Despite all that’s transpired during the pandemic, 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. Our experts scour the city for great eats and great insider info. We value fun, flavor, freshness—and value at every price point. We update our list 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 2024: Over the last few months, we’ve been steadily revisiting the restaurants on our Best Restaurants list—and while many continue to hold up, we’ve decided to swap a few out. Our latest two additions to the list are Birdie G’s, a California restaurant with Jewish and Midwestern culinary influences and Kato, a Michelin-starred Taiwanese tasting menu with a knockout wine and bar program. Back in 2022, we were lukewarm on the newly relocated restaurant, but Kato’s food menu has come into its own in the past year with a Taiwanese bent that distinguishes it from other fine dining spots around town. Stay tuned for a light update in the spring.