LA’s food scene is monstrous, and this list was laborious. Start 2020 off right with a visit to some of the city’s top restaurants. Whether you’re thinking of moving to LA or you’re already a local, you’ll want to reach deep into your pockets and experience these 10 best culinary delights in Los Angeles.
Bestia
Let’s kick off this “best of LA” list with a restaurant that literally has “best” in its name. Acclaimed husband-and-wife team Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis put the Downtown Arts District on the map as a dining destination and set the bar for Italian food in LA with this trendy yet iconic warehouse restaurant. Opened in 2012, Bestia still requires reservations weeks in advance. The straightforward but innovative menu highlights creative seasonal fare.
Start with the Italian-inspired wine list and the chef’s selection of house-cured meats served with grilled bread. Then, order a pizza, like the spicy alla ‘nduja, cooked in the wood-burning oven that serves as the restaurant’s centerpiece. Save room for pasta, though! The cavatelli alla Norcia—ricotta dumplings served with housemade pork sausage, black truffles, and sprinkled with parmesan’s cousin, grana padano, is a crowd favorite. Gergis creates iconic desserts, so don’t leave without trying the chocolate budino tart.
Bavel
You’re going to think Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis are paying us to say this, but they’re not. They really do own two of the best restaurants in the city—not just DTLA. Bavel is the dynamic duo’s second act. The Middle Eastern restaurant’s comfort cuisine is inspired by the pair’s familial roots in Israel, Morocco, Turkey, and Egypt. The space is bright and airy, with vines hanging from the ceiling and an open kitchen.
Bring a big group so you can try all of the amazing appetizers. You must have the silky-smooth hummus and pita (the duck nduja version is delish as well). Another signature starter is the malawach—crispy layered bread made from ancient grains is topped with grated green tomato, dill crème fraîche, soft-boiled egg, and a sweet and spicy strawberry zhoug, a hot sauce condiment used in Yemen. Don’t forget the oyster mushroom kebab and the grilled prawns! After you’ve stuffed yourself with starters, save room for shawarma, which is made with slow-roasted lamb neck. One of LA’s best bars, Broken Shaker, is nearby, so head there afterward for rooftop cocktails and a view of DTLA.
Felix Trattoria
For a town that’s scared of carbs, LA sure does have a lot of marvelous pasta places these days. Felix is Latin for “happy” or “lucky,” which is how you’ll feel as soon as the sfincione bread hits the table. Evan Funke’s handmade pasta takes you straight from Abbot Kinney to Italia.
Whet your appetite with a Negroni or a spritz and put in an order of the delicately fried squash blossoms with ricotta cream. Peruse the wine list for a mildly funky Italian vino by the bottle or glass to pair with your ragu Bolognese over hand-cut pappardelle, sprinkled with 24-month Parmigiano Reggiano. If you’d rather visit Rome than Bologna, try the tonnarelli cacio e pepe. The simple dish makes the fresh pasta the star of the show, dressed in black pepper and pecorino fulvi cheese. For “secondi,” turn to a pork chop from Peads and Barnetts or steak from Napa’s Five Dot Ranch. Of course, there’s always pizza, too. End the night with some smooth, silky, and not-too-sweet tiramisu that you’ll be dreaming of until your return.
Gjusta
Speaking of Abbot Kinney and…Venice…Gjusta is Gjelina’s artisanal bakery. Yet another spot that flies in the face of Angelenos aversion to pastries and bread, this nondescript warehouse is home to some of the best baked goods in the city. Doubling as a modern deli, all of the bakery’s bread is prepared onsite.
Once you navigate the notoriously frustrating ordering system, treat yourself to sliced fruit enveloped in sugar-glazed dough or a flaky pastry for breakfast. (If you’re looking for more of a bottomless brunch vibe, head down the street to Bacardi PDR) For lunch, you can’t go wrong with any of the deli sandwiches, but they also have a nice spread of salads and smoked fish platters. The crowd dies down at dinner when a small menu is available. You can BYO wine or imbibe in a refreshingly minty limeade. Plus, once you’re done eating, you’ll be in one of LA’s most popular neighborhoods, so you’ll have plenty of options for keeping the night going.
Mariscos Jalisco
In the past couple of decades, Mariscos Jalisco went from a food truck to Michelin Guide restaurant. The iconic Jalisco-inspired fried shrimp tacos became an LA institution long before owner Raul Ortega opened his first brick-and-mortar location in Pomona in 2018. The food truck that started it all can still be found parked on East Olympic Boulevard in Boyle Heights.
One of the best tacos in Los Angeles, the San Juan de Los Lagos tacos (get a plate) feature shrimp fried to golden perfection, topped with creamy slices of avocado and housemade red salsa. Cold seafood dishes such as shucked oysters and spicy ceviche round out the menu. The small, no-frills restaurant seats 30 with limited parking.
n/naka
Chef-owner Niki Nakayama brings the traditional Japanese art of kaiseki to Angelenos. The culinary practice emphasizes the balance and seasonality of a dish. The technique, based on different cooking techniques that protect the integrity of the ingredients, originated in Buddist monasteries. Nakayama modernizes traditional Japanese kaiseki by using local ingredients in her multi-course prix-fixe dinners.
As seen in Netflix’s Chef’s Table, Nakayama’s plating of textures, temperatures, and tastes is an art in and of itself. To see (and taste!) it in real life, reservations for the Palms restaurant must be made months in advance. The only decisions you have to make is whether you want the 13-course menu to be vegetarian or not—paired with wine and sake or non-alcoholic beverages. Be prepared to spend two to three hours tasting your way through the daily menu, which could include a glass filled with sea urchin, a lobster in a bath of chilled dashi, sashimi, spaghettini with abalone, seared Monterey Bay scallops, pickled cod roe, or maybe some Burgundian truffles.
Nightshade
Top Chef winner Chef Mei Lin’s seasonal Asian-Californian cuisine can be found in her first flagship in LA’s Downtown Arts District. A young, diverse, and eclectic crowd sits under hanging vines and brass fixtures in the bright, airy, and modern space. Lin’s modern takes on Chinese classics masterfully balance the five elements of taste, prompting GQ and TimeOut to dole out “best of” accolades to Nightshade in 2019.
Influenced by her world travels, Lin trots the globe of flavor profiles while paying homage to her roots to create some of the most crave-able and inventive in LA. Nightshade’s signature dishes can be described as innovative, playful, creative, and intuitive. Rectangles of shrimp toast are carefully placed in Cantonese curry. Bay scallops get a housemade coconut vinaigrette treatment as they sit in a cilantro broth for a dish that is sweet, sour, and bright. We could go on and on. Just stick around to experience pastry chef Max Boonthanakit’s ethereal desserts.
Pizzana
Daniele Uditi’s Neapolitan style pizza will make you wonder if you’re actually in Naples or Napa. Some ingredients are sourced from Italy, while others come from California’s bounty. The foundation of the perfect pie is Uditi’s signature dough, which takes days to prepare and keeps the crowds coming back for more. Decadent toppings range from braised short rib to Norcia black truffles. The menu also features salads, antipasti, wood-fired vegetables, seasonal specials, and dessert, accompanied by a curated list of beer and Italian and Californian wines.
Spago
We can’t get through this list without Wolfgang Puck’s classic Beverly Hills bistro. The iconic LA fine-dining institution is still going strong since before some of us were born. Spago’s menu of creative contemporary Californian cuisine is ever-changing, but the famous smoked salmon pizza and tartare are always available. The sleek, sprawling space is worth a visit just to sit at the bar, but you’d be remiss to miss out on the five-star service and handmade agnolotti.
Republique
The list wouldn’t be complete without a restaurant Francaise. Republique remains an LA go-to since it opened in 2014. Located on La Brea, the incredible, striking space is reminiscent of a French église (that’s church for you non-Francophiles) if not for the communal tables.
Experienced chefs and restaurateurs Walter and Margarita Manzke’s modern take on French cooking traditions are innovative and indulgent. Republique serves brunch, lunch, and dinner, plus there’s a bakery and cocktail bar. If you do go for brunch on the cafe and bakery side, schedule a nap afterward. You won’t feel like doing much after spoiling yourself with a pork belly sausage breakfast sandwich or the fried chicken and waffles, which comes with gravy and pickled Fresno chiles.
If you’re not an Angeleno, these restaurants probably made you want to become one. Search thousands of Los Angeles apartments on Zumper and find the one that will make this city home for you.
Contenu associé
