Patricia Kelly Yeo

Plant-based dining in L.A. has come a long way from the days when Annie Hall parodied the Source, one of the city’s trendiest (and cult-iest) vegetarian restaurants in the ’70s and ’80s. The word “vegan” hasn’t raised eyebrows or prompted jokes about granola or nut loaf for years, if not decades, and there’s more 100% plant-based options on menus at regular restaurants than ever before. National chains like Veggie Grill have made animal product-free dining easier, if not necessarily healthier, and the last five years have seen an explosion in the city’s plant-based fast food options, whether you’re eating an Impossible patty at Burger King or Carl’s Jr or opting for a local joint like Burgerlords or Monty’s. These days, you can find slices of pizza piled high with veggies and faux meats; fully plant-based takes on Mexican cuisine; L.A.’s always trusty Ethiopian restaurants; and more vegan Italian dining than you can shake a stick at. For those who seek it out, you can also find amazing Asian cuisine sans animal products, including Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese cooking that rivals the city’s best restaurants. In our humble (and vegan-vetted) opinion, here are the very best of the best places for plant-based eats—though some places do serve a few dishes containing egg. February 2025: Since last September, I’ve revisited several vegan restaurants and visited a longtime vegan soul food joint in Compton—the newest addition to this guide. I’ve also shifted rankings slightly and ad

When out-of-towners hear the phrase “L.A. fine dining” they might scoff, thinking it’s an oxymoron considering how casual this city is, but the truth is that Los Angeles is home to some of the best tasting menus and fancy restaurants in the country—you just need to know where to look. When you want to dress up for a romantic dinner or splurge on your birthday, there are some stellar spots; at the best fine dining restaurants in L.A. you might sit down to an elegant kaiseki dinner, a tasting from one of the world’s most famous chefs, or a seafood-centric meal filled with artistic flourish, and you can be sure servers won’t try to slip you their headshots as they present perfectly plated entrées. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in Los Angeles February 2025: I've updated our guide to reflect the closure of Maude in Beverly Hills and swapped in five new restaurants: Somni, Osteria Mozza, Camphor, Baroo, Morihiro and Ki. I’ve also updated information for Pasjoli and Mélisse to reflect recent my dining experiences and fact-checked all tasting menu prices.

As the Lunar New Year approaches, celebrate Chinese New Year 2025 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 2025? Lunar New Year—and the Year of the Snake—begins on Wednesday, January 29, 2025. Note: Two of the city’s most historic Lunar New Year events—the Firecracker Run and Golden Dragon Parade in Chinatown—have been rescheduled from February to March this year.

Los Angeles is full of great pubs—and you don’t even need the luck of the Irish to find ’em. When it comes to tracking down the perfect Irish bar, what could matter more than the availability of Guinness? A lot, as it turns out, because you’ve got to factor in ambience, great Irish cuisine and even quality Celtic music. Come St. Patrick’s Day, of course, you’ll find these L.A. dives plastered in shamrocks and plenty of Celtic green, but you’ll find these pubs filling pints and hosting live music, bar trivia and even karaoke every day of the year—and many pull double duty as excellent sports bars. If you’re in the mood for whiskey, beer and a side of Irish cheer, lace up your Riverdance shoes and clink a few pints at one of the best Irish pubs in L.A. February 2025: I’ve fact-checked happy hour specials and weekly events mentioned for each bar, and included the new locations for Jameson’s and the Auld Fella.

For those who don’t live on the Westside, making the trek to Santa Monica for lunch or dinner can be daunting. Will there be traffic? Probably. Will it be hard to find parking? Unless you’re in one of the public lots around Third Street Promenade, probably. (I’ll take a moment to shout out the E Line, which will drop you right off by Bergamot Station as well as the Promenade.) But will the food be worth it? Yep. From destination-worthy sushi to every price point and type of Italian food under the sun, this small, tourist-friendly beachside city is full of amazing restaurants, some of which worth driving across town. In recent years, Main Street has become a hotbed of up-and-coming culinary talent, where more affordable, still destination-worthy eats like Heavy Handed and Crudo e Nudo coexist alongside more upscale eats like Pasjoli. Closer to the Promenade, I’ve visited overpriced old-timers like Capo and touristy chains like BOA and Hillstone to bring you the best of Downtown Santa Monica, as well. Venture to the city’s sleepier areas, like Ocean Park, and you’ll find excellent sandwiches, sushi and bagels. This guide is by no means exhaustive, but these are the Santa Monica restaurants we think you shouldn’t miss. February 2025: In light of Burgette and Cassia’s recent closure announcements, I’ve removed both restaurants from the list. Since my last guide update, I’ve also revisited Michael’s, Pasjoli, Bread Head and Birdie G’s, and revised their listings accordingly. Ne

Since the pandemic, you're probably no stranger to ordering takeout and delivery from the city's best restaurants, who have converted white tablecloth fine-dining plates, date night fare and other dishes normally eaten while dining at a restaurant into travel-ready takeout fare. Nowadays, most restaurants have returned to full service, but I’ve opted to convert this guide into a list of the city’s best options for takeout and delivery, which include several of the L.A.'s best restaurants and dining institutions. I’ve also included a handful of standout options I’ve personally ordered via third-party delivery apps. There's delicious Korean soups when you're not feeling well, sandwiches if you're looking for a quick lunch while working from home and excellent Thai food, for, well, whenever. No matter why you need a great meal delivered home, these L.A. restaurants are the best spots for delicious, nourishing food that travels well.  Editor’s note: For 2025, I’ve fact checked the existing restaurants on the guide, removing restaurants that no longer offer takeout and/or delivery. I’ve also added ordering tips for each listing and added four entirely new restaurants, including one of the city’s 10 best sushi options, the two best delivery-friendly pizzas in the city, and a wildcard special-occasion takeout pick.

Sure, we might all love our fried chicken sandwiches, but sometimes nothing replaces a classic burger. With that in mind, I set out to track down the best burgers in L.A. Over the last year and a half, I’ve visited everywhere from classic L.A. diners to fancy French bistros—and, yes, even some nostalgic fast-food fare—to find the best burgers around. Just add a side of French fries and you have the makings of an all-time great meal. You might want to grab a few extra napkins before you devour this list.   Editor's note: Since my last update in January, I’ve made the stunning discovery that OTOTO has begun offering its chili cheeseburger all night long.

There’s no official alfresco season in L.A., a city where outdoor dining is technically possible year-round, so of course it’s full of decidedly alfresco restaurants. You know the ones. These are the types of places where you can hear the waves crashing, watch the city lights sparkle from a rooftop or get lost in the greenery—or scenery—that surrounds your table. While most Angelenos know by now that most meals can be enjoyed outside, whether you’re at a coffee shop, a taco truck or a fine-dining restaurant, there are still plenty of destination-worthy scenic spots worth visiting for the views (as well as the food). I've included a few restaurants with less-than-outstanding cuisine, but rest assured the views and ambience more than make up for any culinary shortcomings. Here are the best restaurants for outdoor dining in L.A. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to things to do outside in Los Angeles

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. Looking for more sentimental ideas? Check out the most romantic things to do in L.A.

“Malibu tends to astonish and disappoint those who have never before seen it,” Joan Didion once wrote in The White Album, “and yet its very name remains, in the imagination of people all over the world, a kind of shorthand for the easy life.” The water may not be as turquoise blue as Newport Beach, nor the sand as pristine as Carmel by the Sea up north, but the built-up, carefree surfers’ mythos around Malibu continues to make the coastal city a playground for bikers, surfers, Jonah Hill and people who just want to go to the beach.  When it comes to restaurants, Malibu offers some of the freshest seafood—surprise, surprise—but there’s so much more than yellowtail jalapeno sashimi at Nobu Malibu and fish ’n’ chips. Along the Pacific Coast Highway, you’ll find some of L.A.’s most iconic coastal dives and patios by the water and cozy spots for Thai takeout and breakfast burritos, plus a few beloved old-school joints closer to the Santa Monica Mountains. Here’s our guide to eating through Malibu like a local—we hope you brought your appetite, and maybe some sunscreen. RECOMMENDED: Find more in the best of Malibu

Move over, New York City: You might have dollar-ish slices, but these days, the Los Angeles pizza scene has grown to encompass dizzying variety of pizza styles, including Detroit-style squares, classic NYC-style triangles, Tokyo-style Neapolitan, Roman pinsas and yes, the California-style flatbreads first made famous by Spago and later, California Pizza Kitchen. Since the pandemic, it’s become easier than ever to grab a slice of great pizza in L.A., no matter where you live—almost as easy as stopping by a taco stand or stumbling across some great strip mall sushi.In researching this guide, I've tried (and retried) over 70 different L.A. pizzas, pitting imports from elsewhere like Phoenix’s Pizza Bianco, New York City’s Emmy Squared and Naples’s very own L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele against beloved hometown favorites and up-and-coming newcomers. While they all make wonderful pizzas, I also excluded more upscale, less specialized restaurants like Bestia, Gjelina, Jon and Vinny's and Evan Funke’s powerhouse trio (Felix, Funke and Mother Wolf) since while they all make great pies, pizzas generally a nice-to-have at these restaurants, not an essential part of your meal. I’m always on the hunt for the latest and greatest pizzas in L.A., and I’m not afraid to drop old-timers from the list if quality has dropped off. Gourmet or lowbrow, takeout or dine-in, thin crust or thick—these places are serving the best pizzas in Los Angeles right now. September 2024: Since last updating this g

Despite the rising cost of doing business, L.A. is still home to one of the most innovative, exciting and diverse food scenes in the country. Brick-and-mortar restaurants, Instagram pop-ups, street vendors and food trucks: No matter the form, you can find amazing food in a city whose reputation is built as much on off-the-beaten-path tacos and pop-ups as it is on fine dining-trained chefs making quick work of farmers’ market produce and mainline access to the top-notch Pacific seafood.At its core, L.A.’s restaurant scene thrives on diversity, resulting in genre-bending formats and cuisines that have given rise to some of the country’s best omakase restaurants, fine dining institutions and strip mall hidden gems. Every month, we visit dozens of restaurants across the city looking for amazing eats, great ambience and top-notch customer service. We also crowdsource recommendations from readers and industry insiders on the best places to grab a meal—but a restaurant can’t get onto this guide until we’ve actually visited it multiple times. We prioritize fun, flavor, freshness—and value at every price point. This list is updated regularly to reflect changes in menu offerings, style of service, new locations and the ever-changing pulse of the city’s food scene. If it’s on the list, we think it’s awesome and worth the hype, wait and money —and we bet you will, too. February 2025: Between the wildfires and the new presidential administration, January has already felt like the longest

An Irish pub in the middle of Hollywood may seem like a boozy tourist trap, but we’re not complaining because Jameson’s Irish Pub has one of the best happy hours on the Walk of Fame: two-for-one drinks, Monday through Friday, noon to 8pm. For Westsiders, their Culver City and Santa Monica locations have similar deal from 3 to 7pm. What’s more, their namesake liquor is featured in over half the drinks on the cocktail list, making this pub a whiskey-lover’s haven—and you know they’ve even got Jameson on tap. Try the classic Jame-O’ Rita, a Jameson-based bloody Mary, or the Irish Hooligan (featuring a little bit of everything, including Jameson, vodka and peach schnapps…heyo!). All three locations also offer Irish pub fare like beef and cabbage stew, fish and chips and even prime rib.

At Camphor, light-as-a-cloud French cuisine feels more than apt within the restaurant’s airy white and blue dining room, where old-school touches and a featherweight culinary approach combine in a stunning blend of elegant, yet nontraditional, fine dining. Inside the former Nightshade space, Alain Ducasse veterans Max Boonthanakit and Lijo George offer what looks like the usual French bill of fare, with one major twist: far, far less butter and oil. Combined with a few South Asian-inspired dishes—the must-order gunpowder anchovies among them—Camphor’s refined, slightly tweaked menu of classics puts the Arts District bistro in a class of its own. This extends to dessert, where a phenomenal bread pudding with vanilla ice cream and kiwi glacée hold their own next to citrus milk—a creamy vanilla mousse topped with refreshing seasonal fruit and wildflower hnet.

If you’re vegan, you probably already know and love Follow Your Heart, one of the best plant-based cheese options available at major supermarkets. But did you know the brand started as a Canoga Park sandwich counter that’s still around today? Founded in 1970, Follow Your Heart Market & Café serves some of the best hippie-style vegan cuisine I’ve had anywhere in Los Angeles. The well-stocked aisles alone render it a worthwhile destination for plant-based home cooks, but the excellent café makes FYH a worthwhile pit stop for anyone in search of a great meal. Menu highlights include the baked mac and cheese, the chicken pot pie and the Nutburger, which features the increasingly elusive housemade veggie patty. To visit the café, head to the back of the market, where you can grab a table or sit at FYH’s original wooden counter, or ask to be seated on the spacious outdoor patio. Save room at the end of your meal for the delicious baked goods, including a delectable whoopie pie.

The pandemic may have shrunk chef Josef Centeno's Downtown  restaurant empire, but his Italian-Japanese concept Orsa & Winston, has survived the worst crisis the restaurant industry has seen in living history and kept its Michelin star to boot. On the Fourth Street restaurant's $150 tasting menu, expect hyper-creative, genre-bending dishes like scallops and uni in a flower-dotted rice porridge or tempura-like fried shiso leaf under abalone. Across every dish, you'll find lots of L.A. love, global inflection and a deep understanding of balance that make every meal here enjoyable. Even facotring in supplements, it’s still one of the less eye-poppingly expensive fine experiences around town.

Since 2005, Michael Cimarusti has set the gold standard for seafood-focused tasting menus—and garnered a James Beard Award and two Michelin stars in the process. As an L.A. fine dining institution, you'll find all the hallmarks of the white tablecloth experience: top-notch service, delicate amuse-bouches and, of course, high-quality shellfish and finned fish from all over the world. Cimarusti combs the world's waters to showcase pristine seafood in imaginative (and occasionally sustainable) ways, like Providence's signature farm-raised caviar and Santa Barbara uni nestled above a decadent egg yolk.  

This plant-based upscale-casual chain has landed along the Marina del Rey waterfront, bringing the same resort-chic design and pressed watermelon nigiri that's made Planta a hit in Toronto, NYC and elsewhere to the far reaches of the Westside. While ostensibly more Latin-focused (hence the Cocina modifier), the truffle kamameshi and tasty sushi and yakitori offerings are still the strongest items on the menu. How does it compare to other major players in L.A.'s vegan dining scene? While not groundbreaking by any means, the tasty cuisine and sophisticated ambience add up to an excellent Westside dinner destination—and a great vegan special-occasion eatery.

Long before plant-based meat substitutes became mainstream, the San Gabriel Valley has maintained a small but compelling collection of Chinese and Vietnamese eateries catering to the traditionally vegetarian Buddhist diet. Among them is Vege Valley, a vegan-friendly restaurant in a San Gabriel strip mall serving excellent soy-based mock meats and all manner of stir-fried Asian vegetables, including hard-to-find long xu cai (chayote shoots). Most items on the menu are vegan and some of those that aren’t can be made vegan; just ask your server. Other menu highlights include the mock fish in bean paste sauce, mock kung pao shrimp and the shredded “pork” with bamboo shoots. During lunch hours, Vege Valley also offers a trio of reasonably priced combo meals, all of them well under $20.

Run by chef and vegan activist Wo’se Kofi, this Black-owned daytime spot in South L.A. serves flavorful mixed plates and other creative items that’ll keep you coming back for more. The plant-based Jamaican-style patties that first put Kofi on the map back in Baba’s catering days are generally only available by the dozen and via preorder, but they’re well worth the advance planning for dinner parties and family gatherings. Walk-ins can savor the Welcome Plates, which come with fried cauliflower, rice and beans, curried vegetables, kale salad, steamed purple cabbage and your choice of macaroni salad or (my recommendation) hot mac-and-cheese. Nutrient-dense and homey, it’s the kind of meal that won’t weigh you down afterwards. Other options include tacos, smoothies, sandwiches and “bachos,” which consist of thick corn chips topped with chopped mushrooms, beans, salsa, kale salad and cashew cheese.

This plant-based fast-casual restaurant in Culver City comes from Heather Golden Ray and Jenny Engel, the sisters behind Spork Foods, a vegan catering and cookbook empire. Since opening last August, Hey, Sunshine Kitchen has become one of the highest rated independent restaurants on Yelp. After one bite of food here, you’ll quickly realize why. The warm, vibrantly colored grain bowls, particularly the Mediterranean chickpea option, pack major flavor in humble packages and can be modded out to your exact specifications. The hot sandwiches and tacos made with plant-based fish, jackfruit carnitas and Impossible beef crumble hit the spot for a tasty lunch or comfort food craving. The attention to detail and overall deliciousness is on par with one of my favorite plant-based restaurants of all time: Chef Tanya’s Kitchen in Palm Springs. Grain bowls, tacos and sandwiches might not sound all that exciting, but Hey, Sunshine Kitchen is proof that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel—you merely need to perfect it.

Made with minimally processed ingredients like beans, chickpeas and tofu, the deli “meat” sandwiches defy all flavor and taste expectations at this daytime-only vegan spot. Owned by namesake chef Maciel Bañales Luna and her husband, Joe Egender, the storefront offers fully plant-based takes on classics including a delicious Italian cold-cut sandwich made with vegan cheese from Follow Your Heart. Before noon, there’s a delicious breakfast burrito and French toast, and a small selection of desserts and sides (we recommend the chicharrones made with tofu skin). A cold case towards the back also offers packages of housemade deli meats, if you’re interested in bringing home a taste of Maciel’s.

With reasonable prices, flavorful cooking and a charming dining room, it’s no surprise that Kitchen Mouse has stuck around in Highland Park for so long. Run by punk-singer-turned-chef Erica Daking, the vegetarian café and bakery—with a separate walk-up window in Mount Washington—serves delicious buckwheat pancakes, a selection of grain bowls and other thoughtfully executed brunch fare. While eggs are still available as an add-on, the entire menu is meat- and dairy-free. Popular items include the Buffalo Bowl (which tops black beans, mashed yams and braised greens with buffalo sauce and cashew cheese) and the Psychedelic Daalipop (red lentil daal paired with curried mushrooms and garlic herb chapati). Both the newer bakery counter and nearby walk-up window also offer tasty, fully plant-based bagels, pastries, cookies and sandwiches.

L.A.’s Café Gratitude locations in Larchmont and Venice feel full of cheerful wait staff, diners with perfect postures and glowing skin and dishes named for affirmations so you’ll have to declare something like, “I Am Thriving,” to order the soup of the day. It’s true: When the server takes your order, they’ll most likely ask, “What are you grateful for today?” But don’t let that stop you—embrace it, because the bright, beautifully composed food will have you coming back. If you’re feeling especially out of tune with the world and need a drink, look for the sangrias, elevated tonics or wine. There’s also a great happy hour on weekdays from 4 to 7pm with discounted snacks like warm almond burrata, grain bowls and smoothies. Omnivores would do well to try one of the creamy, decadent desserts: The tiramisu is some of the best in town, and there’s usually a completely raw sweets option on the menu.

If you’ve ever wanted a taste of Alinea without getting on a flight, now’s your chance—the critically acclaimed Chicago fine dining destination is popping up at the Maybourne Beverly Hills this summer as part of a nationwide 20th anniversary tour. According to the Robb Report (the tour’s media partner), Alinea will be popping up in Brooklyn, Miami and Beverly Hills, with more locations to be announced as part of a second leg in the near future. In L.A., the three Michelin star restaurant will take up residency at the Maybourne Beverly Hills from July 17 to August 20. The 20-year-old Alinea is widely credited with popularizing molecular gastronomy. The globally inspired menu draws upon chef-owner Grant Achatz’s experiences at Thomas Keller’s the French Laundry in Napa Valley and Ferran Adrià’s now-closed El Bulli in Spain.  Photograph: Matthew GilsonThe dining room at Alinea. A few tour stops are slated to include pop-ups of the restaurant’s cocktail bars, the Aviary and the Office, but it’s unknown if that list features the summer residency in Beverly Hills.  “If we do this right, this celebration will also serve as a love letter to the entire restaurant and hospitality industry,” Achatz told the Robb Report. “We are grateful for the opportunities and relationships that have shaped us, and we want to share that gratitude with the broader community that continues to inspire us.” Reservations for the L.A. leg have yet to be released, but you can follow the Alinea Group on In

After a slight delay, the long-awaited L.A. area H&H Bagels will finally open in Santa Monica on Wednesday, February 26. The legendary NYC bagel shop first announced plans for nationwide expansion last summer. Franchise owner Phil Gross will donate 100 percent of the first week’s profits to the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund. On opening day, the Montana Avenue shop will also give away tote bags to the first 200 customers and gift cards ranging from $5 to $100. Our East Coast counterparts have long considered H&H one of the best bagels in New York City, and the brand has appeared on shows like Sex and the City and Seinfeld. The chain currently has seven locations in its hometown, with confirmed plans to expand into Florida, North Carolina and other parts of Southern California, including San Diego and Orange County. Other previously confirmed locations include outposts in Connecticut, Illinois, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Texas, Virginia and Washington, D.C.  As first reported by Eater, H&H Bagels Santa Monica will be serving bagels shipped from a Queens-based production facility like all other franchise locations. The Montana Avenue outpost’s menu features all the classics, from bacon, egg and cheese to lox with the works. Flavors include plain, everything, sesame, cinnamon raisin, jalapeño cheddar, whole wheat, egg and pumpernickel.  H&H Bagels is located at 710 Montana Avenue in Santa Monica. Beginning February 26, the shop will be open daily from 6a

Flour Pizzeria & Cafe, a Pacific Palisades staple lost to the recent wildfires, is reopening its doors in Brentwood this weekend. Shop owner Robert Flutie had originally planned for the San Vicente Boulevard storefront to be his restaurant’s second location, but will now be running his business solely out of the Brentwood outpost as he determines the next steps to rebuild the original. The shop offers New York style pies, whole and by the slice, plus classic sandwiches and salads. In honor of Valentine’s Day and the shop’s grand opening, Flour Pizzeria will be offering free pies on Friday to Palisades residents, first responders and law enforcement. Those who would like to claim this offer must sign up for a preorder on the restaurant’s website by clicking “Flour Pizza Community.” Palisades residents must show their driver’s license with a confirmed 90272 address. Then on Saturday, Brentwood locals are welcome to grab a free slice from noon until sold out. Beginning Sunday, the pizza shop will be open for regular business hours. Flour Pizzeria & Cafe Brentwood is located at 11684 San Vicente Boulevard. Regular operating hours will begin Sunday, February 16 and are noon from 9pm daily.

Nearly two years after news first broke, L.A.’s newest Din Tai Fung is almost ready to open its doors on the third floor of Santa Monica Place, the outdoor mall at the end of the Third Street Promenade. While much of the city is no stranger to the international soup dumpling chain—which we also named one of L.A.’s best Chinese restaurants—this new Westside location offers stunning ocean views from the patio and a distinctively beachy aesthetic unlike any other Din Tai Fung outposts in the area. At over 10,000 square feet, it’s one of the chain’s largest dining rooms in Southern California. (The largest is the one inside the Glendale Galleria.) Rendering: Courtesy Din Tai Fung North America   Reservations for the soft opening period beginning February 20 opened on February 11, though the Santa Monica Din Tai Fung doesn’t plan to host its grand opening until February 28. To support Los Angeles wildfire recovery efforts, the company has pledged to donate up to $50,000 of profits generated during the first two weeks of business (February 20 to March 8) to local restaurant and bars affected by the wildfires.  Photograph: Courtesy Din Tai Fung| Din Tai Fung The Santa Monica outpost is the fifth of its kind in L.A. County; in 2000, the now-prolific Taiwanese restaurant brand first expanded into the United States via a modest outpost in an Arcadia strip mall. Now, Din Tai Fung has 17 locations across the United States including San Diego, the Bay Area, and most recently, New York

At press time, life-threatening, unchecked wildfires have yet to be contained in Los Angeles. The two largest ones, Palisades (which has since spread to Malibu) and Eaton (which has destroyed much of Altadena and threatens Pasadena and La Crescenta-Montrose), are currently at 19 percent and 45 percent containment, respectively. The evening of January 7, the day both fires began, Mayor Karen Bass declared a citywide state of emergency, freeing up extra resources and allowing for more efficient coordination between city, state and federal agencies.  I’ve spent my entire life in Los Angeles and these are the most destructive fires I’ve seen in my lifetime. Along with the Palisades and Eaton fires, smaller but equally frightening fires have broken out in Sylmar (Hurst Fire), Studio City (Sunswept Fire), the Hollywood Hills (Sunset Fire) and Woodland Hills (Kenneth Fire). Though all have since been contained, another round of Santa Ana winds in the coming week may test the containment statuses of the ongoing wildfires. While the city grieves and those permanently displaced from their homes, workplaces, houses of workship and schools figure out their next move, I’ve begun assembling a list of restaurants destroyed by the natural disaster all over town. Some were initially reported by the Los Angeles Times. I am also including fundraising links for anyone wishing to contribute to specific recovery and rebuilding efforts. We won’t know the full extent of death, injury and property da

With multiple wildfires across L.A. County, it’s safe to say that this week has already been far from normal. High-speed winds, which have mostly died down for now, had been worsening conditions on the ground for firefighters and other first responders. Tens of thousands of Angelenos have already been displaced, with the largest fires—Eaton and Palisades—at only single-digit percentage points of containment, plus the logistical whiplash of the smaller Sunswept and Sunset fires, and the ongoing Kenneth and Hurst fires.For anyone displaced by the fires, however, a handful of L.A. restaurants are stepping up to the plate with free meals and shelter available. January 13 update: This news article is no longer being updated. For the most up-to-date information, please see this continuously updated guide. Restaurants offering free meals and relief during the fires Photograph: Patricia Kelly Yeo for Time Out Bar Etoile (East Hollywood) This French-ish eatery and wine bar will be open for dine-in service tonight, albeit with a limited menu, and anyone who has been displaced by the fires is invited to come in for a free meal on the house—message Bar Etoile on Instagram for further details.  Photograph: Stephanie Breijo for Time OutLemongrass-pork bánh mì from Bé Ù Bé Ù (Silver Lake) Today, this Vietnamese staple on the border of Silver Lake and East Hollywood will offer free meals to any fire evacuees and first responders until 3:30pm. The affordable menu includes vegan and alle

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

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

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

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

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

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