Patricia Kelly Yeo

Lady and the Tramp had the right idea—what better way to celebrate with your significant other than sharing a romantic meal? Whether you’re looking to wine and dine on a rooftop, cozy up on a first date or splurge to celebrate a special occasion, we’ve got you covered with a round-up of L.A.’s best restaurants that lay on the charm. Below, check out our guide to the best romantic restaurants in Los Angeles. January 2025: This update trims the list from 18 to 11 venues. The top 11 picks include plenty of beachside and rooftop restaurants with killer views, plus options with drop-dead gorgeous ambience in West Hollywood, Los Feliz, Studio City and Topanga Canyon. I've also removed Amour, which closed. Food and drink venues included in most guides now have star ratings, with five stars corresponding to “amazing,” four to “great” and three to “good,” and we’ve also standardized how most listings are structured. For more on our new policies, feel free to check out How we review at Time Out.

Breakfast is the meal that launched a thousand trends: breakfast burritos, acai bowls, bagels, all the manners of toasts and tartines, and yes, brunch. Somehow, though, there’s still plenty of places in Los Angeles that have escaped the hype/backlash cycle that’s dogged all of the above—plus the slate of newer, chef-driven restaurants that turn into madhouses on late Sunday mornings.  To round up the best of the best, I not only looked through the latter, but delved into greasy spoons, old-school diners and the city’s third wave coffee shops, plus the city’s various Asian breakfast options to bring you the all-around best list of breakfasts in Los Angeles. Without further ado: here are my picks for the best breakfast restaurants in the city. January 2026: I've trimmed the list to include just the top 12 entries, fact checking the remaining listings. The top picks include République, one of the city's best restaurants, plus Chinese and Taiwanese options like Tam's Noodle House and Pine & Crane. Some are casual and budget-friendly, others less so, but all of them deliver a hearty, filling and delicious meal to start your day off right. Time Out has also instituted a sitewide change in review policies. All food and drink venues included in guides now have star ratings, with five stars corresponding to “amazing,” four to “great” and three to “good.” We’ve also standardized how most listings are structured. For more on our new policies, feel free to check out How we review at Time

The most recognizable dish in Vietnamese cuisine is pho, and it's for good reason: The long-simmered beef broth (sometimes available in chicken and veggie varieties) delivers maximal flavor and delight in a light, comforting noodle dish perfect for colder weather, sick days and just about any day, in our opinion. Traditionally consumed as a breakfast food, you'll find Vietnam's national dish at any hour of the day here in Los Angeles—with as many subtle variations as Japanese ramen.While we're no strangers to tricking out a lackluster bowl of pho with hoisin sauce, Sriracha and a twist of lime, every single bowl of pho in this guide will satisfy without the need for a heavy dose of condiments; some run lighter, others funkier, but all shine with the necessary amount of allium, spices and—let's not forget—time needed to produce a high-quality bowl of pho. If you're looking for a nourishing, inexpensive meal, head to one of these pho spots (they're not all in the San Gabriel Valley!), grab a soup spoon and dig in. 

These days, most of Los Angeles’s buzziest meals might no longer come from food trucks, but the zenith of L.A. native chef Roy Choi’s Kogi truck has imparted at least a few lasting imprints on the city’s culinary scene. Today, the idea of an amazing, takeout-style roadside meal is considered normal among most of the city’s diners, and some of L.A.’s best “restaurants” offering the finest tacos and fresh seafood are, in fact, from humble catering trucks. While we can’t say that the best new-to-us meals we’ve had in the last few years have come from a truck (in fact, many of the ones we’ve tried fall squarely into medicore territory), street food and food trucks have their place on film sets, college campuses, office parks and yes, on the side of major intersections—meeting Angelenos of all income levels where they’re hungriest and often in need of a hot meal. For those who still crave the thrill of the chase, we’ve rounded up the city’s best food trucks, so you can hunt down new-to-you spots to your heart’s content. December 2025: In this annual update, I’ve removed Mariscos Mar-Es, which is mostly closed to the public but remains open for catering and events; the same goes for Dulanville. I've also removed Los Dorados, which has transitioned to an El Sereno brick-and-mortar, and added new information on the Westside location of Mariscos El Faro. I’ve also updated Kogi's listing to include where you most reliably find the Korean-Mexican fusion cuisine. Time Out has also ins

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. December 2025: This update trims the list to the top 12 bakeries in L.A. I've also removed Helms Bakery, which is closing its doors on December 14. All food and drink venues included in guides now have star ratings, with five stars corresponding to “amazing,” four to “great” and three to “good,” and we’ve also standardized how most listings are structured. For more on our new policies, feel free to check out How we review at Time Out.

Move over, New York City: You might have dollar-ish slices, but these days, the Los Angeles pizza scene has grown to encompass dizzying variety of pizza styles, including Detroit-style squares, classic NYC-style triangles, Tokyo-style Neapolitan, Roman pinsas and yes, the California-style flatbreads first made famous by Spago and later, California Pizza Kitchen. Since the pandemic, it’s become easier than ever to grab a slice of great pizza in L.A., no matter where you live—almost as easy as stopping by a taco stand or stumbling across some great strip mall sushi.In researching this guide, I've tried (and retried) over 70 different L.A. pizzas, pitting imports from elsewhere like Phoenix’s Pizza Bianco, New York City’s Emmy Squared and Naples’s very own L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele against beloved hometown favorites and up-and-coming newcomers. While they all make wonderful pizzas, I also excluded more upscale, less specialized restaurants like Bestia, Gjelina, Jon and Vinny's and Evan Funke’s powerhouse trio (Felix, Funke and Mother Wolf) since while they all make great pies, pizzas generally a nice-to-have at these restaurants, not an essential part of your meal. I’m always on the hunt for the latest and greatest pizzas in L.A., and I’m not afraid to drop old-timers from the list if quality has dropped off. Gourmet or lowbrow, takeout or dine-in, thin crust or thick—these places are serving the best pizzas in Los Angeles right now. September 2025: Since I last updated this

Despite the ever-rising cost of doing business, Los Angeles is still home to one of the most innovative, exciting and most importantly, culturally 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 classically trained chefs making quick work of farmers’ market produce and mainline access to top-notch Pacific seafood.Decades of immigration from Asia and Latin America have translated into genre-bending formats, eclectic hybrid cuisines and some of the country’s best omakase restaurants, fine dining institutions and strip mall hidden gems.  Best Los Angeles restaurants at a glance: For a great first bite of the city: Mariscos Jalisco – a no-frills mariscos joint whose signature shrimp tacos dorados live up to the hype (Mid-City, Boyle Heights, Downtown, Pomona) For trendy, red-hot Southern cuisine: Dunsmoor – an ambitious live-fire restaurant in Northeast L.A. that attracts diners from far and wide (Glassell Park) For L.A.’s best new tasting menu: Restaurant Ki – Ki Kim’s newly Michelin-starred modern Korean fine dining experience (Little Tokyo) For the best pasta in the city: Funke – Evan Funke’s dazzling, eponymously named eatery, recently reopened after a minor kitchen fire (Beverly Hills) For classic L.A. soul food: Dulan’s on Crenshaw – a longtime, beloved South L.A.

Over the last few years, plenty of Angelenos have discovered the beauty of ordering a premade, restaurant quality Thanksgiving meal at home. Between the cleanup, the potential for dry turkey and the possibility of forgotten ingredients, there’s plenty of stress that comes with cooking your own turkey at home, so why not leave it all to the pros? RECOMMENDED: See our full guide to Thanksgiving in Los Angeles For those who’d rather leave the house this year, some of the best restaurants in Los Angeles are taking all the hassle out of Turkey Day with out-of-the-house Thanksgiving feasts, but for those who'll be at home with family and friends, several L.A. restaurants are offering an entire Thanksgiving dinner to-go—complete with all the fixins. If you’re looking to avoid the stress of cooking for (and entertaining) your relatives, hang up your apron and order one of these premade Thanksgiving meals. Oh, and just make sure to head to one of L.A.’s best bakeries to pick up a pie, too. November 2025: I’ve updated this guide for Thanksgiving 2025. This year’s crop of new offerings include Superba, A.O.C. and Cookbook. For Caribbean-inspired and Japanese-inspired spreads, look to Bridgetown Roti and the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center.  Pasjoli, Superfine Playa/Rossoblu, Huckleberry and Agnes have brought back their popular takeout spreads, and I’ve also added a more upscale option from Citrin/Mélisse.  Time Out has also instituted a sitewide change in review policie

If you’re traveling through the Pacific Northwest, chances are your journey will take you through Seattle—and with good reason, too. The city is known for its lush surrounding forests (and the rain which keeps it so green) as well as being the birthplace of grunge. So, those paired with its quirky late-night scene and impressive art institutions make it a prime destination for a city break, and handily, we’ve compiled this guide so you can make an informed decision on the best places to stay. New inclusions for fall and winter 2025 include 1 Hotel Seattle, Lotte Hotel Seattle and Thompson Seattle, but scroll on for a freshly-curated list of Seattle’s top hotels.  Which area is best to stay in Seattle? Is it your first time in the Emerald City? Then we’d recommend opting for Downtown or Seattle Center—you’ll have all the major attractions on your doorstep, that way. If you’re traveling with your family, head to Seattle’s Waterfront or Queen Anne, but if a younger, cooler neighborhood is more your bag, go for Belltown or Capitol Hill. Oh, and if heading out of town towards the city’s dreamy greenery is on the agenda, Ballard might be the place for you.  Seattle’s best hotels at a glance: 💎 Most luxurious: Grand Hyatt Seattle 👛 Best budget: Graduate Seattle 🌃 Best view: Lotte Hotel Seattle 🧖🏽‍♀️ Best spa: Level Seattle Downtown, South Lake Union 🤩 Most iconic: Fairmont Olympic Hotel 📍 Discover our ultimate guide to the best things to do in Seattle How we curate our hote

Thanksgiving might fall rather late this year (November 27), but plenty of L.A. restaurants (especially those in hotels) are already preparing to help Angelenos and visitors celebrate Turkey Day. If you’d rather head out of the house this year, enjoy a gourmet holiday feast at one of these cozy restaurants—no dishes or kitchen clean up required. For those who’d rather snuggle up at home, plenty of restaurants are offering takeout Thanksgiving offerings. October 2025 update: It may not even be Halloween yet, but I’ve updated this guide with the first crop of restaurant menus for Thanksgiving 2025. This year’s crop of offerings include Spago, Charcoal, Dante Beverly Hills and Marelle, plus vegan-friendly offerings at Crossroads and Fia. As always, I’ve included sububrban special-occasion go-tos in the form of Castaway and Casaléna, plus more luxury hotel offerings at the Beverly Wilshire and Shutters on the Beach.  Time Out has also instituted a sitewide change in review policies. All food and drink venues included in guides now have star ratings, with five stars corresponding to “amazing,” four to “great” and three to “good,” and we’ve also standardized how most listings are structured. For more on our new policies, feel free to check out How we review at Time Out.RECOMMENDED: See our full guide to Thanksgiving in Los Angeles

After years of struggling through the pandemic, L.A.’s bar scene has learned to roll with the punches, and there’s always no better time than now (or this weekend) for a good, well-made drink, preferably with a side of good, old-fashioned camaraderie with slightly buzzed strangers. After all, bars, like restaurants and public parks, give rise to the sought-after sense of belonging and community that characterizes what sociologist Ray Oldenburg called “third spaces.” Best Los Angeles bars at a glance: For impeccably made cocktails: Thunderbolt – a casual, no-frills atmosphere and the best drinks in Los Angeles, hands down (Historic Filipinotown) For standout martinis with a sunset view: Dante Beverly Hills – the ritzy 90210 outpost of an award-winning NYC cocktail bar (Beverly Hills) For drinks on the Westside before midnight: Accomplice – a standout restaurant bar program with killer non-alcoholic options (Mar Vista) For a classic night out in Koreatown: Dan Sung Sa – a divey, always bustling classic known for its sprawling food menu and soju selection For Italian spritzes and a trendy crowd: Capri Club – an aperitivo and amaro specialist housed in a former red-sauce joint (Eagle Rock) Right now, L.A.’s drinking scene is back and better than ever, and we’re glad to be back at a busy bar, credit card in hand, hoping to flag down a bartender. L.A. might have cozy dives near the beach, happy hours with views of the Hollywood Hills, and plenty of buzzier new watering holes, bu

Before the Yelp ratings and “best of” accolades start to roll in, how do you know what’s actually good or not among L.A.’s just-opened eateries? Every month, I put myself through the wringer attempting to visit every new, notable restaurant around Los Angeles. Usually, I enjoy revisiting the city’s best eateries and sipping cocktails at tried-and-true bars, but scouting for the best new restaurants and bars in L.A. is, to put it nicely, kind of a grab bag. Whenever I’m out scouting for the latest openings, I’m just as likely to blow hundreds of dollars on an overhyped dud as I am to stumble upon the city’s next truly great restaurant. With Time Out’s guide to L.A.’s best new restaurants, you don’t need to sift through pay-to-play influencer videos and user-generated reviews to decide where to head next—I’ve done the work for you, from looking for parking and waiting in line to trying those ultra-pricey tasting menus, since there’s nothing worse when dining out than wasting your precious free time and, of course, money. I also strive to include valet prices and parking information for every restaurant—further taking the headache out of trying the next great new spot. Questions I ask myself before including a spot on this guide: Does this new restaurant offer something more interesting, delicious or unique than any of L.A.’s existing restaurants? Is it worth the hype (and money)? Is it worth going out of the way for? If the answer to any of these is “No,” I don’t include it. Ge

Surrounded by century-old olive trees, flattering Instagram lighting and the hotel’s pool, the eponymous restaurant at the Cara Hotel in Los Feliz offers an extremely L.A. outdoor dining scene that can’t be beat on date nights, birthdays and other special occasions. Technically, it’s just outside of Thai Town, but the chaos down the street feels a million miles away due to the first-rate ambience. Come nightfall, the space's mood lighting transforms Cara's coastal Mediterranean design from merely breezy to downright romantic. Book a reservation to snag a seat by the pool and order from a crowd-pleasing, straightforward menu, including a tasty prosciutto and burrata starter paired with grilled sourdough from Santa Monica's Jyan Isaac Bread. On busy nights, walk-ins are likely to end up in the front patio and bar area, where Wednesday salsa dancing and weekend DJs liven the space up for an impromptu date night. 

Looking for a patio with a breathtaking view? This longtime Malibu restaurant lets you enjoy a meal right at the Pacific's edge for a sunset view that can't be beat. Housed within what was once a hotel visited by Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe and John F. Kennedy, Geoffrey’s is the rare restaurant where every table in the house has a proper view of the ocean. The unenclosed dining room makes even “indoor” views of the sea possible from every angle, and tall hedges to the side only add to this high-profile spot’s exclusive vibe. Straightforward seafood and steaks reign supreme here, though you’ll find a few deviations from the American steaks and chops by way of soy-glazed tofu, a vegan red curry and paella. The crowd favorite appetizer is the baked Brie in puff pastry, which comes with pear chutney, beurre blanc and toasted pine nuts. Plus, the restaurant offers direct access to a lesser-known public beach in Malibu—perfect for a leisurely stroll after lunch or before dinner.

One of L.A.’s last prominent examples of Googie architecture, Pann’s is as much about the vibes as it is about the cuisine. Fortunately, the former late-night spot at the border of Inglewood and Westchester pulls no punches in the culinary department; it’s home to some of the best Southern-style fried chicken in the city, plus other all-day breakfast fare like pancakes, waffles and the increasingly hard-to-find ham steak. In the morning, pair the crispy, well-seasoned fried chicken with waffles (of course). Another equally great option is the hefty country-fried steak, which comes with a fluffy biscuit. On weekdays, expect a scene of travelers on their to or fresh from LAX, plus blue-collar workers and other regular folks. Late Sunday mornings bring out a heavy after-church crowd, so put your name down and make some friends while you wait.

While this charming New Age haven now aims to attract a more mainstream clientele, the Inn of the Seventh Ray hasn't lost touch with its hippie roots. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes happily coexist alongside grass-fed filet mignon with garlic mashed potatoes and black-vinegar-braised short ribs with BBQ-spiced carrots. For Easter and other special occasions, the weekend brunch menu is great, especially the whole-grain Belgian waffles. Of course, the real draw is the bucolic outdoor dining space draped in lights, lilac and oak trees. In the evening, take in the serene, creekside scene under heat lamps and twinkling stars, then start with a glass from their organic-leaning wine list before diving into a dinner that might include crispy shrimp cakes, grilled octopus or a creamy black truffle risotto. Just be sure to check road conditions ahead of time and take extra caution while driving to and from here at night; in recent months, Topanga Canyon Boulevard has also been subject to frequent late-night closures due to wildfire recovery-related construction work.

While founding chef Travis Lett has long since departed the kitchen—you can find him cooking at RVR, a “California izakaya” located down the street—Gjelina is still the quintessential pit-stop for visitors, and one of L.A.’s most reliable restaurants. It’s also, no matter how you cut it, the one place on Abbot Kinney that kicked off the street’s full-tilt shift into gentrification. These days, even without Lett involved, the restaurant faithfully churns out the same unchanging line-up of seasonal Cal-Italian fare that has earned it fans from far and wide and even spurred offshoots in New York City and Las Vegas. On my recent visits, current management has maintained the quality, consistency and seasonality of cooking that Gjelina is well-known for. The Weiser potatoes and orange-glazed rainbow carrots with yogurt and chermoula were as delicious as ever; the ever-present anchovy pizza and orecchiette with beef cheek bolognese were equally great. Whether you're stopping by in the morning for its famed remon ricotta pancakes or after dark for a pizza topped with produce fresh from the farmers’ market, the restaurant delivers a great meal.

The winter edition of Dine L.A. is back from January 23 to February 6, with 375 restaurants participating in the two-week blitz of bang-for-your-buck set menus. Scattered among the prix-fixe tradition’s dizzying full list of menus are some of L.A.’s best restaurants offering their signature fare at a more budget-friendly price point. This iteration spotlights the San Fernando Valley and welcomes newcomers all across the county, including the phenomenal new food hall Maydan LA and jazz supper club Somerville.

Down in Long Beach, Arturo Enciso and Ana Salatino’s artisanal panaderia integrates heirloom grains into the art of traditional Mexican pastry-making. Since 2020, the pair's brick-and-mortar has picked up multiple James Beard nominations and garnered national recognition for its excellent, seed-studded sourdough loaves. Beyond bread, Gusto Bread serves an array of new-school pan dulce, including conchas, orejas and nixtamal queens—a masa-based twist on French kouign-amann. The pan de maiz, made with freshly milled heirloom corn and wildflower honey, will make you rethink your love of American-style cornbread, and I think the guava-marmalade-stuffed pastelitos is the ideal way to start a weekend morning. For a twist on tres leches cake, order the atole cake, which sits on a bed of cream flavored with the traditional Mexican corn drink and comes topped with whipped cream flavored with Andean corn white ganache. Just note that everything is made with zero preservatives—aside from the loaves of bread (which last three to four days, max), the goods here are best when eaten the same day or next. 

  Back in 2008, Roy Choi's legendary Korean fusion taco truck was a revelation within L.A.’s then-burgeoning food scene. Over the years, the roving truck has gone through several iterations, including a full brick-and-mortar in Palms. Now, once again, you'll find Kogi truck traveling all over town for lunch service; in the evenings, the most reliable place to find Kogi's award-winning tacos, burritos and quesadillas is the Alibi Room in Culver City. Even now, the signature short rib taco delivers big with double-caramelized Korean BBQ depth that’s balanced with a bright spike of salsa roja and a chili-soy slaw on two grilled-and-charred house tortillas. The now-classic kimchi quesadilla remains a winner, but the blackjack quesadilla with spicy pork, caramelized onions and salsa verde is also a solid choice. And if you’re looking to skip the meat, you can always swap in tofu as a filling. There are four trucks roving around (known as Roja, Verde, Rosita and Taqueria), but all but one are typically booked for catering gigs. To find out where Kogi is popping up, you can check ahead online for the weekly schedule. 

Six days a week, this well-established daytime-only food truck off Figueroa serves delicious Sinaloa-style seafood, including an excellent red aguachile, freshly shucked oysters and deep-fried shrimp empanadas stuffed with cheese. No matter what you order, every bite is a party in your mouth, from the tostadas to deli containers of cocteles filled with plump shrimp and hefty chunks of avocado. A few tables and stools on the sidewalk means you don’t have to take your food to go—all the better to sit a spell and enjoy one of El Faro’s refreshing micheladas.

With literally hundreds of hotels to pick from in Waikiki, what should compel you to book a room at Romer House? Well, with refreshing, blue-toned mid-century modern design, tons of cultural programming, and serious sustainability chops, this adult-oriented urban escape is the antithesis of the stereotypical, overcrowded tourist trap and a boon for more discerning Honolulu travelers.  Originally built as student housing in the 1960s, the newly renovated building offers a balcony (or lanai) with most rooms, though light sleepers will likely want to request a room towards the back (the discordant sounds of the city below permeate street-facing rooms). A convenient location a few blocks from Waikiki Beach and other guest perks like complimentary bike rentals and stellar on-site food and drink options seal the deal on a standout boutique hotel experience brimming with cosmopolitan flourishes.  Why stay at Romer House Waikiki? No matter how you like to vacation, Romer House delivers on comfort, convenience, and style. For those drawn to the allure of sand and surf, the hotel offers unlimited beach towels and three complimentary beach rentals—umbrellas, chairs and the like—from Beach Candy, a rental shop located about 15 minutes’ walk from the hotel.  During my five-night press trip, I enjoyed the breakfast and dinner at 855-ALOHA and drinks from the Lei Stand, a former dive bar originally located in Honolulu’s eclectic Chinatown that now serves truly excellent craft cocktails. The

An aura of coastal elegance and proximity to a nearby historic race track have long defined the luxurious L’Auberge Del Mar, which first opened its doors in 1989. Since 2008, a trio of million-dollar renovations have kept the greater San Diego property up to date with creature comforts and modern design flourishes, though the property’s overall design still largely aims to capture the look and feel of a genteel seaside retreat à la Southern California—a major draw for the generally older, monied regulars that return year after year to watch the horse races. As with other beachside cities in the area, including La Jolla, the persistent marine layer can often dampen the appeal of a day at the beach, but the heated swimming pool and jacuzzi on the expansive pool deck offers a compelling alternative for those still hoping to get in the water. Why stay at L’Auberge Del Mar?  This upscale oceanfront hotel is a worthwhile splurge for those who plan to spend most of their time in and around Del Mar at the beach or racetrack. The Torrey Pines State Natural Preserve and its adjacent golf course are also a short drive away, while major San Diego attractions like the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld, and Balboa Park are a half hour drive away—not exactly close, but not far either. During my quick overnight visit in the fall, I was able to explore the nearby shops and restaurants and take a stroll down to the nearby beach. For a weekend trip, you could have an excellent vacation without ever leavi

This popular Santa Monica Hanukkah-inspired dinner series, which pairs a visiting chef with a local chef for a one-night-only special menu, is back for the fourth year—but this time around, it’s bittersweet. Birdie G’s, one of the city’s best restaurants, will be closing for good on December 20, so these eight dinners are some of the very last chances you’ll have to dine at the Rustic Canyon Family-helmed spot, and some nights are already completely booked out. This year, Birdie G’s guest chefs will include Vespertine and Destroyer’s Jordan Kahn; Quarter Sheets’ Aaron Lindell and pastry chef Hannah Ziskin; and Bar le Cote’s Brad Mathews. In addition to specials, an abbreviated regular menu will also be served. Note the event runs on December 1 to 4, then again December 8 to 11—meaning you’ll need to go on a weekday to enjoy these special-edition dinners. The full lineup of dinners can be found below: 12/1: Sean Gray of Sergeantsville Inn and Elijah Deleon of Rustic Canyon 12/2: Trevor Moran of Locust and Justin Yu of Theodore Rex 12/3: Jeremiah Langhorne of The Dabney and Saw Naing of Joplin’s 12/4: Wylie Dufresne of Stretch Pizza and Aaron Lindell & Hannah Ziskin of Quarter Sheets 12/8: Alex Stupak of Empellon and Jordan Kahn of Destroyer 12/9: Beau Schooler of In Bocca al Lupa and Katiana & John Hong of Yangban 12/10: Chris Cosentino of Koast Maui and Brad Mathews of Bar le Cote 12/11: Tracy Malechek of Birdie’s and Tara Monsod of Animae

She may have yet to open Lapaba, her hotly anticipated Koreatown pasta bar—though it’s slated to debut by end of year—but L.A. culinary icon Nancy Silverton has already announced plans for another high-profile culinary venture. This time, the James Beard Award-winning chef is betting big on the still-recovering Pacific Palisades with Spacca Tutto, a more casual Chi Spacca spinoff inside Rick Caruso’s yet-to-reopen Palisades Village. Rather than Mozza Group, the restaurant will be in partnership with River Jetty, a primarily Orange County-based hospitality group behind A PCH, a new-school steakhouse in Long Beach. It’s a notable choice for Silverton to sign a lease with Caruso, who also recently attempted a run for mayor in 2022. During the devastating Palisades Fire last January, the billionaire real estate developer hired private water tankers to protect the ritzy outdoor shopping mall—a controversial decision that likely led to Palisades Village being one of the few major commercial structures in the area to survive the wildfires. The commercial complex is slated to reopen sometime in 2026. Photograph: Courtesy Laura GrierFrom left to right: Joseph “McG” Nichol of River Jetty, Nancy Silverton and Rick Caruso. “The name Spacca Tutto reflects resilience, creativity, and courage—the same qualities driving the Palisades community to come roaring back in 2026,” said Rick Caruso, speaking via press release. In Italian, “spacca tutto” roughly translates to “go for it” or “give

Time Out L.A.'s 2025 class of Best Young Chefs, Yazeed Soudani, Ashley Cunningham and Sarah Durning are three of L.A.’s most exciting rising talents, all under the age of 30. They helm buzzy and popular concepts, and have made an impact on the city’s restaurant scene with less than a decade of experience under their belts. We sat down with the chefs to find out their favorite places for sushi and tacos—arguably, two of L.A.’s most iconic food groups—plus their top picks for a good cup of matcha. Here's what they told us. Favorite tacos in Los Angeles? Tacos Los Cholos (South L.A.) and Taqueria Frontera (Cypress Park) Photograph: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time Out “I would have went for Ricky’s Fish Tacos as well, but he disappeared. I need to make sure they hear about Ricky’s Fish Tacos, because that was the GOAT.” – Yazeed Soudani Villa’s Tacos (Highland Park) and Angel’s Tacos (Sylmar) Photograph: Stephanie Breijo for Time Out “Number one, Villa’s Tacos. Number two, Angel’s Tacos. I specifically love the Sylmar location. Those are my two favorites.” –Ashley CunninghamMariscos Jalisco (multiple locations), Tacos Guelaguetza (East Hollywood) and Brothers Cousins Tacos (West L.A.) Photograph: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time Out “Mariscos Jalisco, number one. Tacos Guelaguetza outside of Pavilions on Melrose and Vine. Brothers Cousins on the Westside. I watched that place blow up and it is so good. I’m never over there anymore, but I crave it all the time.” –Sarah Durning Favori

The first time I walked into RVR (pronounced “river”) last fall, I felt the usual rush of excitement that accompanies visiting a well-regarded chef’s newest culinary concept. In many cases, a proven name’s follow-up effort more than delivers—the cadence of the menu familiar yet novel enough to inspire newfound delight. Highs are all but guaranteed, lows are few and far between.  This has not been the case at Travis Lett’s new-but-old seasonal “izakaya” on Abbot Kinney, which just celebrated its first year in business on October 1 and has garnered recognition from the New York Times. Every time I’ve visited RVR in the last year—now four times over—something or the other has gone terribly awry. Here, within the same cramped space that held Lett’s all-but-identical Japanese concept, MTN (pronounced “mountain”), Gjelina’s founding chef applies the same breezy-yet-upscale, distinctly Californian approach to Japanese cooking as he once did for Italian cuisine back in 2008. Unfortunately, Lett hasn’t been nearly as successful this time around. Photograph: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time OutThe ambience at RVR during a reservation later in the evening. Pork gyoza arrives cloaked in a delicate skirt, but the dumplings themselves completely disintegrated on more than one occasion. Coursing between dishes lag with no apparent explanation; the harsh cacophony of the dining room, at least at peak hours, all but ensures you have to yell out your order. A “jammy” strawberry shochu highball ta

Over the last few months, word has slowly trickled out about Kojima, a new no-frills omakase counter on the second floor of Sawtelle Place. Run by Hayato Kojima—previously of Tokyo’s Michelin-recognized, now-closed Nishi-Ogikubo Hayato—the West L.A. restaurant’s signature offering, a $200 omakase, is a bit of a misnomer, at least here in the U.S., where the term has largely become synonymous with high-end sushi. The boorish omakase bro in search of an endless cavalcade of nigiri and a hand roll or two to finish is likely to be disappointed.  What Kojima offers, instead, is something far more quietly thrilling, especially for those of us who actually glance at the bill after dining. Although untethered from the form’s rigid constraints, the restaurant presents a dozen courses that are loosely but distinctly inspired by kaiseki—the traditional Japanese multi-course dining experience emphasizing seasonality and harmony. In both spirit and substance, if not always pacing, the meal bears more than a passing similarity to two-Michelin-star Hayato in the Arts District ($450) all for a fraction of the price.  Photograph: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time OutHayato Kojima with a gohan course in late August. Aside from a lone server, Kojima-san singlehandedly pulls off a tasting menu that may contain, at any given moment, creamy whorls of shirako with fried taro and ankake, a thick, velvety sauce made with dashi; the best grilled chicken heart you’ll ever have in your life; chilled housema

On the face of it, Tomat is an unlikely place for some of the city’s most interesting new California cuisine. Hidden inside a sprawling shopping complex, the four-month-old London-inspired restaurant is located less than a mile away from LAX. A giant tomato decorates the exterior of the three-story building; Tomat derives its name from a childhood nickname coincidentally shared by married owners Harry Posner and Natalie Dial. After dark, the bright red neon sign draws in hungry neighborhood locals and in-the-know diners from across the city hankering for an eclectic, unforgettable combination of global flavors most Angelenos have never seen or tasted before. While Posner and Dial’s intentions might sound fairly common—they want Tomat to be an upscale neighborhood fixture, worthy of date nights and the like—the painstaking efforts that went into the making of Tomat, along with each meal, reveal a restaurant that is anything but. Five years ago, the couple moved to L.A. from London, abandoning careers in medicine (Posner) and global health (Dial) in order to take advantage of an unmissable lease opportunity in Westchester, where in the late 1940s Dial’s late grandfather started Drollinger Properties, the area’s oldest, largest commercial real estate group. (Her mother now presides over the company today.) The couple have pored over every aspect of the fully renovated building, from the open kitchen to the dining room’s pale wood, dark green and burnt-orange color scheme. Photo

If you know the ins and outs of Los Angeles’ sprawling food scene, you probably know and love Kato, Holbox and Providence. At a September 25 awards ceremony in Las Vegas, all three critically acclaimed L.A. restaurants were the awarded spots on the inaugural edition of North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list—a brand-new regional offshoot of World’s 50 Best Restaurants recognizing restaurants in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. (Mexico is represented on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list.) They’re also, according to us over here at Time Out, some of the best restaurants in Los Angeles,  After being awarded the Resy One to Watch award by the World’s 50 Best organization last year, Kato was ranked the 26th best restaurant in North America—the highest ranked restaurant in L.A. and thus all of Southern California. Chef Jon Yao’s Taiwanese fine dining restaurant in the Arts District also possesses a Michelin star and, if you’re asking me, one of the best cocktail programs in Los Angeles, courtesy of bar director Austin Hennelly. The critically acclaimed tasting menu spot has also been named the No. 1 best restaurant in L.A. on the Los Angeles Times’ 101 Best Restaurants list for the last two years in a row. Photograph: Courtesy Jeni AfusoKato Per the awarding body behind North America’s 50 Best Restaurants, the eatery offers “refreshingly original Taiwanese American fare with [an] elevated drinks offering.” The listing also describes Kato’s dishes as “some of t

September 24 update: Monsieur Dior will not actually be Dominique Crenn’s first L.A. restaurant. That title actually goes to Santa Monica’s short-lived, critically panned Abode, which Crenn first opened in April 2007 before departing the restaurant in October of the same year. The headline has been updated to include the qualifier “in nearly two decades,” and additional information has been added below on Crenn’s experience in the L.A. culinary world. It’s not every day that a Michelin-recognized, world-renowned chef like San Francisco’s Dominique Crenn opens a restaurant in Los Angeles—and with Dior, no less. In a surprise Sunday morning news post on WWD, the international luxury fashion house announced plans to open a Beverly Hills rooftop restaurant this fall in partnership with Crenn, who made history in 2018 as the first female chef in the United States to earn three Michelin stars for her eponymous San Francisco restaurant, Atelier Crenn. Many may also be acquainted with the French American’s work through season two of Netflix’s Chef’s Table or the on-screen culinary wizardry featured in The Menu (2022), a horror-comedy satirizing the absurdities of fine dining. Crenn also has deep roots in Los Angeles. Back in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, she spent nearly a decade of her early career cooking in Los Angeles, serving as executive chef of Manhattan Beach’s Manhattan Country Club from 1998 to 2006. In 2007, she briefly served as the opening chef for Abode, a short-lived,

In spite of the mythos surrounding chefs and the intangibles of hospitality, the success of a restaurant often boils down to a few smart real estate decisions, and the three-month-old Baby Bistro is no exception. The buzzy, self-described “bistro of sorts” is the final piece of the puzzle completing Alpine Courtyard, located in Victor Heights. As of writing, the trendy commercial complex is single-handedly gentrifying the tiny, oft-forgotten neighborhood at the border of Chinatown and Echo Park, just north of the 110 freeway.  The place’s vintage charm is obvious before you even spot Baby Bistro, which you’ll find tucked away towards the back of the complex. Owned and painstakingly developed over several years by preservation-minded architect-developer Jingbo Lou, it consists of six converted buildings, including a 1908 Craftsman house and three Victorian era homes (one of which houses Baby Bistro), arranged around a brick-lined central courtyard with a lush, carefully maintained garden full of banana trees, bougainvillea and plenty of herbs and vegetables. Photograph: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time OutAlpine Courtyard’s garden during the day. In a city of sun-bleached asphalt, minimal shade cover and other hostile urban features, it feels downright heavenly to step into Alpine Courtyard. By day, Angelenos pick up plant-based pastries at Bakers Bench, specialty caffeinated drinks from Heavy Water Coffee and gourmet banchan from Perilla LA. After 4:30pm, when Perilla closes up

Say it ain’t so: Birdie G’s in Santa Monica is closing at the end of 2025, as first reported by the Los Angeles Times. According to chef-owner Jeremy Fox (who also runs nearby Rustic Canyon), the critically acclaimed restaurant—and Time Out’s pick for the best restaurant in Santa Monica, as well as No. 22 across all of Los Angeles—has not been immune to the economic downturn related to this year’s devastating wildfires, among several other long-term factors, including location and the overall size of the space. Birdie G’s first made its debut in June 2019, about nine months before the Covid-19 pandemic struck. From the get-go, the sprawling, industrial-modern restaurant located steps away from Bergamot Station earned recognition from local and national media for Fox’s family-friendly, farm-to-table comfort food, which draws inspiration from the chef’s experiences growing up in a Jewish family in the Midwest. Photograph: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time Out The restaurant is named for Fox’s daughter Birdie and grandmother Gladys. Over the years, Birdie G’s has earned local and national recognition for its inventive dishes and cooking techniques. Personally, I always looked forward to its seasonal dishes made with housemade hoshigaki, or Japanese-style air-dried fuyu persimmons. From where I stood, the upscale restaurant provided a unique, largely satisfying mix of comfort, value and creativity—a total rarity in Santa Monica, a land of mostly boring Italian restaurants, fast-casua

Correction: This article originally stated that the Original Pantry Cafe would reopen on September 11. This was incorrect; on Thursday morning, Unite Here Local 11 and new owner Leo Pustilnikov held a press conference announcing the restaurant would aim to reopen by New Year’s Eve, per original reporting from Eater. In a rare win for L.A.’s struggling restaurant and bar scene, Downtown L.A.’s iconic Original Pantry Cafe will once again reopen its doors after shutting down a little over six months ago, per a report from LAist. The 101-year-old diner, which for most of its original run was open 24 hours a day, has fed generations of Angelenos affordable cups of coffee alongside plates of pancakes, spaghetti with garlic bread and other hearty American fare. How did this come about? Unite Here Local 11, the union representing the restaurant’s staff, was able to reach a deal with Leo Pustilnikov, the prolific local real estate developer who purchased the building earlier this year.  The Figueroa Street greasy spoon originally closed its doors on March 2. Shortly thereafter, former employees revived its menu at East Los Tacos in nearby East L.A., according to Boyle Heights Beat, through a breakfast pop-up known as East Los Pantry. In a Thursday morning press conference outside the Original Pantry, Unite Here Local 11 and Pustilnikov announced the restaurant would aim to reopen by New Year’s Eve, a.k.a. the end of the year. Why did the Original Pantry Cafe close in the first place

Updated September 2025: Since we first tried the omakase-style tasting menu at Pizzeria Sei in June 2024, the Pico Robertson pizzeria has been crowned ninth-best in the world.  Outside of Italy, Japan and a short-lived pop-up in the Philippines, the idea of a pizza omakase, or chef’s tasting menu, hasn’t exactly caught on across the globe. Until quite recently, Americans needed to travel outside of the country to experience the likes of Pizza Bar on 38th at the Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo and Pepe in Grani just outside Naples. Now, L.A. is home to one of the country’s only pizza tasting menus, courtesy of William Joo, the Korean American pizzaiolo behind Pizzeria Sei in Pico-Robertson. The so-called $150 “omakasei” menu, which debuted last month, is slated to run every other Tuesday evening at 7pm, with reservations for each subsequent tasting menu generally dropping on Resy at noon the following day. Each menu includes a rotating half-dozen-plus parade of Tokyo-style Neapolitan slices that might be inspired by everything from Pizza Hut to some of the world’s best pizzerias. I’m going to be honest here: I’ve spent the last two years trying about 50 different pizzerias across Los Angeles, and I still think Pizzeria Sei serves the best pies in town. It’s the reason I’ve ranked the no-frills Pico Boulevard storefront number one on Time Out’s guide to the best pizzas in L.A. and included it among the city’s best restaurants. I’ve yet to revisit Tokyo for Seirinkan or Savoy Tomato &

Pizzeria Sei does it yet again! In 50 Top Pizza’s newly released annual list of the world’s best pizzerias, L.A.’s award-winning Tokyo-style pizzeria came in at an astoundingly high No. 9, beating out several other American pie shops in New York and Chicago. The tiny Pico-Robertson pizzeria was named America’s second-best pizza joint earlier this year by the same organization, which has roots in Italy and describes itself as the “first guide of the best pizzerias in the world.” At some point in the near future, the extremely popular restaurant (which is also Time Out’s pick for the best pizza in L.A.) is slated to move to a larger space in Palms, where chef-owner William Joo says he will also serve a new kind of pie. To determine its regional rankings—a recent ranking also dropped for all of Europe—the 50 Top Pizza judges use anonymous inspectors to sample pizzerias across the globe in search of high-quality dough, toppings, service and overall experience. Within California, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco also cracked the top 10, coming in tenth on the global list. If you believe the judges at 50 Top Pizza, there are actually two different best pizzerias in the world: I Masanielli – Francesco Martucci in Caserta, Italy and Una Pizza Napoletana in New York City. Both restaurants earned the No. 1 spot.Outside of L.A. County, one other Southern California pizzeria also made 50 Top Pizza’s worldwide pizza list: Dana Point’s Truly Pizza, which came in at No. 48. Recentl