The historic Bob's Big Boy has been serving burgers, breakfast, and American-style comfort food since the 1940s. Request the "Beetles Booth", where the musicians once dined. Robert DeNiro's 1995 crime film "Heat" was also filmed here.
Specializing in Venetian-style Italian cuisine, this upscale restaurant offers an elegant ambiance with indoor and outdoor seating. Browse their happy hour menu for cocktails too - enjoy drinks on the terrace when possible.
Cafe Stella is a bistro with a romantic atmosphere. Enjoy classic French dishes such as mussels, escargot, and steak. Their craft cocktails and red wine selection make it ideal for date night. Stay for drinks after eating.
Thai restaurant with a focus on flavor and atmosphere. As much a place to enjoy social drinks with friends as it is to indulge in pad thai and curries. A single venue in its origin, there are now three locations on the West Coast.
Simple sushi bar known for delivering great food in a wood-clad, no-frills environment. Stop by early for lunch deals or dedicate an evening to sushi and beef teriyaki. Expect queues - especially on weekends.
Bar Amá is a restaurant and bar that specializes in Tex-Mex and tequila cocktails. Visit for a dinner of queso and enchiladas, or better yet; stop by during their Super Nacho Hour for signature cocktails and snacks.
Local institution with tons of history, Chez Jay is a go-to for burgers, steak, live music, and drinks. Located right by the beach and has been lauded by the Wall Street Journal. Eat in the restaurant and then drink in The Backyard.
Critically acclaimed Thai spot serving modern dishes at a handful of wooden tables. A serious wine program complements the food – book in advance.
Intimate Inglewood spot serving a fusion of West African, Californian, and Latin flavors. Dishes like crispy catfish over jollof rice and root beer braised short ribs pack the small, lively dining room nightly – reservations are essential.
Intimate, 45-seat bistro run by a team of chefs who rotate from the open kitchen to serve every table. The French-leaning menu is globally inspired – book well in advance.
Dimly lit supper club channeling the glamour of LA's historic jazz scene with jewel-toned velvet booths and nightly live music. Reservations are booked months out – the bar is first-come, first-served.
South LA kitchen dishing up Jamaican-soul food platters from a covered outdoor patio. The menu changes daily on a whiteboard – expect generous portions of oxtail, jerk chicken, and standout mac & cheese.
Long-standing Creole restaurant run by the same family since 1969. The menu is classic New Orleans – filé gumbo, crawfish étouffée – served in a dining room filled with old jazz posters and family photos.
Loud, festive Oaxacan institution serving complex, family-recipe moles and a deep list of mezcals. Live music from the bandstand fills the sprawling dining room most nights.
Minimalist Hollywood spot serving expertly sourced steaks and classic martinis, all with Michelin-starred precision. A red curtain reveals the main dining room – a luxe space with lipstick-red carpeting and a warm, intimate feel.
Intimate, meat-focused Italian spot where chefs grill massive steaks and tomahawk chops over a live-fire hearth. The candlelit room is built around the open kitchen – book a counter seat for the best view of the action.
Bustling dining room with vaulted ceilings, exposed brick, and an open kitchen. The space shifts from a daytime bakery into a formal evening spot pouring wine alongside house-made charcuterie and seasonal French plates.
Strip mall pizzeria dishing up thick, square slices with a signature crispy cheese crown. It's a cash-only, take-out operation with long lines and no tables – the pizza is the entire point.
Tiny Miracle Mile slice counter slinging thick Detroit-style square pies with tall, crispy cheese edges. With zero formal seating, hot slices are eaten standing at the wall rail, sitting on the curb, or over the hoods of parked cars.
Intimate Indian lounge on West Third Street serving large portions of custom-spiced Punjabi curries and tandoori. The skyroom has floor seating built for lingering over massive shared platters and specialty cocktails.
Romantic courtyard restaurant serving rustic Mediterranean food behind a discreet West Hollywood entrance. The intimate, candlelit garden is a longtime favorite for date nights and special occasions.
Wood-fired Italian restaurant serving handmade pastas and hearth-roasted meats from an open kitchen. The focaccia is essential, and the freshly churned ice cream is the only way to finish.
Family-run Koreatown strip-mall kitchen serving a tight four-item menu of traditional Korean stews and braised cod. Most orders go out the door, leaving just three tables to sit and eat slow-simmered ginseng chicken soup.
Homey Koreatown dining room serving rural-style Korean set menus centered around barley rice. Tables quickly crowd with up to 25 side dishes, building a massive, shared feast of clean, traditional flavors.
Dimly lit Art Deco dining room with caramel wood paneling and a long, buzzing bar. The menu elevates American classics; the signature burger and dedicated martini list are the essential orders.
Loud, smoke-filled Koreatown restaurant buzzing with the constant sizzle of tabletop grills. Marinated short ribs and pork belly cook over open flames alongside heavy stone bowls of stew and endless small plates.
Airy Beverly Grove pasta bar serving fresh, handmade Sardinian dishes behind an open garage door. The menu runs on a simple mix-and-match format of daily shapes and sauces, with baskets of warm focaccia to mop the plates.
Dim, compact Koreatown sool jib pouring craft soju and makgeolli alongside modern Korean small plates. The loud room runs on 90s hip-hop and shared plates of kimchi vodka rigatoni and uni tteokbokki.
Intimate, wood-lined dining room on Melrose running weeknights only for natural wine and shared plates. The open stainless steel kitchen works right alongside the tables, slicing cured hams and sending out daily crudos and snacks.
Moody Caribbean dining room dominated by a glowing white palm tree bar. Wagyu patties and oxtail arrive in scalloped booths before the space shifts to a loud, DJ-led party.
Family-owned Bangladeshi restaurant on Western Avenue serving homestyle cooking. The kitchen runs on its own unhurried clock, turning out 12-hour beef bone marrow stews and fresh flatbreads.
Warm, eclectic Argentinian restaurant in South LA serving classic empanadas, choripán, and steaks. The romantic dining room runs steady into the evening, while the industrial-chic bar next door pours Latin American wines.
Lodgelike restaurant in Mar Vista featuring hearty, meat-centric dishes and a hidden spirits bar. Known for expertly mixed cocktails, cornbread, and a stylish interior with taxidermied animals.
Family-run Inglewood dining room serving fiercely spicy Nayarit-style aguachiles and mineral water micheladas. Charcoal smoke from the whole grilled snook often fills the casual space.
Rustic oyster bar steps from the beach, serving Pacific seafood often caught by the restaurant's own team. The candlelit room gets lively at night – expect fresh-shucked oysters and a deep list of natural wines.
Casual Momofuku spot in the Century City mall serving Korean-American comfort food under electric orange lights. Tables fill with spicy tuna kimbap, beef tallow fries, and ssäm platters.
Tiny Beverly Grove pizzeria serving small plates and long-fermented pies with a crisp New York-style crust. Seven counter seats line the open kitchen, set right against the brick oven and the chefs at work.
Busy Sawtelle specialist serving Kyoto-style beef and pork cutlets in a compact room. Rare wagyu sets arrive with personal hot stones for searing each slice at the table alongside endless rice and cabbage.
Subterranean Beverlywood dining room with a cork-lined ceiling and merlot leather banquettes. The 42-seat space serves a relaxed four-course tasting menu of California ingredients, with the chef bringing dishes directly to the table.
Buzzy izakaya on Abbot Kinney where the open kitchen revolves around a binchotan charcoal grill. An in-house DJ spins vinyl for the lively downstairs bar; grab a seat on the quieter rooftop deck.
Serene eight-seat counter where the omakase follows the graceful rituals of Japanese tea ceremony. The chef serves seasonal sushi on vintage lacquerware, personally whisking matcha to conclude the meal.
Century City hotel brasserie filled with vintage furniture and salvaged French antiques. Plates of steak frites, French onion soup, and tall seafood towers land on tables across the main dining room and a large garden courtyard.
Chic Korean-American bistro with the soul of a retro French cafe and the style of an upscale Seoul spot. The menu reinterprets comfort food – steak tartare arrives sizzling in a hot stone pot like bibimbap.
Unfussy dining room serving traditional Sichuan food with intense, numbing heat. Tables fill with large, shared orders of toothpick lamb, mapo tofu, and wontons drenched in chili oil.
Distinctive Culver City A-frame serving casual modern Mexican small plates. Tables fill with duck albondigas, homemade tortillas, and salt-foam margaritas.
Parking lot taco stand centered on a vertical trompo, where al pastor is shaved to order with a slice of pineapple. A long communal bar holds salsas, grilled vegetables, and potatoes for topping off fresh tortillas.
Refined French bistro built around classic technique and an open kitchen. The centerpiece is the canard à la presse: a theatrical, multi-course duck service involving an antique silver press wheeled tableside.
Sichuan-style ramen shop where diners set the spice and numbness levels for each bowl of Tantanmen. Choose between the rich Tokyo Style with a pork-sesame broth or the original soupless version.
Second-floor Sawtelle strip mall restaurant running a synchronized omakase service. Eight diners sit at a wooden counter while the chef prepares seasonal plates leaning toward cooked kaiseki dishes over sushi.
