Patricia Kelly Yeo

Time might be a flat circle, but it's almost time to say goodbye to 2024. As you get prepared to celebrate Christmas and the busy season of holiday parties and family gatherings, New Year's Eve is just around the corner—and for a more food-centric holiday celebration, these L.A. restaurants and bars are offering prix-fixe menus and other festivities to help you celebrate the start of a new year.  Whether you're looking for more of a party atmosphere with a live DJ and sparklers, a classy but more relaxed New Year’s Eve dinner or a pulling out all the stops caviar-and-champagne kind of deal, here's where to have dinner on New Year's Eve. RECOMMENDED: Our guide to New Year’s Eve in Los Angeles

Despite post-pandemic inflation and the rising cost of doing business, L.A. is still home to one of the most innovative, exciting and diverse food scenes in the country. Brick-and-mortar restaurants, Instagram pop-ups, street vendors and food trucks: No matter the form, you can find amazing food in a city whose reputation is built as much on off-the-beaten-path tacos and pop-ups as it is on fine dining-trained chefs making quick work of farmers’ market produce and mainline access to the top-notch Pacific seafood. At its core, L.A.’s restaurant scene thrives on diversity, resulting in genre-bending formats and cuisines that have given rise to some of the country’s best omakase restaurants, fine dining institutions and strip mall hidden gems. Our experts scour the city for great eats and great insider info. We value fun, flavor, freshness—and value at every price point. We update our list regularly to reflect changes in menu offerings, style of service, new locations and the ever-changing pulse of the city’s food scene. If it’s on the list, we think it’s awesome and worth the hype, wait and money —and we bet you will, too. December 2024: In the last two months, I completed a tour of the city’s best bakeries. For this particular guide, I revisited Sushi Kaneyoshi and Funke, including new imagery I took with each listing. (I also visited Vespertine and Sapp Coffee Shop but ultimately decided not to add them here.) After revisiting Lunasia for the second time, I’ve decided to swap

For better or for worse, Angelenos are a bunch who love to brunch—try saying that five times fast. To help you in your quest for weekend morning grub, I’ve tried dozens of different variations on eggs Benedict, omelettes, pancakes and fried chicken and waffles in my quest to find the best brunch in Los Angeles.  While my personal taste leans more towards old-school classics and top-notch dim sum, I make every effort to suss out which boozy, more upscale affairs are worthy of your next special occasion gathering. Quality of the food matters above all; if I can tell a restaurant is phoning it in with gloppy hollandaise sauce, overcooked eggs and sugar bombs pretending to be pancakes, it doesn’t matter how great the ambience is. (That being said, if you’re looking to party, I’ve got you covered with guides for drag brunch and bottomless brunch.)Go to any of these restaurants on this list, and you’ll find delicious, well-made food with a distinct point of view and the kind of atmosphere conducive either to celebrating birthdays and other special occasions or catching up with friends or family. In practice, this means we’ll exclude a few great weekday options like Liu’s Cafe from this list, simply because the trendy Koreatown destination curtails its menu on the weekends to better serve the heavy crowds and the cramped space isn’t conducive to groups larger than one or two people. Of the more casual counter-service restaurants I’ve included, I think the meal is worth the wait and

Whether you’re bringing one to a summer picnic or skirting dessert duty at Thanksgiving, there’s nothing more comforting than a pie. Lucky for us, L.A. has some excellent pies, cobblers and crumbles. Not only can you find creamy lemon meringues and classic apple pies in old-school diners and the city’s best bakeries, but a handful of restaurants around town have produced more creative variations with the help of the city's top pastry chefs, who produce drool-worthy pies wherever they go, from farmers’ markets to weekend festivals. While I’m always on the hunt for the best year-round pies in Los Angeles, 2024 brings a particularly competitive slate of Thanksgiving-specific pie options. Check out our guide to L.A.’s best pies—ice cream optional. 

Home to one of the most accessible beaches in Los Angeles, Venice is a longtime artist and bohemian enclave whose colorful characters have managed to stick around despite recent gentrification by white collar tech bros. Between the boardwalk and bustling Abbot Kinney, this changing beach neighborhood is full of destination-worthy, delicious places to eat. Here, you’ll find traditional Italian fare, seasonal California cuisine and approachable Mexican food—plus Thai and Japanese fusion standouts. Editor’s note: After the recent closure of the 45-year-old Rose, I’ve updated the guide to include Companion, one of the best new restaurants of 2024. RECOMMENDED: Check out more in our full guide to Venice.

The past 12 months always feel like a blur by the time we reach the end of the year, but for our team of editors at Time Out Los Angeles, there are a handful of events, venues and timely oddities that feel like proper moments—the kind of ones we’ve kept thinking about all year long. We spent countless hours scoping out dozens of PST ART exhibitions and obsessively tracking rocket launches (and a beloved space shuttle), filling up on pastries at bakeries and tirelessly surverying the sushi scene. Amid all of that and then some—the wax museum bar visits, sopping wet log flume rides and Souplantation dupe meals—these are the 13 things that really left an impression on us. Some of our Best of the City picks are one-time events or ephemeral pop-ups that we thought deserved some recognition, but the bulk of these new restaurants, entertainment venues and attractions are spots that you can get out and see this very second—and absolutely should.

If you're spending this December checking out holiday lights, decorating your tree and shopping for gifts, you might not exactly have the mental bandwidth to plan, shop and cook for a big Christmas gathering at home. That's where some of L.A.’s best restaurants come in. Whether you're hoping to dine in this year or don't celebrate Christmas at all (the best Chinese restaurants, anyone?), we've gathered the best restaurants open for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2024.Take advantage of your ability to leave the house this year, support L.A.'s small businesses and enjoy a hassle-free Christmas gathering with loved ones at these amazing restaurants offering both á la carte and multi-course prix-fixe Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals—no dishwashing by you required. Make sure to book ahead and then just relax! Christmas dinner’s ready. Editor's note: I've updated our guide with five new additional picks: the Cat and Fiddle in Hollywood, Culina in Beverly Hills, the Little Door in Beverly Grove, H&H Brazilian Steakhouse in Downtown and Beverly Grove and Bourbon Steak in Glendale.RECOMMENDED: Check out our entire guide to Christmas in Los Angeles

After the sleepy opening season of last winter and early spring, the end of 2024 turned into a fairly busy year for new restaurants in Los Angeles. Many high-profile projects were delayed until the fall. A few, including Sushi Nakazawa and Jônt, never opened at all. In the last 365 days, I’ve visited (and in several cases, revisited) 90 newcomers and tracked the openings of countless others, some of which have already closed. By the numbers, this was undoubtedly the year of the natural wine (and occasional cocktail) bar, a nebulous dining-slash-drinking category that brought us Bar Sinizki in Atwater Village, Zizou in Lincoln Heights, Bar Etoile in East Hollywood and Sam’s Place in Highland Park. As for geography, I blew hundreds of dollars on pricey, disappointing meals in West Hollywood and Hancock Park, but found plenty of redemption in the San Gabriel Valley and Northeast L.A. Regionally, the latter continues to be one of L.A.’s most interesting areas to dine. On the other hand, however, the continuous drip of high-profile closures has yet to taper off since picking up steam last year. In March, Walter and Margarita Manzke shuttered their namesake Michelin-starred restaurant and its more casual sibling, Bicyclette; Zach Pollack’s once-trusty Alimento in Silver Lake also closed its doors in early September. More recently, All Day Baby and the Rose in Venice both announced plans to cease operations in mid-December. These days, it’s harder than ever to open a restaurant in L

What is it that they say about L.A.’s smog? Oh yeah, the reason for its beautiful sunsets that never get old. Make the city’s pollution and marine layer work for you at these sky-high cocktail bars, where the views rightfully rival the booze. With so many new rooftop restaurants and bars in town, we’ve narrowed this list to the best drinking-oriented spots in the city, rather than full-blown dining destinations. They run the gamut from lowkey Westside rooftops to see-and-be-seen hotspots in West Hollywood, with a few longtime favorites thrown in for good measure. Most take walk-ins, thankfully, and those that require reservations aren’t necessarily the places we’d endorse paying for a full meal anyway. None of our picks require a cover fee or drink minimum, unless stated otherwise. (There are many more rooftop bars than the ones featured on our guide, but trust us, we’ve visited every single one of them, and not all of them merit paying premium cocktail prices.) From rooftop watering holes in Downtown and Hollywood to a few tried-and-true beachside bars in Venice and Santa Monica, here are the city’s—literally—top rooftop bars.

Not every happy hour special is created equal, and what makes a spot someone’s go-to for a much-needed early-evening drink can vary. But we think there’s a little something for everyone among these happy hour spots below. Los Angeles is never short on great bars to try, ranging from your neighborhood dive bars to sports bars and delicious restaurants that compliment that 4pm cocktail with some delectable food. Of course, having to navigate the city’s web of freeways for the perfect special puts a dent in that discount, so we’ve gone ahead and compiled a comprehensive list of the best happy hour deals all over L.A. Set a reminder in your calendar this coming workweek and round up your friends because here is where you can grab a drink and meal for just a fraction of the price.

For such a gluten-free-friendly city, L.A. is chock full of bakeries. Armenian, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Salvadoran and of course, pan-European—no matter where you look, you’ll find places and people slinging cakes, pies, croissants, pan dulce, loaves of bread and other pastries of various styles, including a handful of standout vegan options. Blame it on little treat culture, but the city has more bakeries and dessert shops than we know what to do with, so we scoured everywhere from the San Gabriel Valley to the South Bay looking for the best of, well, everything. In the process, we tried buzzy laminated pastries like Eagle Rock’s Fondry and Modu Cafe (just so-so, honestly!) and oldie-but-goodies like Milo + Olive (both classics!), and tracked down the city’s best chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon buns. Whether you’re looking for a light breakfast or a sweet dessert, these best-in-class L.A. bakeries have your carb cravings covered. Editor’s note: In the last six months, I visited (and revisited) over two dozen leading bakeries in Los Angeles, ranging from trendy, of-the-moment options like Fondry and Modu to more established bakeries, including Milo + Olive and Gusto Bread. This latest update includes five new additions: Curtis Stone’s latest brick-and-mortar, Sang Yoon’s reboot of Helms Bakery, a tiny but mighty French bakery in Burbank, the return of Milo + Olive and a delightful Filipino-inspired microbakery in the San Gabriel Valley.

After a long sleep, L.A.’s best chintzy holiday bars (and their expertly made drinks) are back, baby. Unwind after a busy day of shopping for Christmas gifts and mentally preparing to interact with your family again with a stiff cocktail or two from one of these drinking spots spreading Yuletide cheer and festive vibes—maybe after a trip to see some Christmas lights. Note: Most of these holiday pop-ups will run from now through the end of December, so we suggest booking a visit ASAP to secure a table at your preferred date and time. Editor’s note: Since late November, I've added two additional bars—Melrose Umbrella Co. and the Mermaid—offering a festive atmosphere and seasonal drinks, and updated menu information for Death & Co.

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 cross your fingers for a last-minute cancellation or stop in for drinks at the bar.

Over the last year, I’ve spent quite a bit of time in the San Gabriel Valley trying several different Hong Kong-style cafés. Also known as cha chaan teng, the Chinese restaurant genre is defined by an encyclopedic fusion menu that incorporates Cantonese and Western culinary influences, as well as a diner-like atmosphere. Among them, my favorites are Tam’s Noodle House and its more lively San Gabriel follow-up, which also happens to stay open until 2am. HK Macau Bistro draws design and culinary inspiration from neighboring Macau with mahjong-lined tables and regional specialties like curry beef stew, char siu rice bowl and a mouthwatering pork chop pineapple bun sandwich. Not every dish shines—which isn’t surprising with over 150 menu items—but focus in on cha chaan teng staples like Ovaltine French toast, soy sauce chow mein and any of the claypot dishes for one of the most delicious late-night meals in Los Angeles.

Occupying a narrow sliver of time (Fri–Sun, 8am–2:30pm) and space (it’s a walk-up counter with a handful of outdoor tables), this tiny French bakery in Burbank is worth going out of the way. Whereas other trendy croissants in L.A. run on the crispier side, with outer layers of dough that shatter upon contact, chef-owner Laurent “Lou” Correa specializes in a buttery, more traditional style of lamination that results in a chewier, softer and, in my humble opinion, far more delicious pastries. The menu here is fairly small, with four croissant options (plain, chocolate, almond and chocolate-almond) plus other classics like financiers, fruit tartelettes and eclairs. Sandwiches and quiches round out Lou’s offerings—but after one trip, you’ll quickly realize why this is one of the best bakeries in the San Fernando Valley.

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 piri piri chicken, bone marrow pie (a daily special) 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.

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.

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.

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 cozy ambience—the food's downright outstanding

Inside San Gabriel’s Blossom Market Hall, you’ll find Baking with Ish, a small bakery operation run by namesake Ishnoelle Chin Richardson. The Filipino American baker draws inspiration from his heritage with a rotating line-up of creations like ube black sesame buns, calamansi doughnuts and maximalist interpretations of the country’s classic ensaymada (a cheesy sweet brioche bun). One of his most popular offerings is the meringue-topped ube custard pie—Richardson has a heavy hand with meringue, which he dollops onto sweet buns and various pies, typically available by the slice; whole pies can be pre-ordered in advance. Certain items occasionally sell out early, so I recommend coming closer to opening, but you'd be hard-pressed to find such high-quality, deliciously inventive pastries without keeping up with L.A.’s ever-changing pop-up scene.

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 dishes. After 11am, brave the lunchtime crowds for the deli section, which includes daily specials and a delicious pastrami sandwich. 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?

Curtis Stone’s pandemic pop-up is now a fully realized brick-and-mortar in Beverly Hills. Taking over the former Maude space, the Pie Room serves savory pies, croissants, pastries and sandwiches during the day before turning into a wine bar at night. Home to some of the city’s best sandwiches and baked goods, I particularly enjoy the standout cinnamon roll, comforting sandwiches made with housemade bread and the individual-sized apple pie that’s large enough to feed two. After dark, expect cheese and charcuterie boards using housemade cured meats from Gwen, Stone’s Michelin-starred restaurant in Hollywood, plus daily specials like loup de mer and duck ragu gnocchi.   

Since 1961, Fisherman’s Outlet has served deep-fried and charbroiled preparations of shrimp, halibut, salmon, scallops and more in the heart of Downtown L.A. The lunch-only operation is popular among city workers in search of a tasty, affordable seafood meal. Park in the free lot out back and head to the counter to place an order. Everything here is homemade, from the chowders to the coleslaw, and the restaurant is still family-owned and run.  There's even a separate counter where you can order fresh catch by the pound to cook at home. While one of the most popular items is the deep-fried fish and shrimp combo, don't neglect the charbroiled sampler (giant shrimp, salmon and skewered shrimp) or the decent selection of finned fish, which includes halibut and seabass. On my visit, I also tried a tasty deep-fried calamari special, which came with piping hot marinara sauce and creamy tartar.

At this new-school cevicheria in Silver Lake, Peruvian scallop shooters and piled-high Mayan october and shrimp tostadas abound—unlike more traditional-leaning seafood restaurants around town, Ceviche Project’s best (and only) dishes are its one-of-a-kind Mexican raw offerings. Diners can choose from more than a half dozen seafood varieties from their raw bar, including chile de árbol-soaked crab claws and caviar service. On the night I visited, the kanpachi topped with ponzu, salsa macha and melon blew my mind when paired with the ultra-tasty corn tostadas. For a lighter, more upscale take on mariscos, this cozy spot on Hyperion Avenue is perfect, at least for those living in Central L.A. Just know Ceviche Project typically only accommodates groups of four or fewer; groups any larger than that can email the restaurant to book out the entire bar. Tip: While most dishes offer plenty of kick, you can also up the ante with the housemade habanero oil available at every table.

Predicting the future is usually a losing game, but the end of the year tends to turn most of us working in media into wannabe psychics—and I’m no exception. Out of the 10 anticipated new restaurants I highlighted last year, just five of them actually opened, with little news on whether projects like Sushi Nakazawa (from New York City) and Jônt (from Washington, D.C.) will actually come to fruition. Some of these to-be-realized restaurants are probably still in the works, but I’ve chosen to highlight 10 other entirely new projects I’ve gleaned word of throughout the last twelve months. Next year, plenty of well-known local names are leveling up with tasting menus and spinoff projects, while a few notable out-of-towners will attempt to plant a flag in the city’s competitive restaurant scene. Most importantly: Will the Westside finally get a modernist House of Pies? Only time will tell. Until then, check out my guide to the 10 biggest L.A. restaurant openings to know for 2025. Photograph provided by JFOODO 1. Ki Anticipated opening: JanuaryThis Little Tokyo fine dining destination comes from namesake chef Ki Kim, the mastermind behind now-closed Kinn in Koreatown. Housed in the same basement level space as Sushi Kaneyoshi and Bar Sawa, this minimalist intimate chef’s counter will host a $285 Korean-influenced tasting menu—a much higher price point than Kinn, which Kim told Eater he hopes will allow for better staff compensation. It’s worth noting that Ki will be run by the s

It’s been a year, readers! As we near the end of 2024, it’s time to reflect on the meals we savored because the only thing we want to remember about the last 12 months is the best things we ate. (Isn’t it always about the food?) Time Out editors and contributors across the country spent countless hours eating their way through their respective cities, reviewing restaurants, and dissecting trends to bring you this year’s Best of the City Award for Best New Restaurant. It’s a coveted title bestowed to the special spots that won our hearts and swept up accolades, not only from us but also from Michelin and other eagle-eyed diners. If you find yourself in any of these cities, now or in the future, add these fantastic new restaurants to your list. Miami: Sunny’s It’s hard to do many things well, but Sunny’s somehow manages to excel at all its endeavors: a fun happy hour spot, a glamorous Art Deco steakhouse, a chill outdoor restaurant (and dare I say, kid-friendly?) and a lively cocktail bar where you can order a drink and bowl of pasta without any side glances from your neighbor. We also love the tableside martini service and the down-to-earth staff, and, of course, those perfectly seared cuts of meat. Photograph: Jeanne CantoSunny's Steakhouse Chicago: Cariño This Latin American restaurant opened at the tail end of 2023 but quickly became an essential player in Chicago’s dining scene. Recently, Cariño was awarded a Michelin star, a nod our restaurant critic, Maggie Hennessy, i

For the last three years, Marcus Christiana-Beniger and Eunah Kang Beniger of Little Jewel in Chinatown have been slowly, steadily renovating the vacant storefront next to their New Orleans-inspired sandwich shop into an everyday cocktail lounge. Now, after months of permit-related delays, the Evangeline Swamp Room is opening to the public on Friday, December 13. Inspired by the iconic dives and cocktail bars of the French Quarter, the casual 50-seat bar will serve a menu of traditional Southern drinks and dishes associated with the Crescent City. In the new year, the couple also has plans to roll out a lively jazz brunch on the weekends.  Photograph: Jesse Hsu for Time OutBusiness partner Evan Mack (left), Eunah Kang Beniger (middle) and Marcus Christiana-Beniger (right). For Christiana-Beniger, a New Orleans native, the Chinatown bar is an homage to all the places in the French Quarter he once snuck into as a teenager. He draws a parallel between L.A.’s Chinatown and NOLA’s French Quarter. Both are historical neighborhoods frequented by an eclectic mix of locals, tourists and sports fans. The aim with the Swamp Room, as the couple abbreviate the bar’s full name, is to be a neighborhood watering hole. This translates into classic cocktails like mint juleps and French 75s at everyday prices ($12–18), plus a TV behind the bar to watch the latest game. Housed in a 144-year-old building, the Swamp Room preserves the space’s original bones, albeit with a heavy dose of Southern

Do people these days even know what nightlife is anymore? That was the only question I could ask myself after paying two distinct visits to Andy’s, rapper and record producer Anderson .Paak’s new jazz and R&B club in West Hollywood. The celebrity-owned restaurant, bar and performance space opened in late September, taking over the ground floor of the former Doheny Room. Replacing the short-lived Sa’Moto, the project is a collaboration between .Paak and Houston Hospitality, the group most recently behind Vegas-style bar, restaurant and nightclub concept Level 8 in Downtown L.A. A self-described “restaurant lounge,” Andy’s promises a “one-of-a-kind” experience that combines the “nostalgic vibes of the 1970s” with “modern energy.” The venue’s website also says to expect live music and food. Photograph: Daniel Carranza for Time Out If you’re thinking about checking it out, you won’t be alone. On the recent Friday night I visited, the line for Andy’s at 11pm nearly snaked past Dan Tana’s, the famous red-sauce joint next door. I saw several other well-dressed groups of people flocking to the area on foot, most likely on their way to Andy’s; aside from the Troubadour there are no other bars and nightclubs in the immediate area. The hype around celebrity-owned businesses is real. I went into Andy’s both nights without much in the way of expectations beyond there being live music in the house and the promise by the venue’s publicist, after my first so-so visit, that the venue live

If all goes according to plan, internationally acclaimed pie shop Pizzeria Sei will move from Pico-Robertson to Palms by September of next year. Chef-owner William Joo, who runs the spot with his wife, Jennifer So, confirmed to Time Out that the couple have signed a lease on a ground floor restaurant at the corner of Overland Avenue and Tabor Street. Since opening in February 2022, Pizzeria Sei has won the hearts and minds of local and national critics, myself included, with its chewy, Tokyo-style crust and high-quality toppings; the eatery also picked up national recognition earlier this year from 50 Top Pizzas in the United States, coming in at number eight in the country. Even more recently, Sei was named one of the best pizzas in the world. Not too shabby for a city that some people (cough, lots of East Coast transplants) claim doesn’t have a single good pizza. All of these accolades have come while Joo has cooked and served pies out of a tiny, fairly spartan space along Pico Boulevard with limited seating and nonexistent decor. Now, the couple behind Pizzeria Sei have plans to move their restaurant a few miles west to a larger indoor-outdoor space at the bottom of a mixed-use apartment building. Since the building is still under construction, Joo said the earliest he and his wife would likely be able to open the new space is next September. Until then, Pizzeria Sei will continue to operate at its existing address. While Sei will still serve its original style of pizza, J

From pints of Thrifty ice cream to freshly baked apple pie, the newly revived Helms Bakery in Culver City has it all. Since reopening last Friday, Sang Yoon’s softly opened daytime destination has drawn Angelenos from near and far eager to explore everything the long-awaited bakery, restaurant and specialty market has to offer. People love a reboot, and what's not to love about the reimagining of a bakery that closed over 50 years ago? Photograph: Daniel Carranza for Time Out On the fourth day of service (which unfortunately happened to be the day after Election Day), I stopped in and tried over 24 different food and drink items with the help of Time Out videographer Danny Carranza. Not everything bowled me over, but a few culinary standouts are capable of competing with some of the city’s best bakeries and sandwich shops—and even those that didn’t still serve as compelling options for a breezy, casual Westside brunch.  As previously reported in Eater, the founding chef of Father’s Office and now-closed Lukshon confirmed to me in person that Helms Bakery intends to keep new items coming out of the kitchen throughout the day. Key Takeaway #1: Once the initial hype dies down, you don’t necessarily need to get here early in the morning to get the good stuff. As someone who’s wasted hours of my life showing up early to wait in line for overhyped spots like Fondry, Modu Cafe and Harucake (yes I am throwing shade here), I consider that the downright greatest feature of the new He

Churrería El Moro will open in Los Angeles next spring, as first reported by Eater. It’s not the beloved 89-year-old Mexico City churro shop’s first location in Southern California, however; El Moro opened an outpost within Costa Mesa’s Mercado Gonzalez last November, marking the churrería’s first expansion into the United States. In Los Angeles, El Moro will take over the Patra Burgers space in Echo Park, with plans to open by the end of May 2025. The longtime burger joint will operate within the building until the end of this year before closing for renovations to make way for the churro shop.Known for late-night hours, signature white-and-blue branding and, of course, extremely delicious churros, all of El Moro’s 16 locations also feature glass windows that allow customers to watch every step of the process that goes into making each craggy, sugar-dusted fritter. The company’s CEO, Santiago Iriarte, said the choice to open in Echo Park is intentional. The neighborhood has long been home to a large Latino community, some of whom might be familiar with El Moro from trips to Mexico City. “We’re searching for our core nostalgic customer,” the third-generation owner told Eater. After L.A., Iriarte is also considering further expansion into the United States and possibly elsewhere. Where to next, you might ask? Potentially Nevada and Texas.El Moro Costa Mesa is located within Mercado Gonzalez at 2300 Harbor Blvd, Costa Mesa. The company’s only U.S. churrería is open from 6am to

If you love (literally) breathtaking natural beauty and delicious cuisine, you might want to plan a trip in the fall or spring to Santa Fe, one of the oldest cities in the United States. (It’s beaten only by St. Augustine, Florida and tied with Jamestown, Virginia, which was founded in 1607.) Located about an hour’s drive northeast of Albuquerque, New Mexico’s state capital sits in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. A mix of desert and mountain terrain, plus relative proximity to hot springs and other roadtrip destinations like Taos and Los Alamos, make the city an excellent starting point for visiting the Land of Enchantment. I took a recent press trip through the city’s tourism board to attend the Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta. The annual celebration of wine and New Mexico’s famous hatch chiles spans several days and draws wineries from all over the American West and beyond, but that’s not even close to being on the list of reasons I’d tell you to visit the City Different. Last year, American Express Travel named it one of the top alternative destinations to visit in 2024, positioning Santa Fe as an alternative to Sedona, Arizona with a “similar blend of American Southwest culture, history and natural beauty.” Photograph: Shutterstock  While I’ve never been to Sedona, I can tell you that Santa Fe offers all three of those things (minus Arizona’s over-Instagrammed red rocks). The city’s thriving collection of art galleries and museums, relatively walkable an

Have you ever wanted to enjoy a white tablecloth experience before noon? From October 18 to 20, Dunkin’ is teaming up with American Express to promote its newly added $84 yearly cash-back credit for Gold cardholders. During the weekend pop-up held at 8900 Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, the coffee-and-doughnut company will serve Döňůt by Dunkin’, a $100 12-course fine dining breakfast that you can book on Resy. The full-service experience consists of three premium beverages (with some booze included) and a mix of never-before-seen items and slightly fancier versions of the multinational chain’s beloved menu staples. Amex Gold cardholders can book the same experience for $25 less. The menu is as follows: Pumpkin Muffin Bite Sungold Avocado Toast Poutine Style Hash Browns Mini Bagel Breakfast Sandwich Crème Anglaise Donut Golden Royale Spiked Refresher Mimosa Scotch Egg Fresh Fruit Salad infused with a Dunkin’ Mint Tea Syrup Horchata Iced Coffee Coffee Milk Ice Cream Donut Banana Chocolate Chip Loaf Petit Four Spiced Cold Brew Old Fashioned Fast food gone highbrow? Here’s hoping it fares better than this past weekend’s widely panned ChainFEST at ROW DTLA, which the Los Angeles Times recently blasted in a scathing first-person review. While we can’t personally vouch for the quality of Dunkin’ and Amex’s limited-time tasting experience, a few scattered reviews from the recent NYC version of the pop-up seem to be positive. @oneilthomas97 Got to stop by the @American Express

It feels like everyone and their mother is going to Japan these days. If you’re dreaming of Tokyo and find yourself stuck in Los Angeles this weekend, Mitsuwa Torrance is hosting a Toyosu Market Fair, complete with a live filleting of a bluefin tuna and a variety of premium sashimi and saku (sashimi block) cuts sourced from Tokyo’s Toyosu, the largest wholesale seafood market in the world. Not familiar with Toyosu? It’s the bigger, more wholesale-oriented alternative to the tourist-friendly Tsukiji Fish Market, and home to one of the highest-profile bluefin tuna auctions in the world. Every morning at the crack of dawn, fish buyers place bids on the frozen catch, with small cuts of each fish eventually making their way to sushi bars and restaurants around the world. Yes, this includes L.A., where top sushi restaurants like Sushi Kaneyoshi in Little Tokyo, Atwater Village’s Morihiro and Gardena’s Sushi Sonagi source most, if not all, of their fish from Japan.  In addition to other types of fish, shoppers will be able to buy cuts of bluefin from the live cutting, which will happen at 1pm on both Saturday, October 12 and Sunday, October 13. Witnessing the filleting of the roughly 200-pound specimen is likely the closest thing you can get to visiting Tokyo’s Toyosu or Tsukiji fish markets without hopping on a plane. If you’re looking for more ways to channel the Land of the Rising Sun in L.A., might we also suggest visiting one of L.A.’s stunning Japanese gardens or a day trip to

For travelers with the cash—or frequent flier miles—to burn, passing through LAX just got a whole lot more luxurious with the Delta One Lounge. Open as of today within Terminal 3, Delta’s brand-new premium lounge is the second of its kind. The first Delta One Lounge, which debuted at JFK earlier this year, set the tone with a personalized, white-glove approach to customer service, a full-service complimentary food and drink menu, and other upscale amenities. A third location is scheduled to open at Boston Logan International by the end of this year.  Access is usually only granted to ticket holders of Delta One, the Atlanta-based domestic airline’s highest seating class on international flights and certain long-haul domestic routes, including L.A. to NYC. (If you’re flying first or business class on certain Delta partner airlines, or a member of Delta 360, an invite-only frequent flier status tier, you can also access any of the Delta One Lounges.)  Photograph: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time Out Though I typically cover L.A.’s sprawling, ever-changing food and drink scene, I experienced the Delta One Lounge through an exclusive press preview the day before the grand opening. I happened to already be at the airport while flying back from FORM, a Phoenix-area music festival, and decided to give Delta’s newest lounge a whirl. While there, I sampled cocktails, coffee and a handful of menu items, tried out one of the massage chairs and even took a shower in one of the reserved suit

For several months, Highland Park area residents speculated about what would take over 5816 York Boulevard. A yoga practice, perhaps? Once signage for “Mala Class” appeared, some wondered if the former Salvadoran restaurant might transform into an arts and crafts studio. (In addition to the feminine version of “bad” in Spanish, mala also translates to “garland” in Hindi and Urdu. It can also refer to the prayer beads used in Hinduism and other South Asian religions.) It wasn’t until the end of June that co-owners Kevin Liang and Michael Yang opened their brightly colored fast-casual Chinese restaurant, clarifying the name’s intended meaning. Málà, as the term is accented in standard pinyin, refers to the unique numbing, spicy flavor profile most commonly associated with Sichuan, the southwestern Chinese province known for its bold, pungent cuisine full of garlic, chilies and peppercorns.  Photograph: Jesse Hsu for Time OutFive years in the making, Mala Class takes over a space that once housed a Salvadoran restaurant. With a modern, nuanced interpretation of the region’s cooking, Mala Class—which I recently awarded five stars—is easily the most interesting Sichuan restaurant in Los Angeles to open in the last decade. Drawing inspiration from the East Coast’s Han Dynasty (where the two first met, and one of NYC’s best Chinese restaurants) and their families’ combined experiences in the restaurant industry, Liang and Yang have created a winning formula: a reasonably priced, a