Patricia Kelly Yeo

Fact: L.A. County is home to the most diverse, high-quality array of Chinese cuisine in the country. While many of the area’s best Chinese restaurants are in the San Gabriel Valley—and technically outside city limits—you’ll still find plenty of excellent, more centrally located options in Chinatown, West L.A. and Silver Lake, among other neighborhoods. In recent years, a newer generation of chefs has also expanded the definition of Chinese food, blending old family recipes with seasonal, high-quality ingredients and uniquely L.A. flourishes.  L.A. has plenty of Cantonese, Taiwanese, Shanghainese and Sichuan heavyweights, plus dim sum options and cross-regional specialists that wear multiple hats. For the purposes of this guide, I looked for destination-worthy bangers, and I found them in spades, albeit only in certain styles and categories.  Whatever you’re in the mood for, you’ll probably find something to love in my carefully researched guide to the best Chinese restaurants in L.A.—from a farm-to-table Chinese eatery to the best no-frills, cash-only storefronts. For planning purposes, I’ve indicated with an asterisk (*) all places located within city limits—so you can find a great Chinese meal even when where you live, work and play isn’t all that close to the SGV. Updated February 2026: With Chinese New Year fast approaching, there's no better time to explore L.A.'s vast and unrivaled Chinese dining scene. This year, we've trimmed the fat off our guide, removing a few spot

Rumors of the demise of L.A.’s nightlife are turning out to be quite exaggerated. Despite blow after blow, this city’s greatest watering holes still stand as stiff as their pours. Even newcomers have risen to the occasion of being magnetic enough to draw people out of their homes and into a shared space. After all, who doesn’t long for the laughter between suds, the camaraderie of a pinball tournament, or the tenderness of eye contact while a drink transports your palate to somewhere entirely new? 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) Perhaps you’re not so prone to be swept away and prefer an easygoing dive or the tempting deals of a good happy hour. Or maybe you want the thrill of a brand-new bar, or just a scenic vista to wash down your espresso martini. We rounded up the best bars in Los

The Los Angeles food scene is hard to keep up with. How do you know when to prioritize something new over something tried-and-true? Maybe you have a celebration that demands a Michelin Star splurge (check out our comprehensive Michelin Star guide), or maybe you're working your way through our list of L.A.'s Best Restaurants and don't want to get sidetracked. Either way, that's what we're here for—to log the miles across the 88 towns that make up Los Angeles County and seek out the new spots that actually demand an investment of your time and coin.  Updated March 2026: For this update, we’re featuring the brick-and-mortar return of the beloved Fiorelli, the hotly anticipated Larchmont diner Max & Helen’s from Phil Rosenthal and Nancy Silverton (clocking one of the longest waits in L.A. dining history), and Holy Basil’s migration to the Westside. Plus, Hermon residents (approximately 3,500) just got their first namesake neighborhood restaurant. All the new restaurants on this list have opened within the last 6 to 9 months, most closer to the six-month mark. That said, there's plenty on our shortlist we haven't made it to yet (and the pedigree speaks for itself): Wilde’s, the new Los Feliz home of Sarah Durning, one of our Best Young Chefs; Corridor 109, Brian Baik’s long-awaited Korean-inflected fine dining experience in East Hollywood; and the other Nancy Silverton affiliated-project Koreatown pasta bar Lapaba. Ready, set, eat! 

You know the saying, "only boring people get bored?" Charles Bukowski—L.A.'s poet laureate of dive bars and cheap wine—lived by that ethos. He also lived in East Hollywood, drank at the same few spots (looking at you, Musso & Frank's), and probably never drove 45 minutes for tacos. If you’re reading this, you’re probably seeking more stimulation than Bukowski, and the most sprawling food mecca in the country has it in spades. The best meal of your life might be in a strip mall off the 10, a Little Tokyo office building basement, or walking distance from LAX. You may have to drive, but you won’t have to fly, because generations of immigrants have turned L.A. into a city where you can eat your way around the world without ever leaving town. Our list of L.A.'s best restaurants spans the Michelin-starred, the buzzworthy, the under-the-radar, and the mom-and-pop spots you might otherwise overlook because that Law Brothers or Chris Hemsworth billboard caught your eye. If it's on the list, we think it's worth the drive, the hype, and the price—and worth coming back to again and again. We promise you won’t get bored. Best L.A. restaurants at a glance: Best 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; $20+pp) Best new tasting menu: Restaurant Ki – Ki Kim’s newly Michelin-starred modern Korean fine dining experience (Little Tokyo; $300+ pp) Best pasta: Funke –

Whether you love it or hate it, brunch is a time-honored tradition in Los Angeles. From the ultra wealthy, who can afford to pop bottles in ritzy Beverly Hills dining rooms, to the budget-conscious among us, grateful for the respite of old-school diner prices, a long, drawn-out breakfast just makes sense in sunny weather. Ricotta pancakes, avocado toast, and classic egg preparations are a must for most players in this space, but the top of our rankings is reserved for those who go above and beyond in some way. Unexpected flavors and unmissable dishes that become signature plates, weekend traditions, and viral posts are all part of the charm. The food is only the beginning, though, as inventive cocktail lists, natural wines, and lots of bubbles are a must for lingering and relaxing before duty calls. Brunch is an escapist pastime, pure hedonistic bliss, and just a sweet, sweet fantasy, baby. Get a taste of the California dream at the best spots for brunch in Los Angeles. RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants in Los Angeles Updated February 2026: The playing field for restaurants in Los Angeles has never been more crowded, but it’s also never been more difficult for chefs to keep their businesses afloat. Everything from tariffs to inflation to unspeakably high rents has made it hard for places like Crustacean and Horses to keep their doors open. Both places have been removed due to closures, though Crustacean will be back in a new location at some point. Gjusta has been removed bec

Whether you’re a frequent traveler or somebody visiting New York for the first time, you deserve a place to stay which embodies everything that makes the Big Apple so effortlessly, timelessly cool. After all, a hotel is far from just a place to rest your weary, tired head: when you think about it, they’re basically your gateway into the city.  So, from towering concrete masses to boutique Brooklyn outposts, new additions for Time Out’s 2026 roundup include Nine Orchard, The William Vale, The Standard, High Line, and The Hoxton, Williamsburg. Scroll on for an expertly-curated list of the coolest hotels on the block when it comes to where to stay in NYC. Which area is best to stay in New York? If you’re after a neighborhood which is as cool as your hotel, below you’ll find stays in Tribeca, NoMad, the Lower East Side, the Meatpacking District, and Brooklyn. In fact, we have guides to all of NYC’s neighborhoods, so you can find a spot which is the best fit for you.  New York’s coolest hotels at a glance: 💎 Most luxurious: Crosby Street Hotel 👛 Best budget: Moxy NYC Downtown 🌃 Best view: The Standard, High Line 👙 Best pool: 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge 🤩 Most iconic: The William Vale 📍 Discover our ultimate guide to the best hotels in New York How we curate our hotel lists Our team of writers and travel experts review hotels all over the world—new openings, old classics and everything in between—to bring you fresh, honest recommendations, all year round. We have reviewed many

Gone are the days when the New York spotlight was shone solely on Manhattan. Brooklyn is not only the edgier, cooler younger sibling to the Big Apple’s heartland in terms of its vibe, but also because of its hotels. Don’t get us wrong—there are cool places to stay all over New York, but with so many peppered throughout this particular borough, we simply had to compile a list of the best. So, with new reviews of The William Vale, Ace Brooklyn, and The Hoxton Williamsburg, scroll on for our updated roundup of Brooklyn’s top hotels for spring 2026.  Which area is best to stay in New York? First-time travelers to New York will likely get the most of out of their stay by opting for a Midtown hotel, which is touristy, but super convenient for sightseeing. However, if you’re a frequent visitor to the city, and are after somewhere which feels more neighborhood-like, Williamsburg is a stylish yet well-connected alternative.  Brooklyn’s best boutique hotels at a glance: 🤩 Most iconic: The William Vale 💎 Most luxurious: 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge 👛 Best budget: Pod Brooklyn 🌃 Best view: Wythe Hotel 👙 Best pool: Arlo Williamsburg 📍 Discover our ultimate guide to the best hotels in New York How we curate our hotel lists Our team of writers and travel experts review hotels all over the world—new openings, old classics and everything in between—to bring you fresh, honest recommendations, all year round. We have reviewed many of the hotels featured below, but we may not have stayed at e

As the Lunar New Year approaches, celebrate Chinese New Year 2026 in Los Angeles with these events and things to do. Need to feed your belly for an auspicious year ahead? Slurp some of the city’s best noodle dishes and cheap eats or check out our dim sum guide below. Whether you’re celebrating a long-running family tradition or experiencing the holiday for the first time, join the Chinese New Year festivities for a year of good luck and fortune. When is Lunar New Year 2026? Lunar New Year—and the Year of the Fire Horse—begins on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, and continues for 15 days, through March 3. Many local events marking the holiday take place in January and early February, though.

Southern Californians have long used Palm Springs as an excuse to slow down, sip cocktails and listen to Frank Sinatra by the pool, and enjoy a leisurely desert vacation where Hollywood’s glamour is forever imprinted. An endless devotion to the mid-century modern aesthetic makes this area feel cool, even when it’s 115 degrees outside. Nestled in the Coachella Valley, the greater Palm Springs area comprises nine small towns that are all worth exploring, including Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, Palm Desert, Indio, La Quinta and Desert Hot Springs, among others. This is resort living at its best, with hotels to fit every taste and style. So don’t be surprised to learn many of the area’s best restaurants are co-located within hotels. During peak tourist season (winter and early spring), local eateries are filled to capacity, so it’s always a good idea to make reservations, whether you’re visiting a new dining concept that’s all the rage or a trusty favorite that’s been around since the 1940s.  January 2026: Winter months offer some relief from the desert’s oppressive heat, which is why it’s a favorite for outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and golfing. January and February also bring some major events like Modernism Week, Palm Springs International Film Festival, and the American Express Golf Tournament. Though I never need a reason to recharge in the desert with spa treatments, pool time, and a seemingly endless bucket list of buzzed-about restaurants to check out. Create you

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. 

In the middle of the bustling, high-end neighbourhood of Ginza – whose name is synonymous with luxury around the world – lies the Tokyo Edition, Ginza. What this slimly built 14-storey oasis of beauty and calm lacks in city views and square footage it makes up for in the service and dining departments, including the Punch Room, a second-floor cocktail lounge featured on Asia’s 50 Best Bars. Your stay will begin with an invitation to relax on one of the sleek white chaise lounges and a complimentary flute of champagne, and the white-glove approach to hospitality only becomes more apparent from there. To be honest, I slightly preferred the property’s larger sibling – the Tokyo Edition, Toranomon – but I believe the Tokyo Edition, Ginza is still a worthy splurge for a certain type of visitor. Proximity to some of the best shopping and dining in the world, as well as the city’s famed Toyosu Market, renders this an ideal five-star hotel for the high net worth or business traveller intent on spending several days experiencing all that the ritzy Tokyo neighbourhood has to offer.  Why stay at the Tokyo Edition, Ginza? The luxury hotel is close to major shopping attractions like the 12-storey Uniqlo flagship and Ginza Six, a luxury shopping mall with foreign imports like Blue Bottle and Eataly. The historic Kabukiza Theatre is just a short walk away. With the aforementioned proximity to Toyosu Market, dozens of Michelin-starred restaurants are also nearby – and staff will be more than

With breathtaking views of Tokyo Tower from the lobby, an outstanding ground floor cocktail lounge and truly impeccable service, the Tokyo Edition, Toranomon, is a standout luxury lodging option for your next extended visit to the Japanese capital. Open since 2021, the hotel occupies the 31st through 36th floors of the Tokyo World Gate building. Located in a fairly business-oriented district, it offers the same blend of downright stunning interior design and first-rate dining and drinking options that have become synonymous with the Edition brand around the world. During my weeklong winter visit to Tokyo, I was able to visit both the Tokyo Edition, Toranomon and the Tokyo Edition, Ginza – and despite the latter’s better dining options and a ritzier, slightly more tourist-friendly locale, the Toranomon property manages to outshine its younger sibling with an on-site spa, an indoor swimming pool with jacuzzi and a properly outfitted gym, among other superior perks and amenities.  Why stay at the Tokyo Edition, Toranomon? For the same luxury price point as its sibling in Ginza, the Tokyo Edition, Toranomon, offers extra square footage, better health and wellness facilities, a noteworthy art collection, a lobby worthy of entertaining guests in and – in my humble opinion as a former Time Out food and drink editor – a better on-site cocktail lounge in the form of Gold Bar. While the location isn’t quite as convenient for world-class dining and shopping, the streets of Ginza and Shi

Though second-generation owner Norm Langer has threatened to close the restaurant in recent years, Langer's lives on, at least for now—and it still serves the best pastrami in the country. Even as the neighborhood has changed around it, the hot, hand-cut pastrami and other deli classics like matzo ball soup and grilled liver with onions continue to draw locals and visitors from far and wide. The move for first-timers is the iconic $19, which adds Swiss, coleslaw and Russian-style dressing, but other excellent items include the tuna melt and the pastrami fries. Bask in the old-school space and well-oiled human machine that is the longtime staff, and enjoy a midday piece of L.A. history.  Time Out tip: There's a complimentary parking lot for customers down the street. Just don't forget to validate your ticket at the counter before you leave.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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