Los Angeles may get a rep for its green juices and grain bowls, but the food scene here is so much more than that. (OK, there is a juice spot on this list — the estimable Naturewell Juice — but the point still stands.) You’ll find California’s fresh, local produce inspiring many a menu here, as well as chefs drawing from their heritage and putting a modern, coastal spin on traditional flavors. Our diners know what’s good, so to come up with our list of the best restaurants in Los Angeles, we simply took a look at your favorite places. Behold: the top restaurants you’re ordering from, ranked in order of popularity.
1. Kismet Rotisserie (Hollywood Boulevard)
Chefs Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson aren’t shy with the Aleppo pepper at Kismet, their popular restaurant inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean. Flaky flatbreads, mountains of mezze, and grilled seasonal vegetables all complement each other like a well-choreographed musical — don’t make us pick a star. (Okay, it’s the lemony chicken and pine nut phyllo pies.)
2. Triple Beam Pizza (Highland Park)
Triple Beam Pizza covers all the bases with Roman-style pizza, inventive focaccia, and great wine. The dough here is thinner and packs more crunch than traditional Neapolitan pizza, and all of their pies are also available gluten free.
3. Pine & Crane (Griffith Park Blvd.)
This fast-casual spot offers authentic Taiwanese fare, like Dan Dan noodles and spicy shrimp wontons. The scallion pancake is simple and comforting and pairs well with vegetarian or pork mapo tofu for a spicy, savory meal.
4. Joy
Inspired by the street food culture of Taiwan, Joy’s menu is chock-full of standouts like slack-season noodles and minced pork on rice. The Joy Combo — a bundle including a scallion bread sandwich, cup of soup, cold appetizer, and shaken tea — is an ideal choice for folks who want to try a little bit of everything.
5. Honey Hi
Honey Hi offers healthful, artful fare that’s gluten free, seasonal, and local. The menu celebrates global food cultures, so you’ll find everything from halloumi cheese to a miso bowl that’s filled to the brim with rainbow carrots, daikon, and jasmine rice.
6. Pho Cafe (Sunset Blvd)
Pho Cafe’s eponymous pho lives up to the hype. The steaming bowls of noodles, sliced meat, and veggies swirling in house-made broth are filling, flavorful, and customizable to your own tastes. There are eight types to choose from and a slew of ingredient choices to help you craft your perfect bowl.
7. Gingergrass (Silverlake)
Gingergrass spans the wonderful world of Vietnamese cooking with steamy bowls of pho, crispy imperial rolls stuffed with crab and shrimp, shaking beef made with strips of melting filet mignon and high-heat chiles, banh mi, fresh summer rolls, and clay pots brimming with curry.
8. Jon & Vinny's (North Fairfax Ave.)
Jon & Vinny’s provides all-day service, starting with Handlebar coffee and ending with red-sauce-joint favorites like Margherita pizza. Regulars also rave about the decadent, stick-to-your-ribs spaghetti with six-hour bolognese and ricotta ravioli — all made in-house.
9. Dune - Atwater Village
Dune is beloved for its creative Mediterranean fare. Its signature item — the organic chickpea falafel — is filling and flavorful, and can be enjoyed as a plate, a sandwich, or on its own. The Meze Plate, perfect for folks who want a little bit of everything, offers a choice of meat alongside a spread of hummus, pickled vegetables, and condiments.
10. Little Dom's (Los Angeles)
With its old Hollywood, old-school Italian-American vibe, Little Dom’s is a Los Feliz neighborhood favorite. For a fun night in, get the pizza-making kit that comes with everything you need to whip up a couple Margherita pies. The meatball sandwich with provolone and the chicken Parmesan are also delicious.
11. HomeState (Hollywood Blvd.)
HomeState is a destination for those in search of queso, brisket, and Texas-style tacos done right. Breakfast tacos, like the Guadalupe with organic eggs, chorizo, and cheddar, or the Lonestar — crispy corn strips topped with scrambled eggs, brisket, and cheddar — are top sellers. Top it off with a housemade margarita to go.
12. Speranza (Hyperion Ave.)
Speranza is a pasta-lover's dream. Get a meaty rigatoni alla Bolognese or a classic spaghetti al pomodoro or maybe even a signature pesto lasagna. Insalata mista or the spinaci add a dose of greens, and of course an Italian meal isn’t complete without tiramisu for dessert.
13. Cosa Buona
Cosa Buona in Echo Park offers a fresh take on the neighborhood pizzeria. Go with a square BBQ chicken Sicilian or round VEG supreme with Cosa Buona’s signature spotted crust. Pair your pick with a bottle from their stellar wine list.
14. Din Tai Fung (Caruso Ave.)
Din Tai Fung is internationally famous for their xiao long bao, broth-filled dumplings stuffed with meaty, umami fillings and steamed in a bamboo basket. If you’re looking for heat, get the wontons served with signature spicy sauce. Vegetarians love the vegetable & mushroom buns with bean curd and baby bok choy.
15. Tartine - Silver Lake
Tartine is inarguably one of the best bakeries in the world, with a commitment to healthful ingredients and impeccable sourcing. Start with a loaf of rustic sourdough bread — truly the stuff of dreams. Try it with good butter and jam. For a healthy lunch,we love the salmon tartine.
16. Kitchen Mouse (North Figueroa St.)
There is something for everyone, even the little ones, on this breezy, SoCal menu. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but we love Mikey's Chilaquiles or their famous buckwheat House Pancakes. You can get just about anything vegan or gluten-free.
17. Maury's
Maury’s serves chewy, fresh-baked bagels, plus classic sandwiches, smoked fish, and assorted shmears, to lines of LA locals every day. Check out the DIY Brunch Special — 10 bagels, plain and scallion cream cheese, 1/2 pound of lox, 1/2 pound of whitefish salad, red onions, dill cucumbers, and capers.
18. Masa of Echo Park (Sunset Blvd.)
Masa serves two styles of pizza: Chicago-style deep dish and thin-crust bistro style. Get one of each, like the Lots of Meat deep-dish and the cheesy, garlic-y Cerro Gordo thin crust. Head’s up, vegans: Masa has a whole menu for you.
19. Amara Kitchen
From vegan to gluten free to paleo, diners with various dietary preferences will find something good here. Using locally sourced, organic ingredients, the kitchen whips up healing bone broth, buckwheat pancakes, crisp salads, and more. The Amara burrito is our pick, with avocado, roasted purple potatoes, salsa verde, cilantro, in a hearty brown rice wrap.
20. What the Fish (Hyperion Ave.)
For some of the best sushi on the East side, order the classics like spicy tuna rolls, seaweed salad and miso soup. The Lunch or Dinner Sushi Combinations come with five or seven pieces of sushi and a side of soup.
21. BADMAASH
BADMAASH — which translates to “naughty or notorious person” in Hindi — combines Indian street food and Toronto pub fare with a hint of fine French and Italian cuisine. Chicken tikka poutine, aka fries topped with tandoori chicken tikka, cheese curds, and brown gravy, is the ultimate late-night snack.
22. Gjusta (Venice)
Gjusta is paradise in the form of a deli, sandwich shop, bakery, juice bar, and coffeehouse under one roof. The croque madame is satisfying yet elegant, and the mushroom bowl is a savory staple. Gjusta also offers a unique array of spreads and dips, including black olive tapenade, green cheese pesto, scallion labneh, and burrata whip.
23. Woon
This family-run establishment is turning out modern homestyle Chinese food. All the traditional favorites are here, like pork belly baos and fried rice, but with a few cheffy twists. Their scallion pancakes are a revelation.
24. Mixto
Mixto manages to be both healthy and satisfying. With a Mexican-inspired menu full of salads, tacos, and bowls, there is something for all. If we’re feeling extra hungry, we’ll go with one of their protein heavy, free-range chicken or grass-fed carne asada bowls. They come with all the good stuff, rice, beans, avocado and an ample serving of cotija.
25. Silverlake Ramen (Sunset)
This is the spot for rich bowls of tonkotsu — flavorful, slow-cooked broth, veggies, and noodles. If you’re not a meat-eater, rest assured that the veggie ramen is not an afterthought. For variety, try the crispy chicken karaage with Sriracha mayo and a side of buttery mushrooms.
26. Forage
At Forage, the focus is pretty direct: Food that’s simple, real, and good to eat. We love the chicken coconut curry with potatoes and broccoli and the seared salmon bowl with brown rice and garlic kale. As an added bonus, you can order your dried pasta, and cheese from the menu’s Bottega section.
27. Sage Plant Based Bistro & Brewery (Echo Park)
Sage was a pioneer in the vegan comfort food revolution. The brunch is legendary with veganified classics like breakfast burritos, The All American Scramble, and sweet potato pancakes. No matter what time of day it is, we highly recommend an order of the gooiest baked mac 'n cheese' that no one would ever know is vegan.
28. Angelini Osteria & Alimentari
Angelini Osteria has been serving old-school Italian fare like pasta, panini, and gelato, all made in-house. Start with the chopped salad, then try the arancini filled with rice, peas, and mozzarella. Fresh pasta dishes, including the tagliolini al limone with lemon and cream and tagliatelle Bolognese with beef and pork ragu, are inspired takes on classics.
29. Fat Dragon (Sunset Blvd.)
Fresh ingredients cooked with care are the star of this steadfast favorite for elevated Chinese comfort food (read: flavor-forward). We get Mary’s orange chicken, Dragon noodles, and spicy wontons bathed in fiery lip-licking chili oil every time.
30. Sticky Rice Echo Park (Sunset Blvd.)
Sticky Rice has been serving Thai wok-fried noodles, soups, curries, and salads to avid LA eaters since 2013. Start with the spicy Thai basil fried rice, or the khao soi curry soup with both soft and crispy egg noodles. The braised beef panang curry with coconut rice has just the right amount of kick.
31. Son of a Gun (West 3rd St.)
Son of a Gun serves elevated interpretations of classic seaside dishes. The chilled peel-and-eat shrimp come with a bright lime-mustard sauce, the lobster rolls are finished with celery and lemony aioli, and the smoked mahi dip, served with crackers, celery, and radish, is simple and artfully prepared. The fried chicken sandwich is a not-so-sleeper hit.
32. DeSano Pizza (Santa Monica Blvd.)
DeSano Pizza uses wood-burning ovens imported from Italy, double zero Polselli flour, San Marzano tomatoes, and special salt flown in weekly from Naples and Campania. Get the Carnevale Pizza with sausage, scamorza cheese, and mozzarella di bufala. The San Gennaro is also a must-try, loaded with sausage, Peppadew peppers, buffalo mozz, and caramelized onion.
33. Naturewell Juice
Naturewell has all the juice bar classics like tropical acai bowls, banana-filled hemp protein smoothies, and All Greens juice packed with kale, spinach, parsley and every other green vegetable you could think of. If none of those strike your fancy, go ahead and get a Make Your Own.
34. Wax Paper (Frogtown)
This sandwich shop with menu items named after NPR hosts clearly doesn’t take itself too seriously.We love the avocado and cheddar-filled Ira Glass or the classic turkey, aka the Terry Gross. There’s also some of the best ice cream in the city here: the BirthdayDipped Soft Serve is a must.
35. Night + Market (Weho)
Chef Kris Yenbamroong specializes in modern takes on traditional Thai street food. Get the hot and sour tom khar chicken soup, nam khao tod with crispy rice and pork, and chicken grapow with Thai basil, chili and garlic. Western favorites like pad thai and pad see ew are also expertly prepared.
36. Belle's Bagels
If you’re craving a New York bagel and you know, maybe don’t want to hop on an airplane, Belle’s is the spot. They’ve got a half dozen of those chewy, everything bagels coming right to your doorstep. Or maybe go for one of their sandwiches, a bacon, egg & cheese is always a good choice. Don’t forget a side of cream cheese: They have five flavors.
37. India's Restaurant
This east side restaurant has a menu of expertly prepared favorites like chicken tikka masala and saag paneer. The mango lassi is divine, and the Combination Dinners are a great option for sharing, available for meat eaters and vegetarians alike.
38. M Cafe (Melrose Ave)
This plant-focused, Japanese-influenced spot has been a Melrose Avenue staple for well over a decade. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free eaters will be content with this menu that skips the red meat, eggs, refined sugars, or dairy products. Regulars love the teriyaki bowl, crispy Brussels sprouts, and deli salad selections.
