Patricia Kelly Yeo

The days of smuggling bathtub gin in tunnels under City Hall or rum-runners playing 20th-century pirates off the coast of San Diego are long behind us, but Los Angeles still can’t resist a secret bar. In a city under siege in recent years, with many regular bars shuttering for good, it’s harder for speakeasies to resist the siren call of social media or the urge for a more practical entrance. Even in these trying times, L.A. continues to reward those willing to venture into dark basements or visit barber shops in the dead of night.  With spaces like K-town’s R bar ditching passwords and Melrose Station adding a neon sign to the hookah lounge it was once hidden inside, it’s more important than ever to define a true speakeasy. Every bar we’ve included has a hidden or unmarked entrance just for those in the know (or with a reservation). Inside these standout bars, you’ll find DJs spinning vinyls, dazzling burlesque dancers, live jazz, and even fiery cocktails. Step into another time or another world in Los Angeles’s best speakeasies.  June 2026: Adults Only has closed and been replaced by the vibrant nightclub Detour. Though Detour has a dramatic tunnel entrance, it’s decidedly not shy about what or where it is, making it ineligible for this list. We’ve added the laidback Pasadena speakeasy 10 1/4 and updated everyone’s hours for summer, for when you need a dimly lit break from rooftops and patios. How we review at Time Out.

Southern Californians have long used Palm Springs as an excuse to slow down, sip cocktails while listening 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 spot that’s all the rage or a trusty favorite that’s been around since the 1940s.  Updated June 2026: Whether you’re planning for endless pool days, early morning hikes, or evening cocktails on the town, Palm Springs temps are already creeping up into triple digits this time of year. Summertime also brings some popular events like the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival in June and the Splash House music festival in August. Not that I ever need an excuse to escape to the desert for spa time, poolside lounging, and a growing list of must-try restaurants. This mo

Brooklyn has been enjoying its time in the spotlight for years now, and Williamsburg, with its excellent restaurants, trendy shops, great parks and convenient connections to Manhattan, remains one of our favorite neighborhoods in the borough. But, where should you stay? Well, that’s precisely what this guide is for. Scroll on for our top picks of the best hotels around, including reviews of The William Vale, The Hoxton, and Moxy Williamsburg.  Which area is best to stay in New York? Don’t let the bright lights of Manhattan fool you—it’s obviously the most convenient place to stay if you’re a first-timer to the Big Apple, but Williamsburg has got a more neighhorhoodly charm as well as conveninent connections to all the big sights. Have a read of our guide to all the best places to stay in New York.  Williamsburg’s best hotels at a glance: 💎 Most luxurious: Wythe Hotel 👛 Best budget: NY Moore Hostel 🌃 Best view: The William Vale  👙 Best pool: Coda 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 every single one. Any we haven’t stayed in have been selected by experts based on their amenities, features, pricing and more. By the way, this article includes a

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

When it comes to sushi, Los Angeles is (unsurprisingly) a sea of options. It's no wonder when you consider that the first sushi bar in the U.S., Kawafuku, was established in L.A. in the mid-1960 and, according to historians, was responsible for the sushi boom that would change the way Americans looked at and ate raw fish. It may come as no surprise that the California roll was also an L.A. invention, or that Studio City is the birthplace of tuna crispy rice (credited to Katsuya Uechi). RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants in Los Angeles Given our sushi legacy, every Angeleno has at some point asked: Where can you find the best sushi in L.A.? And like everything in this city, the answer is: it depends. Are we talking omakase? À la carte Edomae-style? How much are you trying to spend? Are you a purist or a modernist (e.g. how do you feel about truffle oil on sushi)? The list below is our guide to all things sushi in Los Angeles. We’ve front-loaded the high-end omakase spots ($250 and up), though there are many ways to play without sacrificing quality. From the Valley to the South Bay, prepare to leave no nigiri unturned.  How we review at Time Out

A good sandwich is like sex. When done right, you feel completely satisfied, daydream about it for days after, and can't wait to have it again. Lucky for us, Los Angeles is one of the great sandwich cities in the country. In fact, the French dip was (ironically) birthed here over a century ago, or at least that's the tale according to Philippe Mathieu of Philippe the Original, which you'll find on this list. Also on this list: a newer player who's reimagined the French dip sans-roast-beef—boy do we hope that thing sticks for the next hundred years. Of course, there's so much more to discover when it comes to iconic sandwiches in the City of Angels. You'll find Vietnamese shops slinging incredible banh mi, old- and new-school Jewish delis honoring (and reinventing) pastrami, and Italian subs in every conceivable form. Simply put, our sandwich game is on lock. For your mouth-watering pleasure, here are L.A.'s very best sandwich shops (excluding the bagel and fried chicken varieties, which deserve lists all their own). Updated June 2026: For this update, we’ve removed the now-closed Gwen / The Pie Room as well as All'Antico Vinaio and Uptown Provisions. Joining the list are Henrietta, Sogno Toscano, and Gjusta. We've also reformatted each entry to make the most useful info easier to find at a glance. For more on our editorial policies and ethics, feel free to check out how we review at Time Out.

Los Angeles continues to show off its resilience as bars from Long Beach to Mar Vista bring their A game to its embattled residents. Dimly lit lounges and raucous beer halls alike are bringing communities together over great drinks, showing off their creativity as they attempt to keep prices as approachable as possible. Best Los Angeles bars at a glance: For impeccably made cocktails: Vandell – a buzzy cocktail lounge geared toward local walk-ins with destination-worthy bites and drinks (Los Feliz) 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 when you can’t choose between a Negroni and a boilermaker: Shim Sham – a cocktail dive where everyone knows your name (Historic Filipinotown) The happy-hour programming across town remains strong, even at newer bars facing rising rents. The L.A. dive is far from dead—though you’re more likely than ever to find a great martini at one—and a skyline view with a Spritz is always an elevator ride away. In fact, there are so many great options, we knew we had to narrow them down for you to highlight the best bars in Los Angeles.   Updated June 2026: As the nights get shorte

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 country's most sprawling food mecca 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 for inventive Thai: Anajak – a recently renovated 44-year-old institution passed from parents down to former Imagineer turned James Beard Award–winning chef Justin Pichetrungsi. (Sherman Oaks; $100+ pp) Best place to hit up during a layover: Tomat – one of the city’s most sustainable restaurants, minutes from LAX (Westchester; $50+ pp)

The tiki craze took hold in America sometime in the late '40s and early '50s, but its origins lie in California. Nearly a century ago, on McFadden in Hollywood, Donn Beach opened the world’s first tiki bar in 1933. Though his last California location closed in 2018, his legacy lives on in the hearts and tiki mugs of Southern Californians. Tiki never truly dies in this town, with new bars and old brands rising from the grave like a well-balanced Zombie every few years. The best L.A. tiki bars cut through the fog with their kitschy interiors, dedication to tradition, and their ability to deftly break from it. RECOMMENDED: The best bars in Los Angeles If you’re looking to get three sheets to the wind with a Three Dots and a Dash, we’ve found the best L.A. County has to offer tiki sticklers, scorpion bowl guzzlers, and craft cocktail sippers alike. Whether you crave a bright red maraschino cherry garnish or housemade orgeats that cut through the high-proof vapors, there’s probably a bamboo-covered hut not too far away from you. We left out Orange County bars for this list, but we have a lot of love for the ship-like Strong Water in Anaheim and the group-friendly Stowaway in Tustin. Whatever floats your boat, pull up a wicker chair and an oar as we navigate the boozy, choosey, and even sober-friendly tiki spots.  May 2026: We’ve added Lucky Tiki’s new Highland Park location, which brings some theatrics to Northeast L.A. Sadly, Kahuna Tiki has closed, and Kahuna Tiki Tu doesn’t qui

We’re convinced there’s a sushi restaurant for just about every occasion, and each one serves a purpose. Take the family-owned neighborhood spot, for example. Perfect for a reliable bowl of miso soup and chirashi on a random Tuesday night when even heating up ramen means getting your life together in some impossible way. Then there’s the date-night stunner with a rare sake list and gold-flaked nigiri that costs more than your car payment, but will make a hell of an impression on an important occasion. And we’d be remiss in excluding the refrigerated cases at the local gas station or supermarket for quick—and gastrointestinally regrettable—lunches on the run. Classic.  But then there’s the Mount Olympus of sushi restaurants. God-tier establishments doling out bites of thinly sliced fish and delicately padded rice that would make Poseidon weep (perhaps, even, quite literally). That’s what we have on this list. Restaurants that’ve elevated sushi to its purest art form and have won their fair share of awards and accolades along the way. From a sleek, minimalist counter manned by a protege of Jiro Ono (yes, that Jiro) to a speakeasy-style den of omakase in Nashville (yes, we’re serious), here are some of the best sushi restaurants in America.   May 2026: We’ve updated this list to reflect some of Time Out’s recent reviews of sushi restaurants around the country, along with current pricing, hours and menu offerings for some of our favorites. This guide will be periodically updated

Los Angeles is renowned for its weather. It can get chilly in the evening (always pack a sweatshirt!), but alfresco dining is a delight year-round. Whether you're surrounded by oak trees, staring out at the Pacific Ocean, or nestled among ivy and string lights, L.A. puts on a show when it comes to patio flair. While Angelenos don't need many bells and whistles to have a fantastic meal outdoors (shoutout to good old-fashioned tables on the sidewalk, Crudo e Nudo and Little Dom’s to name a few), the L.A. restaurants below are worth a special trip for the setting alone. A handful lean harder on ambiance than on food, and we've noted where that's the case. Updated May 2026: There have been lots of closures since our last update, sadly. Namely, Amour, Stephanie Izard’s Cabra, Michael Mina’s Mother Tongue, Melody, and downtown darling Cha Cha Chá. We’ve also opted to remove Gracias Madre, Perilla LA, Zizou, and Spago Beverly Hills from the list—the food-and-ambiance math simply didn’t add up, as far as we’re concerned. Newcomers include Cosetta, Cobi’s, Beethoven Market—give it up for the Westside, am I right?—and Inn of the 7th Ray in Topanga. We’ve also revised the order to account for taste as much as the visual experience. How we review at Time Out. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to things to do outside in Los Angeles

With the massive sprawl of Los Angeles and its diverse culinary offerings at every price point, it can be tough to find the perfect place to slink into a martini and a Caesar, or a boilermaker and some nachos, after a long day. Some happy hours are for snagging a deal on an otherwise luxurious experience, while others are simply a way to meet up with friends after work without losing that day’s pay.  RECOMMENDED: The best bars in Los Angeles We’ve taken the gas-work out of finding the best happy hour deals around L.A., so all you have to bring is the gossip and a good attitude.  Updated May 2026: The Morrison, The Misfit, and Esters Wine Shop have closed, replaced here by Highland Park’s Hippo and The High Low in Atwater Village. Redbird leaves this list as the Lounge moves to a permanently more budget-friendly menu all night long with $12–14 cocktails, most bar bites under $20, and a Waygyu burger for $22.

Minutes away from the airport, Burbank’s Broken Compass is a new-school tiki bar of the highest order. Inside, the owners have shied away from Polynesian idols and other more culturally appropriate design choices in favor of vaguely pirate-themed island decor, though the space still feels transportive with palm roofs, wicker lamp fixtures, and plenty of parrots. The drink menu, however, is a full-blown tiki lover’s paradise; tiki staples like Navy Grog, Zombies, and Painkillers coexist peacefully alongside newer creations like the caffeine-spiked Wake Me Up Before You Coco. There are even a few nonalcoholic house creations—instead of just rum-free piña colada—like the Port in a Storm, which combines a booze-free rum alternative with pineapple, falernum, grenadine, and lemon juice. Foodwise, chef-owner Erica Abell whips up a Polynesian-inspired menu of bar bites that includes a kalua pork breakfast burrito, poke nachos and “bang-bang” shrimp tacos. 

Carb lovers, rejoice: This two-day festival dedicated to all things pizza is returning to L.A. Live for the fourth year. Enjoy all-you-can-eat slices from 40 different vendors, watch live dough demos and hear from pizza experts including Nancy Silverton of Pizzeria Mozza and Aaron Lindell of Quarter Sheets. More than a handful of Time Out’s favorite pizzerias in town—Pizzana, Triple Beam Pizza, Prince Street Pizza, Prime, Apollonia’s, Joe’s Pizza, Speak Cheezy and LaSorted’s—are on the lineup.

Little Tokyo is one of L.A.’s most compact and bustling neighborhoods, so there’s a lot to explore in just a few blocks in the realm of food and drink. This year, Go Little Tokyo is back with its annual food tour and festival that will help you discover—or appreciate—the neighborhood’s cornucopia of legacy small food businesses. Highlights of the one-day event include a food history walk-through of Little Tokyo, a pastry decorating class and a furoshiki wrapping workshop. Check in at the Delicious Little Tokyo HQ at the Little Tokyo Arts District Metro Station Plaza to pick up your event map on Saturday afternoon.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

  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. 

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