My Favorite Restaurants in Los Angeles

A lot of restaurants in Los Angeles, particularly in my neighborhood, have been closing lately, and it makes me sad. I love having favorite neighborhood spots for food or drinks within walking distance. But to be honest, I haven’t been a good patron. I’ve been on a mission over the last year to reduce my cholesterol, which means eating healthier and eating out less. I haven't been cooking anything particularly fun in my efforts to maintain a healthier diet. I don’t consider my salads, roasted veggies with quinoa, chickpeas, and high-protein tofu dishes to be cooking. This deprivation is making me lose my joy of food! Is that even possible?! I’ve cut back on tacos, beef, pork, fried noodles, chips, donuts, cake, candy, and charcuterie when dining out and at home. Basically, I don’t get any fun dopamine hits anymore. 😭 Maybe that’s why I’ve been so grumpy! I mean, can you believe I’ve only had tacos twice this ENTIRE year?!

My next physical is scheduled for two weeks from now. I’m crossing my fingers to see some improvement in my cholesterol levels. I’m really trying to be good during this last home stretch, and of course I’m planning on celebrating as soon as I get out of the appointment. I think we should all reward ourselves after doctor appointments, don’t you? Not sure what I want for my reward yet. Maybe a Sidecar Doughnuts’ old fashioned? Ohhh maybe tacos. I miss birria and al pastor! I have some time to think about it and work up the desire. Until then, let’s get my joy of food back! Let’s talk about my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles. They deserve some love and attention because we cannot have any more of my favorite spots closing!

Special Occasion & Elevated Dinner Dates:

If I were celebrating something special or planning a nice dinner, I love going to Bestia and Saffy’s. They are sister restaurants. I’ve taken my parents to both twice now, during their last two visits, and they’ve enjoyed it each time. Bestia is a modern Italian restaurant located in the Arts District in DTLA. It’s a bit far for me, but definitely worth the drive. The restaurant is industrial chic, trendy, and sometimes loud. My favorite regular dishes there are the Peruvian scallops, lobster spaghetti, and the donuts. Beyond those favorites, I love trying one of their salads, another pasta, or a pizza. My mother loves the seabass.

Saffy’s is their Middle Eastern restaurant located in East Hollywood. It’s casual and vibey with an outdoor patio. I love the Peruvian scallops, lobster skewers, kababs, and tagine. I’m not a bread person, and yet I love their challah and laffa bread. The Milk Punch is their best cocktail. They used to have this amazing banana cake with pecans, but they recently took it off the menu and it made me so sad. I loved the banana cake so much! I would order one to enjoy at the restaurant and then another one to take home. They had beets over an eggplant puree that I really enjoyed, but they changed it to tomatoes recently and I didn’t enjoy it as much. When you fall in love with specific dishes, it can be disappointing when the chef decides to change the menu. But it’s okay. I still love them, and I will still come back to try their new additions. I saw Megan Fox and MGK dining here once at the bar, and it gave me a newfound respect for them because they chose a non-sceney place known for its food instead of its celebrity clientele.

Saffy’s has a cafe next door called Saffy’s Coffee & Tea that uses their restaurant patio for breakfast and lunch. The cafe is worth a visit, too. I particularly enjoyed the Swedish Cardamom roll, Arabic breakfast combo, challah French toast, banana pancakes, and chicken shishlik pita.

Bestia and Saffy’s have a third sister restaurant, Bavel, also located in the Arts District. I’ve been twice. My first visit was on a date, but at the time, I wasn’t as interested in Middle Eastern food. By my second visit, I had started to appreciate the cuisine more, but I went with a friend who doesn’t eat a lot of meat, so we were a bit limited in what we could order. We had a mushroom skewer dish, a shrimp dish, and one other thing I can’t recall. I need to give it another shot because it’s a really nice, stylish, and lively spot.

All three are great spots for an elevated date night. Keep in mind that the bar area is strictly for dining, not for hanging out or grabbing a drink. If you arrive early for your reservation or as a walk-in and are required to wait, you'll usually have to enjoy your drink outside. At least that has been my experience with Bestia and Saffy’s.

Republique is another great restaurant, located in the Miracle Mile/Larchmont/Hancock Park neighborhood. It’s a contemporary California-French restaurant known for its brunch. I’m not particularly a brunch person, but I do love their artisanal pastries, especially the ube brioche. If you’re headed there for brunch, be sure you go shortly after opening; otherwise be prepared to wait in a long line. I prefer dinner at Republique. I’ve been here for brunch several times, but I’ve only had dinner here once, and it left a lasting impression. I had a delicious corn chowder, watermelon-tomato-burrata salad, corn agnolotti, and strawberry tiramisu. That was my first time trying corn agnolotti. I’ve had it twice more since then—at Bestia and at Cento in West Adams—and I think Republique has the best one. I’ve been thinking about it ever since! The restaurant is located in a unique gothic cathedral-inspired setting. While I’ve enjoyed the food here, it’s not usually my go-to option because it’s a little pricey for a casual rustic-chic vibe, and the setting is not as warm or intimate as I would like. I’ve seen them host wedding events on social media, and it looks to be the perfect backdrop for those occasions, with its high arched ceilings, historic feel, and dramatic architecture. It’s also another great elevated date spot.

Saltie Girl on Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood has become another favorite spot of mine. It originated in Boston, where it’s one of my favorite restaurants. I was so excited when they opened up a location here in LA! It’s a great spot for seafood. I enjoy the crudo, oysters, clam chowder, brown butter lobster roll, and lobster bolognese. The pistachio tiramisu is excellent. Their pastry chef, known on Instagram as SweetBoy, is fantastic. He takes dessert orders through his Sweet Boy website, and his babka is so good. I took myself there for a solo brunch a few weeks ago specifically to try their special chocolate babka French toast after seeing it posted on Instagram. Another woman walked in just before me and also beelined for the bar as if she were on a mission. Coincidentally, she came in solo for the babka French toast too! Aside from that most recent visit, it had been a while since I’d gone there for a proper meal because of, you know, the cholesterol issue. Shellfish, oysters, and chowder aren't exactly the best choices when you're watching your cholesterol. Saltie Girl is a fun date spot. It’s my parents’ favorite restaurant in Boston. The last time I took them was over Christmas break last year, but we were early for our reservation, so we sat downstairs at the bar and ordered drinks. I started chatting with the gentleman sitting next to me who was just passing through Boston for a couple nights. I introduced him to my parents, but sometimes they become mute when talking to strangers, the way toddlers sometimes do. Our table was ready and they headed up before me as I finished my cocktail and my conversation with the stranger. After I joined my parents for dinner, the waitress approached me with a napkin that had his phone number on it, and informed me that the gentleman preordered three desserts for us. She mentioned that he also tipped well. What a sweet gesture! Men, that’s how you court a lady! Just speak sweets to me! 😂

Other Great Date Spots:

Laurel Hardware is an old-time favorite of mine. They have happy hour, a beautiful outdoor patio, and a fun vibe. It’s a good first-date spot for just drinks or dinner, and also a fun place to go with your girlfriends. The food is not fancy, but always reliable and good. I like their duck fried rice, glazed pork ribs, wild mushroom pizza, classic pizza with pepperoni and jalapeno, and maitake mushroom ravioli. I’ve also taken work colleagues and friends from out of town here and they’ve all enjoyed it.

Located on the east side in Silverlake, Bar Besito, formerly Bar Siesta, is a great spot for tapas. The vibe is charming, intimate, lively, and perfect for a date. I had a really good date here once and would highly recommend it. Everything was delicious, but I can’t remember anything we ordered because the date was that good lol. The reason the date went well is because he planned it, made a reservation (great pick), and surprised me. It was really that simple (and yet, so rare). Coincidentally, it happened to be a restaurant I had been meaning to revisit. And for no particular reason at all, I had a feeling he would pick it for our date, and I was really excited when I discovered my hunch was right. I actually screamed and slapped his hand in the car when he told me where we were going. I had dined there for lunch once before, but it had a very limited daytime menu, so I didn’t feel that I really got to experience all the restaurant had to offer. On our date, we were seated at a romantic corner table by the window. Before we even ordered, he gave me an advance warning that we should order two desserts. And I shrieked again. Those were sexy words to my ears. That was all it took to win me over! He proceeded to order a bottle of wine and a generous variety of tapas to share. I love it when a man doesn’t hold back on trying dishes. I love a man who enjoys food, loves trying new restaurants, and gets excited about it the way that I do. All I can remember is that the king trumpet mushrooms were good. Everything else was a blur. And of course I don’t have photos of the food from that night. I don’t take photos of my food during early stage dating because I’m a lady. Duh.😉 It really isn’t that hard to make me happy. I wish more of my dates were like this!

Pizza & Italian:

If you love pizza, you HAVE to check out Pizzeria Sei! It’s my favorite pizza spot. Although they recently opened a new location in Culver City, I prefer the original smaller location on Pico. They’re known for their Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizzas with soft, chewy crusts. The first couple of times I visited, I sat at the counter bar in front of the cooks and the stone oven. I struck up conversations with people sitting next to me, and we ended up trading slices, which helped me try more of their menu more quickly. I love sharing food with strangers and now I’ve adopted this approach at a lot of restaurants whenever I sit at a restaurant bar alone. I once shared food with tourists in San Sebastian, Spain, who shared a standing table with me and even offered me a spoon to try their tortilla Española. I usually never order a margherita pizza because to me it’s quite simple. But here, at Pizzeria Sei, it’s my favorite! Not the regular margherita one on the main menu, but the “margherita special” with buffalo mozzarella on the smaller specials menu. I also really like Ruti’s pizza and the Patate. The original Pico location is very casual and pretty small, with basically a kitchen counter and maybe three or four tables. Try to make a reservation if you can.

Oste and Terroni in Beverly Grove and Osteria La Buca in Larchmont are good spots for casual Italian food that are also great for dates as well. Oste has a smaller menu and serves wine only. Terroni has a bar and patio and is a bit more spacious. Osteria La Buca is intimate and more romantic.

Uovo is an affordable and easy spot for simple, classic Roman Italian dishes. You could even go on a casual quick dinner date here. The menu is simple. I’ve gone solo several times and have ordered take-out. One time, I saw three young women sitting, side by side, at the bar, wearing hoodies, devouring pasta in silence. No conversation, no wine, just water. They looked like college students. I don’t know why, but that image stuck with me. I love seeing people enjoy food without needing to talk. Maybe that’s the introvert in me. I also love seeing women solo dining and enjoying a meal and their own company. When I look at them, I think, wow, that woman really knows how to treat herself well. It makes me happy seeing that. I love dining solo myself because I do know how to treat myself. It’s something I’ve had to learn to do over the years.

You will notice that the majority of my restaurant recommendations are in West Hollywood, Beverly Grove, Koreatown, Hollywood, Silverlake, and the Arts District. I rarely go west to Santa Monica. For some reason, it’s not my cup of tea. I’m not a beach girl and I don’t really enjoy the vibe on that side of town. Maybe I’m still traumatized from the last time my parents and I were racially harassed. Yeah, maybe that has something to do with it. But I have always enjoyed visiting Milo + Olive whenever I’m on that side of town. It’s a cozy, casual neighborhood Italian bakery and pizzeria. It can also be a good casual date spot. The reason I didn’t mention it in my Date Spots section is because it’s not lively. It’s quiet, charming, and has a neighborhood feel. It’s not really a place you trek to for a date, although I did once lol. There have been some other spots on the West Side that I’ve enjoyed, but probably not enough to mention.

Sushi & Seafood:

Lately, I’ve been going to Sushi Fumi for lunch. It’s a small, casual restaurant, but wow, it’s so popular. They don’t accept reservations, and if you don’t arrive shortly after opening for lunch or dinner, you’re bound to wait in a long line out the door. They have a really good lunch special that I enjoy. It’s the Special Combination plate and includes 2 pieces of yellowtail sashimi, 2 pieces of albacore sashimi with crispy onions, 2 pieces of whitefish carpaccio, 1 baked crab handroll, and 4 pieces of spicy tuna with crispy rice served with miso soup for $33. Other lunch specials range from $15-$26 (salmon teriyaki, miso marinated baked cod, sashimi or sushi combos), but the Special Combination includes all my favorites. From the main menu, I like the yellowtail jalapeno sushi, albacore with crispy onions sushi, bluefin tuna with garlic chip sushi, and the scallops with truffle oil sushi. The sashimi versions of these items are good too, but they cost twice as much and come in bigger portions, so they are better options if you’re sharing. I shared them in sushi form, which comes in two pieces, and found them filling because of the rice. Recently, when I was dining solo for lunch, I commented on a dish that a girl sitting next to me was having, and she ended up offering me a spoon of her tuna tartare with truffle oil. It was so sweet. Sharing is caring. 😊

I enjoy Robata Jinya for sushi as well. They have great lunch specials for $24 and a really good happy hour daily from 2pm-6pm. I’m also a fan of their tonkotsu ramen. The restaurant group behind Robata Jinya opened up a trendy restaurant called JINYA in West Hollywood. It’s located in a spot that has had high restaurant turnover, so I’m hoping it will stick. It offers a fun and elevated atmosphere. The menu is more curated with a focus on sushi and grilled meats such as A5 Wagyu beef, and they have happy hour daily as well. Robata Jinya is a good casual date spot and JINYA offers a more fun, elevated date-night experience.

Ceviche Project in Silverlake is a gem! I don’t think it gets enough attention. They have the best ceviche, aguachile, and Peruvian scallops. I love their Hokkaido scallops with salsa macha. It’s a simple, intimate restaurant with counter seating and a few tables indoors and outdoors, where the chef/owner himself provides personal service. They only serve wine and beer. I haven’t been in a while because I’ve cut down on shellfish, but I truly love this restaurant.

Casual Go-To Spots:

Asian: Let’s talk about some of my favorite casual spots. I’m addicted to the best boat noodles at Mae Malai Noodles in Hollywood (Michelin-recommended), Chao Krung for pad see ew, pad Thai, papaya salad, and fried chicken wings in Beverly Grove (also a charming vibe for a casual date), and Hoy Ka for a large bowl of boat noodles, dry jade noodles, or rice with duck and crispy pork in Hollywood. One time at Hoy Ka, I saw a pretty, middle-aged South Asian woman with her two young kids waiting at a table for a fourth member to join. A tall, handsome middle-aged East Asian man walked in, and she got up to greet and kiss him. She told her kids to say hello, and they all sat down to enjoy lunch. He clearly was not the father. But there was something so beautiful about that moment. They looked like they genuinely liked each other. They talked like they genuinely liked each other. Two adults perhaps finding love for a second time later in life. It reminded me of my mother, a single mother who raised three girls on her own. When I saw them, it made me smile. I imagined that their relationship would work out and that they would find love and companionship again in each other.

For Chinese food, I love beef noodle soup and Hong Kong-style French toast at Liu’s Cafe in Koreatown (long wait, go during off hours; Michelin Bib Gourmand), Bao Dim Sum House for Chinese dim sum at a casual and hip spot in Beverly Grove (they have happy hour and a bar area too), and Din Tai Fung in Century City for soup dumplings, shrimp & pork spicy wontons, seaweed & bean curd salad, string beans with garlic, braised beef noodle soup (although I slightly prefer the one at Liu’s Cafe), and sweet taro buns.

Simpang Asia is great for casual and delicious Indonesian food in Culver City. Ji Rong is a notable mention in Rosemead (a bit of a trek) for Peking duck if you want it served in the authentic, traditional way, but it’s not something I eat often. I took my parents during their visit and went one time with friends to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Other: Open Sesame is a great spot for casual Lebanese food in Beverly Grove. I love the Open Sesame Combo, the Grilled Tiger Shrimp Combo, and The Sultan Combo. I also recommend their tabouleh, spicy garlic potatoes, baba ghannouj, and garlic sauce.

For taco trucks/stands, I love Leo’s Tacos for al pastor (multiple locations), Teddy’s Red Tacos for birria tacos (multiple locations), and Chicas Tacos inside of All Season Brewery. I can’t wait to have tacos again after my physical!

Cocktails:

For a special cocktail experience, I recently tried Bar Benjamin and enjoyed it. It’s intimate, chic, and romantic. You need reservations because it’s a seated cocktail bar. They serve bites as well, but if you want a proper dinner, you could dine at their restaurant The Benjamin Hollywood downstairs. They have two separate entrances. Bar Benjamin is a great date spot.

Employees Only was a go-to spot of mine for drink dates, along with Laurel Hardware across the street, which I mentioned earlier. But sadly it closed at the end of September. ☹️

Cafes & Matcha:

Lately, I’ve really enjoyed going to Boul’ange on Fairfax for matcha, coffee, pastries, and/or lunch. I like their banana bread, brioche cinnamon roll, Greek salad, short rib breakfast, steak frites, and khubz and labneh. It’s a fairly new cafe with a lovely, spacious outdoor patio. They use the most beautiful ceramics from Match Stoneware. I fell in love with the Van Gogh and knuckle mugs and immediately ran to pick up a few for myself. They bring me so much joy in the morning when I pick out which one to use for my matcha. The ceramic studio is located in Culver City and carries a variety of unique pieces. They seem to have sales fairly often, so definitely be on the look out and take advantage of them!

Alcove Cafe & Bakery in Los Feliz is a great spot for brunch. It’s located in a charming cottage with a garden patio. My favorites are the carnitas omelet (I ask them to make it a scramble with a side of salsa verde), lemon ricotta pancakes with pecan butter (I usually don’t like sweets in the morning, but this is worth it), and The Alcove Club.

For matcha, I love the matcha cream top from Damo in Koreatown and Community Goods (the location near Fairfax has really good breakfast sliders on Hawaiian buns, but the wait there is ridiculous). Neither is too sweet, and I slightly prefer Damo over Community Goods, but the difference is minimal. Community Goods also has a good Lavender Maple Matcha. Project Bloom Coffee in Larchmont is a small flower shop and cafe that has good breakfast sandwiches and matcha with a butterscotch cream top. I’ve had to take a break from the cream tops for health reasons, but it’s a nice treat. Why does treating yourself to an iced coffee or iced matcha feel so good? I’m late to the game. I only got into ice-cold drinks two years ago. I must have been living in a cave.

Sweets:

I know Salt & Straw is a chain, but it’s my favorite spot for ice cream. Honey Lavender is my favorite, and it’s a regular flavor on their menu. Their seasonal monthly flavors are great too, but I’ve found myself enjoying their May floral flavors and their October pumpkin flavor the most. In May of 2025, they had both a Jasmine Stracciatella and Pistachio Saffron, which were amazing. They brought back the Jasmine in May of this year, but not the Pistachio Saffron. I wish they repeated their seasonal flavors every year, but they don’t. At the end of May, I drove to Salt & Straw to treat myself to a cone and pick up a pint of the Jasmine flavor since the month was ending, but learned that they had already switched out the flavors on the last Friday of every month, per usual, even if the month hadn’t ended yet. And they had sold out of the pints in that flavor! I was too late. My reaction expressing my disappointment must have been dramatic because the woman gave me a free ice cream that day, and that made things better.

I discovered Anko, a coffee and dessert shop in Koreatown, and loved their strawberry mascarpone shaved ice. I tried their mango as well, but I prefer the strawberry. They have a few more flavors like matcha, hojicha, milk, and pumpkin. The portions are huge and meant to be shared. It’s a popular spot in the evening and can get a little crowded. I took my nephews here and they loved it.

I know that Sidecar Doughnuts is a small chain, but I really love their Old Fashioned and Salt & Butter most. It’s a sweet treat that I’ve had only ONCE this ENTIRE year! Last year, I used to treat myself to it all the time, getting multiple donuts at once to sample their other flavors, but I always found myself enjoying their simpler ones most.

I also want to support another great donut spot, SK Donuts by The Grove, a small, family-owned business run by two Cambodian refugees. My parents are also Cambodian refugees and once operated a donut shop when we were younger. It’s a hard business, and I admire what this Cambodian family was able to create. Donuts are nostalgic for me, and I’m looking forward to having one after my physical!

On My List to Try:
Included in my Notes app list of places to try next are Bistro Na in Temple City for Chinese food and Peking duck, Si! Mon for Central American and Panamanian food in Venice (but TBH, I really don’t see myself crossing the 405), Quarter Sheet Pizza in Echo Park specializing in casual pizza and cake, Damian in DTLA for upscale Mexican seafood, Majordomo in Chinatown for Korean-California fusion (I’ve hesitated because the menu looks meat-heavy), Mitsi in Chinatown for its moody, intimate cocktail vibe, Vandell in Silverlake for a gastropub, Wilde’s in Los Feliz for a cozy British bistro and sticky toffee pudding, Donna’s in Echo Park for Italian, and The Daily Catch in Pasadena for Italian seafood pasta. The Daily Catch originated in Boston and is one of my favorite casual Boston Italian restaurants. I love the linguine vongole with spicy red sauce. I was so excited to learn that they opened a location here in SoCal, even if it’s in Pasadena, which is slightly far for me.

Over the years, I’ve taken some perfectly good restaurants off my list because I didn’t find myself craving any particular dishes there anymore or the vibe wasn’t what I was looking for. This is my most updated selection of places I genuinely enjoy returning to. With so many restaurants closing, I want to make a better effort to support the places I love and discover some new favorites along the way. And, of course, get back to enjoying all the food I've been depriving myself of! If you have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them. I'm always looking for my next favorite spot.