patterson, who built his name at Coi in San Francisco, is back in fine dining here alongside a former music producer and a pastry chef whose desserts read as slightly unhinged in the most compelling way. The New York Times put it on their 2026 Restaurant List, and the room earns the attention quietly.


    Address
    6623 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 6 PM

    Thursday 6 PM–8:30 PM

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    Website

  71. Address
    2945 E Broadway, Long Beach, CA · Long Beach
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 4 PM

    Thursday 4 PM–9 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram

  72. Address
    1614 Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica, CA · Santa Monica
    Hours

    Open now, until 2:30 PM

    Thursday 7 AM–2:30 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram

  73. Address
    2829 Bellevue Ave, Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Open now, until 1 PM

    Thursday 7 AM–1 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram

  74. Address
    3280 Helms Ave, Culver City, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 10:30 AM

    Thursday 10:30 AM–10 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram

  75. Address
    3343 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11:30 AM

    Thursday 11:30 AM–8:30 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram

  76. Address
    4701 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 5 PM

    Thursday 5 PM–10 PM

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram

  77. Rank 669. Sqirl

    American Coffee Shop


    Address
    720 Virgil Avenue, Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Open now, until 4 PM

    Thursday 8 AM–4 PM

    Reserve
    Resy
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  78. Rank 669. Super Peach

    Modern Korean


  79. The awards


  80. The awards


  81. The awards


  82. The awards


    Address
    411 Crescent Ave., Avalon, CA · Avalon
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11 AM

    Thursday 11 AM–8 PM



  83. Address
    5100 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens noon

    Thursday Noon–10 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  84. The awards


  85. The awards


  86. The awards


  87. The awards


  88. Rank 681. LA Paella

    Spanish

    The awards


  89. The awards


  90. Knife-cut noodles in long-simmered chicken broth are the reason people keep coming back to this Koreatown noodle shop, which has been a fixture on Wilshire long enough to feel like part of the neighborhood's furniture. The kalguksu is chewy and restorative, the mandu arrive either boiled or fried, and on hot days the cold spicy jjolmyeon earns its keep. Bright lights, no fuss, and regulars who know the menu by heart.


  91. The awards


  92. The awards


  93. The awards


  94. Rank 681. Pink's

    American

    The awards


  95. Rank 681. Rosty

    Modern Peruvian


    Address
    5511 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11 AM

    Thursday 11 AM–9 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram

  96. Address
    4001 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA · Los Angeles
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11 AM

    Thursday 11 AM–8:45 PM

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  97. The awards


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Eat Score

The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

    How we score →

    Drink Score

    The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

      How we score →

      Stay Score

      Four fifths of the score is the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin Key outweighs a listicle. The last fifth is where it is: the ranked places to eat and things to do around it, and how safe the country is. When you sort by what's nearby, distance from you changes the order, never the score.

        How we score →

        Do Score

        The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

          How we score →

          Best Place Score

          The Best Place Score rates the area around a point, not any one place. The places are 60% of it: the best of what's within reach, weighed by distance. The setting is the other 40%: how life goes in that country (how people rate their own lives, how long and how well they live, how safe they are) and what it's like right there (the air, and the weather). If the score looks low, we probably haven't found enough critics out here yet.