The best new restaurants in Los Angeles to try right now

Starting at $645 per person (which includes a non-alcoholic drink pairing), the newly resurrected Somni is one of the city’s most expensive, difficult-to-snag reservations. Now led by Aitor Zabala—who’s trained at El Bullí, among other Spanish fine-dining icons—the ambitious 14-seat chef’s counter offers a wealth of whimsical delights befitting of its take-home price tag, which approaches $1,000 if you opt for the wine pairing. Every detail has been carefully considered, from handcarved wooden plates to the custom steak knives accompanying the txuleta, or ultra-mature steak. Another highlight? The delightfully unorthodox caviar course, served on dashi meringue. Of the four tasting menus I tried in January, Somni was the most memorable. In fact, the meal impressed me so much that I think the brand-new restaurant might already be one of the city’s very best. Note: February is already fully booked, and March only has midweek availaiblity, but you can check the restaurant’s Instagram to find out when April reservations will be released. Complimentary valet parking.

After a nearly yearlong stint at Jordan Kahn’s Vespertine and Meteora, chef Ki Kim is once again pushing the boundaries of modern Korean fine dining. Located in the same Little Tokyo complex as Sushi Kaneyoshi and Bar Sawa, the chef's new tasting experience ($285) reads as a more elevated, satisfying version of Kinn, Kim’s now-closed Koreatown restaurant. Kimbap topped with creamy cod milt serves as a worthy appetizer to a 12-course menu that nods to the head chef’s personal biography and past experiences on both coasts in haute cuisine. I’ve been familiar with Kim’s cooking since Naemo, his quarantine era dosirak pop-up, and can honestly say that Ki is the chef’s most fully realized project to date. A $190 beverage pairing spanning wine, sake and tea, along with ultra-polished service, befit the high price point and translate into a worthy special-occasion eatery for those who enjoy Korean cuisine, rare seafood, fine dining or all of the above. March reservations are slated to drop on the second Friday of this month; February, for the most part, is already fully booked. Paid on-site or metered street parking.

Tucked away in a barebones Echo Park space just before the Glendale Freeway, Ricardo Zarate’s latest endeavor serves delicious, reasonably priced renditions of the Japanese-Peruvian raw fare that put him on the map at Causita, Picca and Mo-Chica, among other now-closed restaurants. The difference this time? Zarate’s on his own. While the turquoise-quartz ceviche bar and pink neon lighting add plenty of flair, the Hummingbird is a no-frills, casual affair with no wine and beer license (yet). Start your meal with a few of the chef’s creative hand roll options, then order a couple of raw items—I particularly enjoyed the scallop aguachile topped with pepper ash and the classic sea bass ceviche. Best of all, nothing on the menu is over $40. Of all the restaurants I visited three months, the Hummingbird is definitely the one that delivers the most bang for your buck. Street parking.

On the face of it, Tomat is an unlikely place for some of the city’s most delicious, interesting new California cuisine. Run by husband-and-wife duo Harry Posner and Natalie Dial, the airy, London-inspired restaurant is located in a nondescript Westchester strip mall just a few miles from LAX, with a third floor rooftop where—at least in warmer weather—guests can sip cocktails as they watch jets take off. Loosely inspired by Posner’s Persian heritage, the seasonal dinner menu includes “barbari” bread that more closely resembles focaccia, a tahdig-inspired jeweled rice cooked in a Japanese donabe and a juicy roast duck with a mole sauce that captures the essence of fesenjoon, a sweet stew made with pomegranates and walnuts. Other items like beef and bone marrow pie (a weekend special), fish and “chips” (tempura-battered veggies), and sticky toffee pudding draw inspiration from British foodways. The dishes here crackle with the raw, frenetic energy of culinary ambition—and I simply can’t wait to come back. On-site parking.

The dizzying variety and a handful of menu standouts make this retro-inspired bakery, café and specialty market one of the L.A.’s most interesting new lunch destinations. Stop by earlier in the morning for spectacular doughnuts, solid pastries (they’re cheaper than Gjusta and just as good) and a handful of hot breakfast and lunch dishes. If you’re in a hurry, you can also pick up grab-and-go drinks, sandwiches, salads and light bites from the cold case. With multiple stations and hundreds of items, it’s a lot to take in—which is why I recommend reading our guide on how to best tackle visiting before going. Did I mention there’s a unique selection of home goods, including dog treats and plush toys? On-site parking off Helms Avenue and street parking along Venice Boulevard. Outdoor dining available.

Con todo? At East L.A.’s Tijuanazo, the answer should always be yes. Founded by L.A. culinary veteran Antonio Esquivel, this Tijuana-based taco chain serves outstanding adobada, asada, chorizo and various types of offal, with specific house-designed salsa combinations tailored to each cut of meat. The adobada (a.k.a. al pastor) runs on the drier and more heavily spiced side compared to others I've had, a characteristic that pairs surprisingly well with the cilantro crema and a sliver of pineapple. Each offal cut is cooked to perfection, while the housemade chorizo offers heft and warmth in every bite. There are a half-dozen outstanding Tijuana-style taco specialists in L.A., most of which operate as streetside stands, but this sleeker brick-and-mortar can compete with the very best—and maybe even win. Street parking.

Housed within a Brutalist-inspired minimalist space, this standout omakase bar ($225) in Hollywood offers all the trimmings of the typical high-end sushi experience—plus a few extra noteworthy tricks. Originally from Tokyo, Udatsu’s overseas counterpart boasts a Michelin star. Here, the eight-seat concrete counter offers a meal orchestrated by Shingo Ogane, the protégé of eponymous founding chef Hisashi Udatsu. The chef’s skillful variance of texture and temperature result in a subtle yet satisfying 17-course meal on par with L.A.’s best omakase spots. Highlights of the current menu include a seasonal herb roll, smoked fatty tuna served with a hazy flourish and sea urchin topped with crispy fried nori. If you have the time, arrive a tad earlier for a cocktail on the patio (though it’s not included in the price) to take in views of the Hollywood Sign. $10 valet and street parking.

Noree Pla and Fern Kaewtathip, the chefs behind one of L.A.’s best restaurants, have pulled off another feat of Thai gastronomy in the form of this cafeteria-style steam table concept located a few doors down from their original, critically acclaimed Hollywood restaurant. Look beyond the no-frills interior for flavorful curries, meat dishes and hard-to-find specialties you aren’t likely to find at your average Thai restaurant. To keep things interesting, the exact selection rotates on a weekly basis, though certain items like Phuket-style soy-braised pork belly and an excellent Thai-style iced tea, sold by the bottle, are always available. On my visit, I loved the fried hard-boiled eggs in tamarind sauce and yellow sour bamboo and fish curry.  Just be aware Luv2eat Express doesn’t play around with spice levels, so grab some napkins before you dig in; you’ll very likely need to blow your nose after your meal. On-site parking.

With a stylish dining room, impeccable service and a handful of culinary standouts, this pricey New York City seafood specialist has made a splash in the 90210’s oversubscribed Italian dining scene. Here in L.A., chef Travis Passerotti (formerly of the Tasting Kitchen in Venice) oversees an extensive menu that includes Marea’s many signatures, including sea urchin lardo crostini, red wine octopus fusilli and lobster served with creamy burrata, plus a handful of dishes unique to L.A.. An equally skillful beverage program and a full-time pastry chef translate into smooth, well-balanced cocktails, a formidable wine selection and delectable end-of-meal bon bons—all of which elevate Marea Beverly Hills from just another spot for expense accountholders to a worthy candidate for your next splurge-y night out. $15 valet parking plus nearby public lots.

It’s impossible to deny the culinary creativity at Historic Filipinotown’s Rasarumah. The newest project by Johnny Lee, the Hainan chicken savant behind now-closed Pearl River Deli, this upscale, beautifully designed restaurant serves an ambitious, slightly uneven interpretation of Malaysian street food. Though I found the beef rendang and all three of the noodle dishes largely forgettable, any of the cold starters and “snacky things” make for marvelous drinking fare. The standout dish of the night, however, was the banana leaf steamed black cod, amply seasoned with housemade sambal and grilled lime. Ultimately, the San Gabriel Valley might be home to cheaper, better and more straightforward Southeast Asian cuisine, but the latest trendy dining and drinking destination from Last Word Hospitality (Found Oyster, Barra Santos) is still worth paying a visit. Limited street parking.

In my eyes, “wagyu” has largely become a shorthand for decadence and culinary laziness, but this sleek yakiniku joint in the South Bay manages to stand out thanks to its excellent sourcing and affordable pricepoint. (Luckily, you don’t need to order A5 to have a great meal here.) The chef-owner hails from Osaka, where he also ran a Japanese-style grilling eatery, and a grill-your-own experience here includes front row seats to the skilled butchers deftly slicing your meat. An amply portioned $50 tasting menu includes choice pieces of tongue, cheek, short rib and skirt steak, but it’s easy to level up your meal with a la carte cuts if you’re still feeling hungry. The $70 option ups the ante with beef sashimi and slices of A5. On-site parking.

With a soul food-inspired New American menu, impeccable ambience and live jazz, this View Park-Windsor Hills dining destination is the most interesting opening to hit this stretch of Slauson in a long, long time. Run by Hilltop Coffee’s Yonnie Hagos and Ajay Relan (along with celebrity investor Issa Rae), Somerville offers a polished night out, complete with first-rate cocktails by Steen Bojsen-Møller, formerly of Downtown’s Spring Street Bar. Menu highlights include a cheesy, comforting collard green lasagna and caviar-topped fried chicken sliders. Just be aware the kitchen is still working out some kinks; I didn’t love the sous vide preparation on my steak, which rendered the meat slightly spongy and overcooked, and the menu is still in flux. It's also worth nothing that Somerville is mostly booked for the next three months—though you can cross your fingers for a last-minute cancellation or stop in for drinks at the bar. $15 valet and street parking.

At long last, the Grove actually has a decent restaurant in the form of American Beauty, the sleeper-hit Venice Beach steakhouse best known across the city for its smashburger-oriented spinoff, the Win-dow. Here, you’ll find a cozy fire pit, lunch and brunch service, and yes, another Win-dow outpost just outside with the same winning menu that includes a killer fried chicken sandwich, kale salad and fries. The wood-grilled flatbread with smoked honey and labneh is good as ever, as are the stuffed hash browns and newer, citrus-forward bluefin tuna tartare. I'm not usually keen to spotlight second locations, but the much grander dining room and expanded accessibility to American Beauty—my favorite in the under $100 price range—translates into a date night slam dunk for those living in Central L.A., and another good reason (sigh) to come to the Grove. $5 per hour for the first three hours, then $2 per each subsequent half hour (max of $35).

With a “teapresso” machine cranking out delicious tea-based drinks and well-executed regional mash-ups, this sleek Rosemead noodle and dumpling specialist is already drawing long lines, particularly on the weekends. Run by the same team behind nearby Ji Rong Duck House, Good Alley serves phenomenal Kaifeng-style soup dumplings and a hybrid roujiamo—a.k.a. Chinese hamburger—made with flaky thousand-layer pancakes and three different choices of meat filling. The menu also includes various noodle dishes, stir-fries, soups and skewers. While I’ve yet to sample everything on the menu, everything I have tried was excellent, particularly the baby napa cabbage and cumin lamb roujiamo. In the San Gabriel Valley’s competitive Chinese dining landscape, this newcomer is one you don’t want to miss—though I’d still recommend arriving just before opening to cut down on your wait. On-site parking.

This masa-centric stall inside South L.A.’s Mercado La Paloma comes from former Holbox employees Fátima Juárez and Conrado Rivera. While the couple have plans to eventually debut a tasting menu focusing on pre-Hispanic cuisine, Komal’s current offerings consist of tasty quesadillas, a selection of homestyle antojitos (literally, “little cravings”) and dessert. Standouts include the tlacoyos (bean-stuffed thick tortillas) topped with cactus, queso fresco and salsa verde and the taco Sonia, named for Juarez’s favorite childhood taquera in Mexico City. The size of a salad plate, the hefty handheld consists of seared beef shoulder, housemade pork sausage and your choice of mashed potatoes or cactus. None of the menu items are over $11—and while I eagerly await Komal’s tasting menu, the affordable lunch items are worth a visit all on their own. Street and on-site parking.

Open since late October, this indoor-outdoor biergarten in Highland Park specializes in reasonably priced takes on German classics like schnitzel, currywurst and pretzels. I loved the sausage sampler, veal wiener schnitzel (which can also be made with chicken or pork) and bevy of traditional sides included with every entrée. Vegan and gluten-free options, “dog bratwurst” and a full section of handhelds offer a little bit of something for everyone, and the casual space is ideal for families and large groups—bring 10 friends on your birthday and you’ll even get a free half-liter boot of beer. Unlike Echo Park’s Bia Om, another trendy, newly opened biergarten, Kiez Kuche offers more than just vibes—the food's downright outstanding. Street parking.

Part natural wine bar, part restaurant, Companion is the stylish all-day hangout spot that Venice never knew it needed. Run by neighborhood residents Nick and Dakota Monica, the narrow, well-designed space serves pastries daily and standout sandwiches on housemade focaccia bread (the latter only 11am–3pm, Wed–Sun) before switching to a tightly curated Cal-Italian menu during dinner hours. In the evening, Quarter Sheets alum Jack Goode serves phenomenal pizzas made with crispy, New Haven-inspired dough, plus seasonal delights like Caesar-style romano beans and olive oil cake topped with blackberry-peach compote. A well-heeled locals’ crowd and the lure of vinyl spinning after nightfall have already made Companion a total scene (pejorative), but I’ll hold my nose for Goode’s delicious, painstakingly sourced cuisine. Street parking.

Like its Italian sibling across the street, Bar Etoile walks a fine line between wine bar and restaurant. Unlike Étra, however, this French-ish eatery in East Hollywood offers much more than just vibes; head chef Travis Hayden, formerly of Voodoo Vin, serves a delicious bistro-inspired menu that sticks the landing from start to finish. While the fare doesn’t reinvent the wheel, I loved the savory Gruyere tart, Caesar-inspired steak tartare and the homey polenta topped with braised leeks and fried sunchokes. The cocktails are well-made, and there’s also an excellent selection of wines by the glass. Yes, the flatware is from Sabre, and the immaculately designed space includes a gorgeous centerpiece bar, baby blue booths and café-style tables—but don’t let the high-falutin’ design job fool you into thinking Bar Etoile has nothing to offer but eye candy: It’s a great spot for a thoughtfully constructed meal. Limited street parking (seriously, good luck).

Great pizza, and then some more: It’s a tried-and-true formula with plenty of practitioners around town, including Roberta’s in Culver City and Ronan on Melrose, not to mention citywide standouts like Quarter Sheets, Pizzeria Bianco and Mozza. Now, the border between Eagle Rock and Highland Park has its own pizza-plus-some standout in the form of Wildcrust. The former pop-up is led by Miles Okabayashi, a New York City chef who came home during the pandemic, and is located in the same gentrification-coded shopping complex as Fondry and Queen Street. Pair your chewy sourdough pie with an electrifying duck liver mousse—the sansho literally leaves a buzz on your tongue—and one of the tasty mains, like the spice-crusted pork chop or grilled cabbage topped with sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. For drinks, Manzke/Bicyclette alum Enoch Ahn has curated a well-rounded wine list with most bottles under $90. Limited on-site and street parking.

Of all the restaurants to open in 2024, Chez Mia is the most likely shoo-in as the most beautiful new restaurant to open last year. Taking over the old Ago space on Melrose, this glittering indoor-outdoor eatery from the Boujis Group (the Draycott, Olivetta) draws design and culinary inspiration from the French Riviera. The extensive, largely traditional menu aims to please with steaks and plenty of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options, but there’s a handful of standout items concentrated in the seafood, caviar and appetizer sections. On my visit, I enjoyed the hamachi carpaccio and caviar gougeres. If you’re feeling particularly spendy, indulge in the well-made cocktails and desserts—especially the delicious pistachio soft serve. While it’s unlikely that Chez Mia will impress the average epicure, the restaurant fits right in with the area’s see-and-be-seen dining scene—and still makes for a lovely, if pricey, night out in West Hollywood. $20 valet and nearby metered street parking.