Legendary Sunset Strip hotel and industry hideout modeled after a French castle. The suites and garden bungalows are famously worn-in; the leafy courtyard terrace hosts low-key lunches and late drinks.
Boutique mid-century hotel minutes from LAX with soundproofed rooms facing the runways. The elevated pool deck runs steady with shaded cabanas, fire pits, and a Baja-style cantina pouring natural wine and small-batch spirits.
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.
Intimate tea room with pink walls and floral decor, a popular weekend spot for bridal and baby showers. Fixed-price service brings tiered trays of tea sandwiches, scones with Devonshire cream, and seasonal desserts.
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.
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.
Upstairs cocktail lounge with a separate Melrose entrance, marked by a red neon sign. The cinematic, Art Deco room serves inventive drinks like tom kha-inspired gin cocktails and martinis paired with potato chips.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Distinctive Culver City A-frame serving casual modern Mexican small plates. Tables fill with duck albondigas, homemade tortillas, and salt-foam margaritas.
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.
Bustling Mar Vista corner bistro serving relaxed French classics and seasonal Californian plates. Seating wraps around an open kitchen sending out signature roast chicken and fries dusted with savory chicken salt.
Open-kitchen osteria serving house-made pastas and specialties from Puglia. The main event is the cacio e pepe – prepared tableside in a massive wheel of pecorino cheese.
Travertine-clad cultural campus reached by a cable tram climbing above the 405. Pavilions holding European art and photography open onto panoramic terraces and a winding central garden.
Lively, opulent dining hall in a landmark Art Deco building, dedicated to the traditions of Roman cooking. Handmade pastas are the focus – specifically the four classics – alongside wafer-thin, wood-fired pizzas.
1970s-style Hollywood bar running as a loud house party, entered through a vintage refrigerator door. Live bands play funk and soul in the shag-carpeted living room while bartenders sling drinks from an Airstream trailer out back.
Moody Sunset Boulevard dining room serving Caribbean, Southern, and Jewish comfort food. A steady R&B soundtrack fills the intimate space alongside plates of wagyu oxtail pie and caviar-topped duck fat fries.
Open-air amphitheater carved into a Griffith Park hillside. Trees surround the 5,900-seat bowl, keeping the sound tight for live concerts running spring through fall.
Candlelit Los Feliz restaurant serving seasonal Californian plates on a walled wooden patio. Dinner runs on a daily chalkboard menu, pairing house-made pastas and dry-aged ribeye with a tight list of natural wine.
Minimalist neighborhood bar pouring inventive cocktails – like a smoked tomato mezcal – and classics made with vintage spirits. The warm, layered room serves just a few snacks; think marinated olives and anchovy toast.
Neighborhood dining room with white tablecloths serving a concise menu of modern British fare. The cooking is soulful – expect battered sea bass, bangers & mash, and a standout sticky toffee pudding.
Modern Korean pub on Figueroa slinging craft cocktails and the rich drinking food to match. Hip-hop and R&B play over tables full of wagyu corn cheese and pork belly bossam.
Snug Highland Park storefront serving hearty dishes that merge Mexican and Italian cooking. The compact dining room runs warm, spilling out onto a back patio for elote agnolotti and masa-laced pasta.
Sprawling Arts District back patio with string lights, picnic tables, and a full-length bocce court. The menu is simple and direct – craft cocktails, buttermilk biscuits, and a standout cheeseburger.
Intimate Honda Plaza izakaya running a deliberately slow, sequential dinner service. Premium sake and Japanese craft beer arrive alongside shared plates of thick-cut beef tongue and uni risotto.
Inventive scoop shop where lines move slowly because tasting is half the point. Staff hand over endless samples of Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons or Arbequina Olive Oil before packing generous waffle cones.
Frank Gehry’s stainless steel sails house the city’s flagship orchestra. The wood-lined auditorium surrounds the stage with terraced seating, keeping acoustics sharp and the atmosphere intimate.
Low-lit Virgil Village cocktail bar with moody red-and-blue lighting and records spinning from behind the counter. Wooden booths fill up late for sesame highballs, savory martinis, and bowls of free popcorn.
Chinatown brasserie blending French technique with personal Chinese-American cooking. The menu reinterprets classics into inventive small plates: mapo tofu-style steak tartare and crispy Chongqing chicken.
Lush plants soften an industrial Arts District warehouse serving Enrique Olvera’s modern Mexican cooking. Tables fill with seafood tostadas and duck carnitas alongside small-batch agave spirits.
Family-run pizzeria serving authentic Chicago deep-dish in a cozy, bohemian dining room. The signature pizzas have a 45-minute bake time, turning dinner into a long, leisurely affair.
Echo Park neighborhood bar pouring classic cocktails and natural wine behind big windows on Sunset Boulevard. A central pool table and regular DJs keep things lively, with the room getting loud and crowded on Dodger game nights.
Highly stylized boutique hotel filling a restored 1920s landmark near the Fashion District. Layered interiors mix vintage furniture and custom tilework, leading up to a rooftop pool and all-day restaurant looking out over the city.
Expansive Arts District dining room serving polished Indian cooking with a West Coast influence. Wood-fired techniques update classic recipes, filling tables with applewood smoked butter chicken and saffron cocktails.
Creative Korean restaurant from Seoul serving modern soul food in the Arts District. Signature dishes reinterpret the classics – think deconstructed galbi and truffle-infused potato pancakes.
Second-floor downtown whiskey bar lined with heavy mahogany, leather booths, and mounted taxidermy. Bartenders pour from hundreds of bottles to mix classic Old Fashioneds while live bands play and pool games run late into the night.
