Is everyone done with their Whole 30 diets, their juice cleanses and their Drynuaries? OK, great, let’s get back to business, and by “business” we mean biscuits, Benedicts and bloodies. Some of our favorite L.A. spots just launched brunch for the first time ever, whether it’s a lauded tasting-menu gem in the heart of Downtown or Mar Vista’s top Taiwanese hang. Whichever you pick, just be sure to bring an appetite.
Côté Est
Those looking to dine as Parisians do should head to Highland Park, where York Boulevard’s French bistro just launched brunch service. From the traditional French omelet—served here with mushrooms, raclette and a house-baked baguette—to a very L.A. spin on poutine involving pulled pork, salsa roja, cotija and crème fraîche, Côté Est is serving a fun and mostly-French brunch that also includes a rundown of drinks perfect for any Francophile. Sip on a Bloody Marie, their take on the Bloody Mary, made with vodka, house-made mix and pickled haricots verts; the Côté Est, with ’75 Merlet VSOP cognac, apricot liqueur, lemon juice and prosecco; and the De Matisse, with Lillet Rouge, F. Meyer raspberry brandy and toasted rosemary, among others. Oh, and did we mention there’s a patio that’s just perfect for brunching an plein air?
Saturdays & Sundays, 10am–2:30pm
Little Fatty
A quality dim sum brunch just hit the Westside thanks to David Kuo and his weekend parade of congee, dumplings and some of the best shumai in town. (Don’t believe us? Taste for yourself.) Per usual, Little Fatty’s Taiwanese soul-food ethos permeates the menu, conjuring up comforting and familiar bowls of wonton soup, beef noodle soup, and porridge topped with pork and pickled greens. On the dim sum menu—available only at brunch—find radish cakes, leek pie, shrimp har gow, squid ink soup dumplings, fried mochi, vegan egg rolls and warm soy milk, plus sides of Chinese doughnuts. In the mood for more American-leaning fare? Hit up the fried Hainan chicken and waffles, or the two-egg plate with Chinese sausage or five-spice bacon.
Saturdays & Sundays, 10am-2:30pm
Orsa & Winston
Josef Centeno’s beloved Italian-meets-Japanese tasting-menu restaurant in DTLA is now serving brunch fit for the hungry, and you should bring an appetite, because you’re going to want to order everything. There’s donabe for two—a big bowl of dashi broth with wagyu, tofu, market vegetables and egg, with a truffle addition—not to mention satsuki rice porridge with uni and scallops and pecorino. There are toasted oats with cherry blossom yogurt; cured anchovies with Calabrian chilis; matcha croissants; smoked fish plates with shoyu egg and pickled vegetables; yuzu-cream brioche buns; and omakase Japanese breakfasts. Also on offer are the Orsa & Winston weekday-lunch sandwiches, if you’re leaning toward lunch. Seeking something more familiar? Centeno has you covered with classics like baked eggs in tomato sauce, cheese scrambles, and fried eggs with ham and biscuits.
Saturdays & Sundays, 11am-2:30pm
Tintorera
Maycoll Calderón’s Silver Lake hideaway is now serving brunch along Sunset, but don’t worry, you can still find the Mexico City chef’s trademark ceviches and tostadas in the morning, too. Tintorera’s brunch-only dishes include house-made pan de muerto, a traditional Mexican sweet roll; huevos rancheros with roasted tomatoes, chilis, avocado, cotija and cilantro; buttermilk pancakes with agave honey and bananas; steak and eggs with roasted fingerling potatoes and tomatoes; huevos divorciados with a green and red tomato sauces, roasted potatoes and herbs; and scrambled eggs with chilis, tomatoes, black beans, chorizo and cotija. Calderón himself swears by his hamachi tostada as a hangover cure, but a little hair of the dog can’t hurt; it’s hard to resist one of Tintorera’s bloodies—featuring tall stalks of celery and rounds of cucumber—on that patio.
Saturdays & Sundays, 10:30am-3pm
XO on Beverly
It didn’t take long for chef Michael Hung to launch brunch service in this sunny Mid-City Cal-Asian cafe, where the space is light and bright, and so is Hung’s cooking. During brunch, find much of XO on Beverly’s regular all-day menu and its requisite hits—we’re looking at you, duck bao, pan-fried pancit, and shiso-and-mint hearts of palm salad—as well as a handful of American brunch classics made better by way of Pan-Asian spin. Fried chicken sits alongside scallion waffles and chili jam; grits and eggs meet roasted squash and a ginger-and-scallion salsa; vegetable Benedicts get lathered with a ponzu béarnaise. Don’t forget the rosé on draft, the mimosas and the hibiscus bellinis. (Oh, and pups are most welcome on the patio, if you’re into brunching with your dog buds.)
Saturdays and Sundays, 10am-4pm