The Best Restaurants in Los Angeles

Pine & Crane

This beloved restaurant from chef Vivian Ku, with locations in Silverlake and DTLA, has a menu of all hits and no misses. Filled with Taiwanese comfort food staples like three-cup chicken, silky mapo tofu, thick scallion pancakes, and sesame-heavy dan dan noodles, the food is incredibly consistent. It’s great for a solo meal or for a crowd when you don’t feel like cooking dinner and need something that will please even the pickiest of eaters.

Porto’s Bakery & Cafe

They say you can’t have everything in life, but in the case of Porto’s, you can. By ordering for delivery, you can get around the lines at its six locations. This legendary Cuban bakery, which has been around since 1976, is beloved for its crispy beef-stuffed potato balls, iconic guava and cheese strudel, and flaky chicken empanadas. There is no better sight than seeing that yellow box of treats.

Dune

This Middle Eastern restaurant, which has spots in Atwater Village and DTLA, makes excellent hummus, and it’s best enjoyed as part of one of the restaurant’s epic plates which can include jammy 8-minute eggs, crispy falafel, a mound of pickled turnips, crunchy cabbage salad, and tender grilled chicken. Don’t skip out on the sides, either, like the triangles of nicely salty sheep’s milk feta; thick labneh mixed with honey, walnuts, and dried fruit; and the ridiculously good rose-water-infused dates.

Triple Beam Pizza

Chef Nancy Silverton’s Roman pizzeria concept has grown into three locations in Highland Park, Echo Park, and Glendora, and they’re best known for one thing: thin and chewy rectangular pies. You can order most of the pizzas by the quarter, half, or whole, depending on how hungry you are or if you want to mix and match, which I’d argue for. The pizza topping combinations here are creative — thin roasted fennel, sausage, and goat cheese, or the Korean-barbecue-inspired pie finished with tangy Korean barbecue sauce and lots of shredded Napa cabbage.

Cofax Coffee

This coffee shop on Fairfax and crafts a great cappuccino and iced vanilla latte. It also serves up some of the best breakfast burritos in the greater Los Angeles area: They come loaded with fillings like fluffy scrambled egg, crispy tater tots, smoked chorizo hash, and pickled jalapeños, with plenty of powerful salsa on the side. You can even add a few of their frozen burritos to your order to keep on hand for the next time a craving hits.

HomeState

In the world of mediocre breakfast tacos, be a HomeState. There are now eight locations of the Texas-rooted chain across Los Angeles, including Pasadena and Hollywood, which is great news. That means even more people have access to a stack of wonderfully tender flour tortillas, plus well-balanced breakfast tacos bursting with creamy charro beans and Beeler’s bacon. The restaurant also has great non-breakfast tacos and a vat of queso you’ll want to double up on.

Sunright Tea Studio

Los Angeles has tons of boba options, and Sunright Tea Studio is one of the best. It doesn’t use fake syrups or powders, and makes all of the drinks with high-quality tea and perfectly chewy tapioca bubbles. The chain now has 20 locations in Southern California (and that number is rapidly growing) in places like Little Tokyo and Koreatown, with customers lining up for the thoughtfully crafted drinks. My go-to’s: the grapefruit jasmine tea (with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice); the Hokkaido milk tea, which has deep butterscotch notes and pairs well with the honey boba; and the matcha brûlée oat milk latte.

Luv2Eat Thai Cuisine

This Hollywood staple has mastered classic Thai delivery dishes like pad see ew, tom yum soup, and green curry. For the real magic, scroll down to the chef’s specials section of the menu which has harder-to-find dishes. Get the roasted duck fried rice, bright green jade noodles with crispy pork, and raw crab salad tossed in a spicy lime dressing when you see them. They’ll soon become a regular of your ordering rotation.

Lunasia

You could brave the weekend lines at this popular dim sum parlor with locations in Pasadena, Alhambra, and Torrance, or you could order it to your couch and never look back. Get the heavy hitters, like the plump shrimp-stuffed har gow, jumbo pork-filled siu mai, and crispy rectangles of pan-fried turnip cake. Save room for the tender pan-fried string beans (for health!), sweet and sour spare ribs, plus some wontons in chili oil for “dessert.”

Jon & Vinny’s

What hasn’t already been said about the perennially popular Jon & Vinny’s? This Italian-American mainstay — now open for almost a decade — is especially known for its in-house spicy fusilli, made with vodka, basil, and parm. But Jon & Vinny’s isn’t just about the pasta; it’s open all day, meaning you can have nutella toast and buttermilk pancakes for breakfast, and then order the classics like chicken parm and rigatoni bolognese (simmered for six hours!) for lunch and dinner. Add some wine, too; business partner Helen Johannesen knows what she’s doing. Perhaps opt for the “Trust Fall” and leave it in her hands.

Kismet Rotisserie

While the namesake rotisserie chicken is a definite must-order at this fast-casual concept with three locations — Studio City, Hollywood, and Culver City — from the chefs behind Kismet, the vegetables here are the real stars. You’ll understand when you bite into the wedge salad dressed with a miso poppy vinaigrette, the roasted cabbage with yogurt, and the schmaltzy potatoes, which are extra crisp on the outside and velvety on the inside. The Big Green Sandwich, stuffed with market greens, cucumbers, chickpeas, and broccoli, is a great meatless option, too, when you want something heartier.

Katsu Sando

This Chinatown sandwich shop turns out some of the best katsu in the city. The namesake sando comes with either chicken, pork, or portobello mushroom, which are then deep-fried, topped with yuzu-kosho dressing and katsu sauce, then stacked on fluffy honey milk bread. But don’t sleep on the non-katsu sandwich options too, like the surprisingly balanced honey walnut shrimp sando or the refreshingly light seasonal fruit sando stuffed with fresh fruit and whipped yuzu cream.

Din Tai Fung

There are several reasons why Din Tai Fung, which has two locations in L.A. (Glendale and Century City), has a cult following around the globe. The international chain is best known for its superior dumplings which are all wrapped in a delicate dough with the signature 18 pleats. They’re flush with flavorful fillings, from the Kurobuta pork xiao long bao buoyant with a super savory broth to the bright green vegan dumplings stuffed with a balanced mix of glass noodles, bok choy, and shiitake mushrooms. Don’t stop at the dumplings, though. Round out your feast with homemade egg noodles tossed in a nutty sesame sauce and bright chili oil, or the chewy Shanghai rice cakes stir-fried with chicken, cabbage, and soy sauce. And for dessert? More dumplings, formed with mochi dough wrapped around a rich chocolate truffle.

Honey Hi

This charming, sunny Echo Park restaurant cranks out vibrant and seasonal dishes that all happen to be gluten-free. Try one of the bowls, like the Breakfast Bowl with sweet potato hash, mashed avocado, and a poached farm egg; or the Community Bowl which features a bed of forbidden black rice topped with marinated kale and cinnamon-roasted kuri squash. The stars of the menu, however, are the diner-style pancakes made from Carolina gold rice and toasted oat flour, topped with coconut whipped cream. They pair well with one of the many thick smoothie options like the Merman, a blend of coconut meat, mint, spirulina, and chlorella.

Heng Heng Chicken Rice

It might surprise many to know that one of Los Angeles’s temples to chicken is actually run by a former vegan. At Heng Heng, chef Eve Ramasoot cooks a Thai version of Hainanese chicken where the bird is poached in a flavorful broth rippling with white pepper and served on a pile of zippy garlic rice. It might not be as famous, but the sleeper hit here is the crispy zaab chicken, chicken marinated in a seriously punchy lime-and-lemongrass mix, then fried perfectly.

Hangari Kalguksu

There is often a line snaking out the door of this Koreatown restaurant, which specializes in one thing: kalguksu. This brothy Korean soup bobbing with super chewy knife-cut noodles is deeply comforting, especially on a rainy Los Angeles night, and has various broth options including chicken, anchovy, or clam. For vegans and vegetarians, there are cold noodles and vegetable-heavy bibimbap.  

Gjelina Take Away

The takeout operation from the team behind beloved Venice restaurant Gjelina offers a robust menu of wood-fired pizzas, sandwiches, pastries, and many, many farmers’ market sides. After all, Gjelina was on the farmers’-market-driven restaurant train before it was even a train. If you’re looking to treat yourself, order the Wagyu brisket banh mi, the guanciale pizza balanced with green olives and Fresno chiles, or the chicken Parmesan plate flanked by garlic bread and burrata. Don’t forget to add a few pastries for dessert (get the miso date cookie if you see it).

Mini Kabob

The name of this Armenian institution in Glendale is incredibly accurate: Mini Kabob’s physical location is quite small in size, though the flavors are major. The Martirosyan family makes incredibly juicy beef lule kabob and pan-seared chicken cutlet. They’re best eaten with an order of the eggplant caviar — a fire-roasted eggplant and bell pepper purée — and the golden fried potatoes. 

Teddy’s Red Tacos

It’s all about the birria at Teddy’s Red Taco’s, which now has 10 locations, including Echo Park and Venice Beach. Teddy’s specializes in beef birria, as opposed to the more traditional goat, but do not fret, there is still tons of flavor packed into each bite. The move is the Deluxe Plate, which comes with a taco, mulita, tostada, quesadilla, tortilla chips, and an 8-ounce cup of flavor-packed consommé for dunking. It’s best paired with an agua fresca in flavors like pineapple and horchata.

Badmaash

When you’re craving North Indian classics like creamy butter chicken, verdant saag paneer, and samosas with diced and spiced potatoes, it’s time to order from Badmaash. Run by brothers Nakul and Arjun Mahendro and their father Pawan, Badmaash’s three locations — Fairfax and DTLA — have long been staples on the Los Angeles Indian food scene. Along with the classics, Badmaash also serves up a few more modern options like a chili cheese naan and a poutine with channa masala, or stewed chickpeas.

Sticky Rice

Sticky Rice, which has outposts in DTLA, Echo Park, Highland Park, and La Brea, makes some of the best Thai takeout in the city. The papaya salad is super fresh; the khao soi is wonderfully savory and comes brimming with toppings like pickled mustard greens and chili oil; and the crab fried rice is packed with mounds of tender crab meat. There is no wrong order.

Destroyer

This Culver City coffee shop is made for breakfast lovers looking to go beyond their usual BEC, and perhaps order a Danish stuffed with Gruyère and duck ham, or a waffle made with sweet potato and topped with fermented pepper jam and a cheese emulsion, or the house-made coconut yogurt bowl topped with candied beets, tapioca pearls, and vanilla-almond oil. Welcome to chef Jordan Kahn’s mind! While some menu items seem unexpected, they are all worth ordering. 

Night + Market Song

At chef Kris Yenbamroong’s now-iconic Thai restaurant in Silverlake, the pad kee mao has strips of smoked pastrami alongside the wok-fried rice noodles. There’s a fried chicken sandwich that comes crowned with papaya slaw and house ranch dressing, and lettuce-less salads in the form of nam khao tod, a crispy rice salad with soured pork, raw ginger, and cilantro. This restaurant is for anyone who appreciates layers of flavor and riffs on more traditional Thai dishes.

Burgerlords

There is something for almost everyone at Burgerlords, the playful burger shop with locations in Chinatown and Highland Park. While there are beef burgers on the menu, the real draw are the vegetarian and vegan options: the house-made plant-based patty packed with grains and nuts and the super crispy tofu nuggets, which are great dunked in the vegan ranch dressing. Pro tip: You can order packs of Burgerlords’ housemade vegan hot dogs and burger patties to keep on hand in your freezer.

Messob Ethiopian

Messob is one of the first Ethiopian spots in LA, and this three-decade old restaurant in Little Ethiopia remains a reliable staple. The best way to maximize the vast menu is to order one of the combo platters. They come with several comforting stew options like doro wat, or chicken cooked in a red pepper sauce; piles of spongy injera; and steamed vegetables like yater alica, or peas cooked with onions, garlic, and ginger.

Jinya Ramen

When you want a big bowl of brothy noodles, Jinya is the spot, regardless of your dietary preferences. There’s spicy chicken ramen with chicken chashu and spinach, shrimp wonton ramen made with a pork and shrimp broth, and the Vegan Red Fire Opal, a plant-based option with a yuzu hot-and-sour broth and lots of tofu. The six Southern California locations, including Burbank and Topanga, also have a packed menu of savory sides like corn tempura, Impossible meat stuffed gyoza, and spicy tuna tacos served in crispy wonton shells.

Bistro Na’s

This restaurant in Temple City has one of the largest and most interesting Chinese menus in the city. While you can find fried rice and kung pao shrimp, it’s worth making sure your cart is filled with the restaurant’s less commonly known dishes. For fans of offal, there is intestine sautéed with garlic, and chili beef tripe and aorta stir-fried with endive and scallions. For those looking for something a bit more vegetable-forward, get crispy “Secret Tofu,” which comes with a scallop sauce for dipping.

Pizzana

Chef Daniele Uditi is making some of the best Neapolitan-style pies in Los Angeles. They’ve got just the right amount of chew, thanks to the dough’s slow rise process. On the menu, there’s classics like the Margherita and the Pepperoni, both layered with fior di latte cheese, but the power move is the Cacio e Pepe, which transforms the classic pasta into the ultimate pizza. It comes topped with lots of cheese, a Parmigiano crema, and a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper. Pizzana, which now has five Los Angeles locations from Brentwood to Silverlake, happens to be very vegan-friendly too, with a couple of stellar dairy-free pie options.

Sasabune

You may not always be able to sneak out for a proper omakase, but that doesn’t mean fancy sushi cannot come to you. There’s nigiri made with super fresh seafood like scallops and albacore. The Glendale restaurant will even deliver a make-your-own-hand-roll option if you’re in a more DIY mood with blue crab and bluefin tuna. Plus, there’s plenty of fun sake options you can add to your cart to complete your meal. 

Mochinut

It’s perhaps dangerous to know that you can get Mochinut’s mochi doughnuts delivered to your door. The love child of a classic American doughnut and Japanese mochi, the dessert is made from sweet glutinous rice flour, then fried to chewy perfection. The shop, which has several locations including in Koreatown and DTLA, often rotates its flavors, but some of my favorites include Nutella, black sesame, mango, and Oreo matcha.

Bagel + Slice

As the name indicates, this Highland Park gem sells both great bagels and pizza by the slice. There’s several bagel sandwiches on the menu, including that NYC bodega staple the bacon, egg, and cheese. Except, this version is jazzed up with a layer of pistachio pesto and bacon-chili crisp. The pizza slices are also quite generous in size and come with toppings options like chicken meatballs, pepperoni with house-pickled jalapeños, and even a vegan vodka slice made with vegan cheese and a mushroom-based fennel sausage. 

The Apple Pan

Since 1947, this West LA institution has been serving up classic burgers and diner-style pies, and it’s still going strong. It’s best known for the Hickory Burger — a thin, coarse-ground patty that comes piled high with mayonnaise, pickles, and lettuce and a swipe of tangy and slightly sweet house sauce. There are slices of classic pie flavors like apple, banana cream, and pecan. If you aren’t in the mood for a burger, the tuna melt is also a favorite.      

Bé Ù

The menu at Bé Ù is packed with Vietnamese comfort food superstars. There’s a creamy chicken rice porridge made with house-made chicken stock and garnished with fried shallots, popcorn chicken that is double-fried, and fried curry leaves. Try the Bắp Nướng, or grilled corn topped with scallion oil, crushed peanuts, and a spicy aioli. If you’re feeling extra hungry, get the pandan waffle that arrives from the Silverlake restaurant with two double-fried chicken wings and house whipped salted butter.

Tacos 1986

The tacos are incredible at Tacos 1986, which has seven locations around Los Angeles, but don’t skip over the other menu items. Try the adobada perron, a small flour tortilla topped with melted cheese, pieces of marinated pork, guacamole, salsa morita, and pinto beans, or the mushroom vampiro, a small corn tostada topped with melted cheese, sautéed mushroom, salsa, guacamole, and crowned with another corn tostada. Make sure to add a few bottles of their horchata to your cart, too.

Taste of Tehran

There’s no shortage of great Persian food options in Los Angeles, but Taste of Tehran in Westwood is one of the best. They nail the classics day-in and day-out. The menu is packed with the Persian greatest hits: meat skewers like beef koobideh, chicken kabob, and filet mignon shish kabob; shirazi salad, which is loaded with chopped cucumber and tomato; and tahdig, a disc of super crispy rice that is a Persian speciality.

Maple Block Meat Co

The wood-smoked meats — thick pork spare ribs, honey Sriracha chicken wings, and fatty brisket — tend to be the calling card of this Culver City barbecue restaurant. While it’s easy to focus on the proteins, don’t underestimate the sides: ranch beans tossed with toasted chiles and brisket bark, creamy potato salad jazzed up with mustard and chives, and tender corn bread served with a generous amount of whipped honey butter.

Maison Matho

The magic at chef Daniel Matho’s Melrose Avenue restaurant is in the details. The menu might be filled with standard-looking sandwiches and sides, but there’s more to them than meets the eye. The team bakes the baguettes in-house every day and transforms them into classics like a jambon beurre stuffed with super-thin slices of Parisian-style ham, a generous amount of high-quality butter, and tiny cornichons for punch. The coffee menu includes a pink praline latte infused with vanilla bean and orange blossom. Even the side of grapefruit is far from boring: It arrives brûléed and topped with celery oil and candied cocoa beans.

Katsu-Ya

There are 25 restaurants within the Katsu-Ya Group — chef Katsuya knows what he's doing when it comes to fresh sushi. At Sushi Katsu-Ya, with locations all over the Los Angeles area, you can keep it classic (California roll, yellowtail, salmon, etc.) or go for a special roll like the popcorn shrimp with spicy tuna roll (yes, please). Don't miss the crispy rice with spicy tuna — its one of the most ordered dishes for a reason.

Bay Cities Italian Deli and Bakery

There are few better places in Los Angeles to grab a sandwich than this no-frills Santa Monica institution. The sandwiches are straightforward and include options like turkey, caprese, and the Godmother, which comes piled high with salami, mortadella, ham, and provolone. Be sure to order them with “the works,” so they’re generously loaded with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and mild or hot peppers. Don’t skip the dinner specials, which include Italian-American favorites like lasagna and chicken Parmesan — a plate, not a sandwich.