Venice attracts a mixed crowd; and this café, which arrived on Abbot Kinney long before most of its neighbours, is no exception. Affluent home-owners mix with starving artists;...

Located in a seen-better-days strip mall, Alegria transcends its unbecoming location and drab interior with some lively and agreeably messy Mexican food. The dinners are good,...

Over at West LA's Apple Pan, diners ring a U-shaped counter to inhale burgers slathered with hickory sauce. However, the burgers aren't anything to write home about. For a more...

Despite the name, this Chinatown spot serves more than just noodles: the house speciality is the spicy, slightly sour soup called sinigang, and the kitchen is also known for...

For a full education in the range of Thai sweets, visit this bakery.

The dim-lit Bourgeois Pig lives on a stretch of Franklin Avenue in Hollywood that's particularly hip right now, thanks in no small part to the presence nearby of the Upright...

Buster's only adds to the quaint aura of charming South Pasadena. The menu includes everything from simple drip coffees to elaborate sundaes (made with LA's favourite ice...

Cacao is all tiki, all the time. OK, so there's also some UFO paraphernalia, but it's mostly an island-themed spot. Plain old coffee is available; however, the proprietors have...

This much-cherished Cuban café in Silver Lake offers coffee, extra-sweet pastries and lovely empanadas (meat pies). With its cosy and earnest Cuban American vibe, it's a...

This fairly basic and unpretentious little café can get lost amid the flash and glitz of the luxury emporiums around it. However, if you're looking for a cheap pick-me-up after...

The enormous burgers at Cassell's are made from freshly ground meat, and many burger obsessives believe they are the best in the city bar none. The diner itself is a...

In Little Tokyo's Japanese Village Plaza, try a sour, berrydotted Korean-style frozen yoghurt at Ce Fiore.

Echo Park's dirty hipster crowd congregates at this popular hangout. The service leaves a lot to be desired, but no matter: lots of people in bands spend hours here each day....

Annie Miller's lovely, low-key café-bakery offers delicious fuel to the neighbourhood's shoppers and office workers. The food ranges from the deeply healthy (home-made granola)...