28 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles, California

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

With a modest, you’ll-hardly-notice-it’s-there exterior and a small, packed-like-sardines interior, you're likely to have to wait in line to get into Petit Trois. But the wait is worth it for the incredible classic French dishes inside. When you're finally eating the steak tartare, you'll forgive the restaurant for any momentary hassles.

A Santa Monica mainstay, the seasonally changing menu at this farm-to-table restaurant consistently upends norms and has even earned a Michelin nod. The homey, minimalist space offers sweeping views of Wilshire Boulevard. On any given night, the menu of California cuisine may include lamb merguez with freekeh or Brandt prime sirloin steak with grilled broccoli. Everything is made in-house, down to the sea salt. Ask the knowledgeable staff for suggested pairings from the never-ending wine list.

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—that alone makes this place a worthy addition to any Atwater Village visit. Then there’s their delicious food whose $30 prices are completely worth it, not to mention the fact that, once upon a time, it was Walt Disney’s favorite restaurant.

Feast on Pan-Asian fare and dark and atmospheric faux-Asian decor as A- and B-listers do the same at neighboring tables in this dramatic 300-seat two-level restaurant and lounge next to the Dream Hotel. It's all about vibes here, and it definitely attracts celebratory groups for the sharing plates, DJ, moody candle- and red-lamp light, Asian-themed decor including the giant Quan Yin statue looking out over the ornate main dining room, and the lively patio, lounge, and bar. The menu focuses on Japanese, Thai, and Chinese ingredients. Lobster wontons, Peking Duck for two, and fresh sushi are popular offerings.

Located in the historic lobby of the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel, this old-world Italian steak house features a glamorous, Old Hollywood feel with mirrored columns, floor-to-ceiling windows, and Spanish Colonial Revival details alongside an open kitchen, comfortable banquettes, a wood-fire hearth, and a menu that showcases chef Nancy Silverton's flair for Californian-Italian flavors. The deconstructed steak tartare has obtained cult status as have the dry-aged steaks, pasta al forno, poultry cooked over a wood fire, and the Barish Farmhouse rolls, served warm with Rodolphe Le Meunier butter on the side. Don't skip on a glamorous end to your meal with the gelato and sorbetto offerings.

The homemade pasta here, kneaded from imported Italian flour, guarantees this place a spot on the "must eat" list. The large Arts District eatery is carved from a converted warehouse and is held up inside by towering pillars. Try the Ligurian Focaccina Tradizionale (basically a bread stuffed with cheese), or, treat your dinner date to handkerchief pasta dripping with almond basil pesto. The cannoli are arguably the best in town, and the coffee isn’t too shabby either.

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 roasted acorn squash with "forbidden" rice to braised beef cheeks with mole sauce. Inside can be a little more claustrophobic, but makes for a perfect spot for intimate daters to get a little closer. Be sure to explore the daring seasonal cocktail menu, with intriguing names like the Princess Ain't Here and the Shepherd's Betrayal. Don't miss the truly killer chilaquiles on the brunch menu.

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 primavera) and excellent wine list.