Patricia Kelly Yeo

Choosing the best Santa Barbara hotel isn't the easiest thing. After all, there are so many options, each with a different vibe and aesthetic. Do you want to hang by the beach or opt for a hidden gem nestled up in the hills? Sleep beside the nightlife or doze without a party in sight? Is a pool non-negotiable? And what about entertainment for the kids? Surely you want to be right by the city’s best attractions (don't miss Old Mission Santa Barbara!), tastiest restaurants, and top wineries? See, there's a lot to consider. This central coast hot spot attracts tourists year-round, with temperatures in the 60s and 70s all year long, and an easily accessible location just 90 miles north of Los Angeles. Naturally, that means there's a hotel to cater for all preferences and budgets, but whatever yours are, you can bet we've got a spot for you. We’ve scrolled through Santa Barbara's many hotels and whittled them down to the cream of the crop. All you have to do is pick the right place for your perfect stay.  Updated for January 2025: We've added a newbie, in the form of a Mediterranean-style inn that's right on the beach – if that sounds like something you'd be interested in (we know it is).  🎭 The best things to do in Santa Barbara🛏 The best Airbnbs in Santa Barbara This guide was written by a US correspondent for Time Out, Kai Oliver-Kurtin. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our 

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. 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. Without further ado: here are my picks for the best breakfast restaurants in the city. Editor’s note: Since my last major update, JiST Cafe in Little Tokyo has unfortunately closed (RIP). While I’m still in the process of scouting for L.A.’s very best diners and coffee shops, I’ve added longtime favorite Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop to this most recent update, as well as popular local brunch chain Blu Jam Cafe, which opens its doors at 9am—which are definitely considered breakfast hours in my eyes. 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 “grea

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

Home to one of the most accessible beaches in Los Angeles, Venice is a longtime artist and bohemian enclave whose colorful characters have managed to stick around despite more recent waves of gentrification and an influx of white-collar tech workers. Having grown up on the Westside, I’ve seen the neighborhood change from a sleepy, somewhat trendy artist’s enclave with more than a few sketchy corners into a gleaming collection of expensive homes and tech company offices.  These days, there are fewer affordable, locally owned restaurants than ever before—and more specialty coffee shops than you can shake a stick at—but Venice is still worth a visit for the always vibrant boardwalk; charming historic canals; and collection of shops, cafés and eateries that line Abbot Kinney, which can get quite crowded on the weekends. No matter the reason you’re in the area, this increasingly pricey beach neighborhood still offers plenty of delicious eats. But be warned: Aside from being home to one of L.A.’s only Panamanian restaurants, I wouldn’t say it’s the most interesting dining neighborhood in Los Angeles. The neighborhood’s full of breezy, all-day Californian restaurants serving grain bowls and avocado toast, plus more Italian and pizza joints than you could possibly need or want. Nevertheless, this guide includes the standout options in those genres, plus a handful of Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian strip mall standouts. March 2025: Since my last update, Willie Mae’s has unfortunately

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. March 2025: Since my last update in February, Time Out has instituted a sitewide policy change. All food and drink venue

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.

Los Angeles has the most diverse, expansive and wide-reaching sushi scene in the country, so how does one even begin? This highly vetted guide, for starters. Over the last three years, I visited dozens of Valley strip malls, Little Tokyo shopping plazas and swanky counters in Beverly Hills in search of L.A.’s best sushi restaurants. These days, pricey omakase experiences predominate my top sushi picks (a reflection of L.A.’s changing sushi bar demographics), but you can still find a few high-quality, affordable à la carte options around the city (if you’re willing to wait, it’s still hard to beat Sushi Gen’s sashimi lunch special).Why should you trust my expertise? I’m an L.A. native who enjoyed my first set of tekka maki at Hide Sushi on Sawtelle (which is still around, by the way) and cycled through love affairs with unagi (freshwater eel), saba (mackerel) and SushiStop’s famous dynamite rolls in adolescence and college. Though it’s hard to turn down freshly pressed Edomae-style sushi, I’m still fond of a good spicy tuna crispy rice once in a while, and I’ve even sampled a few of the city’s vegan sushi options. Over three years, I’ve tried 50 different L.A. omakases, dined at over 70 different sushi purveyors of various price points, and I’m always on the hunt for new (or new-to-me) places to try.In the high-end realm, I look for places that maximize overall wow factor; even within the upper echelons of L.A. dining, I take price, atmosphere and booking convenience into cons

After years of struggling through the pandemic, L.A.’s bar scene has learned to roll with the punches, and there’s always no better time than now (or this weekend) for a good, well-made drink, preferably with a side of good, old-fashioned camaraderie with slightly buzzed strangers. After all, bars, like restaurants and public parks, give rise to the sought-after sense of belonging and community that characterizes what sociologist Ray Oldenburg called “third spaces.” Right now, L.A.’s drinking scene is back and better than ever, and we’re glad to be back at a busy bar, credit card in hand, hoping to flag down a bartender. L.A. might have cozy dives near the beach, happy hours with views of the Hollywood Hills, and plenty of buzzier new watering holes, but if you’re really asking us, here are the 18 best bars in Los Angeles—for any occasion.March 2025: Since my last update in February, Time Out has instituted a sitewide policy change. All food and drink venues, including those listed in guides, must now have star ratings, with five stars corresponding to “amazing,” four to “great” and three to “good.” For more on our new policies, feel free to check out How we review at Time Out.

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

Officially known as Sawtelle Japantown, this historically Japanese American neighborhood in West L.A. is now home to an array of mostly Asian dining and dessert options. Today, you’ll find Filipino, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai cuisine alongside Japanese restaurants and taverns. Smaller than Downtown’s Little Tokyo, this dining destination surprisingly offers an unusually dense collection of dessert specialists and boba shops. If you ask us, Sawtelle also doubles as L.A.’s unofficial ramen capital; the neighborhood has more noodle shops within a few blocks than anywhere else in the city. Whether your tastes run classic or contemporary, here’s your guide to the best places for dining, drinking and desserts on Sawtelle.

The most socially acceptable way to drink before noon, bottomless brunch wasn’t invented in L.A., but we’ve certainly perfected the sport of pairing our bacon and eggs with a side of sugary, great-tasting booze. For the weekends when you’re not headed to the hiking trails or getting away from the city, these restaurants are ready to fill your cup with sparkling white wine and orange juice, plus Aperol Spritzes, Bloody Marys, margaritas, sangria and rosé. They may not all offer the best brunch (we’ve got a separate list for that) or brunch with a side of drag, but these eateries faithfully serve the best drink deals for those hoping to day drink on special occasions—even if the occasion is just the weekend. Find yourself a designated driver, remember to stay hydrated and party on at these weekend brunch spots from the Westside to the Valley.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner—if our idioms are any indication, fried chicken is as American as a well-made cheeseburger or apple pie. Across Los Angeles, you can find hundreds of iterations of deep-fried yardbird, from lowbrow to upscale. While many of the very best offer regional variations out of the American South, including now-ubiquitous Nashville-style hot chicken, L.A. is also home to countless other variations of fried chicken, from South Korean-style recipes that call for rice flour, double frying and maybe a healthy dollop of soy-garlic or gochujang-chili sauce to southern Thailand’s famous hat yai chicken, served with a side of nam jim dipping sauce. Let’s not forget Taiwanese popcorn chicken, Japanese chicken karaage and even chain restaurants, where many of us were first introduced to fried chicken.Over the last year and a half, I’ve tried over four dozen unique iterations of fried chicken in L.A., building off a lifelong love of the dish in all its glorious, deep-fried permutations. Yes, that includes plenty of fried chicken sandwiches—a genre so wide-ranging, in fact, it calls for a separate guide. Across my top picks, I’ve included sit-down restaurant dishes, casual storefront, classics, one notable gluten-free option and plenty of budget-friendly picks, as well as a range of fried chicken styles. From various Southern styles to saucy Korean wings, you’re bound to find your next favorite near you on this list of the best fried chicken in L.A.

Yangmani offers the usual tantalizing beef and pork selection, but it specializes in fattier organ meats like beef intestines and tripe, which crisp up wonderfully on a tabletop grill. While gopchang barbecue is now widely available in Koreatown, I’ve yet to find a better preparation of them than Yangmani. Distinctive banchan like an Asian pear and red onion salad and steamed perilla leaves add a unique component at the Koreatown location, as does a supplemental steamed egg soufflé topped with bright orange fish eggs. (In comparison, the Rowland Heights location offers more familiar banchan.) To maximize the number of cuts you get to try, I recommend ordering one of the combos—otherwise, you’ll either have to be really hungry or come with a party larger than two or three to try more than a couple meats. If you’re not the type to go for offal, the Chef Cut Combo ($130 for two) includes galbi, ribeye cap, boneless short rib and dry-aged rib eye.

Compared to Origin—the newer, merely so-so option across the way—this ultra-popular restaurant in Koreatown’s Chapman Plaza delivers a standout, beginner-friendly KBBQ experience that lets you try several kinds of meat at once, even as a party of two, without needing to go to an all-you-can-eat establishment. A meal here can get a little pricey, but Quarters is also run by the same hospitality group that’s behind Ahgassi Gopchang, so you can expect your beef brisket, short rib and rib eye are of equal quality. These days, the restaurant has added a Wagyu selection for those looking to ball out particularly hard, but I’d still steer you towards the standard meat options, paired with a side of cheese fondue, perhaps some kimchi fried rice or a seafood pancake. The signature oversized “ritas”—sweet, fruity cocktails featuring an upside-down beer—and drinking fare like Korean nachos and galbi tacos also make it easy to hang out for awhile on the front patio while waiting for your table, but it’s the high-quality meats and banchan that will keep you coming back.

This fairly under-the-radar South Korean import took me by surprise with its high-quality, house-aged pork selection, which includes belly, shoulder and jowl and unique banchan offerings. Every Sookdal outpost—there are other further-flung locations in Garden Grove and Las Vegas—adjusts the aging process for each batch to optimize the flavor and texture of the meat. A little visual card at each table explains the different ways to enjoy each bite of meat, from enjoying as is to adding wasabi and a pickled garlic leaf wrap. A fusion-style risotto in cream sauce also stands out among the cooked dishes, but it’s not a must order. Each combo includes your choice of stew and cheese, which adds an extra dimension to each pork cut. Various cuts of beef are also available (and included in every combo), but you're really here for the immaculately prepared pork—and those who appreciate all things bacon won't be disappointed.

Located just north of Koreatown, Choeng Wun is an all-you-can-eat KBBQ joint that has been around since 1985—and beloved for its affordability and quality for just as long. The focal point of the no-frills dining room is the Sizzler-style green-tiled salad bar, which includes an array of housemade banchan, sliced fruit and jiggly cubes of jello. The cafeteria-style array of meats and cooked items includes miyeokguk—a mild, comforting seaweed soup—and two kinds of sweet porridge, which I like to use as a comforting dessert. Prices start at $25 per head for three kinds of bulgogi and top out at $45, with discounts for children under 10 and weekday lunch. I recommend going for the highest price tier, which includes short rib, beef tongue, ribeye, pork jowl and the house galbi. Most days, the small, friendly staff will be more than happy to show you how to best enjoy your meats, from wrapping them in lettuce wraps to dabbing on a touch of soybean paste with slices of garlic and jalapeno.

This full-length review was originally published on June 8, 2022 and has since been updated to reflect more recent changes. In Koreatown, home to the city’s—and the country’s—most varied array of Korean barbecue joints, little in the way of untrodden ground exists for new restaurants. Cheap, expensive, minimalist, maximalist: No matter your inclination, a pre-existing grilled meat purveyor typically already fills that niche. Woo Hyang Woo, however, is a recent exception to this general rule, thanks to a short, focused menu with tapas-style offerings and a larger drink selection. Though the upscale-leaning eatery at 6th and Ardmore rarely draws the same crowds or hours-long delays associated with Chapman Plaza’s Quarters and Origin across the street, this sleek-looking restaurant still offers a delicious, albeit banchan-lite, Korean barbecue experience with typically little to no wait for a table on weekdays and a fairly short one on weekends.Living up to its name (Korean for “beef scented house”), Woo Hyang Woo instead distinguishes itself from the rest of the pack through house aged, high-quality cuts, including American Wagyu, certified Angus beef and enormous, pricey dry-aged tomahawk steaks. In a carryover from the restaurant’s earliest days in the fall of 2020, servers will still give you the option to have the kitchen cook your meat to order, an offer you should absolutely take them up on. While you’ll miss out on their attentive tableside grilling skills, the sizzling

Koreatown’s top-notch seafood-oriented KBBQ joint pays homage to the East China Sea by serving its edible bounty in waves at the table. The only real option here are the combo sets— the basic A set is enough to feed two—which begin with airy steamed egg, crisp-edged scallion pancakes, sizzling cheese corn and a spicy chilled seafood salad. Each guest receives a heatproof glove to be able to grab each item off the grill when it’s ready. All combo sets include an airy steamed egg, crisp-edged scallion pancakes, sizzling cheese corn and a spicy chilled seafood salad. From there, the main event also features whole shrimp, baby octopus and a couple pieces of potato (which you’ll definitely need to get full). Upgrade to a B, C or D set to feast on rarer delights like abalone, which squirm in their shells before yielding tender meat when cooked; crunchy pieces of hagfish that taste best when anointed with well-salted sesame oil; and steamed lobster. I’ve tried other seafood barbecue options in Koreatown, but what really keeps me coming back to Jae Bu Do are the high-quality accompaniments, including the delicious, comforting bowl of hand-pulled noodle soup that ends each meal.

There’s a reason that Hae Jang Chon stays busy night after night, even with the plethora of AYCE options in the area: For $44 per person during dinner, and $38 during lunch, you won’t find a better combination of quality meats, well-made banchan and supplemental side dishes. Sure, there may not be Wagyu on the menu, but the short rib, beef tongue and spicy octopus here still satisfy my appetite after all these years and exposure to much higher-end KBBQ options—and I’ve been coming here for over a decade. For $5 more, you can add on a plate of lettuce and perilla leaves to make ssam, but the set price also includes corn cheese, kimchi pancake, soybean paste soup, radish wrap and unlimited green salad. At the end of your meal, save room to indulge in the kimchi fried rice, which a server will make with your leftover meat and banchan; it’s one of the best parts of dining here, and one of the many reasons why Hae Jang Chon stays on top. The wait can be punishing at peak dinner hours on the weekends, so you might want to grab a drink or snack nearby to break up the wait.

This sprawling restaurant inside MaDang Courtyard offers sleek interiors, plenty of room for larger groups and dry-aged beef offerings that surpasses most, if not all, of L.A.'s Korean barbecue restaurants in terms of juiciness and flavor. (Another bonus: Those who park in the on-site lot receive four hours' free validation.) While the standard assortment of sides are good—not necessarily great—the exemplary “butcher’s pride” combos and show-stopping pressed beef tartare sushi make for an excellent high-end KBBQ experience. A few compelling plant-based options cater to vegans and vegetarians, including a stir-fried galbi platter that tastes almost exactly like the real thing. While you can also order meat à la carte, I recommend starting with Jeong Yuk Jeom’s signature family-style sets, especially any of the ones that include dry-aged prime rib eye.

Run by the same team behind Park’s, KTeam BBQ takes over the space that once held Ong Ga Nae, which quietly closed in late 2023. This more casual counterpart on the other side of Vermont Avenue offers a more affordable, pork-centric Korean barbecue experience—albeit with the same meat quality, bounty of banchan and excellent prepared dishes as its older, critically acclaimed sibling across the street. Cheerful orange-and-white checkered tile tables serve as the backdrop for a reasonably priced à la carte menu that includes a phenomenal bowl of chilled spicy acorn noodles; delightfully chewy tteokbokki, served with one or more barbecue orders; and three types of beef. The star of the show, however, is the thinly sliced frozen pork belly, a cut popular in South Korea. Paired with supplemental myeonglan paste (pollack roe) or the classic trio of spicy soybean paste, garlic and jalapeño, each lettuce or perilla-wrapped bite will transport you to Seoul.  

Celebrity chef Akira Back’s ground-floor restaurant at the Beverly Center offers an elevated take on Korean barbecue, complete with dry-aged steaks, house cocktails and attenative service more akin to a classic American steakhouse. Think steamed egg soufflé topped with cheese and a tasty yukhea (beef tartare) prepared tableside and the splurge-worthy Fantastic 4—which combines A5 Wagyu, sea urchin, caviar and truffle into a single decadent bite. The house banchan, small selection of traditional soups and á la carte meat selections don’t disappoint, even if you’re intimately familiar with L.A.’s Korean barbecue scene. On my most recent visit, I enjoyed the snow flower kkotsal (boneless short rib), named for the cut’s snowflake-like marbling, and the always-trusty chadol. For dessert, the restaurant offers a few styles of refreshing sorbet in traditional Korean flavors and a battered, lightly fried honey rice cake with lemon cream cheese. 

With its everyday ambience, decent menu prices and top-notch meat selection, Soowon Galbi is one of our favorite Korean barbecue spots in K-town, especially when we’re in a group of four or more. The wait times here generally run shorter than other popular spots like Kang Hodong Baekjeong and Quarters, though we’re confused as to why; Soowon's banchan assortment and prepared dishes, including the perilla leaf stew and scallion pancake, showcase a depth and breadth of Korean cuisine that’s remarkable for a restaurant whose most popular items come cooked on a tabletop grill. The combination courses, in particular, offer excellent value for a crowd, especially the Combo B, which includes the must-have kkotsal, or marbled boneless short rib, and chadol, thinly sliced pieces of brisket that quickly crisp on the grill.

Mapo Galbi’s signature dish has made this no-frills ajumma-run restaurant a beloved favorite among Korean food lovers for years. Meant to be eaten in groups of two or four, this bubbling red family-style dish full of chicken, rice cakes, perilla leaves and other vegetables can be spiced to your liking and modded out with cheese, udon noodles and extra vegetables. Make sure to save room for the fried rice, which your server will make at the end with the last of the skillet’s leftovers. There’s technically bulgogi and marinated pork belly on the menu, but I’ve never seen anyone order it here—stick to the dak galbi.

République—one of L.A.’s most critically acclaimed restaurants—has become the recent subject of online political controversy after one of its owners, Walter Manzke, was quoted in the New York Times as voicing support for Elon Musk’s yet-to-open Tesla diner in West Hollywood, where Tesla owners could charge their cars and grab a meal. Since news about the drive-in project first broke in 2022, the CEO of Tesla has morphed from space-obsessed billionaire to an icon of the far-right, as well as President Trump’s right-hand man. “It sounds exciting,” Walter told former Times restaurant critic Pete Wells. “[République co-owner Margarita] told me the other day that she wants to buy a Tesla, so I can tell you what side she’s on.” The Manzkes are the veteran chefs behind République, which is equally beloved across the city for its California-inspired French savory menu and Margarita’s James Beard Award-winning pastries. One anonymous user of Reddit reposted the article in the subreddit r/FoodLosAngeles, which fields regular discussion about all matters related to the L.A. dining scene. “Looks like Republique is off my list,” the post title reads. As of publication, the post is the subreddit’s top most-read post for the day.  In response, the Hancock Park restaurant released a statement on its Instagram around 3pm on Friday afternoon. “At République, we believe in focusing on what we do best—creating exceptional food and a welcoming experience for all our guests. In response to a rece

In honor of the restaurant’s 25th anniversary (and while the Mexico City original is closed for repairs), Pujol is coming to L.A. for a 10-day tasting menu stint inside Damian in the Arts District. As first reported in Forbes, between April 22 and 30, chef-owner Enrique Olvera plans to bring back classics from the two Michelin star restaurant’s early days, including a potential ravioli-style avocado with shrimp tartar and a coconut squash blossom soup. Each night will offer two 90-minute tasting menus—one starting around 5:50pm and another at 8:30pm—as first reported in the Los Angeles Times. A portion of the pop-up’s proceeds will benefit local nonprofit No Us Without You, which provides assistance to undocumented workers in the L.A. restaurant industry. A separate beverage pairing featuring agave spirits and Mexican beer and wine will also be available. Reservations for the Pujol pop-up will go live on Friday, March 21 at noon Pacific time, on Damian’s Resy page. Photograph: Courtesy DamianPujol previously popped up inside Damian for the restaurant’s New Year’s Eve Party in 2021. Per the Times, the April pop-up will also include a separate à la carte concept, Molino el Pujol, that will take over Ditroit Taqueria, Damian’s more casual daytime counterpart. The more formal six-course experience, for which pricing has yet to be determined, will definitely offer Pujol’s famous mole madre. The dish uses an approximately decade-old mother sauce that Olvera has continuously added

If you or a loved one have ever paid $27 for a lone sausage and a measly scoop of mashed potatoes at a certain buzzy wine bar and left hungry, you may be entitled to financial compensation.  At least, I wish that were the case. At a time when restaurant math isn’t working for anyone involved, the humble wine bar has ascended in cultural and algorithmic significance as a legitimate dining genre in Los Angeles. For diners, there’s still the thrill of going out to eat, plus less sticker shock, at least upon initial glance at the menu. Still, order more than a few of the carb-heavy, flavor-forward small plates offered at most trendy wine-centric spots—enough to make a full meal—and the grim, undeniable fact remains: The plates are indeed small, the prices don’t always match up and the expectations-to-reality gap, especially after factoring in TikTok or media hype, is usually larger than anticipated. Which is why it’s been such a joy to head down the 405—yes, even during rush hour—and tuck into a meal at Vin Folk, a reasonably priced, deeply satisfying 45-seat bistro in Hermosa Beach. Run almost entirely by trained chefs, this nearly four-month-old restaurant offers a winning menu of French-leaning, globally inspired dishes imbued with the flare of modernist fine dining. Think Singaporean chili crab remixed into a creamy risotto that uses crab caught off the Southern California coast and tender beef tongue flavored with Russian-style spicy horseradish and tatsoi (a type of Asian b

This Wednesday, March 12, Michelin added 15 new restaurants to its California guide, including seven in the Los Angeles area. All additions are considered “recommended” and could go on to receive either a Michelin star or Bib Gourmand (the guide’s budget-friendly category) later this year. Other additions up north include Stationæry in Carmel-by-the-Sea and Four Kings in San Francisco. In L.A., all new guide additions have opened since last summer. Among them you’ll find Tomat in Westchester, which I recently featured in a longform review for its ambitious restaurant garden within smelling distance of the LAX In-N-Out, and West L.A.’s Mori Nozomi, which also earned a profile on its eponymous chef, Nozomi Mori, one of the city’s few rare female sushi chefs. Photograph: Daniel Carranza for Time OutTomat In alphabetical order, the seven L.A. area restaurants are as follows, with full inspector notes available via Michelin’s official press release. All restaurants are within city limits unless otherwise specified; we’ve linked to Time Out’s write-ups for each, and noted our own star designations with brackets.  Bar Etoile [4 stars] Kusano (Culver City)  Mori Nozomi [5 stars] Rasarumah [3 stars] Seline (Santa Monica) Tomat [4 stars] Restaurant Ki [4 stars] For those unfamiliar with how Michelin restaurants are selected, here’s how it works: Anonymous Michelin inspectors travel across a given region, awarding the best of the best anywhere from one to three stars. Here in L.A.,

These days, it feels like the going rate for a decently made restaurant or bar cocktail in L.A. is close to $20. Depending on where you are (cough cough, the Westside), most house drinks start at well over $20. Well, Everson Royce Bar in the Arts District has heard about your budgetary tales of woe, and they’ve answered: As of today, the critically acclaimed bar is offering a new $12 and under menu section that includes cocktails and wines by the glass. And yes, it’s available every night they’re open (Tuesday to Saturday). Photograph: Courtesy E.R.B. We’ve long considered E.R.B. one of the city’s best bars, and its deceptively simple burger is one of the city’s best burgers. The indoor-outdoor patio is perfect for larger groups, and its more premium-priced cocktails have long stayed in the under-$20 “sweet spot” as cocktail prices around town have gone up. But having six new under-$12 cocktails is the new cherry on top at E.R.B.  Photograph: Courtesy Everson Royce Bar Simply constructed, the cocktails are six bar classics: vodka and soda ($10), a bourbon old-fashioned ($12), a margarita ($12), gin and tonic ($10), a mezcal-based grapefruit ranch water ($12) and a pineapple daiquiri ($11). If we know anything about the E.R.B. team, which also runs the relatively new West Altadena Wine and Spirits, the house’s well spirit choices likely aren’t too shabby either. E.R.B. also throws in a $6 can of lager for the beer-inclined. For the debut menu’s wine list, expect six $12 wi

For the first time since debuting in April 1947, the Westside’s iconic Apple Pan will be opening its doors on Mondays, a day of the week that’s been sorely lacking in decent dining options in the years since the pandemic hit. In 2019, original ownership sold the beloved burger-and-pie institution to music industry veteran Irving Azoff and his wife, Shelli, who also own Nate ’n Al’s in Beverly Hills.  To celebrate the expanded hours, the Apple Pan is offering free slices of their apple pie—which we consider one of the city’s best pies—to the first 50 dine-in customers every Monday in March. Yes, that means five opportunities (March 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31) for a free-ish slice of pie—you do have to buy food in order to claim your gratis dessert.  The Apple Pan10801 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064.Beginning March 1, the Apple Pan will be open weekdays, 11am to 11pm, then 11am to midnight on the weekends.

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 (which her mother now presides over 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. Photograph:

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