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Holy Basil grandma's fish and rice
Photograph: Courtesy Stan LeeHoly Basil Atwater Village

The best new restaurants in Los Angeles to try right now

Lebanese cuisine, famous Florentine sandwiches and Thai street food gone brick-and-mortar: These are the L.A. openings worth checking out this spring.

Patricia Kelly Yeo
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Patricia Kelly Yeo
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If you’ve already eaten through L.A.’s best restaurants and sipped cocktails at the hottest bars from the Westside to Downtown, you’re probably the type of person who loves checking out the city’s hottest eateries, but hates spending money on overhyped duds. With our heavily vetted list of newly opened restaurants (yes, we’ve personally checked out every single one), we’re helping you decide where to head next—since there’s nothing worse when it comes to going out than wasting one’s precious, typically limited free time and, of course, money.

Updated on a monthly basis, our best new restaurants list takes into account the quality of cuisine, overall ambience, price and value. We go out of our way to try most major openings, including viral, trendy or notable hot spots, and decide which are actually worthy of inclusion (which is why you won’t find East Hollywood’s Ètra, La Brea’s Zozo or Koreatown’s Origin Korean BBQ on this month’s list). Questions we ask ourselves before including a spot on this guide: Does this new restaurant offer something more interesting, delicious or unique than any of L.A.’s existing restaurants? Is it worth the hype (and money)? If the answer to either is “No,” we don’t include it.

We also give thoughtful ordering tips and let you know exactly what to expect in terms of crowd, vibe and cuisine at fine dining spots, laidback fast-casual joints and everything in between. If necessary, we also make recommendations as to when, and how, to fit these red-hot restaurants into your finite leisure time and budget—whether they’re worth going out of your way for, or perhaps better suited for locals in the neighborhood.

In the interest of price transparency and reader convenience, we also strive to include valet costs and parking availability for every restaurant—further taking the headache out of your next great new meal in Los Angeles. Read on for March’s best new restaurants, ranked. 

March 2024: The new year has been fairly quiet in terms of openings, but we’ve got a single great destination-worthy addition to the list: The long-awaited opening of Holy Basil’s Atwater Village location. We’d also like to recognize Level 8 and Joyce, both located in Downtown L.A., and Baroo in the Arts District, all of which are departing the guide after the requisite six months.

Gotta try ’em all: Our favorite new restaurants in L.A.

  • Restaurants
  • Lebanese
  • West Hollywood
  • price 3 of 4

With a dazzling family-style mezze spread and other unique Middle Eastern culinary delights, this elegant, destination-worthy Lebanese concept inside the Kimpton La Peer is the best hotel restaurant we’ve visited all year. Run by Top Chef Middle East winner Charbel Hayek, Ladyhawk serves the Beirut native’s winning dish—Spanish ahi tuna crudo—and other California-inspired fare, but the best parts of the concise menu draw from the chef’s heritage cuisine. Highlights include a refreshing, crunchy fattoush (pita salad), a flavorful muhammara (walnut and red pepper spread) and a butterflied dorade with a spicy zhoug (spicy cilantro sauce). Start your meal with the beautifully presented za’atar manoushe, which dresses up the traditional Levantine spiced bread with dots of tomato purée, herb purée and labneh that resemble the Lebanese flag. Outdoor dining available; $20 valet parking and limited street parking.

  • Restaurants
  • French
  • Beverly
  • price 3 of 4

Hidden away on Beverly Boulevard, this impeccably designed French restaurant takes over the old Dominick’s space. True to its name, Amour conjures visions of romance with a candle-lit dining room, cozy lounge seating by the fireplace and a brick-lined, checker floored courtyard. The Japanese-inflected haute cuisine runs on the pricier side, with five-course ($150) and eight-course ($222) tasting menus, plus vegan and vegetarian options ($111). If you’d rather order à la carte, the kitchen's precise saucework translates into strong entrées, a standout steak tartare and the comte cloud, a truffle-covered cheesy poached egg. Either way, El Bullí-trained head chef Dani Chavez-Bello and owner Thomas Fuks (who also runs Hollywood nightclub Members) have crafted an upscale French dining experience worth traveling for. Outdoor dining available; $13 valet parking and metered street parking nearby.

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  • Restaurants
  • Contemporary European
  • Culver City
  • price 3 of 4

From the impish Ted Lasso-inspired “RELIEVE” sign in the bathroom to the menu’s various cheeky asides, this cozy, Austrian-accented bistro in Culver City manages to put “fun” and “fine dining” in the same sentence. Chef Bernhard Mairinger’s dinner menu is full of global influences, but the former BierBeisl chef is at his best with pan-European dishes like chicken liver profiteroles with dark chocolate and a classic veal wienerschnitzel with lingonberry-yuzu chutney. Cheaper dishes like the curry fries and spelt sourdough pizzas appeal to a locals’ crowd, while destination diners will appreciate touches like an excellent bread basket, Austrian wine pairings and Lustig’s eau-de-vie selection. Standout desserts include the Kaiserschmarrn (scrambled pancakes) with blueberry compote and apple strudel cigars with housemade sorbet. On March 5, Lustig will unroll a late-night menu (through 11pm on weekdays, midnight on weekends) with housemade sausages, with lunch service beginning March 12. Outdoor dining available; free two-hour parking in Helms Bakery District lots and metered parking on nearby Washington Boulevard.

  • Restaurants
  • Fusion
  • Silver Lake
  • price 2 of 4

This fast-casual walk-up in Silver Lake is the long-awaited original project of Mini Kabob’s Armen Martirosyan. Here, the second-generation chef combines Armenian and Mexican foodways in one of the most tantalizing, exciting mash-ups we’ve seen in a long time. Familiar vehicles—tacos, quesadillas and burritos—pair perfectly cooked meats and falafel with delicious sauces like chile de arbol toum (garlic sauce) and fire-roasted pico de gallo. For a lighter lunch, we recommend ordering two to three tacos; the heavier burritos and quesadillas just might require an afternoon nap. Paired with Mini Kabob’s famous, Aleppo pepper-dusted home fries and Armenian sodas, a meal here is an everyman’s ticket to an only-in-L.A. culinary rollercoaster you’ll want to ride over and over again. Outdoor dining available; metered street parking.

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  • Restaurants
  • Thai
  • Atwater Village
  • price 2 of 4

Though the narrow space is almost suffocatingly intimate, expansive flavors and unique seafood dishes make a visit to Holy Basil’s long-awaited second location extremely worthwhile for those who appreciate a more nuanced take on Thai cuisine. Atwater locals are already lining up nightly for a taste of Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat’s dinner menu, which includes lemongrass mussels, wild shrimp aguachile and beef tataki. For a slightly quicker meal, head here during lunch, when the eight bar seats and handful of tables don’t go quite so fast. (Just don’t bring more than a friend or two—this location isn’t conducive to large parties.) In the next few months, the Thai-Chinese chef and co-owner Tongkamal “Joy” Yuon also plan to unveil a brunch menu, so follow along on Holy Basil’s Instagram for the latest menu and opening schedule updates. Outdoor dining available; street parking.

  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Pan-South American
  • Venice
  • price 3 of 4

What was once James Beach is now Si! Mon, the hands-down most exciting new restaurant to hit Venice in years. Led by Panama City-based chef Jose Carles, the stylishly appointed restaurant serves a delicious, destination-worthy introduction to Panamanian cuisine. Chinese, Spanish and Afro-Caribbean culinary influences pepper the seafood-heavy menu, as does yuca, the oft-fried root vegetable indigenous to Latin America and the Caribbean. Delicately flavored raw bites like the tuna yuca tostada balance out heartier dishes, including a delectable clam guacho, a seafood and rice stew with a consistency somewhere between congee and risotto, plus fried chicken that uses rice powder for a craggy, flavorful crunch sans gluten. In fact, Si! Mon might be one of the best meals we’ve had all year—so if you’ve written off the Westside’s dining scene as boring, this sleeper hit of a fall opening just might change your mind. Outdoor dining available. Street and nearby private lot parking.

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  • Restaurants
  • Sandwich shops
  • Venice
  • price 2 of 4

Florence’s most famous sandwich shop has opened up on Abbot Kinney, and honestly, this is a rare case where the hype is justified. Filled with prosciutto, mortadella, pistachio cream and any other high-quality Italian import you can imagine, All’Antico Vinaio’s schiacciata creations puts most of L.A.’s imitation focaccia sandos to shame. The crusty, slightly oily Tuscan flatbread is the perfect canvas for everything from lardo and gorgonzola (the truffle honey-adorned Dolcezze d’Autunno) to the signature La Paradiso, which combines mortadella, stracciatella, pistachio cream and toasted pistachios into a must-try sandwich. Of course, lines are already stretching to an hour or more on the weekends, but arrive early—10:30am is when they begin serving sandwiches, with pastries and coffee served from 7am—or try your luck on a weekday to cut down on your wait time. Outdoor dining available; Street parking and nearby private lots.

  • Restaurants
  • Cafés
  • Koreatown
  • price 2 of 4

It’s all hits and no misses at Liu’s Cafe, a Chinese American daytime spot in Koreatown, where Angelenos happily line up for delicious rice bowls and breakfast sandwiches, plus Asian-inspired pastries from Isabell Manibusan, who previously oversaw the dessert program at Maude in Beverly Hills. The tiny, sleekly appointed café also serves an extensive menu of tea-based drinks, a small coffee selection and a few ultra-premium blends geared towards tea connoisseurs. (Note that the selection is more limited on weekends, when crowds overwhelm the tiny space.) On our visit, we loved everything we tried, but particularly the braised pork belly rice and Manibusan’s distinctive pineapple buns, which feature a a concha-like streusel crust. Early risers can also enjoy a newer Hong Kong-style French toast and breakfast set. Street parking and nearby private lots.

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  • Restaurants
  • Cafés
  • Culver City
  • price 2 of 4

Some of L.A.’s best pies and cookies can now be found on the Westside, where award-winning pastry chef Nicole Rucker has opened a long-awaited café expansion on the edge of Culver City. A seriously delicious savory menu includes freshly made paninis and a trio of filling seasonal salads. There’s also coffee, tea and pastries as well as a small retail section towards the back. While café and bakeries don’t normally make it onto our L.A. openings guide, Rucker’s baking (and cooking) is just that good—and if you live within a reasonable travel time of Fat + Flour Culver City, consider this a must-visit. Metered street parking.

  • Restaurants
  • Thai
  • Thai Town
  • price 1 of 4

After a year of street vending next to Radna Silom, Malai Data’s amazing boat noodle soup pop-up has found a permanent home just five minutes’ walk from its original location. Step into the bare-bones space for $9 bowls of the best boat noodle soup we’ve ever had. Bits of carefully prepared green onions, pork cracklings, bean sprouts, meatballs and your choice of mixed pork or beef offal arrive in each traditionally small bowl—so order two, or even three, if you’re feeling extra hungry. There’s also larger $15 bowls of tom yum noodle soup and an expanded menu that includes pad thai, krapow and housemade Isaan-style sour sausage. For dessert, order the kanom tuay; the delicate steamed pandan-coconut custards are the perfect way to cap off an affordable meal here. Free lot parking plus limited street parking.

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  • Restaurants
  • Japanese
  • Hollywood
  • price 2 of 4

Ignore the upscale-casual price point and a fancier area code: This cozy Japanese restaurant in Beverly Hills just might fill the Curry House-shaped hole in your heart. Run by the Wagyu-obsessed hospitality group behind Downtown specialist Niku X, Chubby Curry offers a slate of rich, flavorful curries paired with the likes of dry-aged duck (available after 5pm), a vegan-friendly oyster mushroom skillet and, of course, top-quality beef. The $18 Wagyu burger made with curry aioli and caramelized onions has already made our guide to L.A.’s best burgers, but even simpler offerings like chicken katsu, sizzling steak hamburg and waffle fries shine thanks to flavorful sauces made with a chef’s attention to detail. During lunch hours, hungry diners can ball on a budget with a $28 unlimited Wagyu curry and rice special. Outdoor dining available. Two-hour free parking at the public lot across the street, plus metered one-hour street parking.

  • Restaurants
  • Japanese
  • East Hollywood
  • price 2 of 4

A good izakaya is hard to find in L.A.—and while we can always count on Little Tokyo’s Kinjiro and Echo Park’s Tsubaki for an excellent booze-centric Japanese meal, this moody addition to Virgil Village is a worthy newcomer to the scene with excellent sake-based cocktails, a selection of pressed sushi and other chef-driven drinking fare. Think chef’s salad brimming with country ham and lemon-miso vinaigrette, Thai-style pork sausage alongside a refreshing herb slaw and yakisoba topped with drizzles of kewpie mayo and a shower of dried seaweed flakes. Look to the daily specials to see where executive chef Dan Rabilwongse (Tsubaki, Urasawa) and chef de cuisine Justin Vu (previously of Morihiro) are getting creative. Street parking.

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  • Restaurants
  • Pizza
  • Cypress Park
  • price 1 of 4

The slices at this new pizza shop from Last Word Hospitality (of Found Oyster, plus Barra Santos next door) makes us jealous that we don’t live in Cypress Park. If we did, we’d be regulars at Shins Pizza, where an airy, ultra-chewy New York-inspired crust combines with Asian ingredients for a uniquely L.A. slice joint. Sure, Shins does the classic cheese and pepperoni varieties justice, but you’d be remiss not to try the meat lover’s slice, topped with fiery sambal, Chinese sausage and speck. Shins also rides the current mortadella wave with a unique white pie that plops an entire slice of the trendy Italian luncheon meat on top. Side dishes like Asian pear salad, Japanese karaage-like chicken nuggets and barbecue pork arancini add an extra edge to a casual meal here, but be sure to make it quick: You’ll be sitting on milk crates or, during the day, unused patio tables from Barra Santos. Outdoor dining available. Street parking.

  • Restaurants
  • French
  • Downtown Arts District
  • price 2 of 4

This mostly-outdoor Arts District wine bar is bringing more accessibly priced, extremely tasty bistro fare to a part of town better known for tasting menus and other splurge-worthy eateries. Maude alum Justin Hilbert has crafted a menu of tasty bar bites, including cheese gougères, garlicky escargots and housemade pates and terrines. Best of all? Aside from a few family-style specials, nothing at Le Champ is over $30. Naturally, this means portions run on the smaller side, but are still large enough to satisfy, especially at lunch; Le Champ opens at noon and stays open all day, making it the perfect place for a quick midday meal or afternoon snack for anyone who finds themself in this part of Downtown. The charming patio looks more like a dinner party in someone’s backyard—so come in, order a glass of wine and sit a spell. Outdoor dining available. Limited street parking.

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  • Restaurants
  • Vietnamese
  • La Cienega
  • price 3 of 4

Open since late July, this stylish Vietnamese restaurant comes from the h.wood Group (Delilah, the Nice Guy) and Tue Nguyen, better known as Tway Da Bae on TikTok. Situated along the La Cienega nightlife corridor, the Gen Z social media star offers a creative, slightly uneven menu that walks the line between trendy and traditional. Those familiar with Vietnamese cuisine will appreciate the banh xeo-inspired coconut crepe tacos and the saucy shaking beef salad, though we’d steer you away from the disappointing $65 family-style pho, which we found a little too heavy on cassia and star anise. Throw in the excellent cocktails that draw inspiration from Nha Trang, Vietnam’s leading coastal resort city, plus show-stoppers like the whole fried snapper with “tway ploy” (Nguyen’s twist on Thai sweet chili sauce), however, and you’ve got the makings of a vibey night out in West Hollywood. Outdoor dining available. $15 valet and limited street parking.

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